Automatic connection of bluetooth human interface devices

• US 9,860,680 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tian, Dan, Geng, Junfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): AKINYEMI, AJIBOLA A
• Application Number:
  US14/397,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,038 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A Bluetooth controller associated with a host device can be configured to automatically configure and setup a Bluetooth LE HID without the use of hidden menus or other setup options involving multiple steps (or other input devices). The Bluetooth controller executes background scan operations to detect at least one Bluetooth LE HID to connect to the host device. Each Bluetooth packet received at the Bluetooth controller is analyzed to determine whether the received Bluetooth packet is a predefined Bluetooth LE HID packet type transmitted by the Bluetooth LE HID. In response to determining that the received Bluetooth packet is a predefined Bluetooth LE HID packet type transmitted by the Bluetooth LE HID, the received Bluetooth packet is provided to a Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller. Otherwise, the received Bluetooth packet is provided to a Bluetooth HCI module of the Bluetooth controller.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a communication link between a host device and a Bluetooth device, the method comprising:

executing, at a Bluetooth controller associated with the host device, background scan operations to detect the Bluetooth device;

receiving a Bluetooth packet at the Bluetooth controller from the Bluetooth device;

determining, by a Bluetooth low energy (LE) human interface device (HID) filter of the Bluetooth controller, whether the received Bluetooth packet is a Bluetooth LE HID packet type; and

providing, by the Bluetooth LE HID filter, the received Bluetooth packet to a Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller if the received Bluetooth packet is the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, and providing, by the Bluetooth LE HID filter, the received Bluetooth packet to a Bluetooth host controller interface (HCI) module of the Bluetooth controller if the received Bluetooth packet is not the Bluetooth LE HID packet type.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the received Bluetooth packet is the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, determining whether the Bluetooth device is within a threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller; and

in response to determining that the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller, executing one or more connection operations to establish the communication link between the Bluetooth device and the host device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing configuration information associated with the Bluetooth device for subsequent reconnection between the Bluetooth device and the host device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller is based on at least one member selected from the group consisting of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with the received Bluetooth packet, a radio signal path loss, and near field communication (NFC) signal detection.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller comprises:

determining a radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device based, at least in part, on a transmit power associated with the Bluetooth device, a radio signal loss value associated with an antenna of the Bluetooth controller, and a radio signal loss value associated with an antenna of the Bluetooth device;

comparing the radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device against a threshold path loss; and

determining that the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller in response to determining that the radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device is less than the threshold path loss, or determining that the Bluetooth device is not within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller, in response to determining that the radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device exceeds the threshold path loss.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining the transmit power associated with the Bluetooth device and the radio signal loss value associated with the antenna of the Bluetooth device from the received Bluetooth packet.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein in response to determining that the Bluetooth device is not within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller, the method further comprises:

discarding the received Bluetooth packet at the Bluetooth controller; and

monitoring subsequent transmissions from the Bluetooth device to determine whether the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said providing the received Bluetooth packet to the Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller is in response to determining that the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after providing the received Bluetooth packet to the Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller, executing one or more connection operations to establish the communication link between the Bluetooth device and the host device, wherein said executing one or more connection operations includes

mapping communications associated with the Bluetooth device to a corresponding USB HID of the host device through a USB interface of the Bluetooth controller.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining whether the received Bluetooth packet is the Bluetooth LE HID packet type comprises:

determining whether the Bluetooth device that transmitted the received Bluetooth packet is a Bluetooth LE HID, based at least in part, on one or more fields of the received Bluetooth packet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more fields of the received Bluetooth packet comprise at least a service universally unique identifier (UUID) of the received Bluetooth packet.

12. A first Bluetooth device comprising:

a host device; and

a Bluetooth controller associated with the host device, the Bluetooth controller configured to;

execute background scan operations to detect a second Bluetooth device;

determine, by a Bluetooth low energy (LE) human interface device (HID) filter, whether a Bluetooth packet received at the Bluetooth controller is a Bluetooth LE HID packet type;

in response to a determination that the received Bluetooth packet is the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, determine, by the Bluetooth LE HID filter, whether the second Bluetooth device is within a threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller;

in response to a determination that the second Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller,

provide, by the Bluetooth LE HID filter, the received Bluetooth packet to a Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller, and

execute one or more connection operations to establish a communication link between the second Bluetooth device and the host device.

13. The first Bluetooth device of claim 12, wherein the Bluetooth controller configured to execute one or more connection operations to establish the communication link between the second Bluetooth device and the host device further comprises the Bluetooth controller configured to:

map communications associated with the second Bluetooth device to a corresponding USB HID of the host device through a USB interface of the Bluetooth controller.

14. The first Bluetooth device of claim 12, wherein, in response to a determination that the second Bluetooth device is not within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller, the Bluetooth controller is configured to:

discard the received Bluetooth packet; and

monitor subsequent transmissions from the second Bluetooth device to determine whether the second Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller.

15. The first Bluetooth device of claim 12, wherein, in response to a determination that the received Bluetooth packet is not the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, the Bluetooth controller is configured to:

provide the received Bluetooth packet to a Bluetooth host controller interface (HCI) module of the Bluetooth controller.

