Showing papers on "Bluetooth published in 2006"

CarTel: a distributed mobile sensor computing system

Abstract: CarTel is a mobile sensor computing system designed to collect, process, deliver, and visualize data from sensors located on mobile units such as automobiles. A CarTel node is a mobile embedded computer coupled to a set of sensors. Each node gathers and processes sensor readings locally before delivering them to a central portal, where the data is stored in a database for further analysis and visualization. In the automotive context, a variety of on-board and external sensors collect data as users drive.CarTel provides a simple query-oriented programming interface, handles large amounts of heterogeneous data from sensors, and handles intermittent and variable network connectivity. CarTel nodes rely primarily on opportunistic wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) connectivity to the Internet, or to "data mules" such as other CarTel nodes, mobile phone flash memories, or USB keys-to communicate with the portal. CarTel applications run on the portal, using a delay-tolerant continuous query processor, ICEDB, to specify how the mobile nodes should summarize, filter, and dynamically prioritize data. The portal and the mobile nodes use a delay-tolerant network stack, CafNet, to communicat.CarTel has been deployed on six cars, running on a small scale in Boston and Seattle for over a year. It has been used to analyze commute times, analyze metropolitan Wi-Fi deployments, and for automotive diagnostics.

RFID token with multiple interface controller

Abstract: An RFID token apparatus has a connection module for interfacing with an appliance capable of communicating and interacting with remote servers and networks, a translation module for moving signals between a USB interface and a smart card interface, a processor module which may be capable of operating as a dual-interface (DI) chip; and an input/output module having at least one RF antenna and a modulator. An RFID-contactless interface according to ISO 14443 & ISO 15693 and/or NFC. A wireless interface according to ZIGBEE wireless, BLUETOOTH wireless, WLAN 802.11, UWB, USB wireless and/or any similar interface. An RFID reader apparatus has a housing; a slot for a contact or contactless fob; and a USB stick alternately protruding from the housing and retracted within the housing.

CoolSpots: reducing the power consumption of wireless mobile devices with multiple radio interfaces

Abstract: CoolSpots enable a wireless mobile device to automatically switch between multiple radio interfaces, such as WiFi and Bluetooth, in order to increase battery lifetime. The main contribution of this work is an exploration of the policies that enable a system to switch among these interfaces, each with diverse radio characteristics and different ranges, in order to save power - supported by detailed quantitative measurements. The system and policies do not require any changes to the mobile applications themselves, and changes required to existing infrastructure are minimal. Results are reported for a suite of commonly used applications, such as file transfer, web browsing, and streaming media, across a range of operating conditions. Experimental validation of the CoolSpot system on a mobile research platform shows substantial energy savings: more than a 50% reduction in energy consumption of the wireless subsystem is possible, with an associated increase in the effective battery lifetime.

Performance study of IEEE 802.15.4 using measurements and simulations

Abstract: IEEE 802.15.4 was developed to meet the needs for simple, low-power and low-cost wireless communication. In the past couple of years it has become a popular technology for wireless sensor networks. It operates primarily in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, which makes the technology easily applicable and worldwide available. However, IEEE 802.15.4 is potentially vulnerable to interference by other wireless technologies working in this band such as IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth. This paper gives a short overview of the IEEE 802.15.4 and carefully analyzes the properties and performance of IEEE 802.15.4 through measurement of the RSSI, PER and run lengths distribution using real off-the-shelf hardware. Furthermore we present simulation results from the evaluation of the IEEE 802.15.4 MAC protocol. Finally, we address the coexistence between IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.15.4 and measure the impact these two wireless technologies have on each other when operating concurrently and in range

Vehicle immersive communication system

Abstract: A vehicle communication system facilitates hands-free interaction with a mobile device in a vehicle or elsewhere. Users interact with the system by speaking to it. The system processes text and processes commands. The system supports Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free use. The system handles telephone calls, email, and SMS text messages. The user can customize the device via a user profile stored on an Internet web server.

Instrumenting the city: developing methods for observing and understanding the digital cityscape

Abstract: We approach the design of ubiquitous computing systems in the urban environment as integral to urban design. To understand the city as a system encompassing physical and digital forms and their relationships with people's behaviours, we are developing, applying and refining methods of observing, recording, modelling and analysing the city, physically, digitally and socially. We draw on established methods used in the space syntax approach to urban design. Here we describe how we have combined scanning for discoverable Bluetooth devices with two such methods, gatecounts and static snapshots. We report our experiences in developing, field testing and refining these augmented methods. We present initial findings on the Bluetooth landscape in a city in terms of patterns of Bluetooth presence and Bluetooth naming practices.

