Wireless connecting mobile devices and wearable devices

• US 9,100,944 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Newham, Adam Edward, Jain, Nikhil, Sauhta, Rohit, Yaramada, Praveen Kumar, Chitireddy, Karthik
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US14/153,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20150065055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/63.1, 455/67.11, 455/550, 455/566, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/575.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The various aspects provide for wirelessly connecting mobile devices and wearable devices, which may enhance battery life and user experience. The embodiments may determine whether the mobile device is streaming audio data to a wirelessly connected peripheral audio device. Requests from the mobile device to wirelessly connect to the wearable device may be deferred while the mobile device is streaming audio data to the peripheral audio device using the same communication protocol as the wireless connection to be made between the mobile device and the wearable device. The mobile device may determine when streaming of audio data to the peripheral audio device has stopped. The mobile device may send a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device when the mobile device is not streaming audio data to the peripheral audio device using the same communication protocol.

Claims

1. A method for a mobile device to wirelessly connect and communicate with a wearable device when the mobile device is also wirelessly connected to a peripheral audio device, comprising:

determining whether the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device;

deferring sending from the mobile device to the wearable device a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device;

determining whether the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device; and

sending from the mobile device to the wearable device a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

listening by the mobile device for a connection attempt by the wearable device while the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device;

receiving a connection attempt from the wearable device on the mobile device, the connection attempt transmitted to the mobile device in response to a user interaction with the wearable device when a wireless connection is not established with the mobile device; and

establishing a wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device in response to the mobile device receiving the connection attempt from the wearable device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

establishing by the mobile device a first wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device;

terminating by the mobile device the first wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device;

receiving in the mobile device from the wearable device a second request to establish a second wireless connection; and

establishing by the wearable device the second wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a communication configured to be sent from the mobile device to the wearable device in response to detecting an event on the mobile device; and

determining a type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing the following operations in response to determining that the type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device is a setup type request:

initializing a connection attempt counter;

attempting to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and incrementing the connection attempt counter;

determining whether the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

sending from the mobile device to the wearable device the generated communication in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

determining whether the connection attempt counter exceeds a connection attempt threshold in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed;

repeatedly attempting to connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed and that the connection attempt counter does not exceed the connection attempt threshold; and

dropping the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and storing the generated communication from the mobile device to the wearable device for transmission in a future wireless connection with the wearable device in response to determining that the connection attempt counter exceeds the connection attempt threshold.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing the following operations in response to determining that the type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device is a notification type request:

making a single attempt to wirelessly connect to the wearable device;

determining whether the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

sending from the mobile device to the wearable device the generated communication in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded; and

dropping the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and storing the generated communication from the mobile device to the wearable device for a future wireless connection with the wearable device in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing the following operations in response to determining that the type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device is an assorted type request:

initializing a connection attempt timer;

attempting to wirelessly connect to the wearable device;

determining whether the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

sending from the mobile device to the wearable device the generated communication in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

determining whether the connection attempt timer exceeds a connection attempt timer threshold in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed;

repeatedly attempting to connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed and that the connection attempt timer does not exceed the connection attempt timer threshold; and

dropping the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and storing the generated communication from the mobile device to the wearable device for a future wireless connection with the wearable device in response to determining that the connection attempt timer exceeds the connection attempt timer threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining whether the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device comprises determining whether the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device on a Bluetooth connection;

determining whether the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device comprises determining whether the mobile device has ended the Bluetooth connection or entered a low duty cycle mode for the Bluetooth connection to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device; and

sending from the mobile device to the wearable device a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device comprises sending a page message from the mobile device to the wearable device on multiple frequencies using a Bluetooth Service Discovery process in response to determining that the mobile device has ended the Bluetooth connection or entered the low duty cycle mode for the Bluetooth connection to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device.

9. A mobile device, comprising a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the mobile device is streaming audio data to a wirelessly connected peripheral audio device;

deferring sending to a wearable device a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device;

determining whether the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device; and

sending to the wearable device a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

listening for a connection attempt by the wearable device while the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device;

receiving a connection attempt from the wearable device; and

establishing a wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device in response to the mobile device receiving the connection attempt from the wearable device.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

establishing a first wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device;

terminating the first wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device;

receiving from the wearable device a second request to establish a second wireless connection; and

establishing the second wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

generating a communication configured to be sent to the wearable device in response to detecting an event on the mobile device; and

determining a type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to perform the following operations in response to determining that the type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device is a setup type request:

initializing a connection attempt counter;

attempting to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and incrementing the connection attempt counter;

determining whether the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

sending to the wearable device the generated communication in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

determining whether the connection attempt counter exceeds a connection attempt threshold in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed;

repeatedly attempting to connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed and that the connection attempt counter does not exceed the connection attempt threshold; and

dropping the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and storing the generated communication for transmission in a future wireless connection with the wearable device in response to determining that the connection attempt counter exceeds the connection attempt threshold.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to perform the following operations in response to determining that the type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device is a notification type request:

