Mixed Mode Bluetooth BR/EDR and BLE Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Bluetooth protocols for high data rate communications in wearable devices face challenges due to the need for external power amplifiers, which conflict with requirements for Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), power consumption, and physical size constraints, limiting the services that can be provided.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mixed mode communication method that allows a Bluetooth master device to transmit using the BR/EDR protocol while a slave device receives and transmits using the BLE protocol without an external power amplifier, enabling efficient power usage through ACK aggregation schemes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If an external Power Amplifier (PA) is implemented to achieve high transmit power level (+20 dBm), then the transmit power is improved, but the device size, power consumption, and SAR compliance are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication link into two different protocols: BR/EDR for high-rate data transmission from master to slave, and BLE for acknowledgment transmission from slave to master. This segmentation allows the slave device to avoid implementing a high-power amplifier while maintaining overall communication effectiveness, as the slave only needs to transmit low-power acknowledgment packets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the protocol parameter used by the slave device for transmission. Instead of using BR/EDR which would require high transmit power, the slave device uses BLE protocol for acknowledgment transmissions. This parameter change enables the slave to operate with lower power constraints and smaller form factor while the master handles the high-rate data transmission.
2Power
If an external Power Amplifier (PA) is implemented to achieve high transmit power level, then the transmit power is improved, but the power consumption is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The communication task is segmented such that the power-intensive high-rate transmission is performed only by the master device using BR/EDR, while the slave device uses BLE for low-power acknowledgment transmissions. This segmentation eliminates the need for the slave to consume high power, directly addressing the power consumption concern.
3Power
If an external Power Amplifier (PA) is implemented to achieve high transmit power level, then the transmit power is improved, but the SAR compliance is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission roles so that only the master device performs high-power transmission via BR/EDR, while the slave device transmits only low-power acknowledgment packets using BLE. This segmentation ensures that if one device (the slave) needs to comply with strict SAR limits due to its placement near the user's body, it can do so while still maintaining effective communication through the master's high-power transmissions.
4Productivity
If BR/EDR protocol is used for high data rate communication, then the data rate is improved, but the need for external PA increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by assigning different protocols to different communication directions: BR/EDR is used for high-rate data transmission from master to slave, while BLE is used for acknowledgment transmission from slave to master. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high data rates where needed without requiring both devices to have complex high-power transmission capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A device and a method for mixed mode communication are disclosed. For example, a Bluetooth master device transmits data packets to a Bluetooth slave device and receives acknowledgments from the Bluetooth slave device, by controlling a transceiver to transmit the data packets based on a Bluetooth Basic Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) protocol, and to receive the acknowledgements packet (ACK) based on a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol. In another example, a Bluetooth slave device receives the data packets from a Bluetooth master device and transmits acknowledgments to the Bluetooth master device, by controlling a transceiver to receive the data packets based on a BR/EDR protocol, and to transmit the ACK based on a BLE protocol.