Bluetooth fast connection mode for wireless peripheral device

• US 20030197488A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hulvey, Robert W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless interface device services communications between a wirelessly enabled host and at least one user input device. The wireless interface device includes a wireless interface unit, a processing unit, an input/output unit, and a power management unit. The wireless interface unit wirelessly interfaces with the wirelessly enabled host using a communication interface protocol. The power management unit operably couples to the wireless interface unit, the processing unit, and the input/output unit. The wireless interface unit supports paging operations in which the wireless interface device is able to receive a page during a wirelessly enabled host in a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence of the host.

Claims

1. A method for operating a wireless Human Interface Device (HID) to conserve battery life, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless connection with a host device;

receiving user input and wirelessly transmitting the user input to the host device;

after a period of time during which no user input is received, entering a power down mode in which the connection with the host device is lost;

after the connection with the host device has been lost, receiving user input;

when the connection with the host device is lost, in attempting to reestablish a link with the host device, page scanning by;

listening for pages from the host device on a first frequency of a page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence;

listening for pages from the host device on a second frequency of the page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence; and

receiving a page from the host device;

responding to the page from the host device; and

establishing a wireless connection with the host device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising interacting with the host to determine the page hopping sequence.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the page hopping sequence is determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the page hopping sequence includes sixteen frequencies.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the page scanning period is equal to the duration of the page hopping sequence.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the page scanning period has a duration of 10 milliseconds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the page scanning period is equal to an integer multiple of the duration of the page hopping sequence.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the page scanning period is an integer multiple of 10 milliseconds.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising interfacing with the host device during an inquiry process to determine the page hopping sequence.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.

12. A wireless interface device that services communications between a wirelessly enabled host and at least one user input device, the wireless interface device comprising:

a wireless interface unit that wirelessly interfaces with the host;

a processing unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit;

an input/output unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit and to the processing unit, wherein the input/output unit also operably couples to the at least one user input device; and

wherein the wireless interface unit supports paging operations in which the wireless interface unit;

listens for pages from the host device on a first frequency of a page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence;

listens for pages from the host device on a second frequency of the page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence; and

receives a page from the host device; and

responds to the page from the host device.

13. The wireless interface device of claim 12, wherein the wireless interface interacts with the host to determine the page hopping sequence.

14. The wireless interface device of claim 12, wherein the page hopping sequence is determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.

15. The wireless interface device of claim 12, wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.

16. The wireless interface device of claim 12, wherein the page hopping sequence includes sixteen frequencies.

17. The wireless interface device of claim 12, wherein the page scanning period is equal to the duration of the page hopping sequence.

18. The wireless interface device of claim 12, wherein the page scanning period has a duration of 10 milliseconds.

19. The wireless interface device of claim 12, wherein the page scanning period is equal to an integer multiple of the duration of the page hopping sequence.

20. The wireless interface device of claim 12, wherein the page scanning period is an integer multiple of 10 milliseconds.

21. The wireless interface device of claim 12, further comprising interfacing with the host device during an inquiry process to determine the page hopping sequence.

22. The wireless interface device of claim 21, wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.

23. An integrated circuit that services communications between a wirelessly enabled host and at least one user input device, the wireless interface device comprising:

a wireless interface unit that wirelessly interfaces with the host;

a processing unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit;

an input/output unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit and to the processing unit, wherein the input/output unit also operably couples to the at least one user input device; and

wherein the wireless interface unit supports paging operations in which the wireless interface unit;

listens for pages from the host device on a first frequency of a page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence;

listens for pages from the host device on a second frequency of the page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence; and

receives a page from the host device; and

responds to the page from the host device.

24. The integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the wireless interface interacts with the host to determine the page hopping sequence.

25. The integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the page hopping sequence is determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.

26. The integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.

27. The integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the page hopping sequence includes sixteen frequencies.

28. The integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the page scanning period is equal to the duration of the page hopping sequence.

29. The integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the page scanning period has a duration of 10 milliseconds.

30. The integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the page scanning period is equal to an integer multiple of the duration of the page hopping sequence.

31. The integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the page scanning period is an integer multiple of 10 milliseconds.

32. The integrated circuit of claim 23, further comprising interfacing with the host device during an inquiry process to determine the page hopping sequence.

33. The integrated circuit of claim 32, wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.