Event clustering for BLE-mesh devices
A method of BLE-Mesh communications includes providing a dual-mode BLE-Mesh device including dual-mode RF driver, dual-mode manager, a BLE stack for BLE operations, and a mesh stack for mesh operations in a BLE-mesh network having a BLE relay device and a functional end BLE device. The BLE-mesh device has a periodic set of time indexed data slots common throughout the BLE-mesh network which provides a BLE event timeline for BLE connection events. The dual-mode BLE device implements an event clustering algorithm that delays or advances mesh events with respect to a timing the BLE connection events for clustering together their respective occurrences into continuous BLE/Mesh events to reduce a duty cycle by reducing a number of transitions from active mode to sleep mode and from sleep mode to active mode. The BLE-Mesh device communicates in the BLE-mesh network using the continuous BLE/Mesh events with at least one mesh device.
1. A method, comprising:
determining, by a device, a timing of a mesh data slot for mesh communication;
adjusting, by the device, the timing of the mesh data slot relative to a time indexed Bluetooth low energy (BLE) data slot BLE communication, to produce an adjusted mesh data slot for the mesh communication;
communicating, by the device, during the adjusted mesh data slot; and
communicating, by the device, during the time indexed BLE data slot.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating during the time indexed BLE data slot comprises:
receiving, by the device from a second device, a first message; and
transmitting, by the device to the second device, a second message.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating during the adjusted mesh data slot comprises transmitting, by the device, a friend low-power node ping.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating during the adjusted mesh data slot comprises receiving, by the device, a mesh packet.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the timing of the mesh data slot comprises delaying the timing of the mesh data slot.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein delaying the timing of the mesh data slot comprises delaying the timing of the mesh data slot by less than a threshold duration.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the threshold duration is one period of a periodic set of time indexed BLE data slots that includes the time indexed BLE data slot.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the timing of the mesh data slot comprises advancing the mesh data slot.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transitioning into a sleep mode from an active mode after both the adjusted mesh data slot and the time indexed BLE data slot.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transitioning into an active mode from a sleep mode before both the adjusted mesh data slot and the time indexed BLE data slot.
11. A device, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
determine a timing of a mesh data slot for mesh communication;
adjust the timing of the mesh data slot relative to a time indexed Bluetooth low energy (BLE) data slot for BLE communication, to produce an adjusted mesh data slot for mesh communication;
communicate during the adjusted mesh data slot; and
communicate during the time indexed BLE data slot.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to communicate during the time indexed BLE data slot comprise instructions to:
receive, from a second device, a first message; and
transmit, to the second device, a second message.
13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to communicate during the adjusted mesh data slot comprise instructions to transmit a friend low-power node ping.
14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to communicate during the adjusted mesh data slot comprise instructions to receive a mesh packet.
15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to adjust the timing of the mesh data slot comprise instructions to delay the mesh data slot.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the instructions to delay the mesh data slot comprise instructions to delay the mesh data slot by less than a threshold duration.
17. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to adjust the timing of the mesh data slot comprise instructions to advance the mesh data slot.
18. The device of claim 11 , wherein the device is a low-power edge node.
19. The device of claim 11 , wherein the device is a low-power relay node.
20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
determine a timing of a mesh data slot for mesh communication;
adjust the timing of the mesh data slot relative to a time indexed Bluetooth low energy (BLE) data slot for BLE communication, to produce an adjusted mesh data slot for mesh communication;
communicate during the adjusted mesh data slot; and
communicate during the time indexed BLE data slot.