Instrumenting the city: Developing methods for observing and understanding the digital cityscape

Abstract: We approach the design of ubiquitous computing systems in the urban environment as integral to urban design. To understand the city as a system encompassing physical and digital forms and their relationships with people's behaviours, we are developing, applying and refining methods of observing, recording, modelling and analysing the city, physically, digitally and socially. We draw on established methods used in the space syntax approach to urban design. Here we describe how we have combined scanning for discoverable Bluetooth devices with two such methods, gatecounts and static snapshots. We report our experiences in developing, field testing and refining these augmented methods. We present initial findings on the Bluetooth landscape in a city in terms of patterns of Bluetooth presence and Bluetooth naming practices.

Method and apparatus for completing a transaction using a wireless mobile communication channel and another communication channel

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for completing a transaction using a wireless mobile communication channel and another communication channel, particularly another communication channel that provides for near field radio channels (NFC), as well as other communication channels, such as Bluetooth or WIFI. The present invention also provides a method of completing a transaction in which a management server assists a transaction server and a point of sale terminal in forwarding transaction information to a hand-held mobile device, with the transaction having originated from the hand-held mobile device. There is also provided a hand-held mobile device that wirelessly communicates between a secure element and a radio element that are associated with the hand-held mobile device.

MobiCare: A Programmable Service Architecture for Mobile Medical Care

Abstract: We introduce MobiCare — a remote wireless patient monitoring system that exploits the recent advances in clinical sensor/actuator systems and wide-area wireless communication networks to provide better healthcare services in a wide-range of scenarios. MobiCare consists of three important building blocks: a body sensor network (BSN) consisting of wearable sensors and actuators with wireless inter-connections; a BSN Manager (also called MobiCare client) that connects the BSN to an ‘always-on’ wide-area communication interface using wide-area cellular wireless link; and back-end infrastructure support (MobiCare servers) at healthcare providers to implement necessary healthcare functionalities. MobiCare enables a wide-range of programmable and reconfigurable services with efficient remote monitoring for mobile patient care. Some of these services include: (1) health-related services in medical devices and sensors to be remotely installed, self-activate, reconfigure or even self-repair with new health services and/or applications, (2) secure and reliable remote dynamic software upgrades or updates services applied to the native code of the clinical device, and, (3) remote registration and (re)configuration of body sensors as well as remote health data services such as patient health report downloads and diagnosis data uploads with provider servers. Collectively these services in MobiCare address a range of patient medical monitoring needs by accelerating deployment of new health-related services, thus reducing medical costs and improving the quality of patient care. We have implemented an initial proof-of-concept prototype of a MobiCare client and we demonstrate its feasibility in an experimental wireless testbed consisting of short-range Bluetooth and GPRS/UMTS cellular network infrastructure. We believe that MobiCare is a feasible and useful infrastructure paradigm for the next generation healthcare.

Position measurement using Bluetooth

Abstract: A Bluetooth wireless indoor position-measurement system is described. Normal Bluetooth operation uses receiver signal strength indicator (RSSI) for automatic transmitter power control to ensure satisfactory received signal-to-noise ratio. This feedback system was disabled and a novel use of RSSI allowed a series of measurements to be made. The distance was estimated between a reference transmitter and a mobile receiver, using a line-of-sight radio propagation model within a single cell. The design, implementation and evaluation of the system demonstrated that a mean absolute range error of 1.2 m was feasible in the presence of multipath fading.

eWatch: a wearable sensor and notification platform

Abstract: The eWatch is a wearable sensing, notification, and computing platform built into a wrist watch form factor making it highly available, instantly viewable, ideally located for sensors, and unobtrusive to users. Bluetooth communication provides a wireless link to a cellular phone or stationary computer. eWatch senses light, motion, audio, and temperature and provides visual, audio, and tactile notification. The system provides ample processing capabilities with multiple day battery life enabling realistic user studies. This paper provides the motivation for developing a wearable computing platform, a description of the power aware hardware and software architectures, and results showing how online nearest neighbor classification can identify and recognize a set of frequently visited locations.

