Patent Grant
7515945
This invention relates generally to establishing a short-range wireless communication link between two or more wireless devices and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for implementing a communication protocol with optimized power consumption characteristics for communicating with a variety of devices.
There are a wide range of systems for establishing and maintaining short range wireless communication links. Many of these systems require a line of sight link, do not support two way communication, do not provide low power consumption characteristics, or flexible connection topologies. Two examples of short range wireless communication protocols are Bluetooth and low-end radio.
As the Bluetooth specification matures, there are a greater number of wireless devices implementing Bluetooth as a standard feature. However, the power consumption requirements and implementation costs make it prohibitive to implement in a host of wireless devices that have low power capacity. Nokia Research Center has developed a radio technology, called low-end radio, which is based on the Bluetooth Specification and may utilize at least the analog parts of the Bluetooth radio, to provide wireless communication links between devices that have limited power resources. The low-end radio protocol enables significant power and cost reductions over Bluetooth wireless devices and accommodates devices having limited power resources.
Low-end radio is discussed in International Publication Number WO 02/073893. The low-end radio protocol enables devices with low power consumption requirements to communicate wirelessly over a certain frequency band. Unlike Bluetooth, low-end radio does not implement a frequency hopping routine or a transmission slot system. This results in a simpler, less complex system than a standard Bluetooth implementation. The low-end radio protocol divides the communication frequency band into a multitude of communication channels.
A device with low-end radio protocol provides more efficient power savings when compared with the standard Bluetooth devices. However, additional power savings would enable low-end radio applications to become even more diverse and widespread. One possible method for reducing power consumption involves implementing low-end radio with Carrier Sensing Multiple Access and collision avoidance.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/224,768, entitled “Carrier Sensing Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance Scheme Optimized For A Priori Known Carrier Usage For Low Duty Systems,” (CSMA with collision avoidance) describes systems and methods for a communication system implementing a short range wireless communication link between user devices. The communication system provides a low power solution utilizing an optimized combination of carrier sensing and frequency division multiple access to avoid collisions. The optimization described in that patent application implements a random mean zero value offset appended to a device's transmission frames, when transmissions are sensed on a transmission channel. The offset increases the probability that a first advertising device will recognize another device's transmissions (i.e., determine that a channel is busy) and avoid simultaneous transmissions that result in transmission collisions. Upon recognizing another device's transmissions, the first device may shift its transmission frame to avoid transmission collisions between devices. Consequently, through efficient management of device transmissions, fewer retransmissions are necessary and power consumption is reduced. The carrier sensing communication links may be implemented in either a StandAlone LowRate system, or in a device with a pre-existing Bluetooth implementation.
The Bluetooth specification also has a low-power operating mode that attempts to minimize power consumption. A Bluetooth piconet includes a master and anywhere from one to seven active slaves communicating. Bluetooth implements a frequency hopping system derived from the master's Bluetooth clock signal and the device address. Generally, the hop rate in a normal connection is 1600 hops/s. Transmissions are conducted during specified time slots that are determined according to a predetermined hopping scheme, (e.g., the duration of a time slot is 625 μs). According to the Bluetooth protocol, a Master device may start transmitting only in even-numbered slots, whereas the slave devices may transmit in odd-numbered slots. The data packets may occupy 1, 3 or 5 slots. The whole packet is always transmitted in the same channel. The master polls one slave at the time. Each slave transmits a response message back to the master after receiving the poll. The active slave devices recognize their packets by processing a 3-bit active member addresses in the packet header. Further interaction between a master and a slave depends upon which of three types of master/slave communication links is established.
There are three different communication link types that a master and active slaves in the Bluetooth low power mode may establish: Synchronous Connection-Oriented (SCO) link, Extended Synchronous Connection-Oriented (eSCO) link, and Asynchronous Connection-Less (ACL) link. Synchronous links establish point-to-point links between a master and a single slave in the piconet. A master can manage up to three SCO links by using reserved slots at regular intervals. In SCO links, packets are never retransmitted, whereas eSCO links may have an additional retransmission window after the reserved transmission slots. An ACL link may be a point-to-multi-point link between a master and all of the slaves participating on the piconet. A master can establish an ACL link on a per-slot basis to any slave, in transmission slots not reserved for the synchronous links.
