Method and apparatus for adaptive bluetooth low power discovery and wake up

• US 8,307,231 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Radulescu, Andrei, Rauber, Peter H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoynov, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US12/620,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 340/539.13, 370/310, 455/574, 709/227, 710/105
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for adaptive Bluetooth low power wake up and discovery is provided whereby wake-up triggers are uploaded to Media Access Control (MAC) firmware. A data stream representing a trigger arrives as either an interpretable binary stream of instructions, or as a concatenation of events listed in a preset table. Various parameters allowing flexible wake-up triggering, such as Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs) to scan for probability likelihoods, are also uploaded. Both table-based and interpretable instructions are designed to ensure the security of the trigger by limiting the functionality of the trigger to only trigger-related events (e.g., scanning, pre-reserved memory). Both the table and the instruction set are designed in a minimalistic fashion to allow a slim and fast firmware-side implementation. Insignificant modifications to existing computer or Operating System (OS) architecture take advantage of the already existing MAC processor in many 802.11 interfaces, offering enormous flexibility.

Claims

1. A method of low power discovery (LPD) that extends the battery life of a portable Wi Fi device or portable media player (PMP) using IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) interface by ensuring that the portable Wi Fi device or PMP host processor is only on when in designated 802.11 coverage or when needed by a user, by employing probabilistic channel scanning comprising:

A) uploading dynamic wake-up triggers to Media Access Control (MAC) firmware;

B) bringing an Access Terminal (AT) host equipped with an 802.11 interface to an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) state S3 or equivalent sleep state prior to the portable Wi Fi device or portable media player going to sleep; and

C) programming the 802.11 WLAN to wake up based on the uploaded triggers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined trigger logic is a desired services set identifier (SSID).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined trigger logic is a desired encryption.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined trigger logic is a predetermined packet format from an Access Point (AP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined trigger logic is a wakeup necessity through synchronization token.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said synchronization token is unencrypted to accommodate limited media access control (MAC) processor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said synchronization token is sent by the AT to the Access Point (AP) when desired 802.11 WLAN coverage is found.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the MAC address allows the Access Point (AP) to wake-up only specific ATs, on the basis of the need for wake-up, as determined after analyzing the AT'"'"'s synchronization token.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein trigger logic is implemented in MAC processor firmware.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein during LPD, and prior to the AT host going into standby, the host updates the synchronization token and downloads it to the MAC processor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the token marks a level of download that has been reached.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the token marks changes in some download list.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the token marks the latest retrieved e-mail.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the channels are scanned probabilistically based upon one or more of the following:

a) history of found channels or trigger;

b) pre-programmed trigger information downloaded from a server;

or

c) information from a sensor of the likelihood of an 802.11 channel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said sensor is a GPS.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said sensor is a Bluetooth.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said sensor is a gyroscope.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said sensor is an odometer.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said sensor is a cellular signal.