Wireless communication device and corresponding method and computer program, mobile device and vehicle

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to wireless communication devices and corresponding methods and computer programs, and to mobile devices and vehicles including such wireless communication devices. The wireless communication device includes a transceiver module for communicating with another wireless communication device. The wireless communication device includes a control module configured to communicate with the other wireless communication device using a first connection. The first connection is based on a long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module. The control module is configured to receive a short-distance broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device via the transceiver module. The control module is configured to control the transceiver module to switch to the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module after receiving the short-distance broadcast data packet so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device. The control module is configured to communicate with the other wireless communication device using a second connection. The second connection is based on the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to wireless communication devices and corresponding methods and computer programs, and to mobile devices and vehicles including such wireless communication devices. Background Art

[0002] Wireless communication is an area of ​​research and development. There are many different standards covering a wide range of applications. For example, short-range communication systems such as Near Field Communication (NFC) are used for proximity wireless transmission, while other systems such as WIMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) are used to provide wireless home broadband access over a wide range. Some systems are used to provide different communication modes to cover different distances, albeit at different transmission rates. For example, in the Bluetooth 5.0 standard, for Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE), two close-range communication modes are defined to provide 1 Mbit / s or 2 Mbit / s, respectively, at closer distances, and two long-range communication modes are defined to provide 512 kbit / s or 128 kbit / s, respectively, at longer distances. There is no process provided in Bluetooth LE and other similar systems to switch between these communication modes, leaving users stuck at lower transmission rates even when they are close to their communication partners. Summary of the invention

[0003] There may be a need to provide an improved design for a wireless communication device in which transmission rates are increased where possible.

[0004] Embodiments are based on the discovery that in wireless communication systems such as Bluetooth LE, long-range transmission rates and short-range transmission rates remain separate, and no means are provided for dynamically switching between transmission modes. To mitigate these situations, embodiments rely on different types of broadcast packets sent for different communication modes: when communicating using the long-range communication mode, each wireless communication device can listen for short-range broadcast packets. Once a short-range broadcast packet is received with a desired signal strength or bit error rate, the wireless communication device can switch to the short-range communication mode, thereby increasing the supported transmission rate.

[0005] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a wireless communication device, which includes a transceiver module for communicating with another wireless communication device. The wireless communication device includes a control module configured to communicate with the other wireless communication device using a first connection. The first connection is based on a long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module. The control module is configured to receive a short-distance broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device via the transceiver module. The control module is configured to control the transceiver module to switch to the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module after receiving the short-distance broadcast data packet, so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device. The control module is configured to communicate with the other wireless communication device using a second connection. The second connection is based on the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module.

[0006] By listening to the short-range broadcast data packets while communicating in the long-range communication mode, the wireless communication device can determine that the other wireless communication device is close enough to switch to the short-range communication mode. By switching to the short-range communication mode, the transmission rate can be increased.

[0007] For example, the transceiver module can be configured to communicate with the other wireless communication device using a Bluetooth-based communication protocol (e.g., a Bluetooth LE communication protocol). The long-range communication mode can be a coded communication mode of the Bluetooth communication protocol. For example, an embodiment can be used to switch from a coded communication mode of the Bluetooth LE standard to an uncoded communication mode.

[0008] In at least some embodiments, the long-range communication mode and the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module use the same frequency band. For each transmitted bit, the long-range communication mode can use a greater number of symbols than the short-range communication mode. When the short-range communication mode and the long-range communication mode are distinguished by the encoding method they use rather than by the frequency range, it is beneficial to receive both types of broadcast data packets.

[0009] For example, the transceiver module may be configured to use a short-range physical layer implementation for a short-range communication mode. The transceiver module may be configured to use a long-range physical layer implementation for a long-range communication mode. The control module may be configured to control the transceiver module to switch to a short-range physical layer implementation after receiving a short-range broadcast data packet. By using different physical layer implementations, power efficiency within the transceiver module can be increased.

[0010] In some embodiments, the transceiver module is configured to transmit and / or monitor short-range broadcast data packets and long-range broadcast data packets, which can achieve the common use of short-range communication mode and long-range communication mode.

[0011] In some cases, a short-range communication packet may be received, but the quality of the transmission may not be high enough to switch to the short-range communication mode. The control module may be configured to control the transceiver module to switch to the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module if the signal strength of the received short-range broadcast data packet is higher than a signal strength threshold or if the bit error rate estimated based on the received short-range broadcast data packet is lower than a bit error rate threshold, so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device. This can avoid the situation where the transmission rate may be reduced rather than increased due to transmission errors by switching.

[0012] For example, the control module may be configured to identify that the proximity broadcast packet originated from the other wireless communication device based on a device identifier included in the proximity broadcast packet. A device identifier such as a media access control address (MAC address) may be used to match the proximity broadcast packet to the first communication.

[0013] In various embodiments, the control module is configured to establish a second connection via the transceiver module after receiving the short-distance broadcast data packet, thereby indicating to the other wireless communication device that the short-distance broadcast data packet has been successfully received. By initiating the second connection after receiving the short-distance broadcast data packet, the connection establishment can be used as a confirmation of the short-distance broadcast data packet, thereby reducing communication overhead.

[0014] Similar to the establishment of the second connection, the first connection can be established based on a broadcast data packet (in this case, a long-range broadcast data packet). The control module can be configured to receive a long-range broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device via the transceiver module, and establish the first connection after receiving the long-range broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device.

[0015] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a second wireless communication device (i.e., the other wireless communication device mentioned above), which may be a corresponding device of the wireless communication device described above. The second wireless communication device includes a transceiver module for communicating with another wireless communication device (i.e., the wireless communication device described above). The second wireless communication device includes a control module, which is configured to communicate with the other wireless communication device using a first connection. The first connection is based on a long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module. The control module is configured to transmit a short-distance broadcast data packet using a short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module. The control module is configured to receive an indication that the other wireless communication device has successfully received a short-distance broadcast data packet. The control module is configured to control the transceiver module to switch to the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module after receiving the indication, so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device. The control module is configured to communicate with the other wireless communication device using a second connection, and the second connection is based on the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module. The wireless communication device can be used as a corresponding device of the wireless communication device described above, so as to improve the transmission rate.

