Out-of-Band Channel Scan Offload for Faster Wireless Pairing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Establishing wireless connections for streaming data to peripheral devices, such as headsets for augmented or virtual reality applications, is time-consuming due to the need for channel scans that can take several seconds, impacting user experience.

Innovation Solution

Offload part or all of the channel scan operations from the source device to the peripheral device, allowing it to perform a first channel scan concurrently with establishing a first connection using a shorter-range protocol like Bluetooth or NFC, and then establish a second connection using a longer-range protocol like IEEE 802.11 standards, thereby reducing the overall connection time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If channel scan operations are performed by the source device before establishing wireless connection, then connection reliability is improved, but connection establishment time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidconnection establishment time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The peripheral device performs the channel scan operation in advance (before the source device needs to connect), so that when the source device initiates connection, the scanning work is already completed or in progress, eliminating the time delay for the source device

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The peripheral device acts as an intermediary that performs the channel scan on behalf of the source device, allowing the source device to skip the scanning phase and proceed directly to connection establishment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If channel scan operations are performed sequentially before connection establishment, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechannel scan precisionVSAvoidconnection setup speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The channel scan operation continues to be performed by the peripheral device during the connection establishment process, ensuring that scanning is not interrupted and completion time is reduced without sacrificing scan quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS12490324B2Quick access point start with out of band channel scan offload

Publication Date: 2025.12.02 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for establishing wireless connections between a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device. In some implementations, the first wireless communication device may establish a first connection with a second wireless communication device in accordance with a first communication protocol, perform a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels responsive to establishing the first connection, the first channel scan being associated with a second wireless communication protocol, establish a second connection directly with the second wireless communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol based on the first channel scan, and receive one or more data streams directly from the second wireless communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol.