RF Rendez-Blue: reducing power and inquiry costs in Bluetooth-enabled mobile systems

Abstract

In resource-limited mobile computing devices, Bluetooth wireless technology imposes a weighty burden due to inefficient power utilization and a sluggish device discovery process. Buttressing Bluetooth with radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology by performing an operation we call "Rendez-Blue" alleviates these limitations. In the Rendez-Blue process, an RFID signal is used as a cue to "wake-up" a sleeping Bluetooth radio. This ensures that the Bluetooth radio is active only when needed, significantly reducing power consumption. In addition, RFID is used to communicate Bluetooth device information, allowing the user to bypass the traditional 10.24-second discovery process.