Adaptive data transfer using bluetooth

{
  "publication_number": "US9641239B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Adaptive data transfer using bluetooth",
  "abstract": "Biometric monitoring devices, including various technologies that may be implemented in such devices, are discussed herein. Additionally, techniques, systems, and apparatuses are discussed herein for utilizing two different Bluetooth communications interfaces, one that provides Bluetooth classic (base rate/enhanced data rate) communications functionality and one that provides Bluetooth low-energy communications functionality, in a common device. The techniques, systems, and apparatuses may elect to use a particular Bluetooth interface based on various criteria.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An apparatus comprising: a first Bluetooth communications interface configured to provide communications via the Bluetooth Base Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) protocol; a second Bluetooth communications interface configured to provide Bluetooth communications via the Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) protocol; one or more sensors; and a controller including at least one processor and a memory, wherein: the at least one processor, the memory, the one or more sensors, the first Bluetooth communications interface, and the second Bluetooth communications interface are communicatively connected, and the memory stores instructions for controlling the at least one processor to: a) establish a first Bluetooth communications connection with a remote device external to the apparatus via the first Bluetooth communications interface, b) establish a second Bluetooth communications connection with the remote device via the second Bluetooth communications interface, c) select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit first data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, information indicating that the second Bluetooth communications connection has not been interrupted within a first time period greater than a first threshold time period and the first data including data collected by the one or more sensors of the apparatus, and d) utilize the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (c) to transmit the first data between the apparatus and the remote device.",
    "2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the memory stores further instructions for controlling the at least one processor to deactivate the first Bluetooth communications connection when the first Bluetooth communications connection is not used to transmit data between the apparatus and the remote device and while the second Bluetooth communications connection is still established between the apparatus and the remote device.",
    "3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores further instructions for controlling the at least one processor to: e) select between using the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit second data between the apparatus and the remote device according, at least in part, to information associated with the one or more sensors, and f) utilize the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (e) to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device.",
    "4. The apparatus of claim 3, the apparatus further comprising a battery charge level sensor, wherein the information associated with the one or more sensors includes battery charge level data from the battery charge level sensor and the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the battery charge level data from the battery charge level sensor indicating that a charge level of a battery in the apparatus is below a first threshold.",
    "5. The apparatus of claim 3, the apparatus further comprising at least one motion sensor, wherein the information associated with the one or more sensors includes motion data from the at least one motion sensor and the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the information from the motion data indicating that the apparatus is substantially stationary with respect to a global frame of reference.",
    "6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the information associated with the one or more sensors includes data from the one or more sensors indicating that a wearer of the apparatus is asleep and the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the data from the one or more sensors indicating that the wearer of the apparatus is asleep.",
    "7. A method comprising: a) establishing a first Bluetooth communications connection between an apparatus and a remote device external to the apparatus via the first Bluetooth communications interface; b) establishing a second Bluetooth communications connection between the apparatus and the remote device via the second Bluetooth communications interface; c) selecting the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit first data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, information indicating that the second Bluetooth communications connection has not been interrupted within a first time period greater than a first threshold time period and the first data including data collected by the one or more sensors of the apparatus; and d) utilizing the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (c) to transmit the first data between the apparatus and the remote device.",
    "8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: deactivating the first Bluetooth communications connection when the first Bluetooth communications connection is not used to transmit data between the apparatus and the remote device and while maintaining the second Bluetooth communications connection between the apparatus and the remote device.",
    "9. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising: (e) selecting between using the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit second data between the apparatus and the remote device according, at least in part, to information associated with one or more sensors of the apparatus, and (f) utilizing the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (e) to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device.",
    "10. The method of claim 9, wherein the apparatus includes a battery charge level sensor, the information associated with the one or more sensors includes battery charge level data from the battery charge level sensor, and (e) further comprises selecting the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the battery charge level data from the battery charge level sensor indicating that a charge level of a battery in the apparatus is below a first threshold.",
