IP Library Granted Patent US 10,187,774
Granted Patent B2
US 10,187,774 · App. 15/898,079 · Granted Jan 22, 2019

Method to improve connectivity to a wireless low energy peripheral device when being accessed by multiple central devices

Inventors: Robert Ganton (San Diego, CA); John Earl Amschler (San Deigo, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W4/80H04L67/12H04W4/06H04W76/00H04W76/15
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,187,774
App. No.
15/898,079
Granted
Jan 22, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A peripheral device can connect with a desired central device by broadcasting advertisement packets with specialized data flags, which may be located in certain data fields. This can increase the probability that the peripheral device will connect with the desired central device by enabling other central devices to ignore these advertisement packets.

Claims (81)

1. A method of initiating a communication session with a wireless peripheral device, the method comprising:

wirelessly broadcasting, with the peripheral device, a first set of advertising packets;

receiving, at the peripheral device from a first central device, a request to initiate a first communication session;

causing the peripheral device to establish and complete the first communication session with the first central device; and

wirelessly broadcasting, with the peripheral device, a second set of advertising packets, wherein:

each advertising packet of the second set of advertising packets comprises a data flag not included in any advertising packet of the first set of advertising packets, and

the data flag comprises an indication of a type of device to initiate a communication session with the peripheral device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that an advertising interval has elapsed; and

in response to the determination, terminating the wireless broadcast of the second set of advertising packets.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the peripheral device from a second central device, a request to initiate a second communication session;

causing the peripheral device to establish and complete the second communication session with the second central device;

receiving, at the peripheral device, an instruction from the second central device with which the peripheral device communicated; and

in response to the receiving the instruction, terminating the wireless broadcast of the second set of advertising packets.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device wirelessly broadcasts the first set of advertising packets at a first power level and wirelessly broadcasts the second set of advertising packets at a second power level lower than the first power level.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of advertising packets and the second set of advertising packets are wirelessly broadcast using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein, for each advertising packet of the second set of advertising packets, the data flag comprises a bit value within a manufacturing data field of each respective advertising packet.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wirelessly broadcasting the first set of advertising packets is in response to a triggering event.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the triggering event comprises receiving a user input at the peripheral device.

9. A device comprising:

a wireless communication interface;

a memory; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled with the memory and wireless communication interface, the processing unit configured to:

wirelessly broadcast, via the wireless communication interface, a first set of advertising packets;

receive, via the wireless communication interface from a first central device, a request to initiate a first communication session;

establish and complete the first communication session with the first central device via the wireless communication interface; and

wirelessly broadcast, via the wireless communication interface, a second set of advertising packets, wherein:

each advertising packet of the second set of advertising packets comprises a data flag not included in any advertising packet of the first set of advertising packets, and

the data flag comprises an indication of a type of device to initiate a communication session with the device.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

determine that an advertising interval has elapsed; and

in response to the determination, terminate the wireless broadcast of the second set of advertising packets.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

receive, via the wireless communication interface from a second central device, a request to initiate a second communication session;

establish and complete the second communication session with the second central device;

receive, via the wireless communication interface at the device, an instruction from the second central device with which the device communicated; and

in response to receiving the instruction, terminate the wireless broadcast of the second set of advertising packets.

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is configured to wirelessly broadcast the first set of advertising packets at a first power level and wirelessly broadcast the second set of advertising packets at a second power level lower than the first power level.

13. The device of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is configured to wirelessly broadcast the first set of advertising packets and the second set of advertising packets are using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the processing unit is configured to cause the data flag of each advertising packet of the second set of advertising packets to include a bit value within a manufacturing data field of each respective advertising packet.

15. The device of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is configured to wirelessly broadcast the first set of advertising packets in response to a triggering event.

16. The device of claim 15 , further comprising an input device, wherein the triggering event comprises receiving a user input via the input device.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for wirelessly broadcasting a first set of advertising packets;

means for receiving, from a first central device, a request to initiate a first communication session;

means for establishing and completing the first communication session with the first central device; and

means for wirelessly broadcasting a second set of advertising packets, wherein:

each advertising packet of the second set of advertising packets comprises a data flag not included in any advertising packet of the first set of advertising packets, and

the data flag comprises an indication of a type of device to initiate a communication session with the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:

means for determining that an advertising interval has elapsed; and

means for terminating the wireless broadcast of the second set of advertising packets in response to the determination.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:

means for receiving, from a second central device, a request to initiate a second communication session;

means for establishing and completing the second communication session with the second central device;

means for receiving an instruction from the second central device with which the apparatus communicated; and

means for terminating the wireless broadcast of the second set of advertising packets in response to receiving the instruction.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising means for wirelessly broadcasting the first set of advertising packets at a first power level and wirelessly broadcasting the second set of advertising packets at a second power level lower than the first power level.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising means for wirelessly broadcasting the first set of advertising packets and the second set of advertising packets using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising means for including, in the data flag for each advertising packet of the second set of advertising packets, a bit value within a manufacturing data field of each respective advertising packet.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising means for wirelessly broadcasting the first set of advertising packets in response to a triggering event.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising means for detecting the triggering event, wherein the means for detecting the triggering event include means for receiving a user input.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions embedded thereon for initiating a communication session with a wireless peripheral device, the instructions including computer code for causing a peripheral device to:

wirelessly broadcast a first set of advertising packets;

receive, from a first central device, a request to initiate a first communication session;

establish and complete the first communication session with the first central device; and

wirelessly broadcast a second set of advertising packets, wherein:

each advertising packet of the second set of advertising packets comprises a data flag not included in any advertising packet of the first set of advertising packets, and

the data flag comprises an indication of a type of device to initiate a communication session with the peripheral device.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the instructions further include computer code for causing a peripheral device to:

determine that an advertising interval has elapsed; and

terminate the wireless broadcast of the second set of advertising packets in response to the determination.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the instructions further include computer code for causing a peripheral device to:

receive, from a second central device, a request to initiate a second communication session;

cause the peripheral device to establish and complete the second communication session with the second central device;

receive an instruction from the second central device with which the peripheral device communicated; and

in response to receiving the instruction, terminate the wireless broadcast of the second set of advertising packets.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the instructions further include computer code for causing a peripheral device to wirelessly broadcast the first set of advertising packets at a first power level and wirelessly broadcast the second set of advertising packets at a second power level lower than the first power level.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the instructions further include computer code for causing a peripheral device to wirelessly broadcast the first set of advertising packets and the second set of advertising packets using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the instructions further include computer code for causing a peripheral device to wirelessly broadcast the first set of advertising packets in response to a triggering event.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2021
From: TC LENDING, LLC
To: CAPSULETECH, INC.; CAPSULE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 056455/0263 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2020
From: CAPSULE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: PHILIPS HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053262/0405 →
RELEASE OF THE SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 048301/0269 Recorded Apr 17, 2020
From: TC LENDING, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: CAPSULE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 052434/0262 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 15, 2019
From: QUALCOMM LIFE, INC.
To: CAPSULE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 048356/0787 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2019
From: CAPSULE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CAPSULETECH, INC.
To: TC LENDING, LLC
Reel/Frame 048301/0269 →
PATENT ASSIGNMENT EFFECTIVE AS OF 02/11/2019 Recorded Feb 11, 2019
From: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
To: QUALCOMM LIFE, INC.
Reel/Frame 048301/0902 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2018
From: GANTON, ROBERT; AMSCHLER, JOHN EARL
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 045538/0626 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62460683 · Feb 17, 2017
Related Publication 20180242130A1 · Aug 23, 2018