Efficient mutual data authentication using manually authenticated strings

Abstract: Solutions for an easy and secure setup of a wireless connection between two devices are urgently needed for WLAN, Wireless USB, Bluetooth and similar standards for short range wireless communication. All such key exchange protocols employ data authentication as an unavoidable subtask. As a solution, we propose an asymptotically optimal protocol family for data authentication that uses short manually authenticated out-of-band messages. Compared to previous articles by Vaudenay and Pasini the results of this paper are more general and based on weaker security assumptions. In addition to providing security proofs for our protocols, we focus also on implementation details and propose practically secure and efficient sub-primitives for applications.

Detecting rogue devices in bluetooth networks using radio frequency fingerprinting

Abstract: Unauthorized Bluetooth devices or rogue devices can impersonate legitimate devices through address and link key spoofing. Moreover, they can infiltrate a Bluetooth network and initiate other forms of attacks. This paper investigates a novel intrusion detection approach, which makes use of radio frequency fingerprinting (RFF) for profiling, Hotelling’s T 2 statistics for classification and a decision filter, for detecting these devices. RFF is a technique that is used to uniquely identify a transceiver based on the transient portion of the signal it generates. Moreover, the use of a statistical classifier proves advantageous in minimizing requirements for memory. Finally, the detection rate is also improved by incorporating a decision filter, which takes the classification results of a set of events into consideration, prior to rendering the final decision. The average False Alarm Rate of five percent and Detection Rate of ninety-three percent support the feasibility of employing these components to address the aforementioned problem.

Method and apparatus for collaborative coexistence between bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 G with both technologies integrated onto a system-on-a-chip (SOC) device

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for collaborative coexistence between Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 g with both technologies integrated onto an SOC device. ln a single integrated circuit (IC) that handles Bluetooth and WLAN technologies, a WLAN priority level may be selected for WLAN transmissions and a Bluetooth priority level may be selected for Bluetooth transmissions. The WLAN and Bluetooth priority levels may be selected from a plurality of priority levels. A packet transfer scheduler (PTS) may schedule the transmission of WLAN and Bluetooth signals in accordance with the selected priority levels. In some instances, the PTS may promote or demote the priority levels for WLAN and/or Bluetooth transmissions based on traffic needs.

System and method navigating indoors and outdoors without GPS. utilizing a network of sensors

Abstract: The navigation system method described herein could guide people around urban environments, detect guide and navigate them to destinations, add-on to the portable phone. We have focused on the task of detecting and navigating even in situations in which Global Positioning Systems (GPS) cannot provide this information, such as when the person is indoors or in crowded urban areas where there is no line of site to the GPS satellites. The information will be received directly from RF sensors and will display on the existing cellular phone as Bluetooth application

Multi-mode handset services

Abstract: Delivery of dual-mode GSM/WiFi voice and data services to a consumer with support for transparent network registrations and handovers between GSM and WiFi networks. Aspects include transparently and wirelessly automating call redirection procedures of calls and data (e.g., SMS messages) to legacy telephone devices, to GSM handsets via broadband, and to VoIP devices via broadband. An indoor network is treated as a pseudo visitor PLMN (VPLMN) by the home PLMN (HPLMN) which does not require GSM radio coverage in an indoor network. This innovation provides a means for automating a process of redirecting a subscriber's calls from the GSM network to the subscriber's home network, and can utilize a Bluetooth access point to provide a beacon signal for triggering redirection.

Method and system for antenna and radio front-end topologies for a system-on-a-chip (SOC) device that combines bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 b/g WLAN technologies

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for antenna and radio front-end topologies for a system-on-a-chip (SOC) device that combines Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 b/g WLAN technologies. A single chip radio device that supports WLAN and Bluetooth technologies receives a WLAN signal in a WLAN processing circuitry of the radio front-end and in a Bluetooth processing circuitry of the radio front-end. Signals generated by the WLAN processing circuitry and the Bluetooth processing circuitry from the received WLAN signal may be combined in a diversity combiner that utilizes selection diversity gain combining or maximal ratio combining (MRC). When a generated signal is below a threshold value, the signal may be dropped from the combining operation. A single antenna usage model may be utilized with the single chip radio device front-end topology to support WLAN and Bluetooth communications.

