ARRANGEMENT FOR, AND METHOD OF, CONSERVING BATTERY POWER IN A BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY BEACON

摘要

A Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon in a BLE network is electrically powered by a battery, broadcasts messages, and listens for a network communication indicative of whether a mobile device is present in a venue. A beacon controller controls the beacon to periodically broadcast the messages and to periodically listen for the network communication during an active mode of operation, to not broadcast the messages to conserve power from the battery and to listen for the network communication during a power save mode of operation, and to switch from the power save mode to the active mode when the network communication received during the power save mode indicates that a mobile device is present in the venue.

主权项

1. An arrangement for conserving electrical power in a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) network, comprising:
a BLE beacon electrically powered by a battery, and operative for broadcasting messages and for listening for a network communication indicative of whether a mobile device is present in a venue, wherein the BLE beacon comprises:
an energizable transmitter for periodically broadcasting the messages when energized; andan energizable receiver for periodically listening for, and receiving, the network communication; and a beacon controller configured to control the BLE beacon to broadcast the messages and to listen for the network communication during an active mode of operation, wherein the beacon controller is configured to energize both the transmitter and the receiver with power supplied by the battery during the active mode, to not broadcast the messages to conserve power from the battery and to listen for the network communication during a power save mode of operation, wherein the beacon controller is configured to de-energize the transmitter from receipt of the power supplied by the battery and is configured to energize the receiver with the power supplied by the battery during the power save mode, and to switch from the power save mode to the active mode when the network communication received during the power save mode indicates that the mobile device is present in the venue.