    "11. The method of claim 9, wherein the apparatus includes at least one motion sensor, the information associated with the one or more sensors includes motion data from the at least one motion sensor, and (e) further comprises selecting the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the motion data indicating that the apparatus is substantially stationary with respect to a global frame of reference.",
    "12. The method of claim 9, wherein (e) further comprising selecting the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the information associated with the one or more sensors including data from the one or more sensors that indicates that the apparatus is monitoring a sleep state of a wearer of the apparatus.",
    "13. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores computer-executable instructions for controlling at least one processor communicatively connected with a first Bluetooth communications interface and a second Bluetooth communications interface in an apparatus, wherein the first Bluetooth communications interface is configured to provide communications via the Bluetooth Base Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) protocol and the second Bluetooth communications interface is configured to provide Bluetooth communications via the Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) protocol, to: a) establish a first Bluetooth communications connection with a remote device external to the apparatus via the first Bluetooth communications interface, b) establish a second Bluetooth communications connection with the remote device via the second Bluetooth communications interface, c) select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit first data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, information indicating that the second Bluetooth communications connection has not been interrupted within a first time period greater than a first threshold time period and the first data including data collected by the one or more sensors of the apparatus, and d) utilize the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (c) to transmit the first data between the apparatus and the remote device.",
    "14. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein: the storage medium stores further instructions for controlling the at least one processor to deactivate the first Bluetooth communications connection when the first Bluetooth communications connection is not used to transmit data between the apparatus and the remote device and while the second Bluetooth communications connection is still established between the apparatus and the remote device.",
    "15. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein: the storage medium stores further instructions for controlling the at least one processor to e) select between using the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit second data between the apparatus and the remote device according, at least in part, to information associated with one or more sensors of the apparatus, and f) utilize the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (e) to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device.",
    "16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus includes a battery charge level sensor, the information associated with the one or more sensors includes battery charge level data from the battery charge level sensor, and the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the battery charge level data indicating that a charge level of a battery in the apparatus is below a first threshold.",
    "17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus includes at least one motion sensor, the information associated with the one or more sensors include motion data from the at least one motion sensor, and the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the motion data indicating that the apparatus is substantially stationary with respect to a global frame of reference.",
    "18. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the information associated with the one or more sensors including data from the one or more sensors that indicate that the apparatus is monitoring a sleep state of a wearer of the apparatus.",
    "19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more sensors are one or more items selected from the group consisting of: optical sensors, motion sensors, microphones, and thermometers.",
    "20. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data from the one or more sensors are one or more items selected from the group consisting of: heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, galvanic skin response, motion, skin temperature, body temperature, ambient light intensity, and ambient noise level."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Recent consumer interest in personal health has led to a variety of personal health monitoring devices being offered on the market. Such devices, until recently, tended to be complicated to use and were typically designed for use with one activity, e.g., bicycle trip computers.\n\nRecent advances in sensor, electronics, and power source miniaturization have allowed the size of personal health monitoring devices, also referred to herein as “biometric tracking” or “biometric monitoring” devices, to be offered in extremely small sizes that were previously impractical. For example, the Fitbit Ultra is a biometric monitoring device that is approximately 2″ long, 0.75″ wide, and 0.5″ deep; it has a pixelated display, battery, sensors, wireless communications capability, power source, and interface button, as well as an integrated clip for attaching the device to a pocket or other portion of clothing, packaged within this small volume.\n\nDiscussed herein are various embodiments of biometric monitoring devices and technologies that may be used therein (and in other devices, in some instances, not necessarily providing biometric tracking functionality).\n\nDetails of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn to scale unless specifically indicated as being scaled drawings.",
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  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Fitbit LLC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Heiko Gernot Albert Panther",
    "James Park"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-05-29",
  "publication_date": "2017-05-02",
  "grant_date": "2017-05-02",
  "priority_date": "2012-06-22",
  "application_number": "US-201414290902-A",
  "family_id": "51529249",
  "cited_by_count": 30,
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}