Method and System for Minimizing Power Consumption in a Communication System

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for minimizing power consumption in a communication system. Exemplary aspects of the invention may comprise configuring a supply voltage of an amplifier to enable communication of data using a first communication protocol during a first timeslot in a TDM frame, reconfiguring the supply voltage of the amplifier to enable communication of data using a different communication protocol, and adjusting the supply voltage of the amplifier in proportion to the envelope of a baseband signal conforming to one of the communication protocols. The first and second communication protocols may conform to various communication protocols, such as WCDMA, HSDPA, HSUDPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WiMAX, OFDM, UWB, ZigBee, and Bluetooth. The baseband signal may be delayed by a number of samples before being input into the amplifier.

Coexistent bluetooth and wireless local area networks in a multimode terminal and method thereof

Abstract: The present invention generally to a multimode terminal (10) including a wireless local area network (WLAN) system (20) and a Bluetooth system (30) that avoids radio interference between the two systems by collaborative coexistence methods that include time -sharing, combined frequency and time -sharing, and forward-looking combined frequency and time-sharing between the WLAN system and the Bluetooth system. The coexistent multimode terminal and the method of coexistence provide WLAN transmissions/receptions that are not impacted when there is no Bluetooth traffic, Bluetooth transmissions/receptions that are not impacted when there is no WLAN traffic, Bluetooth and WLAN transmissions/ receptions that are provided fair access to the medium when both Bluetooth and WLAN traffic are present, and high priority Bluetooth traffic, for example, voice traffic, that has priority over non-high priority WLAN traffic.

Bluetooth-enable intelligent electronic device

Abstract: An intelligent electronic device (IED), e.g., an electrical power meter, having wireless communication capabilities, e.g., Bluetooth connectivity, for transmitting and receiving data without a hardwire connection is provided. A system and method for retrieving revenue metering data from at least one IED, e.g., a revenue meter, are also provided. The system includes at least one intelligent electronic device including a transceiver configured for receiving calculated energy consumption data from a processor and transmitting the calculated energy consumption data via a spread-spectrum frequency hopping technique; and a data collection device configured for receiving the calculated energy consumption data from the at least one intelligent electronic device in response to supplying a pairing passkey to the intelligent electronic device.

ZigBee wireless standard

Abstract: In this article ZigBee technology is described. It is a new wireless network standard. The principle of work and characteristics are explained. Possible network topologies and device types are shown. Finally, the application of ZigBee devices in everyday life was proposed.

Built-in antenna module of wireless communication terminal

Abstract: The invention relates to a built-in antenna for a wireless communication terminal. The built-in antenna includes at least one first radiator for base station and at least one second radiator for Bluetooth. The built-in antenna also includes a base having the first and second radiators mounted on an outer surface thereof. The base is mounted on a board such that each end of the first and second radiators is electrically connected to the board of a terminal body. The built-in antenna further includes a Bluetooth chip set fixed to the base and electrically connected to the second radiator. The invention efficiently utilizes limited space in a terminal body to miniaturize the product, attaining RF capabilities with high reception sensitivity.

Transceiver for zigbee and bluetooth communications

Abstract: The invention provides a transceiver for Zigbee and Bluetooth communications integrating a Zigbee transceiver and a Bluetooth transceiver. The transceiver includes an RF processor 110, a variable bandpass filter 120, an FSK modulator/demodulator 130, a memory 140, a baseband processor 150, a main controller 160, and a channel selection/frequency hopping controller 170. The invention integrates the Zigbee transceiver and the Bluetooth transceiver so as to partially make common use of a higher layer application and a physical layer of the Zigbee transceiver and the Bluetooth transceiver. As a result, the invention has the advantage of functioning as a transceiver for Zigbee and Bluetooth communications, without causing a significant increase in size and unit price.

A preliminary investigation of worm infections in a bluetooth environment

Abstract: Over the past year, there have been several reports of malicious code exploiting vulnerabilities in the Bluetooth protocol. While the research community has started to investigate a diverse set of Bluetooth security issues, little is known about the feasibility and the propagation dynamics of a worm in a Bluetooth environment. This paper is an initial attempt to remedy this situation.We start by showing that the Bluetooth protocol design and implementation is large and complex. We gather traces and we use controlled experiments to investigate whether a large-scale Bluetooth worm outbreak is viable today. Our data shows that starting a Bluetooth worm infection is easy, once a vulnerability is discovered. Finally, we use trace-drive simulations to examine the propagation dynamics of Bluetooth worms. We find that Bluetooth worms can infect a large population of vulnerable devices relatively quickly, in just a few days.