[0016] As described above, a long-range broadcast data packet may be used to help establish the first connection. The control module may be configured to transmit the long-range broadcast data packet to the other wireless communication device via the transceiver module. The control module may be configured to establish the first connection after receiving an indication that the other wireless communication device has successfully received the long-range broadcast data packet.

[0017] The present disclosure also provides a mobile device, which includes one (or two) of the above wireless communication devices. The present disclosure also provides a vehicle, which includes one (or two) of the above wireless communication devices. The present disclosure also provides a system including such a mobile device and a vehicle.

[0018] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide corresponding methods. For example, the embodiments provide a method for a wireless communication device. The method includes using a first connection to communicate with another wireless communication device via a transceiver module. The first connection is based on a long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module. The method includes receiving a short-distance broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device via the transceiver module. The method includes controlling the transceiver module to switch to the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module after receiving the short-distance broadcast data packet so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device. The method includes using a second connection to communicate with the other wireless communication device. The second connection is based on the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module.

[0019] Embodiments provide another method for a wireless communication device. The method includes communicating with another wireless communication device via a transceiver module using a first connection, the first connection being based on a long-range communication mode of the transceiver module. The method includes transmitting a short-range broadcast data packet using a short-range communication mode of the transceiver module. The method includes receiving an indication that the other wireless communication device has successfully received a short-range broadcast data packet. The method includes controlling the transceiver module to switch to the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module after receiving the indication so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device. The method includes communicating with the other wireless communication device using a second connection. The second connection is based on the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module.

[0020] The present disclosure also provides a computer program having a program code, wherein the program code is used to execute at least one of the above methods when the computer program is executed on a computer, a processor or a programmable hardware component. For example, the computer program can be configured to control each transceiver module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Some examples of apparatus and / or methods will be described below by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0022] Figure 1a A block diagram of an embodiment of a wireless communication device is shown;

[0023] Figure 1b A flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method for a wireless communication device;

[0024] Figure 2a A block diagram showing another embodiment of a wireless communication device;

[0025] Figure 2b A flow chart illustrating another embodiment of a method for a wireless communication device; and

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the exchange of data packets by two wireless communication devices. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Various examples will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some examples are shown. In the accompanying drawings, the thickness of lines, layers and / or regions may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0028] Accordingly, although other examples can be variously modified and have alternative forms, some specific examples are shown in the drawings and will be described in detail later. However, this detailed description does not limit other examples to the specific forms described. Other examples can cover all variations, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the scope of the present disclosure. In the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements, which can be implemented identically or in a modified form when compared to each other, but provide the same or similar functions.

[0029] It should be understood that when it is mentioned that an element is "connected" or "coupled" to another element, these elements can be directly connected or coupled or connected or coupled through one or more intermediate elements. If two elements A and B are combined using "or", unless otherwise explicitly or implicitly limited, it should be understood that all possible combinations are disclosed, namely: only A, only B, and A and B. Alternative terms for the same combination are "at least one of A and B" or "A and / or B". This also applies to combinations of more than two elements after appropriate modifications.

[0030] The terms used herein to describe specific examples are not intended to limit other examples. When using singular forms such as "one" and "said" and neither explicitly nor implicitly limiting that only a single element must be used, other examples may also use plural elements to implement the same function. Similarly, when the function is subsequently described as being implemented using multiple elements, other examples may use a single element or a single processing entity to implement the same function. It should also be understood that when used, the terms "including" and / or "having" represent the presence of the described features, wholes, steps, operations, processes, actions, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, processes, actions, elements, components and / or any combination thereof.

[0031] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have their common meaning in the art to which the examples belong.

[0032] Figure 1aA block diagram of an embodiment of a wireless communication device 10 is shown. The wireless communication device 10 includes a transceiver module 12 for communicating with another wireless communication device 20. The wireless communication device 10 also includes a control module 14 connected to the transceiver module 12. The control module 14 is configured to communicate with the other wireless communication device 20 using a first connection. The first connection is based on a long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module 12. The control module 14 is configured to receive a short-distance broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device 20 via the transceiver module 12. The control module 14 is configured to control the transceiver module 12 to switch to the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module after receiving the short-distance broadcast data packet, so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device 20. The control module 14 is configured to communicate with the other wireless communication device 20 using a second connection. The second connection is based on the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module 12. Figure 1a Further shown is a mobile device 100 comprising a wireless communication device 10. Figure 1a and 2a In the embodiment, the wireless communication device 10 is part of the mobile device 100, and the other wireless communication device 20 is part of the vehicle 200. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that these roles can be reversed, for example, the wireless communication device 10 is included in the vehicle 200, and the other wireless communication device is included in the mobile device 100. Regardless of the distribution, Figure 1a A system including a mobile device 100 and a vehicle 200 is also shown.

[0033] Figure 1b A flow chart of an embodiment of a corresponding method for a wireless communication device 10 is shown. The method includes communicating 130 with another wireless communication device 20 via the transceiver module 12 using a first connection. The method includes receiving 140 a short-range broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device 20 via the transceiver module 12. The method includes controlling 150 the transceiver module 12 to switch to a short-range communication mode of the transceiver module 12 after receiving the short-range broadcast data packet to communicate with the other wireless communication device 20. The method includes communicating 170 with the other wireless communication device 20 using a second connection. For example, the method may be performed by the wireless communication device 10. Therefore, additional features of the wireless communication device 10 may provide additional features for the corresponding method.

[0034] The following description involves Figure 1a The wireless communication device 10 and Figure 1b The corresponding method.

