Showing papers on "Bluetooth published in 2003"

Challenges in the migration to 4G mobile systems

Abstract: With the rapid development of wireless communication networks, it is expected that fourth-generation mobile systems will be launched within decades. 4G mobile systems focus on seamlessly integrating the existing wireless technologies including GSM, wireless LAN, and Bluetooth. This contrasts with 3G, which merely focuses on developing new standards and hardware. 4G systems supports comprehensive and personalized services, providing stable system performance and quality service. However, migrating current systems to 4G presents enormous challenges. In this article, these challenges are discussed under the headings of mobile station system, and service aspects. Proposed solutions to the research problems in each aspect are also examined.

IEEE 802.15.4 low rate - wireless personal area network coexistence issues

Abstract: IEEE 802.15.4 is a proposed standard addressing the needs of low-rate wireless personal area networks or LR-WPAN with a focus on enabling wireless sensor networks. The standard is characterized by maintaining a high level of simplicity, allowing for low cost and low power implementations. Its operational frequency band includes the 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical band providing nearly worldwide availability; additionally, this band is also used by other IEEE 802 wireless standards. Coexistence among diverse collocated devices in the 2.4 GHz band is an important issue in order to ensure that each wireless service maintains its desired performance requirements. This paper presents a brief technical introduction of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and analyzes the coexistence impact of an IEEE 802.15.4 network on the IEEE 802.11b devices.

An Indoor Bluetooth-Based Positioning System: Concept, Implementation and Experimental Evaluation.

Abstract: This paper presents the experimental evaluation of a Bluetooth-based positioning system. The method has been implemented in a Bluetooth-capable handheld device. Empirical tests of the developed considered positioning system have been realized in different indoor scenarios. The range estimation of the positioning system is based on an approximation of the relation between the RSSI (Radio Signal Strength Indicator) and the associated distance between sender and receiver. The actual location estimation is carried out by using the triangulation method. The implementation of the positioning system in a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) has been realized by using the Software “Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++ Version 3.0”.

Bluetooth and WLAN coexistence: challenges and solutions

Abstract: In this article we discuss solutions to the interference problem caused by the proximity and simultaneous operation of Bluetooth and WLAN networks. We consider different techniques that attempt to avoid time and frequency collisions of WLAN and Bluetooth transmissions. We conduct a comparative analysis of their performance, and discuss the trends and trade-offs they bring for different applications and interference levels. Performance is measured in terms of packet loss, TCP goodput, delay, and delay jitter.

Positioning with Bluetooth

Abstract: An evaluation of Bluetooth positioning in a general positioning platform is presented. The evaluation a Bluetooth based positioning system was implemented in order to complement the theoretical evaluation with empirical tests. Three different ways of positioning with Bluetooth have been developed. With a registered positioning service, a Bluetooth device has an active role in the positioning task, where a connected device to look up respective position in a database uses the unique address of the device. It is also possible to forward a position gained from the positioning platforms using the peer-to-peer characteristics in Bluetooth. The theoretical time requirements for a positioning system based on Bluetooth are discussed. Empirical tests show that these requirements hold.

Experiments on local positioning with Bluetooth

Abstract: This paper presents the design and implementation of the Bluetooth local positioning application. Positioning is based on received power levels, which are converted to distance estimates according to a simple propagation model. The extended Kalman filter computes a 3D position estimate on the basis of distance estimates. With the used Bluetooth hardware, the mean absolute error of positioning was measured to be 3.76 m. The accuracy can be improved if Bluetooth devices are able to measure received power levels more precisely.

Configuring BlueStars: multihop scatternet formation for Bluetooth networks

Abstract: Describes a protocol for the establishment of multihop ad hoc networks based on Bluetooth devices. The protocol proceeds in three phases: device discovery, partitioning of the network into Bluetooth piconets, and interconnection of the piconets into a connected scatternet. The protocol has the following desirable properties: it is executed at each node with no prior knowledge of the network topology, thus being fully distributed. The selection of the Bluetooth masters is driven by the suitability of a node to be the "best fit" for serving as a master. The generated scatternet is a connected mesh with multiple paths between any pair of nodes, thus achieving robustness. Differently from existing solutions, no extra hardware is required to run the protocol at each node and there is no need for a designated node to start the scatternet formation process. Simulation results are provided which evaluate the impact of the Bluetooth device discovery phase on the performance of the protocol.

