Digital radio communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016128117-A1
Application number	US-201414896362-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 4, 2014
Priority date	Jun 5, 2013
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of digital radio communication between a first device ( 2 ) and a second device ( 8 ), where each device comprises a radio transmitter ( 4, 10 ) and a radio receiver ( 6, 12 ), the method comprising: a) said first and second devices ( 2, 8 ) establishing a connection using a predetermined protocol having at least one predefined message format; b) if said connection is subsequently broken, said second device ( 8 ) transmitting an advertising message at a first data rate indicating a desire to reconnect; and c) if a reconnection is not established, said second device ( 8 ) transmitting a further advertising message at a second data rate indicating a desire to reconnect, wherein said second data rate is lower than the first data rate.

First claim

1 . A method of digital radio communication between a first device and a second device, each comprising a radio transmitter and a radio receiver, the method comprising:
a) said first and second devices establishing a connection using a predetermined protocol having at least one predefined message format; b) if said connection is subsequently broken, said second device transmitting an advertising message at a first data rate indicating a desire to reconnect; and c) if a reconnection is not established, said second device transmitting a further advertising message at a second data rate indicating a desire to reconnect, wherein said second data rate is lower than the first data rate.

2 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first device comprises a master device and the second device comprises a slave device.

3 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower data rate results from at least part of said further advertising message being encoded using a coding scheme in which at least some bits specified in said predefined message format are represented by a plurality of bits transmitted.

4 . A method as claimed claim 3 wherein said coding scheme comprises a respective fixed sequence of chips to represent each data bit.

5 . A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the first and second devices agreeing during a connection that the second device will transmit said further advertising message if necessary to establish the reconnection.

6 . A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the second device transmitting a plurality of advertising messages at the first data rate.

7 . A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising said second device transmitting a further advertising message at the first data rate indicating a desire to reconnect.

8 . A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising d) if a reconnection is not established at said second data rate, said second device transmitting a further advertising message at a third data rate indicating a desire to reconnect, wherein said third data rate is lower than the second data rate.

9 . A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising said second device cycling through a plurality of available data rates for advertisement messages.

10 . A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the first device listening for messages at both said first and second data rates.

11 . A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the first and second devices conducting subsequent communication at a data rate applied to the advertisement message received by the second device in order to establish the reconnection.

12 . A method as claimed in claim 11 comprising changing said data rate if a criterion is met.

13 . A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the criterion comprises a measure of a quality of signal between the first and second devices.

14 . A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said criterion comprises an estimate of the received signal strength from one of the devices to the other device.

15 . A method as claimed in claim 11 comprising changing the data rate if the received signal strength of one device is determined to be above or below a threshold level.

16 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the predetermined protocol is compatible with a Bluetooth™ or Bluetooth Low Energy™ protocol.

17 . A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the advertising message and the further advertising message form part of one or more Advertising events in accordance with a Bluetooth™ protocol.

18 . A digital radio device comprising a radio transmitter and a radio receiver, the device being arranged:
a) to establish a connection with another device using a predetermined protocol having at least one predefined message format; b) if said connection is subsequently broken, to transmit an advertising message at a first data rate indicating a desire to reconnect; and c) if a reconnection is not established, to transmit a further advertising message at a second data rate indicating a desire to reconnect, wherein said second data rate is lower than the first data rate.

19 . A device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the lower data rate results from at least part of said further advertising message being encoded using a coding scheme in which at least some bits specified in said predefined message format are represented by a plurality of bits transmitted.

20 . A device as claimed claim 19 wherein said coding scheme comprises a respective fixed sequence of chips to represent each data bit.

21 . A device as claimed in claim 18 arranged to agree with the other device during a connection to transmit said further advertising message if necessary to establish the reconnection.

22 . A device as claimed in claim 18 arranged to transmit a plurality of advertising messages at the first data rate.

23 . A device as claimed in claim 18 arranged to transmit a further advertising message at the first data rate indicating a desire to reconnect.

24 . A device as claimed in claim 18 arranged d) if a reconnection is not established at said second data rate, to transmit a further advertising message at a third data rate indicating a desire to reconnect, wherein said third data rate is lower than the second data rate.

25 . A device as claimed in claim 18 arranged to cycle through a plurality of available data rates for advertisement messages.

26 . A device as claimed in claim 18 arranged to conduct subsequent communication with the other device at a data rate applied to the advertisement message received by the device in order to establish the reconnection.

27 . A device as claimed in claim 26 arranged to change said data rate if a criterion is met.

28 . A device as claimed in claim 27 wherein the criterion comprises a measure of a quality of signal between from the other device.

29 . A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein said criterion comprises an estimate of the received signal strength from the other device.

30 . A device as claimed in claim 26 arranged to change the data rate if the received signal strength from the other device is determined to be above or below a threshold level.

31 . A device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the predetermined protocol is compatible with a Bluetooth™ or Bluetooth Low Energy™ protocol.

32 . A device as claimed in claim 31 wherein the advertising message and the further advertising message form part of one or more Advertising events in accordance with a Bluetooth™ specification.

33 . A digital radio communication system comprising a first device and a second device, each comprising a radio transmitter and a radio receiver, wherein:
a) said first and second devices are arranged to establish a connection using a predetermined protocol having at least one predefined message format; b) if said connection is subsequently broken, said second device is arranged to transmit an advertising message at a first data rate indicating a desire to reconnect; and c) if a reconnection is not established, said second device is arranged to transmit a further advertising message at a second data rate indicating a desire to reconnect, wherein said second data rate is lower than the first data rate.

34 . A digital radio communication system as claimed in claim 3

Assignees

• Nordic Semiconductor Asa

Inventors

• Engelien-Lopes David Alexandre
• Wichlund Sverre
• Corbishley Phil

Classifications

• H04B17/318

  Received signal strength · CPC title

• H04W8/005

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

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W76/023 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W76/028

  Electricity · mapped topic