[0035] At least some embodiments relate to a wireless communication device and to corresponding methods and computer programs. Typically, the wireless communication device 10 and / or the other wireless communication device 20 may be a wireless communication device used by other devices, such as a communication chipset used by a mobile device or a vehicle, to communicate via a wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth). For example, the wireless communication device 10 and / or the other wireless communication device 20 may be a Bluetooth (LE) chipset. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 10 and / or the other wireless communication device 20 may be part of a wireless communication chipset (e.g., a combined WiFi / Bluetooth chipset).

[0036] In some wireless communication systems, such as when wireless communication is performed via Bluetooth, communication is initiated via so-called "broadcast packets," which are packets transmitted (usually periodically) by a wireless communication device that wishes to be sensed by other wireless communication devices in its vicinity. When one of the other wireless communication devices receives such a broadcast packet, it may choose to establish (i.e., initiate) a connection with the wireless communication device that has transmitted the broadcast packet. In the definition of wireless communication terms, a wireless communication device may be denoted as a "broadcaster" wireless communication device, and the other wireless communication device that initiates the connection may be denoted as the "initiator" wireless communication device of the connection. In Bluetooth, the initiator wireless communication device is denoted as the "master" wireless communication device, and the broadcaster wireless communication device is denoted as the "slave" wireless communication device.

[0037] This principle also applies here. With respect to the second connection, the other wireless communication device 20 is a broadcaster wireless communication device (because the long-range broadcast data packet is transmitted by the other wireless communication device 20), and the wireless communication device 10 is an initiator wireless communication device. With respect to the first connection, the roles may be the same. In this case, the control module 14 may be configured to receive 110 a long-range broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device 20 via the transceiver module 12, and to establish 120 a first connection after (i.e., in response to) receiving the long-range broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device 20. For example, using a long-range communication mode and / or using a device identifier of the wireless communication device as a destination address, a first connection may be established by transmitting a connection request (a connection request CONNECT_REQ in Bluetooth LE) data packet to the other wireless communication device 20. Alternatively, with respect to the first connection, the wireless communication device may be a broadcaster wireless communication device, and the other wireless communication device may be an initiator wireless communication device. In this case, the control module 14 may be configured to transmit (e.g., periodically transmit) a long-range broadcast data packet to the other wireless communication device 20 via the transceiver module 12, and to establish the first connection after receiving an indication that the other wireless communication device 20 has successfully received the long-range broadcast data packet. In any case, the other wireless communication device corresponds to the wireless communication device 10, ie, for each connection of wireless communication devices, one of the wireless communication devices is the initiator (or master) and the other wireless communication device is the broadcaster (or slave).

[0038] As can be seen from the previous examples, two wireless communication devices can be configured to transmit and / or receive long-distance broadcast data packets and / or short-distance broadcast data packets. In other words, the transceiver module 12 can be configured to transmit and / or monitor short-distance broadcast data packets and long-distance broadcast data packets. For example, a broadcast data packet of a long-distance communication mode can be distinguished from a broadcast data packet of a short-distance communication mode based at least on the preamble of the broadcast data packet. For example, the preamble of the long-distance broadcast data packet can be longer than the preamble of the short-distance broadcast data packet. In this case, the long-distance broadcast data packet can be a broadcast data packet suitable for broadcasting the capabilities and / or availability of the following wireless communication device, which has transmitted a long-distance broadcast data packet to initiate a connection via the long-distance communication mode of the wireless communication system. The short-distance broadcast data packet can be a broadcast data packet suitable for broadcasting the capabilities and / or availability of the following wireless communication device, which has transmitted a short-distance broadcast data packet to initiate a connection via the short-distance communication mode of the wireless communication system. The two types of broadcast data packets can include a device identifier of the wireless communication device that has transmitted the broadcast data packet, that is, a unique identifier that can be used to uniquely identify the wireless communication device that has transmitted the broadcast data packet. The device identifier can be used by the initiator wireless communication device to establish a connection.

[0039] As noted above, the transceiver module 12 can be configured to transmit and / or monitor short-range broadcast data packets and long-range broadcast data packets. In order to avoid the need for a transceiver module suitable for monitoring and transmitting in two or more frequency bands, the long-range communication mode and the short-range communication mode can use the same frequency band. For example, both the long-range communication mode and the short-range communication mode can use the 2.4GHz frequency band, that is, the frequency band between 2.4 GHz and 2.5 GHz. This frequency band is a commonly used frequency band because it is open to unlicensed communication between low-power wireless devices. The frequency band was originally designated for ISM (industrial, scientific and medical) purposes, and now it is mainly known for local wireless communication systems such as Bluetooth (LE), WiFi, Zigbee and baby monitors. Alternatively, the long-range communication mode and the short-range communication mode can use different (non-overlapping) frequency bands.

[0040] Typically, long-range communication can provide (reliable) communication over a longer distance, although the transmission rate is typically lower. In other words, the long-range communication mode can provide reliable communication up to a first distance (i.e., with a bit error rate below a threshold), while the short-range communication can provide reliable communication up to a second distance, which is lower than the first distance. The maximum bit transmission rate of the long-range transmission mode can be lower than the maximum bit transmission rate of the short-range transmission mode. When used in the same frequency band, the long-range communication mode can be implemented by using a less complex modulation scheme, for example, by using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) 64 instead of QAM 256 for radio transmission (Gaussian frequency shift keying is used for Bluetooth LE). Alternatively or additionally, a different number of symbols can be used to transmit a single bit. For example, the long-range communication mode can use a larger number of symbols for each transmitted bit than the short-range communication mode. For example, if the long-range communication mode and the short-range communication mode are based on Bluetooth LE, the short-range communication mode can use one symbol per bit transmitted, while the long-range communication mode can use two (or eight) symbols per bit transmitted. In other words, the number of symbols used to transmit one bit in the long-range communication mode can be at least twice that in the short-range communication mode. By using a larger number of symbols, the bit error rate can be reduced because the transceiver module on the receiving side has more symbols to derive the transmitted bits. For example, many transmission errors are caused by short pulses of interference, which may only affect a single symbol. By having two symbols per bit, errors can be identified, and by having more symbols, errors can even be corrected. For example, in the coded transmission mode of Bluetooth LE, up to eight symbols can be used to transmit a single bit, thereby realizing forward error correction that enables long-range transmission.