The Bluetooth ACL link implements a system where slaves may enter a sleep state for a predetermined length of time. For example, the Bluetooth protocol implements a low power mode (sniff mode) for slaves which participate on ACL links. Sniff mode reduces the number of the time slots in which the master can start transmission to a specific slave. The master can start transmission only in specified time slots, called sniff slots, which are spaced regularly within a time interval (Tsniff). The slave in sniff mode starts listening for sniff slots after a predetermined delay (Dsniff).
Fifteen packet types are defined for data links, for different link types, data, error handling and length. Additionally, there are 5 common packets for control purposes and connection establishment. Each synchronous (voice) channel supports a 64 kb/s data rate in each direction, whereas the asynchronous channel can support a maximum data rate of 723.2 kb/s asymmetric (and still up to 57.6 kb/s in the return direction), or 433.9 kb/s symmetric.
Despite the improved power consumption characteristics associated with implementing low-end radio and Bluetooth's low power mode in coordination with CSMA with collision avoidance, these protocols do not satisfy the power requirements of a multitude of wireless devices and applications with low power requirements.
The invention is directed to a low power optimized implementation of the low-end radio protocol between at least two wireless devices that may have low power consumption requirements. The low-end radio devices may implement a polling communication protocol between polling and polled devices. The polling communication protocol involves a polling device transmitting a message to a polled device. The polled device, in turn, responds only to the message transmitted from the polling device. The low-end radio optimizations of the present invention involve device polling role switching and can additionally support a reduced duty cycle (low activity mode) during a connected state. The reduced duty cycle enables a decreased power consumption, as well as point-to-multipoint connections between devices.
Specifically, a polling device and a polled device are provided with the option of switching or swapping polling roles. Depending on the application, polling role switching may be executed during the devices establish a communication link. Polling role switching—the ability of the devices to shift the polling device role to the user/advertising device that is less sensitive to power consumption requirements—results in a greater level flexibility, as well as decreased power consumption in the device assuming the polled device role after role switching, when used with an asymmetrical low activity mode.
A second optimization involves a polled device entering an asymmetrical low activity mode, wherein a polled device may selectively determine not to receive and respond to every polling request (e.g., a polling device transmits three polling messages, but the polled device may respond just to the third polling request, and ignore the other two polling requests). The reduction in the number of polled device response transmissions correlates to a reduction in the polled device power consumption.
The foregoing optimizations facilitate either point-to-point or a point-to-multi-point communication topology for short range wireless communication devices, preferably, but not limited to low-end radio devices without adding a great deal of complexity to conventional low-end radio devices. In addition, the reduced duty cycle associated with a polled device decreases the power consumption associated with services with continuous bit streams. Specifically, the symmetrical low activity mode provides power consumption savings in both the polling and polled devices. Asymmetrical low activity mode provides additional power consumption savings for the polled device than symmetrical low activity mode. For example, in a voice connection between a mobile phone and a wireless headset/hearing aid, the headset may implement a low power mode when the operating environment is silent for a predetermined length of time, depending on the application and operating environment. The implementation would extend the headset's battery life, especially in an operating environment where continuous data transfers are not necessary.
Low-end radio does not use the Bluetooth transmission slot system, nor does the low-end protocol implement a frequency hopping routine during the connection. Therefore, low-end radio protocol is not directly comparable to Bluetooth. The optimizations to the low-end radio protocol facilitate a greater flexibility in connection management and enable more efficient power consumption. Specifically, role determination, especially when coupled with asymmetrical low activity mode options improves the power consumption characteristics within short range devices.
Other and further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following description of the various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Overview
The optimizations described herein are directed to reducing power consumption, while maintaining communication links between short range wireless devices. Such optimized devices may communicate using a variety of communication protocols. Preferably, one such communication protocol is optimized low-end radio. Generally, devices implementing optimized low-end radio protocol are wireless devices that have a transmitter, a receiver, a processor, memory, and may include any number of either consumer, commercial, or industrial electronic devices.
