Apparatus and method for a dynamic scan interval for a wireless device

• US 9,942,837 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Inventors: Zakaria, Omar
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US15/358,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 455434
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus and method are described for adjusting a scan interval or scan width of a BTLE device. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: placing a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) device of an IoT device into a low power or sleep state; waking the BTLE device from the low power or sleep state in response to a specified schedule or set of conditions; attempting to establish a connection between the BTLE device and a BTLE device of an IoT hub using a first scan width and/or scan interval; dynamically adjusting the first scan width and/or scan interval to a second scan width and/or scan interval, respectively, based on a randomly-selected value if a connection is not established after a specified time period; and reattempting to establish a connection between the BTLE device of the IoT device and the BTLE device of the IoT hub using the second scan width and/or scan interval.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

placing a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) device of an Internet of Things (IoT) device into a low power or sleep state;

waking the BTLE device from the low power or sleep state in response to a specified schedule or set of conditions;

attempting to establish a connection between the BTLE device and a BTLE device of an IoT hub or a user client device using a first scan width and/or scan interval;

dynamically adjusting the first scan width and/or scan interval to a second scan width and/or scan interval, respectively, based on a randomly-selected value if a connection is not established after a specified time period,

wherein dynamically adjusting the scan width or scan interval to a second scan width or scan interval based on a randomly-selected value comprises selecting either modifying the first scan width or scan interval using the randomly-selected value or using the randomly-selected value as the second scan width or scan interval, wherein the second scan width or scan interval is limited to a specified range of acceptable values; and

reattempting to establish a connection between the BTLE device of the IoT device and the BTLE device of the IoT hub or user client device using the second scan width and/or scan interval.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein dynamically adjusting the scan width and/or scan interval to a second scan width and/or scan interval based on a randomly-selected value comprises selecting a random value and adding or subtracting the random value from the first scan width and/or scan interval.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein the random value is selected from within a specified range of acceptable values.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein dynamically adjusting the scan width and/or scan interval to a second scan width and/or scan interval based on a randomly-selected value comprises selecting a random value and using the random value for a new scan width and/or scan interval.

5. The method as in claim 4 wherein the random value is selected from within a specified range of acceptable values.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein the BTLE device of the IoT hub or user client implements a fist set of time slots within which to communicate over BTLE communication channels, the first scan width and/or scan interval selected to establish communication with the BTLE device of the IoT hub or user client within one of the time slots.

7. The method as in claim 6 wherein the IoT hub or user client includes a WiFi device to establish a WiFi connection with a WiFi router or access point, the WiFi device to be assigned a second set of time slots within which to communicate over WiFi communication channels to avoid interference with the BTLE communication channels.

8. A system comprising:

an Internet of Things (IoT) device comprising a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) device to be placed into a low power or sleep state;

power management hardware logic to wake the BTLE device from the low power or sleep state in response to a specified schedule or set of conditions;

the BTLE device to attempt to establish a connection with an IoT hub or a user client device using a first scan width and/or scan interval;

dynamic scan interval hardware logic to dynamically adjust the first scan width and/or scan interval to a second scan width and/or scan interval, respectively, based on a randomly-selected value if a connection is not established with the IoT hub or user client device after a specified time period,

wherein dynamically adjusting the scan width or scan interval to a second scan width or scan interval based on a randomly-selected value comprises either modifying the first scan width or scan interval using the randomly-selected value or using the randomly-selected value as the second scan width or scan interval,

wherein the second scan width or scan interval is limited to a specified range of acceptable values; and

the BTLE device reattempting to establish a connection with the IoT hub or user client device using the second scan width and/or scan interval.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein dynamically adjusting the scan width and/or scan interval to a second scan width and/or scan interval based on a randomly-selected value comprises selecting a random value and adding or subtracting the random value from the first scan width and/or scan interval.

10. The system as in claim 8 wherein the random value is selected from within a specified range of acceptable values.

11. The system as in claim 8 wherein dynamically adjusting the scan width and/or scan interval to a second scan width and/or scan interval based on a randomly-selected value comprises selecting a random value and using the random value for a new scan width and/or scan interval.

12. The system as in claim 11 wherein the random value is selected from within a specified range of acceptable values.

13. The system as in claim 8 wherein the BTLE device of the IoT hub or user client implements a fist set of time slots within which to communicate over BTLE communication channels, the first scan width and/or scan interval selected to establish communication with the BTLE device of the IoT hub or user client within one of the time slots.

14. The system as in claim 13 wherein the IoT hub or user client includes a WiFi device to establish a WiFi connection with a WiFi router or access point, the WiFi device to be assigned a second set of time slots within which to communicate over WiFi communication channels to avoid interference with the BTLE communication channels.