[0041] As described above, at least some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to Bluetooth communication, and more precisely, to Bluetooth low energy communication starting from Bluetooth standard 5.0. In other words, the transceiver module 12 can be configured to communicate with another wireless communication device 20 using a Bluetooth communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth LE or Bluetooth LE version 5.0 and higher). In the Bluetooth 5.0 standard, a long-range communication mode is added to the Bluetooth LE standard, the so-called "coded" communication mode. The term "coded" is selected because the bits transmitted in this communication mode are represented by two or eight symbols, so that a code is added to the head of the existing symbol. This communication mode is implemented by two physical layer implementations, which are represented by LE coding S=2 (two symbols per bit, with a maximum transmission rate of 512 kilobits / second) and LE coding S=8 (eight symbols per bit, with a maximum transmission rate of 128 kilobits / second). The short-range communication mode is represented as the "uncoded" communication mode and is implemented by two other physical layer implementations: LE 1M (with a maximum transmission bit rate of 1 megabit / second) and LE 2M (with a maximum transmission bit rate of 2 megabits / second). In some embodiments, the long-range communication mode may be a coded communication mode of the Bluetooth (LE) communication protocol, and the short-range communication mode may be an uncoded communication mode of the Bluetooth (LE) communication protocol. Alternatively, the long-range communication may be a coded communication mode of the Bluetooth (LE) communication protocol using an LE coded S=8 physical layer implementation, and the short-range communication mode may be a coded communication mode of the Bluetooth (LE) communication protocol using an LE coded S=2 physical layer implementation. In other words, the transceiver module 12 may be configured to use a short-range physical layer implementation for the short-range communication mode and a long-range physical layer implementation for the long-range communication mode. In a first example, the long-range physical layer implementation may be one of the LE S=2 and LE S=8 physical layer implementations, and the short-range physical layer implementation may be one of the LE 1M and LE 2M physical layer implementations. In a second example, the long-range physical layer implementation may be an LE S=8 physical layer implementation, and the short-range physical layer implementation may be an LE S=2 physical layer implementation.

[0042] The control module is configured to communicate with another wireless communication device 20 using a first connection, and the first connection is based on the long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module 12. In other words, the long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module 12 is used to transmit the data packets transmitted on the first connection. Similarly, the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module 12 is used to transmit the data packets transmitted on the second connection. Generally, in a wireless communication system, a connection is a logical structure for logically packaging data packets for wireless transmission between two wireless communication devices. In some embodiments, both the first connection and the second connection can be logical connections, which can be used to transmit control data and payload data between the wireless communication device 10 and the other wireless communication device 20. For example, the first connection and / or the second connection can be connections defined in the Bluetooth LE standard.

[0043] The control module is configured to receive a short-range broadcast data packet from another wireless communication device 20 via the transceiver module 12. The short-range broadcast data packet can be received by the wireless communication device while establishing a first connection between the wireless communication device 10 and the other wireless communication device 20. The short-range broadcast data packet can be separated from the first connection. In at least some embodiments, the short-range broadcast data packet can be received using the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module 12.

[0044] In at least some embodiments, the wireless communication device may associate the short-range broadcast data packet with another wireless communication device in order to identify that both the first connection and the short-range broadcast data packet are linked to another wireless communication device 20. To this end, a device identifier included in the short-range broadcast data packet may be used. In other words, the control module 14 may be configured to identify that the short-range broadcast data packet originates from another wireless communication device based on the device identifier included in the short-range broadcast data packet. In some embodiments, the device identifier may be a permanent (e.g., non-obfuscated) device identifier of another wireless communication device 20. Alternatively, the device identifier may be a temporary (e.g., obfuscated) device identifier of another wireless communication device (only) for broadcasting data packets. In this case, the control module 14 may be configured to receive a (temporary) device identifier from another wireless communication device 20 via the first connection. The corresponding control module 24 of the other wireless communication device may be configured to transmit the (temporary) device identifier via the first connection.

[0045] The control module 14 is configured to control the transceiver module 12 to switch to the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module after (for example, in response to) receiving a short-range broadcast data packet, so as to communicate with another wireless communication device 20. As described above, in some wireless communication systems such as Bluetooth LE, different physical layer implementations can be used for different communication modes. Therefore, the control module 14 can be configured to control the transceiver module 12 to switch to the short-range physical layer implementation after receiving the short-range broadcast data packet. Alternatively or additionally, when switching to the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module, the modulation scheme and / or the number of symbols used to transmit one bit can be adjusted.

[0046] In at least some embodiments, the switch to the short-range communication mode can be conditioned on the transmission quality of the received short-range broadcast data packet. Typically, a short-range broadcast data packet can be received even at a distance of hundreds of meters, despite low signal strength and high bit error rate. Reliable communication through the short-range communication mode is possible at a much closer distance, such as a distance of less than 50 meters (or less than 25 meters). As the wireless communication device gets closer and closer to another wireless communication device, communication through the short-range communication mode becomes feasible. Therefore, the control module can be configured to evaluate the short-range broadcast data packet to determine whether the short-range communication is considered feasible. If it is not considered feasible, the short-range broadcast data packet can be discarded and communication can continue through the first connection. In other words, the control module 14 can be configured to: if the signal strength of the received short-range broadcast data packet is higher than the signal strength threshold, or if the bit error rate estimated based on the received short-range broadcast data packet is lower than the bit error rate threshold, then control the transceiver module 12 to switch to the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module 12 to communicate with another wireless communication device 20. For example, the signal strength may be a received signal strength indication (RSSI), and is an indication of the received power (of the short-distance broadcast data packet) received at the antenna of the transceiver module. The bit error rate estimated based on the received short-distance broadcast data packet may be a bit error rate that is likely to occur in the second communication (if established). The control module 14 may be configured to estimate the bit error rate based on the signal strength, based on the noise level (i.e., based on the signal-to-noise ratio SNR of the short-distance broadcast data packet) and / or based on the multipath propagation effects observable in the received short-distance broadcast data packet.

