Distributed and synchronized bluetooth scan across multiple devices for faster bluetooth discovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12328693-B2
Application number	US-202418765890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2024
Priority date	Sep 25, 2020
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

Some aspects of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for implementing a synchronized short range communication protocol scan mechanism across multiple devices. Some aspects relate to an electronic device including a transceiver configured to communicate based on a short range communication protocol and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The processor receives one or more parameters from a peripheral electronic device and determines, based at least on the one or more parameters, one or more synchronization parameters. The processor further transmits the one or more synchronization parameters to the peripheral electronic device. The one or more synchronization parameters can include at least a scan offset associated with the peripheral electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
establishing, by a first device with respect to a peripheral device, a synchronization parameter;
receiving, by the first device, an advertisement message from a remote device;
determining, by the first device, an advertising parameter associated with the remote device; and
sending, by the first device in accordance with the synchronization parameter, the advertising parameter to the peripheral device, wherein the advertising parameter indicates a communication attribute associated with the remote device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the advertising parameter comprises at least one of an advertising interval, an offset between advertising messages, or channels associated with the advertising message.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
notifying, by the first device, the peripheral device that the first device detected the remote device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
notifying, by the first device, the peripheral device that the first device connected with the remote device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the first device, one or more connection request messages to the remote device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the first device, information associated with the remote device before establishing a connection with the remote device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the first device, information associated with the remote device after establishing a connection with the remote device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
changing, by the first device, a scan window duration of the peripheral device based on information associated with the remote device.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the first device, a scan offset for the peripheral device to shift a scan window of the peripheral device.

10. A device, comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
establish, with respect to a peripheral device, a synchronization parameter;
receive an advertisement message from a remote device;
determine an advertising parameter associated with the remote device; and
determine, in accordance with the synchronization parameter, the advertising parameter for transmission to the peripheral device, wherein the advertising parameter indicates a communication attribute associated with the remote device.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the advertising parameter comprises at least one of an advertising interval, an offset between advertising messages, or channels associated with the advertising message.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a value for notifying the peripheral device that the device detected the remote device.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a value for notifying the peripheral device that the device connected with the remote device.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a value for transmitting one or more connection request messages to the remote device.

15. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine information associated with the remote device before establishing a connection with the remote device.

16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine information associated with the remote device after establishing a connection with the remote device.

17. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to change a scan window duration of the peripheral device based on information associated with the remote device.

18. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a scan offset for the peripheral device to shift a scan window of the peripheral device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
establishing, with respect to a peripheral device, a synchronization parameter;
receiving an advertisement message from a remote device;
determining an advertising parameter associated with the remote device; and
determining, in accordance with the synchronization parameter, the advertising parameter for transmission to the peripheral device, wherein the advertising parameter indicates a communication attribute associated with the remote device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , the operations further comprising:
changing a scan window duration of the peripheral device based on information associated with the remote device.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ly-Gagnon Yann
• Unkn Arun
• Ganir Chen
• Phan Duy N
• Wasada Langford M

Classifications

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W8/005 Primary

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W56/001 Primary

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title