Wireless multi-standard terminals: system analysis and design of a reconfigurable RF front-end

Abstract: The availability of multi-standard terminals will be key to provide location independent connections able to take advantage of any possible infrastructure. This paper addresses both the architecture and the circuits for the RF front-end of a terminal with cellular (GSM, EDGE and UMTS), LAN (IEEE802.11a/b/g) and Bluetooth radio interfaces. A multi-standard simulator has been developed to validate the architectural and design choices in terms of error rates at bit or packet level. The simulator takes into account implementation non-idealities and performs all tests to be passed to comply with the given standards. It also hints at the need for implementation margins as well as at possible optimization between different RF-blocks. The final solution, still under design, will consists of two chips, one including the TX and the other the RX for all the above standards. The cellular (plus Bluetooth) transmitter relies on a Linear amplification with Non-linear Component (LINC) architecture that uses direct modulation of the carrier. This allows power saving because DAC and up-conversion mixers are not required. The WLAN (plus Bluetooth) transmitter adopts a direct-conversion architecture that implements an internal output matching over all the frequency bands while maintaining good system efficiency. The same building blocks are used for all standards, saving power and chip area. The cellular receiver architecture is able to reconfigure between Low-IF for GSM and direct conversion for UMTS and Bluetooth. The key aspects in achieving the specs in a fully integrated fashion are a mixer with a very high dynamic range, a careful control of DC offsets and a highly tunable VCO. The WLAN receiver also uses direct-conversion with a Low Noise Amplifier based on a common gate topology that uses positive feedback through integrated transformers to improve input matching and noise. The frequency down-converter uses current driven passive mixers to achieve low 1/f noise corner, and high linearity with low power consumption. Finally, the base-band blocks can be shared among all the standard, thanks to their high reconfigurability. The paper describes the ideas behind the key RF blocks and some details of circuit implementation. Experimental measurements from sub-blocks in a 0.13 /spl mu/m CMOS technology are presented and discussed.

A formal analysis of bluetooth device discovery

Abstract: This paper presents a formal analysis of the device discovery phase of the Bluetooth wireless communication protocol. The performance of this process is the result of a complex interaction between several devices, some of which exhibit random behaviour. We use probabilistic model checking and, in particular, the tool PRISM to compute the best- and worst-case performance of device discovery: the expected time for the process to complete and the expected power consumption. We illustrate the utility of performing an exhaustive, low-level analysis to produce exact results in contrast to simulation techniques, where additional probabilistic assumptions must be made. We demonstrate an example of how seemingly innocuous assumptions can lead to incorrect performance estimations. We also analyse the effectiveness of improvements made between versions 1.1 and 1.2 of the Bluetooth specification.

Method and system for voip over wlan to bluetooth headset using acl link and sniff for alighed esco transmission

Abstract: The invention solves the problem of reducing interference in simultaneous wireless LAN (WLAN) and Bluetooth signal handling, especially in voice over IP communications via a WLAN telephone to a Bluetooth headset. The invention sets up a voice link between the terminal and the headset by establishing sniff anchor points in the ACL link for assigning relative priorities to the WLAN and Bluetooth ACL packet traffic. A higher priority is assigned to WLAN packet traffic when it collides with original Bluetooth ACL packet traffic during a sniff anchor point. Thereafter, a higher priority is assigned to the terminal's retransmission of aborted Bluetooth ACL packets and the headset's response ACL packets in available Bluetooth slots following the anchor point.

Personal media devices with wireless communication

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for personal media devices having the ability to communicate wirelessly, and in particular, communicate wirelessly using a short-range communications protocol (e.g., Wi-Fi and Bluetooth). Such communication provides users of personal media devices with access to several Wi-Fi oriented applications. For example, in one embodiment a personal media device may wirelessly download subscription assets (e.g., podcast) as they become available. In another embodiment, content specific or local to a merchant may be provided to personal media devices that are in wireless communication with a wireless router affiliated with the merchant. For example, if the merchant is a restaurant, the merchant may provide a menu to the personal media device and the user may place an order on his or her media device by selecting items on the menu.

Remote viewing system

Abstract: A remote viewing system is disclosed for providing video and/or audio surveillance of an entry or doorway of a building. The system is provided within the panels of the entry or doorway door. A video camera is positioned within the panels to obtain video images of the entryway or doorway and to transmit them via Bluetooth wireless connection to a remote viewing station. The Wireless driver for the camera can be located in or adjacent to the door panel. Video and audio data can be transmitted from the driver to any of a variety of Bluetooth enabled electronic devices, including PCs, PDAs, cell phones, and the like.