[0047] The control module 14 is configured to communicate with another wireless communication device 20 using a second connection, the second connection being based on the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module 12. In at least some embodiments, the control module 14 can be configured to establish 160 the second connection via the transceiver module 12 after receiving the short-range broadcast data packet. For example, using the short-range communication mode and / or using the device identifier of the wireless communication device as the destination address, the second connection can be established by transmitting a connection request (connection request CONNECT_REQ in Bluetooth LE) data packet to the other wireless communication device 20. Alternatively, the connection request can be transmitted through the first connection, or a different request (such as a handover request) can be transmitted through the first connection. By establishing the second connection, the wireless communication device can indicate to the other wireless communication device 10 that the short-range broadcast data has been successfully received.

[0048] Alternatively, the establishment of the second connection may be initiated by another wireless communication device 200. In this case, the control module may be configured to transmit a confirmation data packet to the other wireless communication device via the first connection, the confirmation data packet indicating to the other wireless communication device 10 that the short-range broadcast data has been successfully received. After the confirmation data packet is transmitted, a connection request may be received from the wireless communication device, and the second connection may be established based on the connection request received from the other wireless communication device. In other words, the control module 14 may be configured to transmit a confirmation data packet to the other wireless communication device 20 in response to a short-range broadcast data packet (e.g., before switching to a short-range communication mode). The control module 14 may be configured to receive a connection request from the other wireless communication device, for example, via the first connection or via a short-range communication mode, and establish the second connection based on the received connection request.

[0049] The control module 14 may be configured to communicate with another wireless communication device 20 using the second connection after establishing the second connection. For example, the control module 14 may be configured to (seamlessly) continue the communication originally conducted on the first connection using the second connection. For example, the packet numbering used on the first connection may continue to be used in the second connection. The control module 14 may be configured to: if (only) the first connection is available, then the communication between the wireless communication devices 14 is routed on the first connection, and if the second connection is available, then the communication between the wireless communication devices is routed through the second connection.

[0050] In some embodiments, after establishing the second connection, the first connection may be terminated. For example, the control module 14 may be configured to terminate the first connection after establishing the second connection. Alternatively, it may be useful to maintain the first connection, for example, so that there is a fallback option in the event that the second connection is not reliable enough. Therefore, the control module 14 may be configured to maintain the first connection after establishing the second connection. The control module 14 may be configured to revert to using the first connection if the second connection fails (e.g., terminates).

[0051] Transceiver module 12 (and / or combined Figure 2a The transceiver module 22 shown in the wireless communication device can be implemented as any device for transceiving (i.e., receiving and / or transmitting, etc.), for example, it can be one or more transceiver units, one or more transceiver devices, and it can include typical receiver and / or transmitter components, such as one or more elements in the following group: one or more low noise amplifiers (LNA), one or more power amplifiers (PAS), one or more filters or filter circuits, one or more duplexers (Diplexer or Duplexer), one or more analog-to-digital converters (A / D), one or more digital-to-analog converters (D / A), one or more modulators or demodulators, one or more mixers, one or more antennas, etc.

[0052] In some embodiments, the control module 14 (and / or in combination with the control module 14) may be implemented using one or more processing units, one or more processing devices, and any means for processing such as a processor, a computer, or a programmable hardware component that can be run with corresponding adapted software. Figure 2a In other words, the described functions of the control module 14; 24 can also be implemented in software, which is then executed on one or more programmable hardware components. These hardware components may include general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontrollers, etc.

[0053] For example, vehicle 200 may be a land vehicle, a road vehicle, a car, an automobile, an off-road vehicle, a motor vehicle, a truck or a van. Mobile devices may be mobile phones such as smartphones, tablet computers or wearable devices such as smart watches or smart bracelets.

[0054] In conjunction with the proposed concept or above or below (e.g. Figures 2a to 3 ) One or more examples described in the foregoing, mention more details and aspects of the wireless communication device 10 / 20. The wireless communication device 10 / 20 may include one or more additional optional features corresponding to the proposed concept or one or more aspects of one or more examples described above or below.

[0055] Figure 2a 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the wireless communication device 20. For example, the wireless communication device 20 may be a combination of Figure 1a Another wireless communication device 20 is introduced. In many aspects, the wireless communication device 20 can be implemented similarly to the wireless communication device 10 in FIG. 1. The wireless communication device 20 includes a transceiver module 22 for communicating with another wireless communication device 10 (ie, Figure 1a The wireless communication device 20 includes a control module 24 coupled to a transceiver module 22. The control module 24 is configured to communicate with another wireless communication device 10 using a first connection. The first connection is based on a long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module 22. The control module 24 is configured to transmit a short-distance broadcast data packet using a short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module 22. The control module 24 is configured to receive an indication that another wireless communication device 10 has successfully received a short-distance broadcast data packet. The control module 24 is configured to control the transceiver module 22 to switch to the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module 22 after receiving the indication so as to communicate with another wireless communication device 10. The control module 24 is configured to communicate with another wireless communication device 10 using a second connection. The second connection is based on the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module 22. Figure 2a Further shown is a vehicle 200 including a wireless communication device 20. Figure 1a and 2a In the embodiment, the other wireless communication device 10 is part of the mobile device 100, and the wireless communication device 20 is part of the vehicle 200. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that these roles may be reversed, such as the other wireless communication device 10 being included in the vehicle 200, and the wireless communication device 20 being included in the mobile device 100. Figure 2a A system including a vehicle 200 and a mobile device 100 is further shown.