A spectrum etiquette protocol for efficient coordination of radio devices in unlicensed bands

Abstract: This paper presents a spectrum etiquette protocol for efficient coordination of radio communication devices in unlicensed (e.g. 2.4 GHz ISM and 5 GHz U-NII) frequency bands. The proposed etiquette method enables spectrum coordination between multiple wireless devices using different radio technologies such as IEEE 802.11.x, 802.15.x, Bluetooth, Hiperlan, etc. The basic idea is to standardize a simple common protocol for announcement of radio and service parameters, called the "common spectrum coordination channel (CSCC)". The CSCC mechanism is based on the low bit-rate mode of the 802.11b physical layer, along with a periodic broadcast protocol at the MAC layer. The CSCC protocol is "policy neutral" in the sense that it provides a general mechanism, which can accommodate a wide range of specific spectrum sharing rules. One possible CSCC protocol implementation is described in terms of the packet formats used and related channel access rules. Proof-of-concept experimental results from a CSCC prototype are presented for an example scenario in which nearby 802.11b and Bluetooth devices contend for 2.4 GHz ISM band access. Results showing file transfer delay with and without CSCC etiquette are given for comparison purposes.

Interference evaluation of Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11b systems

Abstract: The emergence of several radio technologies, such as Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11, operating in the 2.4 GHz unlicensed ISM frequency band, may lead to signal interference and result in significant performance degradation when devices are colocated in the same environment. The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the effect of mutual interference on the performance of Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11b systems. We develop a simulation framework for modeling interference based on detailed MAC and PHY models. First, we use a simple simulation scenario to highlight the effects of parameters, such as transmission power, offered load, and traffic type. We then turn to more complex scenarios involving multiple Bluetooth piconets and WLAN devices.

Method and apparatus for effecting a detection of mobile devices that are proximate and exhibit commonalities between specific data sets, or profiles, associated with the persons transporting the mobile devices

Abstract: The invention disclosed is a method and apparatus for effecting a detection of selected proximate mobile devices using short-range radio frequency communications and/or Bluetooth and/or geo positioning systems, which detection and selection are based on the comparison and evaluation of pre-determined profiles associated with the persons transporting the mobile devices which data sets are stored and maintained in a separate central database. The invention disclosed is also a method and apparatus for effecting information exchange between mobile devices thus detected.

Coexistence mechanisms for interference mitigation in the 2.4-GHz ISM band

Abstract: Wireless technologies sharing the same frequency band and operating in the same environment often interfere with each other, causing severe decrease in performance. We propose two coexistence mechanisms based on traffic scheduling techniques that mitigate interference between different wireless systems operating in the 2.4-GHz industrial, medical, and scientific band. In particular, we consider IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks (WLANs) and Bluetooth (BT) voice and data nodes, showing that the proposed algorithms can work when the two systems are able to exchange information as well as when they operate independently of one another. Results indicate that the proposed algorithms remarkably mitigate the interference between the IEEE 802.11 and BT technologies at the expense of a small additional delay in the data transfer. It is also shown that the impact of the interference generated by microwave ovens on the IEEE 802.11 WLANs performance can be significantly reduced through the mechanisms presented.

Bluetooth and sensor networks: a reality check

Abstract: The current generation of sensor nodes rely on commodity components. The choice of the radio is particularly important as it impacts not only energy consumption but also software design (e.g., network self-assembly, multihop routing and in-network processing). Bluetooth is one of the most popular commodity radios for wireless devices. As a representative of the frequency hopping spread spectrum radios, it is a natural alternative to broadcast radios in the context of sensor networks. The question is whether Bluetooth can be a viable alternative in practice. In this paper, we report our experience using Bluetooth for the sensor network regime. We describe our tiny Bluetooth stack that allows TinyOS applications to run on Bluetooth-based sensor nodes, we present a multihop network assembly procedure that leverages Bluetooth's device discovery protocol, and we discuss how Bluetooth favorably impacts in-network query processing. Our results show that despite obvious limitations the Bluetooth sensor nodes we studied exhibit interesting properties, such as a good energy per bit sent ratio. This reality check underlies the limitations and some promises of Bluetooth for the sensor network regime.

