Dynamic BLE Transmission Power for Location Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery-powered Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices face challenges in efficiently transmitting advertisements to multiple access points (APs) for location tracking, as high transmission power levels quickly drain the battery and create interference.
Innovation Solution
A method where a BLE device increments its transmission power level until a threshold number of APs receive the advertisements, allowing for accurate location determination while minimizing battery drain and interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the BLE device transmits advertisements at high power levels to enable multiple APs to receive them for location triangulation, then location tracking accuracy is improved, but battery life is reduced and interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic transmission power adjustment where the BLE device starts with a low initial power level and incrementally increases it only when necessary. The controller monitors which APs receive advertisements and dynamically instructs the BLE device to adjust power levels based on real-time reception conditions, achieving location tracking with minimal energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transmission power parameter dynamically during operation. Instead of using a fixed high power level, the BLE device operates at varying power levels (e.g., -60 dBm, -50 dBm, -40 dBm) depending on the number of APs that need to receive the advertisement, optimizing the balance between location accuracy and battery life.
2Measurement precision
If the BLE device transmits advertisements at high power levels to enable multiple APs to receive them for location triangulation, then location tracking accuracy is improved, but interference in the wireless environment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission power is adjusted dynamically based on the actual number of APs that need to receive the advertisement. The controller monitors reception status and instructs the BLE device to use only the necessary power level, minimizing interference generation while still achieving sufficient AP reception for location tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of always transmitting at maximum power to ensure all APs can receive, the system uses partial action by transmitting at the minimum necessary power level. The BLE device transmits at low power initially and only increases power when the controller determines additional APs need to receive the advertisement, avoiding excessive interference.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the BLE device uses low transmission power levels to conserve battery, then battery life is extended, but the number of APs that can receive advertisements decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts transmission power based on the controller's assessment of how many APs need to receive the advertisement. The controller monitors which APs are receiving and instructs the BLE device to increase power only when the current number of receiving APs is insufficient for accurate location tracking, thus extending battery life while maintaining necessary AP coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller provides feedback to the BLE device about the reception status at different APs. Based on this feedback, the controller determines whether the current transmission power is sufficient and instructs the BLE device to adjust accordingly, creating a closed-loop system that optimizes both battery life and AP reception coverage.
Data Source
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AI summary
Various embodiments herein disclose improving battery life while determining a location of a Bluetooth device. A corresponding method comprises receiving an identifier for a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device to locate in an environment comprising a plurality of access points (APs). The method further comprises identifying a first AP of the plurality of APs communicating with the BLE device at a first power level. The method also comprises instructing, using the first AP, the BLE device to increase a transmission power level of the BLE device until a threshold number of APs of the plurality of APs, including the first AP, receive communications from the BLE device. The method additionally comprises receiving an RSSI value from each of the threshold number of APs based on the communications from the BLE device. The method also comprises computing a location of the BLE device in the environment based on the RSSI values.