[0056] Figure 2b A flow chart of a corresponding method for a wireless communication device 20 is shown. The method includes communicating 240 with another wireless communication device 10 via a transceiver module 22 using a first connection. The method includes transmitting 250 a short-range broadcast data packet using a short-range communication mode of the transceiver module 22. The method includes receiving 260 an indication that another wireless communication device 10 has successfully received the short-range broadcast data packet. The method includes controlling 270 the transceiver module to switch to the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module after receiving the indication in order to communicate with the other wireless communication device 10. The method includes communicating 290 with the other wireless communication device using a second connection. For example, the method may be performed by Figure 2a The wireless communication device 20 is executed. Therefore, the additional features of the wireless communication device 20 can provide additional features for the corresponding method.

[0057] The following description involves Figure 2a The wireless communication device 20 and Figure 2b The corresponding method.

[0058] As combined Figure 1a and / or as indicated in 1b, Figure 2a The wireless communication device 20 can be regarded as Figure 1a The counterpart of the wireless communication device 10. For example, with respect to the second connection, the wireless communication device 20 is the broadcaster wireless communication device (because the long-distance broadcast data packet is transmitted by the wireless communication device 20), and the other wireless communication device 10 is the initiator wireless communication device. With respect to the first connection, the roles may be the same. In this case, the control module 24 may be configured to transmit 210 (e.g., periodically) the long-distance broadcast data packet to the other wireless communication device 10 via the transceiver module 22, and establish 230 the first connection after receiving 220 an indication that the other wireless communication device 10 has successfully received the long-distance broadcast data packet. Alternatively, with respect to the first connection, the other wireless communication device 10 may be the broadcaster wireless communication device, and the wireless communication device 20 may be the initiator wireless communication device. In this case, the control module 24 may be configured to receive the long-distance broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device 10 via the transceiver module 22, and establish 230 the first connection after (i.e., in response to) receiving the long-distance broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device 10. For example, using the long-range communication mode and / or using the device identifier of the wireless communication device as the destination address, a first connection may be established by transmitting a connection request (CONNECT_REQ in Bluetooth LE) packet to the other wireless communication device 10. In any case, the other wireless communication device corresponds to the wireless communication device 20, i.e., for each connection of the wireless communication devices, one of the wireless communication devices is the initiator (or master) and the other wireless communication device is the broadcaster (or slave).

[0059] The control module 24 is configured to transmit a short-range broadcast data packet using the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module 22. For example, the control module 24 can be configured to periodically transmit a short-range broadcast data packet. The control module 24 can be configured to transmit (and / or listen to) (both) a short-range broadcast data packet and a long-range broadcast data packet. The short-range broadcast data packet can be transmitted while the first connection is established.

[0060] The control module 24 is configured to receive an indication that another wireless communication device 10 has successfully received a short-range broadcast data packet. For example, the indication may be a connection request from another wireless communication device 10 (e.g., a connection request CONNECT_REQ in Bluetooth LE). Alternatively, the indication may be a different request from another wireless communication device 10 (e.g., a handover request received via the first connection), or an acknowledgment data packet transmitted by another wireless communication device in response to the short-range broadcast data packet. The indication may be received via the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module 24 or via the first connection 22 (thus, via the long-range communication mode). The control module 24 is configured to control the transceiver module 22 to switch to the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module 22 after receiving the indication in order to communicate with the other wireless communication device 10.

[0061] In some cases, the establishment of the second connection may be initiated by another wireless communication device, for example, if a connection request or a switch mode request is received from another wireless communication device 10. Therefore, the control module 24 may be configured to establish the second connection after (i.e., in response to) receiving an indication, for example, after (i.e., in response to) receiving a connection request or a switch request. Alternatively, the establishment of the second connection may be initiated by the wireless communication device 20. Therefore, the control module 24 may be configured to transmit a connection request to another wireless communication device 10 after (i.e., in response to) receiving a confirmation packet, and establish the second connection after transmitting the connection request.

[0062] In conjunction with the proposed concept or above or below (e.g. Figures 1a to 1b , Figure 3 ) and one or more examples described above, mention more details and aspects of the wireless communication device 10 / 20. The wireless communication device 10 / 20 may include one or more additional optional features corresponding to the proposed concept or one or more aspects of one or more examples described above or below.

[0063] Figure 3 According to one embodiment, Figure 1a and 1b Schematic diagram of two wireless communication devices 10 and 20 exchanging data packets. Figure 3 Only an exemplary flow of packets is shown - other implementations are possible. Figure 3In the example of , a long-distance broadcast data packet and a short-distance broadcast data packet are transmitted 310 by the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless communication device 20. At reference numeral 320, the long-distance broadcast data packet is transmitted by the wireless communication device 20 and received by the wireless communication device 10. In response to the long-distance broadcast data packet, at reference numeral 330, an indication such as a connection request is transmitted by the wireless communication device 10 and received by the wireless communication device 20. A first connection is established 340, and the wireless communication devices communicate using the first connection. At reference numeral 350, while the first connection is established, the wireless communication device 10 receives the short-distance broadcast data packet transmitted by the wireless communication device 20. In response, at reference numeral 360, the wireless communication device 10 transmits an indication to the wireless communication device 20. Both wireless communication devices switch to the short-distance communication mode 370; 380. In the case of the wireless communication device 10, the switching to the short-distance communication mode 370 may be performed before or after the transmission 360 of the indication. Finally, at reference numeral 390, a second connection is established, and the wireless communication devices 10; 20 communicate using the second connection.