Communication system for vehicle

Abstract: A system for communicating information includes a transceiver provided within a vehicle that is configured for wireless communication with a cellular phone and with a portable computing device. The wireless communication between the transceiver and the cellular phone utilizes a Bluetooth communications protocol.

Bluetooth rf based rf-tag read/write station

Abstract: Radio device having a radio receiver, a radio transmitter and a signal processor (62), wherein the radio receiver is responsive to an incoming analog radio signal (72) for providing a down converted and modulated signal to signal processor (62), wherein the radio transmitter is responsive is responsive to an output signal from signal processor (62) for transmission as an outgoing analog radio signal (70), characterized by control logic (66) for controlling the radio device in two modes, a first mode for operating as a bluetooth device and a second mode for operating as an RF tag reader.

A Bluetooth scatternet-route structure for multihop ad hoc networks

Abstract: Bluetooth scatternets, integrating polling, and frequency hopping spread-sprectrum in their medium access control protocol, provide a contention-free environment for Bluetooth devices to access the medium and communicate over multihop links. Currently, most available scatternet formation protocols tend to interconnect all Bluetooth devices at the initial network startup stage and maintain all Bluetooth links thereafter. Instead of this "big scatternet" approach, we propose a scatternet-route structure to combine the scatternet formation with on-demand routing, thus eliminating unnecessary link and route maintenances. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first effort to address on-demand scatternet formation with every detail. We introduce an extended ID (EID) connectionless broadcast scheme, which, compared with original Bluetooth broadcast mechanism, achieves very much shortened route discovery delay. We also propose to synchronize the piconets along each scatternet route to remove piconet switch overhead and obtain even better channel utilization. Furthermore, we present a route-based scatternet scheduling scheme to enable fair and efficient packet transmissions over scatternet routes. Network performance analysis and simulations show that scatternet routes can provide multihop wireless channels with high network utilization and extremely stable throughput, being especially useful in the transmission of large batches of packets and real time data in wireless environment.

Experimenting an indoor bluetooth-based positioning service

Abstract: The Bluetooth wireless technology is an emerging technology originally designed as a short-range connectivity solution for personal, portable, and handheld electronic devices. This paper briefly presents the functionality, and the architecture of an indoor positioning service based on this technology. Most of the design choices for the service have been strongly influenced by Bluetooth features. The effectiveness of the indoor positioning service is critically analyzed. Experimental and simulation results used for defining the policy of mobile device discovery are shown.

Design and analysis of a Bluetooth-based indoor localization system

Abstract: The emerging context-aware applications relying on the wireless networking, require the availability of network services that provide even simple notions of context as position and identity. In the last few years several localization and tracking systems for indoor environment have been proposed. However, these systems are often very expensive since they require the installation of dedicated infrastructures of sensors based on radio, ultrasound or infrared technologies, to determine the user position. This paper aims to propose and analyze a novel indoor localization and tracking system based on the Bluetooth technology. This is a short-range, low complexity and low cost wireless technology that supports explicit device discovery services. The proposed localization system fully integrates these device discovery procedures into the infrastructure-based network of Bluetooth access points that provides the wireless connectivity inside a building. This design approach guarantees a cost-effective solution for the positioning service implementation. In this paper we have extensively investigated through simulative analysis the performances of the proposed localization system, showing that it has a negligible overhead, still providing a timely update of user location.

Service/device indication with graphical interface

Abstract: The method disclosed gives the user rapid notice of those Bluetooth devices (142) within communication range, and yet it selectively blocks any notice about Bluetooth devices that the user wishes to ignore. Bluetooth server devices (143) can indicate to the user s Bluetooth client device (100) the service the server device has available by sending service/device icon information to Bluetooth client device. This information can be a value in the class-of-device (CoD) field of a frequency hop synchronization (FHS) packet that it sends during the process of exchanging inquiry and paging packets with the Bluetooth client device. If the server device has begun by transmitting an inquiry packet, then the CoD value will be sent in its paging packet. If the server device is responding to an inquiry, then its CoD value will be in its inquiry response packet.

