Mobile communications system providing enhanced out of band (OOB) bluetooth pairing and related methods
View Patent ↗A communications system may include a communications device including a first Bluetooth transceiver. The first Bluetooth transceiver may comprise a clock. The first Bluetooth transceiver may be capable of scanning a plurality of different operating frequencies for a pairing request based upon the clock. The communications device may further include an output device coupled with the Bluetooth transceiver and capable of outputting data associated with the clock via a communications path different than Bluetooth. The system may also include a mobile communications device including an input device capable of receiving the clock data from the output device via the communications path, and a second Bluetooth transceiver coupled with the input device and capable of generating the pairing request based upon the received clock data.
1. A communications system including:
a communications device including
a first Bluetooth transceiver including a clock, the first Bluetooth transceiver being capable of scanning a plurality of different operating frequencies for a pairing request in a plurality of different scan modes based upon the clock, and
an output device coupled with the first Bluetooth transceiver and capable of outputting data associated with the clock and a current scan mode of said first Bluetooth transceiver via a communications path different than Bluetooth; and
a mobile communications device including
an input device capable of receiving the clock data from the output device via the communications path, and
a second Bluetooth transceiver coupled with the input device and capable of predicting the current scan mode of the first Bluetooth transceiver based upon the received clock data and generating the pairing request based upon a paging sequence, the paging sequence corresponding with the received clock data and the predicted current scan mode of said first Bluetooth transceiver.
2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the output device comprises a first near field communication (NFC) transceiver; and wherein the input device comprises a second NFC transceiver.
3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the output device comprises a display configured to display at least one visual indicium representing the clock data; and wherein the input device comprises an optical reader for reading the at least one visual indicium.
4. The communications system of claim 3 wherein the at least one visual indicium comprises a Quick Response (QR) code.
5. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the output device comprises a wireline transmitter; and wherein the input device comprises a wireline receiver.
6. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the output device comprises a wireless transmitter; and wherein the input device comprises a wireless receiver.
7. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the clock data comprises an absolute clock value.
8. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the clock data comprises clock offset data.
9. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the first Bluetooth transceiver is capable of scanning the plurality of different operating frequencies for the pairing request in an out of band (OOB) operating mode.
10. A mobile communications device including:
an input device capable of receiving clock data associated with a first Bluetooth transceiver operating in a current scan mode from among a plurality of different scan modes via a communications path different than Bluetooth; and
a second Bluetooth transceiver coupled with the input device and capable of predicting the current scan mode of the first Bluetooth transceiver based upon the received clock data and generating a pairing request for pairing with the first Bluetooth transceiver based upon a paging sequence, the paging sequence corresponding with the received clock data and the predicted current scan mode of the first Bluetooth transceiver.
11. The mobile communications device of claim 10 wherein the input device comprises a near field communication (NFC) transceiver.
12. The mobile communications device of claim 10 wherein the clock data comprises an absolute clock value.
13. The mobile communications device of claim 10 wherein the clock data comprises clock offset data.
14. A communications method for a first Bluetooth transceiver and a mobile communications device including a second Bluetooth transceiver, the method including:
receiving clock data associated with the first Bluetooth transceiver operating in a current scan mode from among a plurality of different scan modes at the mobile communications device via a communications path different than Bluetooth; and
predicting the current scan mode of the first Bluetooth transceiver based upon the received clock data and generating a pairing request with the second NFC transceiver for pairing with the first Bluetooth transceiver based upon a paging sequence, the paging sequence corresponding with the received clock data and the predicted current scan mode of the first Bluetooth transceiver.
15. The communications method of claim 14 wherein the mobile communications device further comprises a near field communication (NFC) transceiver, and wherein the communications path comprises a NFC link.
16. The communications method of claim 14 wherein the clock data comprises an absolute clock value.
17. The communications method of claim 14 wherein the clock data comprises clock offset data.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing a mobile communications device to perform steps including:
receiving clock data associated with a first Bluetooth transceiver operating in a current scan mode from among a plurality of different scan modes via a communications path different than Bluetooth; and
predicting the current scan mode of the first Bluetooth transceiver based upon the received clock data and generating a pairing request with a second NFC transceiver of the mobile communications device for pairing with the first Bluetooth transceiver based upon a paging sequence, the paging sequence corresponding with the received clock data and the current scan mode of the first Bluetooth transceiver.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the mobile communications device further comprises a near field communication (NFC) transceiver, and wherein the communications path comprises a NFC link.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the clock data comprises an absolute clock value.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the clock data comprises clock offset data.