[0064] In conjunction with the proposed concept or above or below (e.g. Figures 1a to 2b ) One or more examples described in the drawings, referring to more details and aspects of the schematic drawings. The schematic drawings may include one or more additional optional features corresponding to one or more aspects of the proposed concept or one or more examples described above or below.

[0065] Embodiments can provide a reliable method for switching between long range mode and normal mode for Bluetooth LE communications.

[0066] In recent years, the use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) has increased significantly. In the automotive field, BLE is very promising for different applications, such as keyless car entry. For example, BLE can be used for keyless car entry. In these scenarios, the coverage of BLE should be high enough to ensure good functional quality. In Bluetooth version 5.0, a feature called long range was introduced to increase the coverage of BLE systems. The disadvantage of long range modes may be that they result in low data rates, which affects the data communication rate. Therefore, the long range feature can be used first, but the high data rate can be used when approaching the car. The disclosed embodiments can be used to switch between different modes.

[0067] The Bluetooth standard lacks a method for switching to normal mode when approaching a peer device (e.g., when a user enters the coverage range of normal mode). Based on the Bluetooth standard, it may not be possible to detect when a user enters the coverage range of normal mode. Transitioning to normal mode at a predetermined distance may result in a disconnection.

[0068] In BLE, a peer device may be configured to scan for low power mode packets to check if the device is known. In at least some embodiments, a peripheral device may broadcast for a normal mode and a long range mode (e.g., a close range communication mode and a long range communication mode). When a user approaches a peer device, a long range broadcast may be detected, and a connection (e.g., a first connection) may be established using the long range mode (low data rate). When a user approaches a peer device, a normal mode broadcast may be detected at a distance, in which case the connection may be switched to a normal mode (e.g., a second connection) without risk of disconnection.

[0069] The aspects and features mentioned and described in conjunction with one or more of the previously detailed examples and drawings may also be combined with one or more other examples in order to replace similar features of the other examples or in order to additionally introduce the features into the other examples.

[0070] The example may further be or relate to a computer program with a program code, which is used to implement one or more of the above methods when the computer program is executed on a computer or processor. Through a programmed computer or processor, the steps, operations or processes of the various methods described above can be implemented. The example may also cover program storage devices such as digital data storage media, which are machine, processor or computer readable and encode machine-executable, processor-executable or computer-executable instruction programs. The instructions implement or cause some or all of the actions of the above methods to be implemented. The program storage device may include or may be, for example, a digital memory, a magnetic storage medium such as a disk and a tape, a hard drive or an optically readable digital data storage medium. Other examples may also cover a computer, a processor or a control unit programmed to implement the actions of the above methods or a (field) programmable logic array ((F) PLA) or a (field) programmable gate array ((F) PGA) programmed to implement the actions of the above methods.

[0071] The description and drawings only illustrate the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, all examples recorded herein are mainly and explicitly intended to be used for illustrative purposes only, to help readers understand the principles of the present disclosure and the ideas contributed by the inventors to improve the technology. All descriptions of the principles, aspects and examples of the present disclosure and specific examples of the present disclosure recorded herein are intended to include their equivalents.

[0072] A functional block represented as a "means for..." for performing a certain function may refer to a circuit configured to perform a certain function. Therefore, "means for something" may be implemented as "means configured for or adapted for something", such as a device or circuit configured for or adapted for a corresponding task.

[0073] The functions of the various elements shown in the drawings, including any functional blocks labeled as "means", "means for providing a signal", and "means for generating a signal", etc., may be implemented in the form of dedicated hardware such as "signal providers", "signal processing units", "processors", and "controllers", as well as hardware capable of executing software in conjunction with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or by multiple individual processors (some or all of which may be shared). However, the terms "processor" or "controller" are not limited to hardware specifically capable of executing software, but may include digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), and non-volatile memories for storing software. Other conventional and / or custom hardware may also be included.

[0074] Block diagrams may, for example, illustrate high-level circuit diagrams that implement the principles of the present disclosure. Similarly, flow charts, flow block diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocodes, and the like may represent various processes, operations, or steps, which, for example, may be represented in a substantially computer-readable medium and performed by a computer or processor, whether or not the computer or processor is explicitly represented. The methods disclosed in the specification or claims may be implemented by an apparatus having means for performing each of the individual actions of the methods.

[0075] It should be understood that, unless otherwise explicitly or implicitly stated (e.g., for technical reasons), the disclosure of multiple actions, processes, operations, steps, or functions disclosed in the specification or claims cannot be interpreted as being in a specific order. Therefore, the disclosure of multiple actions or functions does not limit them to a specific order unless these actions or functions are not interchangeable for technical reasons. In addition, in some examples, a single action, function, process, operation, or step may include or be decomposed into multiple sub-actions, sub-functions, sub-processes, sub-operations, or sub-steps, respectively. Unless explicitly excluded, these sub-actions may be included in the disclosure of the single action and are part of the disclosure of the single action.

[0076] In addition, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, where each claim can exist as a separate example by itself. Although each claim can exist as a separate example by itself, it is noted that although a dependent claim can refer to a specific combination of one or more other claims in the claims, other examples can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent or independent claim. Unless it is indicated that a specific combination is not intended, these combinations are explicitly proposed herein. In addition, features of a claim are also included in any other independent claim, even if the claim is not directly dependent on the independent claim.