Ubiquitous computing in home networks

Abstract: In the past decade, there have been numerous efforts in ubiquitous. computing. For home networks, we believe that ubiquitous computing requires a global-scale system that is securable, administered by, multiple independent nonspecialist administrators, and integrates off-the-shelf hardware and software. In this system every home owner acts as an administrator of the network in the home. We are developing such a system based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), with Bluetooth devices for location sensing and the Service Location Protocol (SLP) for service discovery. We also introduce context-aware location information to augment device discovery bind user communication. The system builds on our CINEMA infrastructure.

Establishing a communication link by selectively powering a transceiver based on a communication request received by another transceiver

Abstract: A first transceiver in a wireless terminal receives a communication request from a first wireless network. Based on the received communication request, power is selectively provided to a second transceiver in the wireless terminal, and the second transceiver is used to establish a communication link with a second wireless terminal. The first transceiver may be a TDMA transceiver, CDMA transceiver, wireless local area network transceiver, Bluetooth transceiver, or a digital television receiver that receives the communication request from a corresponding type of network, and the second transceiver may be a different one of the receiver types that establishes a communication link with a corresponding type of network. The first transceiver may receive assistance information from the first wireless network. The assistance information may include information that can be used to establish a communication link through the second transceiver with the second wireless network.

Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11b coexistence: analytical performance evaluation in fading channels

Abstract: In this paper, the issue of Bluetooth and IEEE802.11b coexistence in a heterogeneous environment is addressed by means of an integrated analytical approach. The methodology proposed carefully takes both physical (i.e., thermal noise, propagation, interference, modulation formats, and coding techniques) and medium access control (frequency hopping, packet structures, traffic loads) aspects into account. This model can be easily implemented when developing network simulators, thus avoiding the need of extensive bit level Monte Carlo simulations at the physical level. The mean packet error probability is evaluated as a function of the relative distance between the two systems for different conditions (e.g., propagation, packet type, traffic loading, etc). In particular, how the presence or absence of line-of-sight propagation significantly affects the coexistence distance is emphasized. Furthermore, for a fixed quality-of-service level we derive the coexistence domain of the two considered systems in terms of relative distance.

A new Bluetooth scatternet formation protocol

Abstract: A Bluetooth ad hoc network can be formed by interconnecting piconets into scatternets. The constraints and properties of Bluetooth scatternets present special challenges in forming an ad hoc network efficiently. In this paper, we present and analyze a new randomized distributed protocol for Bluetooth scatternet formation. We prove that our protocol achieves O(log n) time complexity and O(n) message complexity. The scatternets formed by our protocol have the following properties: (1) any device is a member of at most two piconets, and (2) the number of piconets is close to be optimal. These properties can help prevent overloading of any single device and lead to low interference between piconets. We validate the theoretical results by simulations, which also show that the scatternets formed have O(log n) diameter. As an essential part of the scatternet formation protocol, we study the problem of device discovery: establishing multiple connections simultaneously with many Bluetooth devices. We investigate the collision rate and time requirement of the inquiry and page processes. Our simulation results indicate that the total number of packets sent is O(n) and that the maximum number of packets sent by any single device is O(log n).

Battery powered wireless transceiver having LPRF component and second wake up receiver

Abstract: A wireless transceiver includes a low power radio frequency (LPRF) component that powers down to conserve energy and powers up in response to a signal; and a second receiver that provides the signal in response to receipt of a radio frequency broadcast. The broadcast is targeted to activate particular transceivers by including, in the broadcasts, identifications such as class designations, in which case the transceivers power up and form networks. A transceiver may include one or more identifications and may include a unique identification of the transceiver itself. The LPRF component may be a Bluetooth radio, but the overall transceiver itself only draws about 10 to 15 μA while actively awaiting and screening for a targeted broadcast.

