IP Library Granted Patent US 12,470,904
Granted Patent B2
US 12,470,904 · App. 18/442,155 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Proximity-based connection for Bluetooth devices

Inventors: Pramodh Guruswamy Alathur (Shrewsbury, MA); Naganagouda Patil (Westborough, MA); Santiago Carvajal (Sagamore Beach, MA); Benjamin Colin Burns (Somerville, MA)
Assignee: Bose Corporation
H04W4/80H04W76/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,470,904
App. No.
18/442,155
Granted
Nov 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various implementations include approaches for establishing a Bluetooth (BT) connection between devices. One example approach includes: in response to a trigger at a first BT device, attempting to determine a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from a set of additional BT devices paired to the first BT device, and in response to determining a first additional BT device has a highest RSSI from the set of additional BT devices, attempting at the first BT device to make a BT connection with the first additional BT device.

Claims (33)

1 . A method comprising:

in response to a trigger at a first BT device, attempting to determine a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from a set of additional BT devices paired to the first BT device, and

in response to determining a first additional BT device has a highest RSSI from the set of additional BT devices, attempting at the first BT device to make a BT connection with the first additional BT device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger includes a command to connect with a previously paired device on a paired device list.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising,

making the BT connection with the first additional BT device, and

automatically taking an additional action in response to the BT connection,

wherein automatically taking the additional action is performed without further user intervention.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the additional action includes at least one of, launching an application at the first BT device, initiating an audio output at one or both of the first BT device or the first additional BT device, applying personalization settings to the first BT device, setting a predefined volume level at one or both of the first BT device or the first additional BT device, adjusting a sound output configuration at one or both of the first BT device or the first additional BT device, or changing at least one of transmit parameters or receive parameters between the first BT device and the first additional BT device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein if at least two BT devices in the set of additional BT devices return an RSSI response, the RSSI response from each of the at least two additional BT devices is used as a primary factor for selecting the first additional BT device from the set of additional BT devices, and a BT connection hierarchy including a paired device list is used as a secondary factor in selecting the first additional BT device from the set of additional BT devices.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising filtering the paired device list periodically or in response to a filtering trigger.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in a paired configuration, the first BT device is a sink BT device and the additional BT devices are source BT devices.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in a multi-point connection mode, prior to attempting to connect with the first additional BT device, maintaining a BT connection with a currently connected BT device after detecting the trigger, and

disregarding an RSSI from the currently connected BT device either before or after receiving an RSSI from the set of additional BT devices paired to the first device.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first additional BT device is selected from the set of additional BT devices paired to the first BT device.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising normalizing the received RSSI based on a type of each of the set of additional BT devices.

11 . A first Bluetooth (BT) device comprising:

a BT radio; and

a controller coupled with the BT radio and configured to control a BT connection by,

in response to a trigger at the first BT device, attempting to determine a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from a set of additional BT devices paired to the first BT device, and

in response to determining a first additional BT device has a highest RSSI from the set of additional BT devices, attempting to make a BT connection with the first additional BT device.

12 . The BT device of claim 11 , wherein the trigger includes a command to connect with a previously paired device on a paired device list.

13 . The BT device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to,

make the BT connection with the first additional BT device, and automatically take an additional action in response to the BT connection,

wherein automatically taking the additional action is performed without further user intervention.

14 . The BT device of claim 13 , wherein the additional action includes at least one of, launching an application at the first BT device, initiating an audio output at one or both of the first BT device or the first additional BT device, applying personalization settings to the first BT device, setting a predefined volume level at one or both of the first BT device or the first additional BT device, adjusting a sound output configuration at one or both of the first BT device or the first additional BT device, or changing at least one of transmit parameters or receive parameters between the first BT device and the first additional BT device.

15 . The BT device of claim 11 , wherein if at least two BT devices in the set of additional BT devices return an RSSI response, the RSSI response from each of the at least two additional BT devices is used as a primary factor for selecting the first additional BT device from the set of additional BT devices, and a BT connection hierarchy including a paired device list is used as a secondary factor in selecting the first additional BT device from the set of additional BT devices.

16 . The BT device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to, filter the paired device list periodically or in response to a filtering trigger.

17 . The BT device of claim 11 , wherein in a paired configuration, the first BT device is a sink BT device and the additional BT devices are source BT devices.

18 . The BT device of claim 11 , wherein in a multi-point connection mode, prior to attempting to connect with the first additional BT device, maintaining a BT connection with a currently connected BT device after detecting the trigger, and

disregarding an RSSI from the currently connected BT device either before or after receiving an RSSI from the set of additional BT devices paired to the first device.

19 . The BT device of claim 11 , wherein the first additional BT device is selected from the set of additional BT devices paired to the first BT device.

20 . The BT device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to normalize the received RSSI based on a type of each of the set of additional BT devices.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2025
From: BOSE CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 070438/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2024
From: ALATHUR, PRAMODH GURUSWAMY; PATIL, NAGANAGOUDA; CARVAJAL, SANTIAGO; BURNS, BENJAMIN COLIN
To: BOSE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067060/0503 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17714253 · Apr 6, 2022
Related Publication 20240187832A1 · Jun 6, 2024
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