Patent Abstract:
A transmission system using the Bluetooth Low Energy is provided. The transmission system includes a broadcast device transmitting broadcast data, and a scanning device receiving the broadcast data and determining whether to execute a response action according to the broadcast data. The response action includes replying with request data to the broadcast device, and the broadcast device determines whether to transmit parameter data to the scanning device according to the request data in order to make the scanning device determine whether to further execute the response action. The parameter data is set according to the request data.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 104132487, filed on Oct. 2, 2015, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a transmission system, and in particular to a transmission system using a Bluetooth Low Energy technique. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     In the application of the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technique on the market so far, if it is necessary to interact with a device using the BLE technique (setting parameter, for example), this interaction normally is done by establishing a Bluetooth connection with the device and writing some characteristics in GATT service of the device. If the interaction is generated through the above Bluetooth connection method, then there might be some issues regarding the operation. 
     For example, the main function of the BLE beacon-type product is to continuously broadcast data. If the product is available to be connected through a Bluetooth connection, the BLE beacon-type product will lose its data-broadcast functionality after the Bluetooth connection is established; and someone could interrupt the broadcast function of the BLE beacon-type product by continuously connecting the product through the Bluetooth connection. Moreover, the amount of time needed to establish a Bluetooth connection might be excessive because of environmental factors, leading the operation time to be over the acceptable limit (especially as applied to a mobile beacon product). 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A transmission system using the Bluetooth Low Energy is provided. The transmission system comprises a broadcast device and a scanning device. The broadcast device transmits broadcast data. The scanning device receives the broadcast data and determines whether to execute a response action according to the broadcast data. The response action includes replying with request data to the broadcast device. The broadcast device determines whether to transmit parameter data to the scanning device according to the request data in order to make the scanning device determine whether to further execute the response action, and the parameter data is set according to the request data. 
     A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  is a block diagram of a transmission system using the BLE technique according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 1B  is a flow chart of a transmission system using the BLE technique according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 2A  is a payload of request data according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 2B  is a first address of a payload according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a transmission system using the BLE technique according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a transmission system using the BLE technique according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of a transmission system using the BLE technique according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1A  is a block diagram of a transmission system  100  using the BLE technique according to an exemplary embodiment. The transmission system  100  includes a broadcast device  101  and a scanning device  102 . The broadcast device  101  periodically transmits broadcast data  103 . After receiving the broadcast data  103 , the scanning device  102  determines whether to reply with request data  104  to the broadcast device  101  according to the broadcast data  103 . In some embodiments, the broadcast data  103  is the application of ADV_SCAN_IND defined in the specification of the BLE technique, and the request data  104  is the application of SCAN_REQ defined in the specification of the BLE technique. As per the operation described above, the broadcast device  101  and the scanning device  102  can interact with each other without establishing a Bluetooth (BT) connection. In some embodiments, when the transmission system  100  is operating, the transmission system  100  does not accept a connection request to avoid losing the broadcast function due to the BT connection being established by the connection request, wherein the connection request is CONNECT_REQ defined in the specification of the BLE technique. 
     The operation of transmission system  100  is shown as flow chart  100   b  in  FIG. 1B , and the flow starts in step  101   b . In the step  101   b , transmission system  100  transmits the broadcast data  103  through the broadcast device  101 . In step  102   b , the scanning device  102  receives the broadcast data  103 . In step  103   b , the scanning device  102  determines whether to execute a response action according to the data currently received. The response action includes replying with request data  104  to the broadcast device  101 . If the scanning device  102  sends the request data  104 , the flow goes to step  104   b , or if the scanning device  102  does not send the request data  104 , the flow ends in step  105   b . In the step  104   b , the broadcast device  101  determines whether to transmit parameter data to the scanning device  102  according to the request data  104 , and the parameter data is set according to the request data. If the broadcast device  101  transmits the parameter data, the flow returns to step  102   b , causing the scanning device  102  to determine whether to further execute the response action according to the data received currently. If the broadcast device  101  does not transmit the parameter data, the flow ends in step  106   b.    
     In some embodiments, the broadcast device  101  transmits the broadcast data  103 , the parameter data and receives the request data  104  through a first transceiver (which is not shown in  FIG. 1 ), executing the determination in step  104   b  through a first controller (which is not shown in  FIG. 1 ). The scanning device  102  receives the broadcast data  103 , the parameter data and transmits the request data  104  through a second transceiver (which is not shown in  FIG. 1 ), executing the determination in step  103   b  through a second controller (which is not shown in  FIG. 1 ). 
     The request data described above includes a payload.  FIG. 2A  shows a payload  200  of the request data  104  in the transmission system  100 . The payload  200  includes a first address  201  and a second address  202 , and the bit numbers of the first address  201  and second address  202  are both 48 bits. In this embodiment, the content of the second address  202  is a MAC address of the broadcast device  101 . The content of the first address  201  has a first data segment  201   b  with 2 bits, a second data segment  202   b  with 6 bits, and a third data segment  203   b  with 40 bits, as depicted in  FIG. 2B . The content of the third data segment  203   b  is equal to the last 40 bits of the second address  202 . The first data segment  201   b  represents the operating code of the request data  104 , and the second data segment  202   b  represents the parameter code of the request data  104 . 