The communications between devices implementing optimized low-end radio protocol preferably involves two packet structures: identification packets and general packets. In alternate embodiments, the communications between devices may involve other forms of wireless communication, for example analog communications. The general packets are used for data and control information. The same header structure is implemented for all general packets. The payload length is variable, up to 255 bytes. An ID_INFO packet is used to establish connections between local and remote devices within a communication coverage range.
As noted above, the present invention relates to an optimized low-end radio connection protocol for establishing communications with one or more devices, and to the methods, systems, and computer media associated with implementing the optimizations. The optimized low-end radio protocol preferably comprises a system to establish a communication link optimized for low power consumption. Low-end radio (LER) devices may establish a communication link between two LER devices, wherein one LER device assumes a polling device role and the other assumes a polled device role. Advantageously, a LER enabled device is capable of assuming either polling roles.
The local device's connectivity mode is application-dependent. The advertise mode 110 makes the local device visible to other devices within a communication coverage range. A local device in the advertise mode may be constrained to communicate with a limited subset of devices. The low-end radio protocol enables the possibility of an application-dependent tradeoff between connection set-up time and power consumption. For example, a device in advertise mode 110 consumes power and time determining whether there are any connectable devices within a coverage area. After determining, that there is at least one desirable connectable device present, the device in advertise mode consumes additional power connecting to any of the user-specified devices. In contrast, a device in connect mode 120 attempts to connect with a specific advertising remote device and does not consume power or time determining whether there are other connectable devices within a coverage area. In scan mode 115, a local device collects addresses and short descriptions from one or more advertising remote devices within a communication coverage range.
When a local device enters the connect mode 120, the local device attempts to establish a point-to-point, bi-directional data delivery with error detection, or Admissions ReQuest message (ARQ). As illustrated in
In the present invention, it is to be understood that the operations and functionality illustrated in the figures are accomplished by advertising devices, that advertise data or information for subsequent data transfers, and user devices which receive and process the data or information. It is to be understood that advertising devices and user devices include transmitters, receivers, and processors that are operatively programmed to transmit, receive, and process the messages exchanged between devices, as well as execute the functionality associated with the exchanged messages as disclosed herein, with regard to the figures.
For example, two LER devices communicating in a point-to-point topology are capable of negotiating device control roles as the devices establish the communication link. Specifically, to increase power consumption savings, a user device may initiate a polling device role exchange (polling role switching) is enabled, wherein the user device (initial polled device) assumes the role of the polling device and the advertising device (the initial polling device) assumes the polled device role.
The optimized low-end radio protocol divides the range of available communication channels into advertising channels and data transfer channels. By way of example only, a LER device in advertise mode 110 periodically broadcasts an advertising message, ID_INFO, in one of three advertising channels, such as channel 26, as the device advertises its availability to connect. The ID_INFO packet, sent by the polling device 300, contains the lower part of a 64-bit IEEE address and a service field. In turn, the service field may contain information about the device, for example: if the device allows connections to all the devices, if connection to certain devices are restricted, if users may purchase services associated with a LER device, if a particular LER device provides access to the internet, if the upper layer of the protocol stack has updated information, or if the LER device can facilitate polling role switching of connected devices as discussed below.
This time the polled user device 305, which now is in the listening mode (318), receives and processes the ID_INFO packet at step (337). In step (340), the polled device 305 prepares and transmits on channel 26, a responding ID_INFO_RSP packet 343A, to acknowledge receipt of the ID_INFO packet 313A. The polled device 305 indicates in ID_INFO_RSP 343A that polling role switching is not enabled and also that subsequent communication should be carried out on a data transmission channel, in this example specifically channel 5. After transmitting the ID_INFO_RSP packet 343A, the polled user device 305 switches to channel 5 (346) and begins listening for any data transmissions from the advertising device. Meanwhile, the polling device 300 receives and processes the ID_INFO_RSP 343A packet and switches to data transmission channel 5 (349), the data transmission channel designated by the polled device 305. At this point, a communication link has been established. Subsequent communications between the polling device 300 and the polled device 305 involve transmitting a data packet, DATA_PDU 350, from the polling device 300 to the polled device 305 at step (352), and the polled device 305 responding by transmitting (355) an acknowledgement 360 on the data transfer channel, channel 5.
