Optimized sensor networks using bluetooth

1 . A method of reducing data collisions in a Bluetooth wireless sensor network, wherein the Bluetooth wireless sensor network utilizes periodic advertisements with responses, wherein each of a plurality of wireless sensor devices in the Bluetooth wireless sensor network is assigned a response slot, the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting, from a relay device, at least one subevent start packet, wherein the at least one subevent start packet is an AUX_SYNC_SUBEVENT_IND PDU that includes a Sensor Get message and an indication of a type of sensor data requested;

receiving, at the plurality of wireless sensor devices, the at least one subevent start packet;

performing, at each of the plurality of wireless sensor devices, a measurement to obtain measurement data;

transmitting measurement response packets from each of the plurality of wireless sensor devices to the relay device during a respective assigned response slot, wherein the measurement response packet includes a Sensor Status message, contained within an AUX_SYNC_SUBEVENT_RSP Protocol Data Unit (PDU) which contains the measurement data; and

receiving, at the relay device, the measurement response packets from the plurality of wireless sensor devices.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, at the relay device, one or more measurement collection packets using information from the measurement response packets; and

transmitting the one or more measurement collection packets from the relay device to a next hop device.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising compacting addresses of the wireless sensor devices, at the relay device, in the one or more measurement collection packets.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein compacting of the addresses comprises creating an array of addresses.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein compacting of the addresses comprises creating an address range.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the Sensor Status message contains a format, a Property ID (which is an identifier), a length and the measurement data, and further comprising compacting the measurement data received from the wireless sensor devices at the relay device, in the one or more measurement collection packets.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein compacting the measurement data comprises creating a data array, each element of the data array associated with one of the plurality of wireless sensor devices; wherein each element comprises the format, the Property ID, the length and the measurement data associated with a respective wireless sensor device.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein all Sensor Status messages have a same format, length and Property ID, and wherein compacting the measurement data comprises creating a compacted data array, comprising a header including the format, the Property ID, the length and a data array comprising the measurement data from each wireless sensor device.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein all Sensor Status messages have a same format, length and Property ID, and wherein compacting the measurement data comprises creating a compacted data array, comprising a header including a bitlength and the Property ID, and a data array comprising the measurement data from each wireless sensor device.

10 . A Bluetooth wireless sensor network, wherein the Bluetooth wireless sensor network utilizes periodic advertisements with responses, comprising:

a plurality of wireless sensor devices; and

a relay device; wherein the relay device transmits at least one subevent start packet; and

wherein each of the plurality of wireless sensor devices receives the at least one subevent start packet, performs a measurement to obtain measurement data and transmits a measurement response packet to the relay device during a respective assigned response slot measurement response packet, wherein the measurement response packet includes a Sensor Status message, contained within an AUX_SYNC_SUBEVENT_RSP Protocol Data Unit (PDU), wherein the Sensor Status message contains a format, a Property ID (which is an identifier), a length and the measurement data; and

wherein the relay device compacts the measurement data received from the wireless sensor devices in one or more measurement collection packets.

11 . The Bluetooth wireless sensor network of claim 10 , further comprising a next hop device; wherein the relay device receives a plurality of measurement response packets from the plurality of wireless sensor devices, and transmits one or more measurement collection packets to the next hop device.

12 . The Bluetooth wireless sensor network of claim 11 , wherein the relay device compacts addresses of the plurality of wireless sensor devices in the one or more measurement collection packets.

13 . The Bluetooth wireless sensor network of claim 10 , wherein the relay device creates a compacted data array, comprising a header including the format, the Property ID, the length and a data array comprising the measurement data from each wireless sensor device.

14 . The Bluetooth wireless sensor network of claim 10 , wherein the relay device creates a compacted data array, comprising a header including a bitlength and the Property ID, and a data array comprising the measurement data from each wireless sensor device.

15 . A method of reducing data collisions in a Bluetooth wireless sensor network, wherein the Bluetooth wireless sensor network utilizes periodic advertisements with responses, wherein each of a plurality of wireless sensor devices in the Bluetooth wireless sensor network is assigned a response slot, the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting, from a relay device, at least one subevent start packet;

receiving, at the plurality of wireless sensor devices, the at least one subevent start packet;

performing, at each of the plurality of wireless sensor devices, a measurement to obtain measurement data;

transmitting measurement response packets from each of the plurality of wireless sensor devices to the relay device during a respective assigned response slot, wherein the measurement response packet includes a Sensor Status message, contained within an AUX_SYNC_SUBEVENT_RSP Protocol Data Unit (PDU) which contains the measurement data, wherein the Sensor Status message further contains a format, a Property ID (which is an identifier), and a length;

receiving, at the relay device, the measurement response packets from the plurality of wireless sensor devices;

compacting, at the relay device, the measurement data received from the plurality of wireless sensor devices in one or more measurement collection packets; and

transmitting the one or more measurement collection packets from the relay device to a next hop device.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein compacting the measurement data comprises creating a data array, each element of the data array associated with one of the plurality of wireless sensor devices; wherein each element comprises the format, the Property ID, the length and the measurement data associated with a respect wireless sensor device.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein all Sensor Status messages have a same format, length and Property ID, and wherein compacting the measurement data comprises creating a compacted data array, comprising a header including the format, the Property ID, the length and a data array comprising the measurement data from each wireless sensor device.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein all Sensor Status messages have a same format, length and Property ID, and wherein compacting the measurement data comprises creating a compacted data array, comprising a header including a bitlength and the Property ID, and a data array comprising the measurement data from each wireless sensor device.