Wearable sensor system for wireless state-of-health determination in cattle

Abstract: Wearable systems for human and animal state-of-health determination share many design requirements. This paper discusses the design of a remote health monitoring system for cattle that hosts a suite of sensors and communicates wirelessly with a base station via Bluetooth telemetry.

Wafer mobile phone platform system

Abstract: The wafer mobile phone platform system provides a minimalist mobile telephone that can be used alone as a wireless communication device or utilized to transfer its mobile telephone functions from one peripheral device to another. A transceiver unit having telephone circuitry and componentry is mounted on a mobile phone wafer having a battery, memory storage device, display screen and an on/off switch. A short range radio frequency device, such as a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled module, provides short range communication to an earpiece, headset, or other peripheral devices. The wafer can have an antenna, headphone jack and be adapted for use with wired communication devices, such as USB, serial, parallel or firewire cables. The wafer can be attached to or received in a digital camera, video camera, PDA, laptop or desktop computer, GPS unit or other devices to combine the functions of the transceiver unit with the peripheral device.

Quality of service (QoS) routing for Bluetooth personal area network (PAN) with inter-layer optimization

Abstract: This invention grows out of an appreciation by the inventor that the QoS is an important metric for a Bluetooth (BT) PAN, as unpredictable indoor radio conditions can degrade the QoS and the stability of the routing protocol that is used to guarantee the QoS. In a first aspect this invention provides a traffic measurement embodiment that updates the QoS information in all nodes along the path of a packet. This embodiment functions to monitor the end-to-end QoS quality, and improves the protocol stability. In a second aspect this invention provides a cross-layer optimization embodiment by which the BT Link layer information (e.g., LinkSupervision_Timeout and RSSI) is integrated into the PAN routing protocol, to further enhance the stability of the routing protocol.

Coordination of competing protocols

Abstract: A wireless telecommunications terminal employing both an IEEE 802.11 radio and a Bluetooth radio is disclosed. The illustrative embodiment employs a novel preemption scheme that ensures that Bluetooth preemptions of the 802.11 radio are not fatal to the 802.11 media access control (MAC) error-correction mechanism. The illustrative embodiment thus enables what appears to be concurrent 802.11 and Bluetooth activity by a single wireless telecommunications terminal. The preemption scheme does not require any changes to the 802.11 and Bluetooth protocols, or to the radios. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention for protocols other than IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth that might interfere with each other.

lndoor location estimation using multiple wireless technologies

Abstract: .Abrrrurr-Future mobile devices will increasingly have multi,ple sources of location information associated with them, such as GPS. cellular ~ell-s~ctor ID. Bluetooth or 802.11 wireless LAN. I n fdct. cellular phones with GPS receivers and 802.11 wireless LAN are already becoming available. However, not all location technologies will operate e\,erywhere (e.g. GPS typically will not \wrk indoors whereas 802.11 coverage may be available) and they typically have different accuracies and range. This paper presents an experimental study of the feasibility 01 using multiple wireless technologies simultaneously for location We have collected signal strength information from 802.1 1 and Bluetooth wireless network technologies, developed and applied algorithms for determining location using data fur each wireless technology. and then used a simple algorithm far fusing t h e location estimates from both technologies to try to enhance the accuracy of the location estimates.

Indoor location estimation using multiple wireless technologies

Abstract: Future mobile devices will increasingly have multiple sources of location information associated with them, such as GPS, cellular cell-sector ID, Bluetooth or 802.11 wireless LAN. In fact, cellular phones with GPS receivers and 802.11 wireless LAN are already becoming available. However, not all location technologies will operate everywhere (e.g. GPS typically will not work indoors whereas 802.11 coverage may be available) and they typically have different accuracies and range. This paper presents an experimental study of the feasibility of using multiple wireless technologies simultaneously for location estimation. We have collected signal strength information from both IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth wireless network technologies, developed and applied algorithms for determining location using data for each wireless technology, and then used a simple algorithm for fusing the location estimates from both technologies to try to enhance the accuracy of the location estimates.