After conducting carrier sensing and determining the channel is clear for transmitting, the advertising device 300 attempts to initiate contact by transmitting the ID_INFO packet 313B on advertising channel 26. The advertising device 300 sets the role_switch_allowed flag in the packet ID_INFO 313B prior to transmission in step 400. After transmitting, the polling device transitions to a listening (receive) state on channel 26 (401). As in
In the embodiment illustrated in
In
In
As noted earlier, LER devices that have established a wireless communication link and entered the connected state 125 (
In other embodiments of the invention, the polling frequency used for either, or both, the active and low activity modes may be either predetermined or dynamically determined. In either event, the devices tune to the data transfer channel, where one device periodically polls the other. In response, the polled device transmits an acknowledgement. This process continues until one of the devices disconnects.
The data transfer and acknowledge transmission steps 352 and 355 in
Referring to
Alternately, as illustrated in
Once the polling roles are established, the devices may transfer the data according to a polling protocol, (e.g. active or continuous data transfer mode, symmetrical low activity mode, or asymmetrical low activity mode). Either the polling device, or the polled device in the active mode, may initiate a transition to the low activity mode. Also, either device may modify the low activity parameters when the devices are in low activity mode. Specifically, to initiate a transition to the low activity mode, a device transmits a sniff request packet, which shares the same general packet format as the packets used in the other operational modes discussed above. The payload, however, contains several low activity mode indicators SNIFFINTERVAL (sniff interval), MAXRSPINTERVAL (maximum response interval), MAXPAYLOAD (maximum payload), and FIXEDSIZEPAYLOAD (fixed size payload). The SNIFFINTERVAL is an 8-bit field defining the polling interval. Depending on the application, the interval may be calculated through an equation, for example, (2^(x+1)+2*y)*3*0.625 [ms], where x is the four most significant bits of the field, and y represents the four least significant bits. The MAXRSPINTERVAL is an 8-bit field defining the number of ignorable poll packets (i.e. the number of consecutive polling messages to which the polled device does not need to prepare and transmit a response). The MAXPAYLOAD is an 8-bit field defining the maximum allowable packet payload in bytes during the low activity mode. Finally, the FIXEDSIZEPAYLOAD, a 1-bit field, defines whether or not all of the transmitted and received packets will be the same size. In the event that the FIXEDSIZEPAYLOAD indicator is enabled, the payloads of all packets will correspond to the MAXPAYLOAD value.
In accordance with the sniff request and response, the polling device enters a sleep mode to establish the sniff timing (620). The polling device 600 may use this initial sleep period to coordinate the low activity mode connection with polled device 605 and with any other low activity connections that the polling device 600 may be managing. The polled device 605 initiates a low activity mode (sniff) timer and awaits receipt of the first low activity mode transmission (621). Accordingly, the polling device 600 prepares and transmits the first sniff data packet DATA_PDU (624). The data packets may be transmitted according to a fixed-time interval with the interval starting with the completion of the transmission of the polling message. The polled device 605 receives this initial sniff data packet and responds by transmitting an acknowledgement (627). The acknowledgement is received and processed by the polling device 600 (630). The devices have now entered low activity mode, and both enter a sleep mode corresponding to a sniff interval (635). The devices wake from the sleep mode with the polling device 600 conducting a data transfer (638) and the polled device 605 transmitting an acknowledgement (641). After the data transfer/acknowledgement, the devices once again enter the sleep mode (645). The symmetrical sleep states with both devices sleeping for an equal duration are indicative of the symmetrical low activity mode.
Generally, during a low activity mode connection, the device polling roles remain the same as determined during the connection setup. In the low activity mode, the devices may enter a sleep state between completed data transfer/acknowledgement sequences to conserve power. Under the circumstances discussed below, a polled device in an asymmetrical low activity mode may enter an extended sleep state. In order to enter low activity mode, either device may prepare and transmit a new sniff request with a new set of sniff parameters at any time the devices are connected (e.g., after a data transfer has occurred). A sniff request, for example, by setting all of the sniffinterval bits to one, may terminate the low activity mode connection. Depending on the application, the connection between devices may be terminated, (i.e., stopped) or the connection may revert to active mode (i.e., continuous data transfer). The connection in low activity mode terminates in a manner similar to the active mode—due to the transmission or reception of a termination message or due to an error condition (no packets received).