     As mentioned in flow chart  100   b , in step  104   b , the action by which the broadcast device  101  determines whether to transmit the parameter data to the scanning device  102  is based on the content of the third data segment  203   b . In this embodiment, the broadcast device  101  transmits the parameter data to the scanning device  102  when the broadcast device  101  determines that the content of the third data segment  203   b  of the request data  104  is equal to a portion of the content of the second address  202 , and the bit locations of the portion of the content in the second address  202  correspond to the bit locations of the third data segment  203   b  in the first address  201 . 
     In some embodiments, each bit number of the first data segment  201   b , second data segment  202   b , and third data segment  203   b  can be assigned freely, wherein the total bit number equals to 48 bits, and the arrangement order of the first data segment  201   b , second data segment  202   b , and third data segment  203   b  can also be assigned freely. In some embodiments, the content of the third data segment  203   b  can be set as any portion of the second address  202 . In some embodiments, the broadcast device  101  transmits the parameter data to the scanning device  102  when the broadcast device  101  determines that the third data segment  203   b  of the request data  104  is equal to a predetermined data. 
     In this embodiment, the operating code of the request data  104  can let the broadcast device  101  execute an operation action, and the parameter code can set the parameters of the operation action. In this embodiment, the operation action is to set the parameter data, that is, the content of the parameter data is set according to the first data segment  201   b  and the second data segment  202   b  of the request data  104 . 
     The applications using the BLE technique described above can be applied to the embodiments described in  FIG. 3  to  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a transmission system  300  using the BLE technique according to an exemplary embodiment. An identification card  301  corresponds to the broadcast device  101 , and the sensor  302  corresponds to the scanning device  102 . During the operation of the transmission system  300 , the identification card  301  periodically broadcasts an identification code corresponding to the broadcast data  103 . When the sensor  302  receives the identification code, the sensor  302  determines whether the identification code belongs to a staff in a specific company. Based on the above determination, the sensor  302  determines whether to reply with request data corresponding to the request data  104  in order to request a password from the identification card  301 . After the sensor  302  confirms that the identification code belongs to the specific company, the sensor  302  transmits the request data including a customized payload corresponding to the payload  200  to the identification card  301 . The identification card  301  examines a third data segment of the customized payload after receiving the request data. After the identification card  301  confirms that the content of the third data segment of the request data is equal to a portion of the content of the second address of the request data, which represents that the request data corresponds to the identification card  301  the identification card  301  is informed according to a first data segment and a second data segment of the customized payload that the sensor  302  requests the password. After that, the identification card  301  transmits parameter data including the password to the sensor  302  through the broadcast communication. The sensor  302  replies with another request data including another customized payload to the identification card  301  in order to inform the identification card  301  of the examination result of the password (pass or fail) after receiving the parameter data. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a transmission system  400  using the BLE technique according to an exemplary embodiment. A wristband  401  corresponds to the broadcast device  101 , and the sensor  402  corresponds to the scanning device  102 . During the operation of the transmission system  400 , the wristband  401  periodically broadcasts a room identification code corresponding to the broadcast data  103 . When the sensor  402  receives the room identification code, the sensor  402  determines whether the room identification code belongs to a wristband of a specific hotel. Based on the above determination, the sensor  402  determines whether to reply with request data corresponding to the request data  104  in order to request a password from the wristband  401 . After the sensor  402  confirms that the room identification code belongs to the wristband of the specific hotel, the sensor  402  transmits the request data including a customized payload corresponding to the payload  200  to the wristband  401 . The wristband  401  examines a third data segment of the customized payload after receiving the request data. After the wristband  401  confirms that the content of the third data segment of the request data is equal to a portion of the content of the second address of the request data, which represents that the request data corresponds to the wristband  401  the wristband  401  is informed according to a first data segment and a second data segment of the customized payload that the sensor  402  requests the password. After that, the wristband  401  transmits parameter data including the password to the sensor  402  through the broadcast communication. The sensor  402  replies with another request data including another customized payload to the wristband  401  in order to inform the wristband  401  of the examination result of the password (pass or fail) after receiving the parameter data. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of a transmission system  500  using the BLE technique according to an exemplary embodiment. A key  501  corresponds to the broadcast device  101 , and the sensor  502  corresponds to the scanning device  102 . During the operation of the transmission system  500 , the key  501  periodically broadcasts an identification code corresponding to the broadcast data  103 . When the sensor  502  receives the identification code, the sensor  502  determines whether the identification code matches a lock including the sensor  502 . Based on the above determination, the sensor  502  determines whether to reply with request data corresponding to the request data  104  in order to request a password from the key  501 . After the sensor  502  confirms that the identification code belongs to the lock, the sensor  502  transmits the request data including a customized payload corresponding to the payload  200  to the key  501 . The key  501  examines a third data segment of the customized payload after receiving the request data. After the key  501  confirms that the content of the third data segment of the request data is equal to a portion of the content of the second address of the request data, which represents that the request data corresponds to the key  501 , the key  501  is informed according to a first data segment and a second data segment of the customized payload that the sensor  502  requests the password. After that, the key  501  transmits parameter data including the password to the sensor  502  through the broadcast communication. The sensor  502  replies with another request data including another customized payload to the key  501  in order to inform the key  501  of the examination result of the password (pass or fail) after receiving the parameter data. 
     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7