[0077] Reference numerals list

[0078] 10 Wireless communication device

[0079] 12 transceiver modules

[0080] 14 Control Module

[0081] 20 Wireless communication device

[0082] 22 transceiver modules

[0083] 24 control modules

[0084] 100 mobile devices

[0085] 110 Receive long-distance broadcast data packets

[0086] 120 Establishing the first connection

[0087] 130 Using the first connection for communication

[0088] 140 Receive close range broadcast data packets

[0089] 150 Control the transceiver module to switch to short-distance communication mode

[0090] 160 Establishing the second connection

[0091] 170 Use the second connection for communication

[0092] 200 vehicles

[0093] 210 Transmitting long distance broadcast data packets

[0094] 220 Receiving instruction

[0095] 230 Establishing the first connection

[0096] 240 Using the first connection for communication

[0097] 250 Transmit close range broadcast data packets

[0098] 260 Receiving instructions

[0099] 270 controls the transceiver module to switch to short-range communication mode

[0100] 280 Establishing the second connection

[0101] 290 Use the second connection for communication

[0102] 310 Transmitting long-distance broadcast data packets and short-distance broadcast data packets

[0103] 320 Transmit / receive long distance broadcast data packets

[0104] 330 Transmission / reception indication

[0105] 340 Establishing a first connection and using the first connection for communication

[0106] 350 Transmit / receive close range broadcast packets

[0107] 360 Transmit / Receive Indicator

[0108] 370 Switch to short-range communication mode

[0109] 380 Switch to short-range communication mode

[0110] 390 Establish a second connection and use the second connection for communication

Claims

1. A wireless communication device (10), the wireless communication device (10) comprising: A transceiver module (12) used to communicate with another wireless communication device; The control module (14) is configured to: Communicating with the other wireless communication device (20) using a first connection, the first connection being based on a long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module (12); Receiving a short-range broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device (20) via the transceiver module (12); After receiving the short-range broadcast data packet, controlling the transceiver module (12) to switch to the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device (20); and communicating with the other wireless communication device (20) using a second connection, the second connection being based on a short-range communication mode of the transceiver module (12), The control module (14) is configured to seamlessly use the second connection to continue the communication initially performed on the first connection by continuing to use the data packet number used on the first connection in the second connection.

2. The wireless communication device (10) according to claim 1, wherein: The transceiver module (12) is configured to communicate with the other wireless communication device (20) using the Bluetooth communication protocol, and the long-distance communication mode is a coding communication mode of the Bluetooth communication protocol.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The long-distance communication mode and the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module use the same frequency band, And / or, the long range communication mode uses a greater number of symbols per transmitted bit than the short range communication mode.

4. The wireless communication device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The transceiver module (12) is configured to use a short-range physical layer implementation for the short-range communication mode and to use a long-range physical layer implementation for the long-range communication mode, wherein the control module (14) is configured to control the transceiver module (12) to switch to the short-range physical layer implementation after receiving the short-range broadcast data packet.

5. The wireless communication device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The transceiver module (12) is configured to transmit and / or monitor short-range broadcast data packets and long-range broadcast data packets.

6. The wireless communication device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The control module (14) is configured to: if the signal strength of the received short-distance broadcast data packet is higher than a signal strength threshold, or if the bit error rate estimated based on the received short-distance broadcast data packet is lower than a bit error rate threshold, control the transceiver module (12) to switch to the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module (12) so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device (20).

7. The wireless communication device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The control module (14) is configured to: identify that the short-range broadcast data packet originates from the other wireless communication device based on a device identifier included in the short-range broadcast data packet.

8. The wireless communication device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The control module (14) is configured to establish the second connection via the transceiver module (12) after receiving the short-distance broadcast data packet, thereby indicating to the other wireless communication device (20) that the short-distance broadcast data packet has been successfully received.

9. The wireless communication device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The control module (14) is configured to: receive a long-distance broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device (20) via the transceiver module (12), and establish the first connection after receiving the long-distance broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device (20).

10. A wireless communication device (20), the wireless communication device (20) comprising: A transceiver module (22) used to communicate with another wireless communication device (10); The control module (24) is configured to: Communicating with the other wireless communication device (10) using a first connection, the first connection being based on a long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module (22); Using the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module (22) to transmit a short-distance broadcast data packet; receiving an indication that the other wireless communication device (10) has successfully received the short-range broadcast data packet; After receiving the instruction, controlling the transceiver module (22) to switch to the short-distance communication mode of the transceiver module (22) so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device (10); and communicating with the other wireless communication device (10) using a second connection, the second connection being based on a short-range communication mode of the transceiver module (22), The control module (24) is configured to seamlessly continue the communication initially performed on the first connection using the second connection by continuing to use the data packet number used on the first connection in the second connection.

11. A mobile device (100), comprising the wireless communication device (10; 20) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A vehicle (200) comprising a wireless communication device (10; 20) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A method for a wireless communication device (10), the method comprising: Communicating (130) with another wireless communication device (20) via a transceiver module using a first connection, the first connection being based on a long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module; receiving (140) a short-range broadcast data packet from the other wireless communication device (20) via the transceiver module; After receiving the short-range broadcast data packet, controlling (150) the transceiver module to switch to a short-range communication mode of the transceiver module so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device (20); and communicating (170) with the other wireless communication device (20) using a second connection, the second connection being based on a short-range communication mode of the transceiver module, The communication originally carried out on the first connection is thereby continued seamlessly using the second connection by continuing to use the data packet numbers used on the first connection in the second connection.

14. A method for a wireless communication device (20), the method comprising: Communicating (240) with another wireless communication device (10) via a transceiver module using a first connection, the first connection being based on a long-distance communication mode of the transceiver module; Transmitting (250) a short-range broadcast data packet using the short-range communication mode of the transceiver module; receiving (260) an indication that the other wireless communication device (10) has successfully received the short-range broadcast data packet; After receiving the instruction, controlling (270) the transceiver module to switch to a short-range communication mode of the transceiver module so as to communicate with the other wireless communication device (10); and Communicate with the other wireless communication device using a second connection (290), the second connection being based on a short-range communication mode of the transceiver module, The communication originally carried out on the first connection is thereby continued seamlessly using the second connection by continuing to use the data packet numbers used on the first connection in the second connection.

15. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program having a program code for implementing at least one of the methods of claim 13 or 14 when the computer program is executed on a computer, a processor or a programmable hardware component.

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