Reconfigurable Antenna Wireless Hub for Bluetooth Range Extension

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Solution Overview

Problem

Bluetooth devices have a limited communication range due to their design for low power and low cost operation, making it impractical to increase transmission power or antenna gain, which restricts their use in scenarios requiring longer ranges.

Innovation Solution

A wireless hub that acts as a transparent relay, amplifying signals and suppressing noise to extend the communication range between Bluetooth devices without modifying them, using a reconfigurable antenna system and RF front end system to support multiple communication protocols.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of stationary object

If transmission power or antenna gain is increased to extend communication range, then communication range is improved, but power consumption and device cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication rangeVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of stationary objectVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

A Bluetooth hub acts as an intermediary device between Bluetooth devices and remote targets. The hub receives signals from Bluetooth devices at short range and retransmits them over longer distances, enabling extended communication without increasing the power consumption or antenna gain of the original Bluetooth devices. This mediator approach allows low-power devices to achieve long-range communication capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Length of stationary object

If transmission power or antenna gain is increased to extend communication range, then communication range is improved, but device cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication rangeVSAvoiddevice cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of stationary objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The Bluetooth hub serves as a cost-effective intermediary that provides long-range communication capabilities without requiring modifications to the original Bluetooth devices. By placing the hub at a strategic location, users can extend communication range while keeping the cost of individual Bluetooth devices low, as the hub handles the additional functionality of long-range transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Length of stationary object

If transmission power is increased to penetrate walls and extend range, then communication range is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication rangeVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of stationary objectVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The hub acts as a wall-penetrating intermediary by receiving signals from Bluetooth devices and retransmitting them through different physical paths. Instead of increasing the power of the original device to penetrate walls, the hub can be positioned to utilize available signal paths, effectively bypassing obstacles without requiring high power consumption from the original low-power Bluetooth device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11296777B2Methods, devices and systems for increasing wireless communication range

Publication Date: 2022.04.05 CASSIA NETWORKS INC

AI summary

Methods, devices and systems for increasing wireless communication range are provided. A device includes a reconfigurable antenna system having a plurality of antenna configurations; an antenna logic system configured to select one of the antenna configurations based on signal strength indicators of the plurality of antenna configurations; and a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to communicate with a client device using the selected antenna configuration.