MOBILE BLUETOOTH DEVICE

• US 20130157573A1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: Aldaz, Gabriel, Sapiezynski, Piotr
• Granted Patent: US 9,113,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• 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

Abstract

A wireless communication system comprises a mobile Bluetooth device, first and second Bluetooth terminals, the mobile Bluetooth device comprising a memory and a controller performing a first pairing process with the first Bluetooth terminal as a result of which identical first link keys are stored in the mobile Bluetooth device and in the first Bluetooth terminal, the controller further performing a second pairing process with the second Bluetooth terminal such that identical second link keys are stored in the mobile Bluetooth device and in the second Bluetooth terminal. The controller stores in the memory a first location, a first vicinity and/or a first transmit power indication of the first Bluetooth terminal when performing the first pairing process and to store in the memory a second location, a second vicinity and/or a second transmit power indication of the second Bluetooth terminal when performing the second pairing process.

Claims

1. Wireless communication system comprising a mobile Bluetooth device, a first Bluetooth terminal and a second Bluetooth terminal, the mobile Bluetooth device comprising a memory and a controller adapted to engage in a first pairing process with the first Bluetooth terminal as a result of which identical first link keys are stored in the mobile Bluetooth device and in the first Bluetooth terminal, the controller further being adapted to engage in a second pairing process with the second Bluetooth terminal as a result of which identical second link keys are stored in the mobile Bluetooth device and in the second Bluetooth terminal, characterized in that:

the controller further is adapted to store in the memory a first location, a first vicinity and/or a first transmit power indication of the first Bluetooth terminal when performing the first pairing process as well as to store in the memory a second location, a second vicinity and/or a second transmit power indication of the second Bluetooth terminal when performing the second pairing process;

the mobile Bluetooth device further comprises a comparator adapted to determine a spatial relationship between the mobile Bluetooth device, the first Bluetooth terminal and the second Bluetooth terminal in dependence on at least one of the stored first location, the stored second location, the stored first vicinity, the stored second vicinity, the stored first transmit power indication and the stored second transmit power indication;

the mobile Bluetooth device further comprises a selector [[(30)]] adapted to select from the first and second Bluetooth terminals a designated Bluetooth terminal by evaluating the determined spatial relationship; and

the controller further is adapted to initiate a reconnection between the mobile Bluetooth device and the designated Bluetooth terminal using the respective first or second link key stored during the respective first or second pairing process with the designated Bluetooth terminal.

2. Wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the comparator is adapted to determine a current device location of the mobile Bluetooth device and to determine the spatial relationship by determining whether the current device location lies within the first vicinity and/or within the second vicinity, and wherein the selector is adapted to select the first Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the current device location lies within the first vicinity and to select the second Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the current device location lies within the second vicinity.

3. Wireless communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the comparator is adapted to determine a first value indicative of a distance between the mobile Bluetooth device and the first Bluetooth terminal and to determine a second value indicative of a distance between the mobile Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth terminal, and wherein the selector is adapted to select the first Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the distance indicated by the second value exceeds the distance indicated by the first value and to select the second Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the distance indicated by the first value exceeds the distance indicated by the second value.

4. Wireless communication system according to claim 3, wherein the comparator is adapted to determine a current device location of the mobile Bluetooth device and to determine the first value by determining the distance between the current device location and the stored first location and to determine the second value by determining the distance between the current device location and the stored second location.

5. Wireless communication system according to claim 2, wherein the comparator is adapted to engage with a locator unit, preferably a GPS unit and/or a cell-phone locator unit, to acquire the current device location of the mobile Bluetooth device as an absolute device location.

6. Wireless communication system according to claim 3, wherein the comparator is adapted to determine a first Bluetooth signal strength of the first Bluetooth terminal, to determine the first value in dependence on the first Bluetooth signal strength and the stored first transmit power indication, to determine a second Bluetooth signal strength of the second Bluetooth terminal, and to determine the second value in dependence on the second Bluetooth signal strength and the stored second transmit power indication.

7. Method for engaging a mobile Bluetooth device in a wireless Bluetooth connection to a first Bluetooth terminal and/or to a second Bluetooth terminal, the method comprising:

performing a first pairing process between the mobile Bluetooth device and the first Bluetooth terminal, thereby storing identical first link keys in the mobile Bluetooth device and in the first Bluetooth terminal;

when performing the first pairing process, storing in a memory comprised by the mobile Bluetooth device a first location, a first vicinity and/or a first transmit power indication of the first Bluetooth terminal;

performing a second pairing process between the mobile Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth terminal, thereby storing identical second link keys in the mobile Bluetooth device and in the second Bluetooth terminal;

when performing the second pairing process, storing in the memory a second location, a second vicinity and/or a second transmit power indication of the second Bluetooth terminal;

determining a spatial relationship between the mobile Bluetooth device, the first Bluetooth terminal and the second Bluetooth terminal in dependence on at least one of the stored first location, the stored second location, the stored first vicinity, the stored second vicinity, the stored first transmit power indication and the stored second transmit power indication;

selecting from the first and second Bluetooth terminals a designated Bluetooth terminal by evaluating the determined spatial relationship; and

initiating a reconnection between the mobile Bluetooth device and the designated Bluetooth terminal using the respective first or second link key stored during the respective first or second pairing process with the designated Bluetooth terminal.

8. Method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining a current device location of the mobile Bluetooth device;

determining the spatial relationship by determining whether the current device location lies within the first vicinity and/or within the second vicinity;

selecting the first Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the current device location lies within the first vicinity; and

selecting the second Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the current device location lies within the second vicinity.

9. Method according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising:

determining a first value indicative of a distance between the mobile Bluetooth device and the first Bluetooth terminal;

determining a second value indicative of a distance between the mobile Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth terminal;

selecting the first Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the distance indicated by the second value exceeds the distance indicated by the first value; and

selecting the second Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the distance indicated by the first value exceeds the distance indicated by the second value.

10. Method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining a current device location of the mobile Bluetooth device;

determining the first value by determining the distance between the current device location and the stored first location; and

determining the second value by determining the distance between the current device location and the stored second location.

11. Method according to claim 8, further comprising:

acquiring the current device location of the mobile Bluetooth device as an absolute device location from a locator unit, preferably a GPS unit and/or a cell-phone locator unit.

12. Method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining a first Bluetooth signal strength of the first Bluetooth terminal;

determining the first value in dependence on the first Bluetooth signal strength and the stored first transmit power indication;

determining a second Bluetooth signal strength of the second Bluetooth terminal; and

determining the second value in dependence on the second Bluetooth signal strength and the stored second transmit power indication.

13. A computer program for operating a mobile Bluetooth device, the computer program comprising program code means for causing the mobile Bluetooth device to carry out the method of claim 7.