Inquiry response event control

• US 8,965,286 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tervo, Ville, Hakala, Henrik, Reunamaki, Jukka, Palin, Arto
• Primary Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US13/223,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/67.11, 455/458
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system for selectively expediting connection establishment between apparatuses. In at least one example implementation, an apparatus may comprise at least a control entity and a communication entity. The control entity may transmit a command to the communication entity, the command instructing the communication entity to set certain operational parameters. The communication entity may then send a response to the command, and the control entity may determine if the certain operational parameters have been set in the communication entity based on the response. If the certain operational parameters have been set, the control entity may initiate a first device discovery mode in the apparatus. Alternatively, a second device discovery mode may be initiated by the control entity if it is determined that the certain operational parameters have not been set in the communication entity.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting a command from a control entity to a communication entity in an apparatus, the command instructing the communication entity to set operational parameters causing the communication entity to generate a device discovery event and report it to the control entity when a response to device discovery is received by the communication entity;

receiving a response from the communication entity at the control entity in response to the command;

determining in the control entity, based on the response, if the operational parameters instructed by the command have been set in the communication entity;

initiating a long interval device discovery mode in the apparatus if it is determined that the operational parameters have been set; and

initiating a short interval device discovery mode in the apparatus if it is determined that the operational parameters have not been set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control entity is a Bluetooth host controller interface (HCI), the communication entity is a Bluetooth controller, and the long interval and short interval device discovery modes are first and second Bluetooth inquiry modes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational parameters comprise one or more bytes set in a control table in the communication entity for controlling operation of the communication entity relating to when device discovery response events are generated and reported by the communication entity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the one or more bytes set in the control table in the communication entity causes a device discovery response event to be generated by the communication entity only once during device discovery for each encountered apparatus, every time an apparatus is encountered, or in accordance with a vendor default configuration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the response comprises at least an event corresponding to the command, the event indicating the operational parameters currently set in the communication entity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the long interval device discovery mode increases speed of device discovery event reporting when multiple device discovery responses are received from a single source by the communication entity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising giving priority to operations associated with a wireless communication medium in support of the long interval device discovery mode or the short interval device discovery mode over operations of other wireless communication mediums in the apparatus.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein giving priority to the operations associated with the wireless communication medium comprises at least one of reducing or discontinuing the operations of the other wireless communication mediums during the long interval device discovery mode or the short interval device discovery mode.

9. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code configured to cause an apparatus to transmit a command from a control entity to a communication entity in the apparatus, the command instructing the communication entity to set operational parameters causing the communication entity to generate a device discovery event and report it to the control entity when a response to device discovery is received by the communication entity;

code configured to cause the apparatus to receive a response from the communication entity at the control entity in response to the command;

code configured to cause the apparatus to determine in the control entity, based on the response, if the operational parameters instructed by the command have been set in the communication entity;

code configured to cause the apparatus to initiate a long interval device discovery mode in the apparatus if it is determined that the operational parameters have been set; and

code configured to cause the apparatus to initiate a short interval device discovery mode in the apparatus if it is determined that the operational parameters have not been set.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the entity is a Bluetooth host controller interface (HCI), the communication entity is a Bluetooth controller, and the long interval and short interval device discovery modes are first and second Bluetooth inquiry modes.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the operational parameters comprise one or more bytes set in a control table in the communication entity for controlling operation of the communication entity relating to when device discovery response events are generated and reported by the communication entity.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more bytes set in the control table in the communication entity causes a device discovery response event to be generated by the communication entity only once during device discovery for each encountered apparatus, every time an apparatus is encountered, or in accordance with a vendor default configuration.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the response comprises at least an event corresponding to the command, the event indicating the operational parameters currently set in the communication entity.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the long interval device discovery mode increases speed of device discovery event reporting when multiple device discovery responses are received from a single source by the communication entity.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising code configured to cause the apparatus to give priority to operations associated with a wireless communication medium in support of the long interval device discovery mode or the short interval device discovery mode over operations of other wireless communication mediums in the apparatus.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the code configured to cause the apparatus to give priority to the operations associated with the wireless communication medium comprises code configured to cause the apparatus to at least one of reduce or discontinue the operations of the other wireless communication mediums during the long interval device discovery mode or the short interval device discovery mode.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including executable instructions, the at least one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

transmit a command from a control entity to a communication entity in the apparatus, the command instructing the communication entity to set operational parameters causing the communication entity to generate a device discovery event and report it to the control entity when a response to device discovery is received by the communication entity;

receive a response from the communication entity at the control entity in response to the command;

determine in the control entity, based on the response, if the operational parameters instructed by the command have been set in the communication entity;

initiate a long interval device discovery mode in the apparatus if it is determined that the operational parameters have been set; and

initiate a short interval device discovery mode in the apparatus if it is determined that the operational parameters have not been set.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control entity is a Bluetooth host controller interface (HCI), the communication entity is a Bluetooth controller, and the long interval and short interval device discovery modes are first and second Bluetooth inquiry modes.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operational parameters comprise one or more bytes set in a control table in the communication entity for controlling operation of the communication entity relating to when device discovery response events are generated and reported by the communication entity.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least one of the one or more bytes set in the control table in the communication entity causes a device discovery response event to be generated by the communication entity only once during device discovery for each encountered apparatus, every time an apparatus is encountered, or in accordance with a vendor default configuration.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the response comprises at least an event corresponding to the command, the event indicating the operational parameters currently set in the communication entity.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the long interval device discovery mode increases speed of device discovery event reporting when multiple device discovery responses are received from a single source by the communication entity.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising the at least one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to give priority to operations associated with a wireless communication medium in support of the long interval device discovery mode or the short interval device discovery mode over operations of other wireless communication mediums in the apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to give priority to the operations associated with the wireless communication medium comprises the at least one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least one of reduce or discontinue the operations of the other wireless communication mediums during the long interval device discovery mode or the short interval device discovery mode.

25. A communication entity, comprising:

interface resources configured to receive a command from a control entity in the same apparatus as the communication entity;

data storage resources configured to set operational parameters in the communication entity based on the received command, wherein the operational parameters cause the communication entity to generate a device discovery event and report it to the control entity when a response to device discovery is received by the communication entity; and

wireless communication resources configured to operate in a long interval inquiry mode or a short interval inquiry mode based on whether or not, respectively, the operational parameters instructed by the command from the control entity have been set in the communication entity.