16. A method for establishing a communication link between a host device and a Bluetooth device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a Bluetooth controller associated with the host device, a Bluetooth packet from the Bluetooth device;

determining, by a Bluetooth low energy (LE) human interface device (HID) filter of the Bluetooth controller, whether the received Bluetooth packet is a Bluetooth LE HID packet type;

in response to determining that the received Bluetooth packet is the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, determining, by the Bluetooth LE HID filter, whether the Bluetooth device is within a threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller; and

in response to determining that the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller,

providing, by the Bluetooth LE HID filter, the received Bluetooth packet to a Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller, and

establishing the communication link between the host device and the Bluetooth device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

executing, at the Bluetooth controller, background scan operations to detect the Bluetooth device, wherein said receiving the Bluetooth packet at the Bluetooth controller is in response to said executing the background scan operations.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

in response to determining that the received Bluetooth packet is not the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, providing the received Bluetooth packet to a Bluetooth host controller interface (HCI) module of the Bluetooth controller.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

mapping communications associated with the Bluetooth device to a corresponding USB HID of the host device through a USB interface of the Bluetooth controller.

20. A Bluetooth controller comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled with the memory and configured to;

execute background scan operations to detect a Bluetooth device for establishing a communication link between the Bluetooth device and a host device associated with the Bluetooth controller;

determine, by a Bluetooth low energy (LE) human interface device (HID) filter, whether a Bluetooth packet received at the Bluetooth controller is a Bluetooth LE HID packet type;

in response to a determination that the received Bluetooth packet is the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, provide, by the Bluetooth LE HID filter, the received Bluetooth packet to a Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller; and

in response to a determination that the received Bluetooth packet is not the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, provide, by the Bluetooth LE HID filter, the received Bluetooth packet to a Bluetooth host controller interface (HCI) module of the Bluetooth controller.

21. The Bluetooth controller of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the Bluetooth device is within a threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller in response to a determination that the received Bluetooth packet is the Bluetooth LE HID packet type; and

execute one or more connection operations to establish the communication link between the Bluetooth device and the host device in response to a determination that the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller.

22. The Bluetooth controller of claim 21, wherein the processor configured to determine whether the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller comprises the processor configured to:

determine a radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device based, at least in part, on a transmit power associated with the Bluetooth device, a radio signal loss value associated with an antenna of the Bluetooth controller, and a radio signal loss value associated with an antenna of the Bluetooth device;

compare the radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device against a threshold path loss;

determine that the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller, in response to a determination that the radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device is less than the threshold path loss; and

determine that the Bluetooth device is not within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller, in response to a determination that the radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device exceeds the threshold path loss.

23. The Bluetooth controller of claim 21, wherein in response to the determination that the Bluetooth device is not within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller, the processor is further configured to:

discard the received Bluetooth packet; and

monitor subsequent transmissions from the Bluetooth device to determine whether the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller.

24. The Bluetooth controller of claim 21, wherein the processor configured to provide the received Bluetooth packet to the Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller is in response to the determination that the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller.

25. The Bluetooth controller of claim 20, wherein, after providing the received Bluetooth packet to the Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller, the processor is further configured to:

execute one or more connection operations to establish the communication link between the Bluetooth device and the host device, wherein the processor configured to execute one or more connection operations includes the processor configured to map communications associated with the Bluetooth device to a corresponding USB HID of the host device through a USB interface of the Bluetooth controller.

26. A non-transitory machine-readable storage media having instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors of a Bluetooth controller cause the Bluetooth controller to perform operations for establishing a communication link between a host device and a Bluetooth device that comprise:

executing, at the Bluetooth controller associated with the host device, background scan operations to detect the Bluetooth device;

determining, by a Bluetooth low energy (LE) human interface device (HID) filter of the Bluetooth controller, whether a Bluetooth packet received at the Bluetooth controller is a Bluetooth LE HID packet type;

in response to determining that the received Bluetooth packet is the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, providing, by the Bluetooth LE HID filter, the received Bluetooth packet to a Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller; and

in response to determining that the received Bluetooth packet is not the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, providing, by the Bluetooth LE HID filter, the received Bluetooth packet to a Bluetooth host controller interface (HCI) module of the Bluetooth controller.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 26, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that the received Bluetooth packet is the Bluetooth LE HID packet type, determining whether the Bluetooth device is within a threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller; and

in response to determining that the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller, executing one or more connection operations to establish the communication link between the Bluetooth device and the host device.

28. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 27, wherein said operation of determining whether the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller comprises:

determining a radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device based, at least in part, on a transmit power associated with the Bluetooth device, a radio signal loss value associated with an antenna of the Bluetooth controller, and a radio signal loss value associated with an antenna of the Bluetooth device;

comparing the radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device against a threshold path loss;

determining that the Bluetooth device is within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller, in response to determining that the radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device is less than the threshold path loss; and

determining that the Bluetooth device is not within the threshold distance of the Bluetooth controller, in response to determining that the radio signal path loss value associated with the Bluetooth device exceeds the threshold path loss.

29. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 26, wherein, after providing the received Bluetooth packet to the Bluetooth LE HID module of the Bluetooth controller, the operations further comprise:

executing one or more connection operations to establish the communication link between the Bluetooth device and the host device, wherein said executing one or more connection operations includes

mapping communications associated with the Bluetooth device to a corresponding USB HID of the host device through a USB interface of the Bluetooth controller.