IP Library Granted Patent US 9,609,464
Granted Patent B2
US 9,609,464 · App. 14/660,473 · Granted Mar 28, 2017

Method and technical equipment for short range data transmission

Inventors: Jere Knaappila (Evitskog, FI); Riku Mettala (Helsinki, FI)
Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Finland Oy
H04W4/008H04W4/08H04W8/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,609,464
App. No.
14/660,473
Granted
Mar 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method, an apparatus and a computer program product are used for device filtering. A packet is received from a device, after which it is determined whether the device is allowed to be responded to, wherein the determination comprises at least one of the following: determining a received signal strength indication from the packet; or determining a time from previous connection of the device; or determining the data in a payload of the packet.

Claims (43)

1. A method of operating a radio apparatus that has at least one processor and memory, the method comprising using the apparatus as a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device to perform the following steps to filter devices before connecting to another BLE device as a slave or a master in a BLE connected state:

receiving a packet from the other BLE device;

using the processor of the apparatus to determine whether response to the other BLE device is allowed, wherein the determination comprises at least one of the following:

determining a time from previous BLE connected state of the apparatus as a slave or a master to the other BLE device, or

determining information of the data in a payload of the received packet; and

then either one of:

sending a packet from the apparatus to the other BLE device if it is determined that response to the other BLE device is allowed, or

not sending a packet from the apparatus to the other BLE device if it is determined that response to the other BLE device is not allowed.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the other BLE device is a scanning device.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the received packet is a scan request or a connection request.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the other BLE device is an advertising device.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the received packet is an advertisement packet.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the determination comprises determining a time from previous BLE connected state of the apparatus as a master to the other BLE device; and then not sending a connection request packet or a scan request packet from the apparatus to the other BLE device based on the determined time from previous BLE connected state of the apparatus as a master to the other BLE device.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising not sending a connection request packet or a scan request packet from the apparatus to the other BLE device unless the determined time from previous BLE connected state of the apparatus as a master to the other BLE device is from 1 minute to 10 minutes.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining a received signal strength indication from the received packet, and determining a distance to the other BLE device using the determined received signal strength indication.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determination comprises determining a time from previous BLE connected state of the apparatus as a slave or a master to the other BLE device.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determination comprises determining information of the data in a payload of the received packet.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of determining whether response to the other BLE device is allowed is performed by a link layer of a controller of the apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining whether or not the other BLE device is an allowed device according to a white or black list in addition to the step of determining whether response to the other BLE device is allowed.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising not using black or white lists.

14. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and memory, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform the following steps as a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device to filter devices before connecting to another BLE device as a slave or a master in a BLE connected state:

receive a packet from the other BLE device;

determine whether response to the other BLE device is allowed, wherein the determination comprises at least one of the following:

determining a time from previous BLE connected state of the apparatus as a slave or a master to the other BLE device, or

determining information of the data in a payload of the received packet; and

then either one of:

sending a packet from the apparatus to the other BLE device if it is determined that response to the other BLE device is allowed, or

not sending a packet from the apparatus to the other BLE device if it is determined that response to the other BLE device is not allowed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the other BLE device is a scanning device and the received packet is a scan request or connection request.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the other BLE device is an advertising device and the received packet is an advertisement packet.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14 , further being configured to determine a received signal strength indication from the received packet, and determine a distance to the other BLE device using the determined received signal strength indication.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the determination comprises determining a time from previous BLE connected state of the apparatus as a slave or a master to the other BLE device.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the determination comprises determining information of the data in a payload of the received packet.

20. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein a link layer of the controller of the apparatus is configured to determine whether response to the other BLE device is allowed.

21. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is configured to not use black or white lists.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is configured to determine whether or not the other BLE device is an allowed device according to a white or black list in addition to the step of determining whether response to the other BLE device is allowed.

23. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer program code configured to, when executed on at least one processor, cause a radio apparatus to perform the following steps as a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device to filter devices before connecting to another BLE device as a slave or a master in a BLE connected state:

receive a packet from the other BLE device;

determine whether response to the other BLE device is allowed, wherein the determination comprises at least one of the following:

determining a time from previous BLE connected state of the apparatus as a slave or a master to the other BLE device, or

determining information of the data in a payload of the received packet; and

then either one of:

send a packet from the apparatus to the other BLE device if it is determined that response to the other BLE device is allowed, or not send a packet from the apparatus to the other BLE device if it is determined that response to the other BLE device is not allowed.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2025
From: SILICON LABORATORIES FINLAND OY
To: SILICON LABORATORIES INC.
Reel/Frame 073275/0395 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2015
From: KNAAPPILA, JERE; METTALA, RIKU
To: SILICON LABORATORIES FINLAND OY
Reel/Frame 035504/0340 →
Priority Claims (1)
FI 20145251 U · Mar 18, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150271629A1 · Sep 24, 2015