BLE Data Transmission Mode Selection for Rate and Power Trade-offs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocols suffer from low data transmission rates and high power consumption, particularly when transmitting large volumes of data, leading to poor user experience and inefficient use of air interface resources.

Innovation Solution

The method involves selecting an appropriate data sending mode based on service type or user indication, utilizing three modes: infinite sending, fixed sending, and best-effort sending, with automatic and user-involved rate setting mechanisms, and implementing frequency hopping for channel switching between BLE devices to optimize data transmission rates while reducing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the BLE protocol is used to transmit large volumes of data with frequent packet exchanges, then data transmission rate is improved, but terminal power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission rateVSAvoidterminal power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic adjustment of data sending modes based on service characteristics. The system switches between infinite sending mode (for emergency services requiring high transmission rate) and fixed sending mode (for non-emergency services requiring low power consumption), making the transmission behavior adaptive rather than static. This resolves the contradiction by allowing high data transmission rates only when necessary while maintaining low power consumption for routine operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes key transmission parameters including the number of packets sent per connection event interval and the connection event interval duration. By adjusting these parameters according to service type (emergency vs. non-emergency), the system optimizes the balance between data transmission rate and power consumption, achieving high throughput when needed and energy efficiency during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Use of energy by moving object

If the BLE protocol transmits data in fixed connection event intervals with limited packets, then power consumption is reduced, but data transmission rate deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal power consumptionVSAvoiddata transmission rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between fixed sending mode (limiting packets per interval for power efficiency) and infinite sending mode (allowing continuous transmission for high data rates). This dynamic adaptation allows the system to achieve high data transmission rates when emergency services require it, while maintaining low power consumption during normal operations with smaller data volumes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses periodic connection event intervals as the basis for data transmission. In fixed sending mode, data is transmitted periodically at controlled intervals, reducing power consumption. When emergency services activate infinite sending mode, the periodic structure is overridden to allow continuous transmission, thus achieving high data rates when necessary while maintaining energy efficiency for routine communications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Duration of action of stationary object

If data is constantly sent to the link layer in the prior-art method, then data transmission continuity is improved, but air interface resources are wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission continuityVSAvoidair interface resource waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and separates emergency services from non-emergency services, applying different transmission strategies to each. For non-emergency services, it limits the number of packets sent per connection event interval, removing unnecessary transmissions that waste air interface resources. For emergency services, it enables continuous transmission without such limitations, ensuring transmission continuity only when critically needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of constantly sending data for all services, the patent applies partial action by limiting packet transmission to only what is necessary for non-emergency services. For emergency services, it allows excessive action by enabling continuous unsolicited packet sending to ensure transmission continuity. This selective application of transmission intensity optimizes both resource efficiency and service quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3376782B1Data transmission method, device and terminal
Publication Date: 2020.10.28 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3376782B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3376782B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3376782B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a data sending method and apparatus, and a terminal. The method includes: when a Bluetooth Low Energy BLE protocol is used to run a data transmission service, determining, according to a service type of the service and/or a user indication, a data sending mode for running the data transmission service; and running the data transmission service in the determined data sending mode. It can be learned from the above that, in the solutions provided in the present invention, an appropriate data sending mode can be selected according to a service type and/or a user indication. Therefore, a data transmission rate can be effectively increased while power consumption of a terminal is reduced.