BLE Beacon Cluster Integration for Low Energy Mesh Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) networks face challenges in establishing and maintaining connections with devices having limited energy resources, as current implementations require significant energy for advertising and data transfer, making it difficult to form and sustain networks with battery-operated devices as connection coordinators.
Innovation Solution
A method is developed to create a mesh network by forming clusters with unique identifiers, allowing a subscriber to select and integrate smaller clusters into larger ones, eliminating the need for a central coordinator and reducing energy consumption by optimizing data transmission and reception frequencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If advertising packets are constantly sent or searched for to establish BLE connections, then connection establishment reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic advertising and scanning intervals instead of continuous operation. The beacon transmits advertising packets at defined intervals, and scanners check for connections periodically. This allows the system to maintain connection establishment capability while reducing energy consumption compared to constant transmission and scanning.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a master subscriber maintains connections to multiple slave subscribers in a piconet, then network connectivity is improved, but energy consumption and hardware resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into multiple piconets instead of requiring one master to maintain all connections. Each beacon becomes a master of its own piconet with limited slaves, distributing the connection maintenance burden. This allows network connectivity across multiple segmented domains while reducing individual energy consumption and hardware requirements per device.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a beacon with limited energy resources acts as a connection coordinator, then network formation capability is improved, but device resource requirements are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables beacons to form networks autonomously without requiring a separate coordinator device. Each beacon can independently initiate advertising, scan for connections, and establish piconets using its own resources. This self-service capability allows network formation with limited-energy devices without exceeding their resource constraints or requiring additional coordinator hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for establishing and maintaining a network having two or more subscribers, based on radio connections between the subscribers in accordance with a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard, each subscriber being uniquely characterized by way of a subscriber identifier (node ID). Provision is made in that context that clusters having one subscriber, or several subscribers connected by means of BLE network connections, are formed; that a unique cluster identifier (cluster ID) is allocated to each cluster; that a first subscriber of a first cluster selects a second subscriber, located within range of a BLE connection, from a second cluster that is smaller or of the same size, and causes it to be detached from the second cluster and integrated into the first cluster by way of a BLE network connection to the first subscriber. The invention further relates to a beacon for carrying out the method.