TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to wireless communication technologies, and more specifically, to method and system for managing multiple wireless connections.

BACKGROUND

In many wireless connection applications, a wireless gateway needs to manage multiple wireless connections. More specifically, Bluetooth technology is one of the wireless connection technologies that has been extensively implemented in electronic devices. It allows wirelessly exchanging of data between electronic devices within a short distance. Wireless connections through Bluetooth technology are free to use, have low power consumption, and are robust against interferences from other wireless connections. As a result, Bluetooth technology has been widely adopted in many products such as headphones, keyboards and mice, printers, car systems, and surveillance cameras. With rapid adaptation of Bluetooth technology, in more and more applications, a Bluetooth gateway may need to simultaneously manage multiple Bluetooth connections.

For a wireless gateway managing multiple Bluetooth connections, the number of simultaneous connections, the stability of each individual connection, and the throughput of each individual connection are key specifications to evaluate its performance. Existing methods and apparatuses for managing multiple Bluetooth connections have several shortcomings. For example, in a traditional Bluetooth gateway, the number of connections in actual applications rarely reaches its claimed capacity. For a gateway that theoretically can manage 20 connections simultaneously, when the connection number is relatively large (e.g., 10 connections), existing connections become unstable, and establishing a new connection becomes difficult, if possible at all. The throughputs of individual connections may vary substantially, and removing some connections may not ameliorate the imbalance. Additionally, in a traditional gateway, the throughput of individual connection is difficult to estimate. Therefore, a wireless connection management method that can address the foregoing limitations is desired.

SUMMARY

In view of the aforementioned limitations of existing technologies, this disclosure presents method and system for managing one or more wireless connections that address these limitations. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may include systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media for managing one or more wireless connections.

One aspect of this disclosure is directed to a time division multiplexing method for managing one or more wireless connections, applicable to a wireless gateway such as a Bluetooth gateway. The method may include: conducting, by the wireless gateway, a plurality of scan operations and a plurality of connection operations. Each scan operation may be conducted within one of a plurality of scan windows each having a scan window size, and each connection operation may be conducted within one of a plurality of connection windows each having a connection window size.

The scan windows and the connection windows may be separated from each other. Consecutive scan windows may be separated by a scan interval, and consecutive connection windows may be separated by a connection interval. The scan interval may be a first integer multiplication of a base interval, and the connection interval may be a second integer multiplication of the base interval. Each connection window may include a plurality of link positions each corresponding to one of the one or more wireless connections.

In some embodiments, in the aforementioned method, the scan operations and the connection operations may be conducted alternately, and the scan interval may equal to the connection interval.

In some embodiments, in the aforementioned method, within each connection window, each of the plurality of link positions may have a same span size, and consecutive link positions may be separated by a same link separation. The conducting the connection operation within the connection window may include: conducting one or more link operations, each conducted at one of the plurality of link positions, causing the corresponding link position being occupied. Each link operation may correspond to one of the one or more wireless connections.

In some embodiments, in the aforementioned method, the conducting the scan operation within the scan window may include: conducting the scan operation to identify a new wireless connection. The conducting the connection operation within the connection window may further include: adding the new wireless connection. The new wireless connection may be added by: conducting a new link operation corresponding to the new wireless connection at one of the plurality of link positions that is not occupied; and adjusting the link positions for the link operations that have been conducted.

In some embodiments, in the aforementioned method, the adjusting the link positions for the link operations that have been conducted may include: adjusting the link positions so that operation intervals of the connection window are substantially the same. The operation intervals of the connection window may include intervals between consecutive link operations and an interval from the last link operation to the end of the connection window. Relative orders of the link operations may remain unchanged after the adjustment.

In some embodiments, in the aforementioned method, the adjusting the link positions for the link operations that have been conducted may further include: determining whether an adjustment period is greater than a time threshold and an adjustment counter is less than a counter threshold; and, in response to determining that the adjustment period is greater than the time threshold and the adjustment counter is less than the counter threshold, adjusting the link positions. The adjustment period may be a time period since the link positions are last adjusted, and the adjustment counter may be a number of link positions that have been adjusted.

In some embodiments, in the aforementioned method, the conducting the connection operation within the connection window may further include: removing one of the one or more wireless connections. The one or more wireless connections may be removed by: removing the link operation corresponding to the removed wireless connection; and adjusting link positions of the remaining link operations.

In some embodiments, in the aforementioned method, the adjusting link positions of the remaining link operations may include: adjusting the link positions so that operation intervals of the connection window are substantially the same. The operation intervals of the connection window include intervals between consecutive link operations as well as the interval from the last link operation to the end of the connection window. Relative orders of the link operations may remain unchanged after the adjustment.

In some embodiments, in the aforementioned method, the adjusting the link positions of the remaining link operations may further include: determining whether the adjustment period is greater than the time threshold and the adjustment counter is less than the counter threshold; and in response to determining that the adjustment period is greater than the time threshold and the adjustment counter is less than the counter threshold, adjusting the link positions of the remaining link operations.

Another aspect of this disclosure is directed to a wireless gateway. The wireless gateway may include a processor and a memory configured to store computer instruction executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform: conducting a plurality of scan operations and a plurality of connection operations. Each scan operation may be conducted within one of a plurality of scan windows each having a scan window size, and each connection operation may be conducted within one of a plurality of connection windows each having a connection window size.

The scan windows and the connection windows may be separated from each other. Consecutive scan windows may be separated by a scan interval, and consecutive connection windows may be separated by a connection interval. The scan interval may be a first integer multiplication of a base interval, and the connection interval may be a second integer multiplication of the base interval. Each connection window may include a plurality of link positions each corresponding to one of the one or more wireless connections.

Another aspect of this disclosure is directed to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. Upon being executed by a processor, the computer program may cause the processor to perform the time divisional multiplexing method for managing one or more wireless connections, as described in any one of the aforementioned embodiments.

In the method for managing one or more wireless connection disclosed herein, the scan operations and the connection operations are performed in their respective operation windows that are separated from each other, and each individual connection is assigned substantially same time slot resource within the connection window. Thus, the interference between the scan operation and the connection operation may be minimized, and the accessibilities of individual connections are maintained substantially consistent. Additionally, when a new connection is added or an existing connection is removed, the link positions corresponding to the connections are adjusted to provide substantial balance distribution of the time slot resource for each individual connection. Thus, the performances of individual connections are maintained consistent, and the throughput of each individual connection can be accurately estimated.

These and other features of the systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media disclosed herein, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