making a single attempt to wirelessly connect to the wearable device;

determining whether the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

sending from the mobile device to the wearable device the generated communication in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded; and

dropping the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and storing the generated communication from the mobile device to the wearable device for a future wireless connection with the wearable device in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to perform the following operations in response to determining that the type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device is an assorted type request:

initializing a connection attempt timer;

attempting to wirelessly connect to the wearable device;

determining whether the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

sending to the wearable device the generated communication in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

determining whether the connection attempt timer exceeds a connection attempt timer threshold in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed;

repeatedly attempting to connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed and that the connection attempt timer does not exceed the connection attempt timer threshold; and

dropping the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and storing the generated communication to the wearable device for a future wireless connection with the wearable device in response to determining that the connection attempt timer exceeds the connection attempt timer threshold.

16. The mobile device of claim 9,

wherein determining whether the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device comprises determining whether the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device on a Bluetooth connection;

wherein determining whether the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device comprises determining whether the mobile device has ended the Bluetooth connection or entered a low duty cycle mode for the Bluetooth connection to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device; and

wherein sending to the wearable device a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device comprises sending a page message to the wearable device on multiple frequencies using a Bluetooth Service Discovery process in response to determining that the mobile device has ended the Bluetooth connection or entered the low duty cycle mode for the Bluetooth connection to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device.

17. A communication system, comprising:

a peripheral audio device configured to receive streaming audio data over a first wireless connection;

a mobile device configured to transmit streaming audio data over the first wireless connection to the peripheral audio device; and

a wearable device configured to connect wirelessly to the mobile device over a second wireless connection,

wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile device processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

determining whether the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device;

deferring sending to the wearable device a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device;

determining whether the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device; and

sending to the wearable device a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device, and

wherein the wearable device comprises a wearable device processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

receiving from the mobile device on the wearable device the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device; and

establishing a second wireless connection with the mobile device in response to receiving the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device.

18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein:

the wearable device processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising transmitting a connection attempt to the mobile device in response to a user interaction with the wearable device when a wireless connection is not established with the mobile device; and

the mobile device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising;

listening for a connection attempt by the wearable device while the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device;

receiving the connection attempt from the wearable device on the mobile device; and

establishing the second wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device in response to the mobile device receiving the connection attempt from the wearable device.

19. The communication system of claim 18, wherein the mobile device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

establishing a third wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device;

terminating the third wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device;

receiving from the wearable device a second request to establish the second wireless connection; and

establishing a fourth wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device in response to receiving the second request to establish the second wireless connection.

20. The communication system of claim 18,

wherein determining whether the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device comprises determining whether the mobile device is streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device on a Bluetooth connection;

wherein determining whether the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device comprises determining whether the mobile device has ended the Bluetooth connection or entered a low duty cycle mode for the Bluetooth connection to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device; and

wherein sending to the wearable device a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the mobile device has stopped streaming audio data to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device comprises sending a page message to the wearable device on multiple frequencies using a Bluetooth Service Discovery process in response to determining that the mobile device has ended the Bluetooth connection or entered the low duty cycle mode for the Bluetooth connection to the wirelessly connected peripheral audio device.

21. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the mobile device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

generating a communication configured to be sent to the wearable device in response to detecting an event on the mobile device; and

determining a type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device.

22. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the mobile device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform the following operations in response to determining that the type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device is a setup type request:

initializing a connection attempt counter;

attempting to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and incrementing the connection attempt counter;

determining whether the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

sending to the wearable device the generated communication in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

determining whether the connection attempt counter exceeds a connection attempt threshold in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed;

repeatedly attempting to connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed and that the connection attempt counter does not exceed the connection attempt threshold; and

dropping the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and storing the generated communication from the mobile device to the wearable device for transmission in a future wireless connection with the wearable device in response to determining that the connection attempt counter exceeds the connection attempt threshold.

23. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the mobile device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform the following operations in response to determining that the type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device is a notification type request:

making a single attempt to wirelessly connect to the wearable device;

determining whether the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

sending from the mobile device to the wearable device the generated communication in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded; and

dropping the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and storing the generated communication from the mobile device to the wearable device for a future wireless connection with the wearable device in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed.

24. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the mobile device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform the following operations in response to determining that the type of the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device is an assorted type request:

initializing a connection attempt timer;

attempting to wirelessly connect to the wearable device;

determining whether the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

sending from the mobile device to the wearable device the generated communication in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device succeeded;

determining whether the connection attempt timer exceeds a connection attempt timer threshold in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed;

repeatedly attempting to connect to the wearable device in response to determining that the attempt to connect to the wearable device did not succeed and that the connection attempt timer does not exceed the connection attempt timer threshold; and

dropping the request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device and storing the generated communication to the wearable device for a future wireless connection with the wearable device in response to determining that the connection attempt timer exceeds the connection attempt timer threshold.