DEVICES AND METHODS FOR AN EFFICIENT WAKEUP PROTOCOL

• US 20180063784A1
• Filed: 08/26/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Abraham, Santosh, He, Linhai, Shellhammer, Stephen Jay, Attar, Rashid Ahmed Akbar
• Application Number:
  US15/249,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063784A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an efficient wakeup protocol for discovery between two devices. A first device configured to transmit discovery signals can wake up at a predetermined drift time, and a second device configured to receive the discovery signals can wake up at a predetermined wakeup time shortly after the predetermined drift time. The second device can remain awake for a very short duration, where the duration can be based on the packet length of the discovery signal or the interval between each transmitted discovery signal. Upon receiving a discovery signal, the second device can pair with the first device so that further communications can occur between the two devices.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a wireless communications component configured to receive a discovery beacon;

a control system coupled to the wireless communications component, the control system configured to;

cause the wireless communications component to be in an active state at a predetermined wakeup time (T2) for a predetermined duration (T_exp);

receive, at the wireless communications component, at least one of a plurality of discovery beacons transmitted by a remote device, wherein the predetermined duration (T_exp) is 5 milliseconds or less; and

in response to the electronic device receiving at least one of the discovery beacons, establish communication for data transfer with the remote device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications component is caused to be in an active state at a predetermined wakeup time (T2) after the remote device is activated at a predetermined drift time (T1).

3. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising:

a clock with an associated clock drift (D), wherein the wireless communications component is caused to be in an active state at a predetermined wakeup time (T2) after the predetermined drift time (T1) by a duration based at least in part on the clock drift (D).

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

set the wireless communications component to a sleep state after data transfer is completed with the remote device; and

cause the wireless communications component to be in the active state at regular periods (T_schedule) after setting the wireless communications component to the sleep state.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein each regular period (T_schedule) is greater than 1 hour.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a packet length (T_packet) of a discovery beacon is 0.2-0.5 times the predetermined duration (T_exp).

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discovery beacons includes at least 1,000 discovery beacons transmitted in 10 seconds or less.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control system configured to cause the wireless communications component to be in the active state at the predetermined wakeup time (T2) is configured to cause the wireless communications component to be in the active state on a preassigned channel.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

select a channel on a frequency band for establishing communication for data transfer with the remote device.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the control system is further configured to:

perform a search across a plurality of channels in the frequency band according to a predetermined sequence; and

receive, at the wireless communications component after performing the search, at least one of the plurality of discovery beacons at one of the searched plurality of channels.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the control system configured to perform the search across the plurality of channels according to the predetermined sequence is configured to:

search a channel of a previous data transfer with the remote device;

search a channel that is furthest from the channel of the previous data transfer; and

search across a remainder of channels in an order that progressively gets closer to the channel of the previous data transfer.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the frequency band is the Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) frequency band.

13. A remote device, comprising:

a wireless communications component configured to transmit a plurality of discovery beacons; and

a control system coupled to the wireless communications component, the control system configured to;

cause the wireless communications component to be in an active state at a predetermined drift time (T1);

transmit a plurality of discovery beacons to be received by an electronic device, wherein the wireless communications component is caused to be in the active state at the predetermined drift time (T1) before the electronic device is activated at a predetermined wakeup time (T2), each discovery beacon being transmitted at a regular interval (T_beacon), the electronic device being activated for a predetermined duration (T_exp) that is 5 milliseconds or less; and

establish communication for data transfer with the electronic device.

14. The remote device of claim 13, wherein the wireless communications component is caused to be in an active state at the predetermined drift time (T1) before the predetermined wakeup time (T2) by a duration based at least in part on a clock drift (D) associated with the electronic device.

15. The remote device of claim 13, wherein the control system is further configured to:

set the wireless communications component to a sleep state after data transfer is completed with the electronic device; and

cause the wireless communications component to be in the active state for transmitting discovery beacons at regular periods (T_schedule) after setting the wireless communications component to the sleep state.

16. The remote device of claim 15, wherein each regular period (T_schedule) is greater than 1 hour.

17. The remote device of claim 13, wherein the control system is further configured to:

receive an acknowledgment signal, wherein the acknowledgment signal includes a message indicating receipt of one of the plurality of discovery beacons by the electronic device, wherein the control system is configured to establish communication for data transfer with the electronic device upon receiving the acknowledgment signal.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having software stored thereon, the software including processor-executable instructions for causing an electronic device to:

cause a wireless communications component of the electronic device to be in an active state at a predetermined wakeup time (T2) for a predetermined duration (T_exp);

receive at least one of a plurality of discovery beacons transmitted by a remote device, wherein the predetermined duration (T_exp) is 5 milliseconds or less; and

in response to the electronic device receiving at least one of the discovery beacons, establish communication for data transfer with the remote device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the software further includes processor-executable instructions for causing the electronic device to:

set the wireless communications component to a sleep state after data transfer is completed with the remote device; and

cause the wireless communications component to be in the active state at regular periods (T_schedule) after setting the wireless communications component to the sleep state.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the electronic device includes a clock with an associated clock drift (D), wherein the wireless communications component is caused to be in an active state at a predetermined wakeup time (T2) after the remote device is activated at a predetermined drift time (T1), the wireless communications component being caused to be in the active state at the predetermined wakeup time (T2) after the predetermined drift time (T1) by a duration based at least in part on the clock drift (D).

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein each regular period (T_schedule) is greater than 1 hour.