Iot device to enable fast connection between low energy iot devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016174266-A1
Application number	US-201414572539-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for connecting a proxy device to a mobile device are disclosed. In an aspect, the proxy device continuously scans for the mobile device, wherein the mobile device broadcasts advertising messages to connect to the proxy device, connects to the mobile device in response to the mobile device coming into communication range of the proxy device, and sends information to the mobile device, the information configured to enable the mobile device to connect to a low energy device.

First claim

1 . A method for connecting a mobile device to a low energy device, comprising:
continuously scanning, by a proxy device, for the mobile device, wherein the mobile device broadcasts advertising messages to connect to the proxy device, and wherein the proxy device and the low energy device are connected to each other over a communication network; connecting the proxy device to the mobile device in response to the mobile device coming into communication range of the proxy device; and sending, by the proxy device, information to the mobile device, the information configured to enable the mobile device to instantiate a high duty cycle scanning mode to connect to the low energy device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises duty cycle information of the low energy device.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the duty cycle information comprises a start time and a duration of a duty cycle of the low energy device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises an instruction to increase an advertising duty cycle of the mobile device.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high duty cycle scanning mode facilitates connection of the mobile device to the low energy device in response to a first advertising message broadcast by the low energy device after the mobile device comes within communication range of the low energy device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises one or more parameters indicating environmental conditions, a number of low energy devices in the communication network, dynamic characteristics of the low energy devices, and/or static characteristics of the low energy devices.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
continuously scanning, by the proxy device, to detect advertising messages from one or more low energy devices, the one or more low energy devices including the low energy device; and acquiring, by the proxy device, information about the one or more low energy devices.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein acquiring the information about the one or more low energy devices comprises:
detecting, by the proxy device, the advertising messages from the one or more low energy devices; and interrogating, by the proxy device, the one or more low energy devices to acquire information about the one or more low energy devices.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the advertising messages from the one or more low energy devices are transmitted according to a low duty cycle.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises a smartphone or a tablet computer.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low energy device comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy device.

13 . An apparatus for connecting a mobile device to a low energy device, comprising:
a transceiver coupled to a proxy device, the transceiver configured to:
continuously scan for the mobile device, wherein the mobile device broadcasts advertising messages to connect to the proxy device, and wherein the proxy device and the low energy device are connected to each other over a communication network;
establish a connection between the proxy device and the mobile device in response to the mobile device coming into communication range of the proxy device; and
send information to the mobile device, the information configured to enable the mobile device to instantiate a high duty cycle scanning mode to connect to the low energy device.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the information comprises duty cycle information of the low energy device.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the duty cycle information comprises a start time and a duration of a duty cycle of the low energy device.

16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the information comprises an instruction to increase an advertising duty cycle of the mobile device.

17 . (canceled)

18 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the high duty cycle scanning mode facilitates connection of the mobile device to the low energy device in response to a first advertising message broadcast by the low energy device after the mobile device comes within communication range of the low energy device.

19 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the information comprises one or more parameters indicating environmental conditions, a number of low energy devices in the communication network, dynamic characteristics of the low energy devices, and/or static characteristics of the low energy devices.

20 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:
continuously scan to detect advertising messages from one or more low energy devices, the one or more low energy devices including the low energy device; and acquire information about the one or more low energy devices.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the transceiver being configured to acquire the information about the one or more low energy devices comprises the transceiver being configured to:
detect the advertising messages from the one or more low energy devices; and interrogate the one or more low energy devices to acquire information about the one or more low energy devices.

22 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the advertising messages from the one or more low energy devices are transmitted according to a low duty cycle.

23 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the mobile device comprises a smartphone or a tablet computer.

24 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the low energy device comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy device.

25 . An apparatus for connecting a mobile device to a low energy device, comprising:
means for continuously scanning, by a proxy device, for the mobile device, wherein the mobile device broadcasts advertising messages to connect to the proxy device, and wherein the proxy device and the low energy device are connected to each other over a communication network; means for establishing a connection between the proxy device and the mobile device in response to the mobile device coming into communication range of the proxy device; and means for sending information to the mobile device, the information configured to enable the mobile device to instantiate a high duty cycle scanning mode to connect to the low energy device.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising:
means for continuously scanning to detect advertising messages from one or more low energy devices, the one or more low energy devices including the low energy device; and means for acquiring information about the one or more low energy devices.

27 . The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the means for acquiring the information about the one or more low energy devices comprises:
means for detecting the advertising messages from the one or more low energy devices; and means for interrogating the one or more low energy devices to acquire information about the one or more low energy devices.

28 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium for connecting a mobile device to a low energy device, comprising:
at least one instruction to cause a proxy device to continuously scan for the mobile device, wherein the mobile device broadcasts advertising messages to connect to the proxy device, and wherein the proxy device and the low energy device are connected to each other over a communication network; at least one instruction to connec

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Goel Amit
• Shuman Mohammed Ataur Rahman
• Sharma Sandeep

Classifications

• H04W8/005 Primary

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

• H04W76/02 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/51

  Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04W4/80

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