The connection in low activity mode terminates in the method described above, for example, by sending a sniff request with all sniff_interval bits set to one, or when a device fails to respond to repeated to polling retransmissions. The device in the RESCUE_WAIT state 535 terminates the connection, if the PollerRetryCounter value shown in
In a symmetrical low activity connection, as illustrated in
The symmetrical low activity mode is useful in applications, for example, where the polling device frequently sends control data. In contrast, asymmetrical low activity mode is useful in applications where polled devices do not have periodic data to send or do not need to receive data on a regular basis. Several examples of asymmetrical devices may include wireless mice, keyboards and remote controllers. Generally, these devices transmit data if a user provides a direct input to the device. The inputs may be time critical. Therefore, it is worthwhile to maintain a connection and avoid the time associated with establishing a new connection.
Polling devices, such as personal computers or televisions generally do not rely on low power operability in the same way a wireless mouse or headset would. Accordingly, such polling devices are able to maintain a relatively high polling frequency, so that when the polled device does respond, the data transfer rate is relatively fast, as compared with establishing a new connection and transferring the data.
During asymmetrical low activity mode, there are two instances in which a polled device may not enter an extended sleep state. When the polled device responds to the polling device, the polled device must acknowledge any received additional polling packets if either of two conditions is true (1) the payload packet is not empty or (2) the poll packet contains a negative acknowledgement (NACK). A non-empty Poll PDU payload signifies that the polling device is currently transmitting data. A NACK indicates that the polling device has not received an error free response to previous Poll PDU. If neither of these conditions (payload not empty or NACK) is true, then the polling device has completed the data transfer or has indicated that the acknowledgement sent by the polled device in response to the previous polling message was properly received, and the polled device may now enter an extended sleep state.
Continuing with
Polling Device 800 starts a data transfer (907), by transmitting a Poll PDU 906A with data in the payload. Polled device 805 transmits an ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, since data was transferred in Poll PDU 906A (910). Polled device 805 must actively receive any additional data that the polling device 800 may transfer during subsequent Poll PDUs, such as Poll PDU 906B transmitted by the polling device 800 at step 913. After receiving the transferred data, polled device 805 again issues an ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in step 915 and waits for additional data. Assuming polling device 800 transmits Poll PDU 906C with an empty payload at step 919, the polled device 805 processes the Poll PDU 906C at step 922 and determines that Poll PDU 906C has an empty payload and an ACK indicator. Therefore, polled device 805 may enter an extended sleep state (924). According to the MAXRSPINTERVAL value discussed above, the polled device 805 may ignore two Poll PDUs, including 906C and 906D. Thereafter, referring to
As illustrated in
After the low activity mode operational (sniff) parameters are established between polling device 1100 and polled device 1110, polling device conducts Poll PDU/ACKNOWLEDGMENT exchange 1126. Upon completion of exchange 1126, polled device 1110 enters extended sleep state 1129. When polled device 1110 is in sleep state 1129, polling device 1100 conducts a Poll PDU/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT exchange 1132 with polled device 1105, after polled device 1105 exits extended sleep state 1117. Subsequently, polled device 1105 transitions into sleep state 1135, after transmitting the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, as part of exchange 1132. Polling device 1100 conducts Poll/Ack exchange 1138 with polled device 1110, after polled device exits extended sleep state 1129.
As illustrated in
From the foregoing exemplary embodiments, it is readily appreciated that the optimized low-end radio protocol provides flexible connectivity attributes, as well as low power consumption characteristics for both polling and polled devices. For instance, in maintaining a communication link in both low activity modes, symmetrical and asymmetrical, a faster data transfer is achieved than found in unconnected devices that must re-establish a communication link before transferring data. Devices implementing the optimized low-end radio protocol's low activity mode may conserve power by periodically entering a sleep state. Devices implementing the low activity mode sleep state in coordination with polling role switching, obtain higher power conservation, since power sensitive devices may delegate or assume the role of polling/polled device.
The embodiments described above are exemplary, and numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. The many features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the foregoing description of preferred embodiments. It is accordingly intended that all such modifications and variations be comprehended by the appended claims.
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