Energy efficient Bluetooth Mesh friendship
A plurality of techniques that can reduce the power consumed by a low power node in a Bluetooth Mesh network are disclosed. One technique allows the low power node to receive more than one queued message from a friend node in a single packet, thereby reducing the number of transmissions required of the low power node. Another technique allows the low power node to utilize link layer device filtering so that messages that are not of interest are not processed by the low power node. A third technique allows the low power node to readily determine whether potential friend nodes are available before initiating the friendship establishment procedure.
1 . A method of transmitting queued messages from a friend node to a low power node in a Bluetooth mesh network, the method comprising:
previously establishing a friendship between the low power node and the friend node;
wirelessly transmitting, from the low power node, a special poll message, different from a Friend Poll message, referred to as a Friend Multi-Poll message, wherein the Friend Multi-Poll message indicates that the low power node is able to accept multiple queued messages transmitted in a single Protocol Data Unit (PDU);
receiving, at the friend node, the Friend Multi-Poll message;
transmitting from the friend node, in response to receipt of the Friend Multi-Poll message, an initial ADV_EXT_IND PDU, which indicates a selected channel on which a response will be transmitted; and
transmitting, on the selected channel, one or more queued messages from the friend node to the low power node wherein the one or more queued messages are contained within an AUX_ADV_IND PDU.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a Friend Update message is also contained within the AUX_ADV_IND PDU, to indicate that all queued messages have been transmitted.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein all of the queued messages cannot be contained within the AUX_ADV_IND PDU, wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting, on the selected channel, a remainder of the queued messages, using one or more AUX_CHAIN_IND PDUs.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein a Friend Update message is also contained within a last of the one or more AUX_CHAIN_IND PDUs, to indicate that all queued messages have been transmitted.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Friend Multi-Poll message includes a Friend Sequence Number (FSN) and the Friend Sequence Number is greater than 1 bit.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the FSN is used to indicate to the friend node whether all queued messages were successfully received.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low power node determines whether the friend node supports enhanced messaging based on messages exchanged during establishment of a friendship.
8 . The method claim of 7 , wherein during the establishment of the friendship, the low power node transmits a Friend Multi-Poll message to the friend node and the friend node responds with a Friend Update message.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein during the establishment of the friendship, the friend node transmits a manufacturer specific Friend Offer message to the low power node.
10 . A Bluetooth mesh network, comprising:
a low power node; and
a friend node, wherein the friend node comprises:
a Bluetooth network interface;
a processing unit; and
a memory device, in communication with the processing unit, comprising instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, enable the friend node to:
previously establish a friendship between the low power node and the friend node;
receive a special poll message, different from a Friend Poll message, referred to as a Friend Multi-Poll message from the low power node, wherein the Friend Multi-Poll message indicates that the low power node is able to accept multiple queued messages transmitted in a single Protocol Data Unit (PDU);
transmit, in response to receipt of the Friend Multi-Poll message, an initial ADV_EXT_IND PDU, which indicates a selected channel on which a response will be transmitted; and
transmit, on the selected channel, one or more queued messages to the low power node wherein the one or more queued messages are contained within an AUX_ADV_IND PDU.
11 . The Bluetooth mesh network of claim 10 , wherein a Friend Update message is also contained within the AUX_ADV_IND PDU, to indicate that all queued messages have been transmitted.
12 . The Bluetooth mesh network of claim 10 , wherein all of the queued messages cannot be contained within the AUX_ADV_IND PDU, wherein the memory device further comprises instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, enable the friend node to:
transmit, on the selected channel, a remainder of the queued messages, using one or more AUX_CHAIN_IND PDUS.
13 . The Bluetooth mesh network of claim 12 , wherein a Friend Update message is also contained within a last of the one or more AUX_CHAIN_IND PDUs, to indicate that all queued messages have been transmitted.
14 . The Bluetooth mesh network of claim 10 , wherein the Friend Multi-Poll message includes a Friend Sequence Number (FSN) and the Friend Sequence Number is greater than 1 bit.
15 . The Bluetooth mesh network of claim 14 , wherein the FSN is used by the low power node to indicate to the friend node whether all queued messages were successfully received.
16 . The Bluetooth mesh network of claim 10 , wherein the low power node determines whether the friend node supports enhanced messaging based on messages exchanged during establishment of a friendship.
17 . The Bluetooth mesh network of claim 16 , wherein during the establishment of the friendship, the low power node transmits a Friend Multi-Poll message to the friend node and the friend node responds with a Friend Update message.
18 . The Bluetooth mesh network of claim 16 , wherein during the establishment of the friendship, the friend node transmits a manufacturer specific Friend Offer message to the low power node.