Sensor Hub Proxy Discovery for Low-Power Device Keepalive

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing device discovery processes in multi-device networking scenarios suffer from high power consumption, significant delays, and interference due to broadcast storms, leading to poor keepalive performance and networking failures.

Innovation Solution

Utilizing a low-power SensorHub (SH) chip as a proxy for the application processor (AP) to perform device discovery and keepalive tasks, with strategies like burst broadcasting and early connection establishment to reduce power consumption and enhance discovery efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the AP processor performs device discovery and keepalive tasks directly, then device discovery accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice discovery accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a proxy device (another smartphone) as an intermediary to perform device discovery and keepalive tasks on behalf of the first device. The proxy device sends broadcast messages and scans for devices, while the first device remains in a low-power state. This resolves the contradiction by transferring the energy-intensive discovery operations to a proxy device, significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining discovery accuracy through the proxy's actions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If broadcast messages are sent frequently to maintain device connections, then keepalive performance is improved, but broadcast storms and interference occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvekeepalive performanceVSAvoidbroadcast storm and interference

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic device discovery operations where the proxy device sends broadcast messages and performs scanning at predetermined intervals rather than continuously. This periodic approach maintains reliable keepalive performance by ensuring devices are discovered and connections are maintained, while simultaneously reducing the overall number of broadcast messages in the network, thereby preventing broadcast storms and interference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Speed

If the device performs continuous scanning and broadcasting, then device discovery speed is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice discovery speedVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs preliminary device discovery where the proxy device performs scanning and broadcasting operations in advance to establish device connections before the first device needs to access them. By pre-establishing these connections through the proxy, the first device can quickly access discovered devices without needing to perform continuous high-power scanning itself, thus achieving fast device discovery speed while maintaining low power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260019791A1Inter-device connection management method, device, and system

Publication Date: 2026.01.15 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

AI summary

This application discloses an inter-device connection management method, a device, and a system, and relates to the field of terminal communication technologies. In this application, an electronic device may perform device discovery and keepalive work by using a low-power-consumption sensor hub (SH) chip serving as a proxy of an application (AP) processor. When discovering that a device is online or offline, the SH chip wakes up the AP processor to perform device connection or cancel a trust relationship.