# US 11,445,440 B2 · Bluetooth mesh network system and connection method having power management mechanism

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- Number: US 11,445,440 B2
- Document ID: US11445440B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/314,264
- Filed: 2021-05-07
- Published: 2021-12-16
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-06-10
- Assignees: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
- Applicants: Realtek Semiconductor Corporation
- Inventors: Yong Liu; Shi-Meng Zou; Yang Huang; Bin Shao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445440B2

## CPC

- H04W 52/0216: {using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame}
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections
- H04W 76/40: for selective distribution or broadcast
- H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
- Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a Bluetooth mesh network system having power management mechanism that includes low power nodes and a friend node. The friend node operates a part of the low power nodes under a first connection mode to establish a one-to-one connection with the friend node under a connection protocol. The friend node operates the other part of the low power nodes under a second connection mode to establish a many-to-one connection based on a broadcast protocol. The friend node sets a mode operation time threshold value and accumulates a mode connection time for each of the low power nodes. When the mode connection time of one of the low power nodes that operates under one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode reaches the corresponding mode operation time threshold value, the one of the low power nodes switches to operate under the other one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A Bluetooth mesh network system having power management mechanism, comprising:
a plurality of low power nodes (LPN); and
a friend node configured for:
operating a part of the low power nodes in a first connection mode to establish a one-to-one connection with the friend node based on a connection protocol;
operating the other part of the low power nodes in a second connection mode to establish a multiple-to-one connection with the friend node based on a broadcast protocol; and
setting a mode operation time threshold value for each of the low power nodes and accumulating a respective mode connection time for each of the low power nodes;
wherein when the mode connection time that the low power nodes operate in one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode reaches the corresponding mode operation time threshold value, the low power nodes switches to operate in the other one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode, in which an average power dissipation of each of the low power nodes is the same according to the mode operation time threshold value set by the friend node.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The Bluetooth mesh network system of claim 1, wherein the first connection mode is to establish the one-to-one connection between the low power nodes and the friend node based on the connection protocol through a generic attribute profile bearer (GATT bearer), and the connection protocol is a proxy protocol;
the second connection mode is to establish the multiple-to-one connection between the low power nodes and the friend node based on the broadcast protocol through an advertising bearer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The Bluetooth mesh network system of claim 1, wherein a number of the low power nodes that is allowed to be operated in the first connection mode at the same time does not exceed a maximum supported one-to-one connection number of the friend node.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The Bluetooth mesh network system of claim 3, wherein the low power nodes operate in the first connection mode in an initialization stage; and
when a number of the low power nodes operate in the first connection mode exceeds the maximum supported one-to-one connection number, the part of the low power nodes that exceed the maximum supported one-to-one connection number operate in the second connection mode.

### Claim 5

A Bluetooth mesh network system connection method having power management mechanism used in a Bluetooth mesh network system, comprising:
operating a part of a plurality of low power nodes in a first connection mode by a friend node, to establish a one-to-one connection with the friend node based on a connection protocol;
operating the other part of the low power nodes in a second connection mode by the friend node, to establish a multiple-to-one connection with the friend node based on a broadcast protocol; and
setting a mode operation time threshold value for each of the low power nodes and accumulating a respective mode connection time for each of the low power nodes by the friend;
switching the low power nodes to operate in the other one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode when the mode connection time that the low power nodes operate in one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode reaches the corresponding mode operation time threshold value;
wherein an average power dissipation of each of the low power nodes is the same according to the mode operation time threshold value set by the friend node.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The Bluetooth mesh network system connection method of claim 5, wherein the first connection mode is to establish the one-to-one connection between the low power nodes and the friend node based on the connection protocol through a generic attribute profile bearer (GATT bearer), and the connection protocol is a proxy protocol;
the second connection mode is to establish the multiple-to-one connection between the low power nodes and the friend node based on the broadcast protocol through an advertising bearer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The Bluetooth mesh network system connection method of claim 5, wherein a number of the low power nodes that is allowed to be operated in the first connection mode at the same time does not exceed a maximum supported one-to-one connection number of the friend node.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The Bluetooth mesh network system connection method of claim 7, further comprising:
operating the low power nodes in the first connection mode in an initialization stage by the friend node; and
when a number of the low power nodes operate in the first connection mode exceeds the maximum supported one-to-one connection number, operating the part of the low power nodes that exceed the maximum supported one-to-one connection number in the second connection mode by the friend node.