Bluetooth fast connection mode for wireless peripheral device
View Patent ↗A wireless interface device services communications between a wirelessly enabled host and at least one user input device. The wireless interface device includes a wireless interface unit, a processing unit, an input/output unit, and a power management unit. The wireless interface unit wirelessly interfaces with the wirelessly enabled host using a communication interface protocol. The power management unit operably couples to the wireless interface unit, the processing unit, and the input/output unit. The wireless interface unit supports paging operations in which the wireless interface device is able to receive a page during a wirelessly enabled host in a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence of the host.
1. A method for operating a wireless Human Interface Device (HID) to conserve battery life, the method comprising:
establishing a wireless connection with a host device;
receiving user input and wirelessly transmitting the user input to the host device;
after a period of time during which no user input is received, entering a power down mode in which the connection with the host device is lost;
after the connection with the host device has been lost, receiving user input;
when the connection with the host device is lost, in attempting to reestablish a link with the host device, page scanning by:
listening for pages from the host device on a first frequency of a page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence;
listening for pages from the host device on a second frequency of the page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence; and
receiving a page from the host device;
responding to the page from the host device; and establishing a wireless connection with the host device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising interacting with the host to determine the page hopping sequence.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the page hopping sequence is determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the page hopping sequence includes sixteen frequencies.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the page scanning period is equal to the duration of the page hopping sequence.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the page scanning period has a duration of 10 milliseconds.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the page scanning period is equal to an integer multiple of the duration of the page hopping sequence.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the page scanning period is an integer multiple of 10 milliseconds.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising interfacing with the host device during an inquiry process to determine the page hopping sequence.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.
12. A wireless interface device that services communications between a wirelessly enabled host and at least one user input device, the wireless interface device comprising:
a wireless interface unit that wirelessly interfaces with the host;
a processing unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit;
an input/output unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit and to the processing unit, wherein the input/output unit also operably couples to the at least one user input device; and
wherein the wireless interface unit supports paging operations in which the wireless interface unit:
listens for pages from the host device on a first frequency of a page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence;
listens for pages from the host device on a second frequency of the page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence; and
receives a page from the host device; and responds to the page from the host device.
13. The wireless interface device of claim 12 , wherein the wireless interface interacts with the host to determine the page hopping sequence.
14. The wireless interface device of claim 12 , wherein the page hopping sequence is determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.
15. The wireless interface device of claim 12 , wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.
16. The wireless interface device of claim 12 , wherein the page hopping sequence includes sixteen frequencies.
17. The wireless interface device of claim 12 , wherein the page scanning period is equal to the duration of the page hopping sequence.
18. The wireless interface device of claim 12 , wherein the page scanning period has a duration of 10 milliseconds.
19. The wireless interface device of claim 12 , wherein the page scanning period is equal to an integer multiple of the duration of the page hopping sequence.
20. The wireless interface device of claim 12 , wherein the page scanning period is an integer multiple of 10 milliseconds.
21. The wireless interface device of claim 12 , further comprising interfacing with the host device during an inquiry process to determine the page hopping sequence.
22. The wireless interface device of claim 21 , wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.
23. An integrated circuit that services communications between a wirelessly enabled host and at least one user input device, the wireless interface device comprising:
a wireless interface unit that wirelessly interfaces with the host;
a processing unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit;
an input/output unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit and to the processing unit, wherein the input/output unit also operably couples to the at least one user input device; and
wherein the wireless interface unit supports paging operations in which the wireless interface unit:
listens for pages from the host device on a first frequency of a page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence;
listens for pages from the host device on a second frequency of the page hopping sequence of the host device for a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence;
and receives a page from the host device; and responds to the page from the host device.
24. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , wherein the wireless interface interacts with the host to determine the page hopping sequence.
25. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , wherein the page hopping sequence is determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.
26. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.
27. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , wherein the page hopping sequence includes sixteen frequencies.
28. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , wherein the page scanning period is equal to the duration of the page hopping sequence.
29. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , wherein the page scanning period has a duration of 10 milliseconds.
30. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , wherein the page scanning period is equal to an integer multiple of the duration of the page hopping sequence.
31. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , wherein the page scanning period is an integer multiple of 10 milliseconds.
32. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , further comprising interfacing with the host device during an inquiry process to determine the page hopping sequence.
33. The integrated circuit of claim 32 , wherein the page hopping sequence differs from a specified page hopping sequence determined according to the Bluetooth Specification.