Method and apparatus for Bluetooth-based Wi-Fi synchronization
View Patent ↗The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for leveraging Bluetooth (BT) or Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technologies to conserve energy in multi-mode devices. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to synchronizing a first wireless platform with a second wireless platform by exchanging Wi-Fi synchronization information through BT packets. Each of the first and the second wireless platforms may have integrated Wi-Fi (or other communication modalities) with a BT radio. In one embodiment of the disclosure, the Wi-Fi communication modes are kept at sleep mode while the BT modalities exchange synchronization information.
1. A communication system, comprising:
a Bluetooth (BT) platform having a first antenna to communicate with a BT radio; a non-BT platform having a second antenna to communicate with a non-BT radio;
a controller to communicate with the BT platform and with the non-BT platform, the controller configured to:
receive non-BT synchronization information from a corresponding device using the BT packets, and
synchronize the non-BT platform with the corresponding device using the received synchronization information;
wherein the controller is further configured to receive a Timing Synchronization Function (TSF) timer value of the non-BT platform from the corresponding device over one or more BT packets.
2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to identify the corresponding device using the BT platform.
3. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the non-BT platform communicates using one of Wi-Fi, Wi-Gig or cellular communication modes.
4. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the non-BT platform asleep prior to synchronization.
5. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the BT platform further comprises Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
6. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive MAC address of the non-BT platform from the corresponding device over one or more BT packets.
7. A device to synchronize a first communication device, comprising:
a first processor module to execute a Bluetooth (BTI communication mode;
a second processor module to execute a non-BT communication mode; and
a controller to communicate with the first and the second processor modules, the controller configured to receive non-BT synchronization information from a corresponding device using the BT packets, and to synchronize the non-BT communication mode with the corresponding device using the received synchronization information;
wherein the controller is further configured to receive a Timing Synchronization Function (TSF) timer value of the non-BT platform from the corresponding device over one or more BT packets.
8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to identify the corresponding device using the first processor module.
9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the non-BT communication mode comprises one of Wi-Fi, Wi-Gig or cellular communication modes.
10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the second processor asleep prior to synchronization.
11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to communicate with the corresponding device and determine compatibility while the second processor module is asleep.
12. The device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive a MAC address of the non-BT platform from the corresponding device over one or more BT packets.
13. A method to synchronize a first communication device with a corresponding device, the method comprising:
identifying the corresponding device supporting a Bluetooth (BT) communication mode and a non-BT communication mode;
receiving synchronization information from the corresponding device using the BT communication mode;
synchronizing the non-BT communication mode with the corresponding device using the received synchronization information;
wherein the synchronization information includes a Timing Synchronization Function (TSF) timer value of the non-BT platform received from the corresponding device over one or more BT packets.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising identifying the corresponding device using the BT communication mode.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the non-BT communication mode comprises one of Wi-Fi, Wi-Gig or cellular communication modes.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the synchronization information further comprises BT master device clock, MAC address of the non-BT communication mode and duration of a beacon interval of the non-BT communication mode.
17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising maintaining the non-BT communication mode asleep prior to synchronizing the first communication device with the corresponding device.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the BT communication mode further comprises Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
19. A non-transient computer-readable storage device having a set of instructions to cause a processor to perform a process comprising:
identify a corresponding device configured to support a Bluetooth (BT) communication mode and a non-BT communication mode,
receive synchronization information from the corresponding device using the BT communication mode, and
synchronize the non-BT communication mode with the corresponding device using the received synchronization information;
wherein the synchronization information includes a Timing Synchronization Function (TSF) timer value of the non-BT platform from the corresponding device over one or more BT Packets.
20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19 , wherein the set of instructions further cause the processor to identifying the corresponding device using the communication mode.
21. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19 , wherein the non-BT communication mode comprises one of Wi-Fi, Wi-Gig or cellular communication modes.
22. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19 , wherein the synchronization information further MAC address of the non-BT communication mode and duration of a beacon interval of the non-BT communication mode.