Distributed Construction and Maintenance of Bandwidth-Efficient Bluetooth Scatternets

Bluetooth networks can be constructed as piconets or scatternets depending on the number of nodes in the network. Although piconet construction is a well-defined process specified in Bluetooth standards, scatternet construction policies and algorithms are not well specified. Among many solution proposals for this problem, only a few of them focus on efficient usage of bandwidth in the resulting scatternets. In this paper, we propose a distributed algorithm for the scatternet construction problem, that dynamically constructs and maintains a scatternet based on estimated traffic flow rates between nodes. The algorithm is adaptive to changes and maintains a constructed scatternet for bandwidth-efficiency when nodes come and go or when traffic flow rates change. Based on simulations, the paper also presents the improvements in bandwidth-efficiency provided by the proposed algorithm

A PROTOCOL SUITE FOR WIRELESS PERSONAL AREA NETWORKS

A Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) is an ad hoc network that consists of devices that surround an individual or an object. Bluetooth® technology is especially suitable for formation of WPANs due to the pervasiveness of devices with Bluetooth® chipsets, its operation in the unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, Medical (ISM) frequency band, and its interference resilience. Bluetooth® technology has great potential to become the de facto standard for communication between heterogeneous devices in WPANs. The piconet, which is the basic Bluetooth® networking unit, utilizes a Master/Slave (MS) configuration that permits only a single master and up to seven active slave devices. This structure limitation prevents Bluetooth® devices from directly participating in larger Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) and Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs). In order to build larger Bluetooth® topologies, called scatternets, individual piconets must be interconnected. Since each piconet has a unique frequency hopping sequence, piconet interconnections are done by allowing some nodes, called bridges, to participate in more than one piconet. These bridge nodes divide their time between piconets by switching between Frequency Hopping (FH) channels and synchronizing to the piconet\u27s master. In this dissertation we address scatternet formation, routing, and security to make Bluetooth® scatternet communication feasible. We define criteria for efficient scatternet topologies, describe characteristics of different scatternet topology models as well as compare and contrast their properties, classify existing scatternet formation approaches based on the aforementioned models, and propose a distributed scatternet formation algorithm that efficiently forms a scatternet topology and is resilient to node failures. We propose a hybrid routing algorithm, using a bridge link agnostic approach, that provides on-demand discovery of destination devices by their address or by the services that devices provide to their peers, by extending the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) to scatternets. We also propose a link level security scheme that provides secure communication between adjacent piconet masters, within what we call an Extended Scatternet Neighborhood (ESN)

A survey on Bluetooth multi-hop networks

Bluetooth was firstly announced in 1998. Originally designed as cable replacement connecting devices in a point-to-point fashion its high penetration arouses interest in its ad-hoc networking potential. This ad-hoc networking potential of Bluetooth is advertised for years - but until recently no actual products were available and less than a handful of real Bluetooth multi-hop network deployments were reported. The turnaround was triggered by the release of the Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh Profile which is unquestionable a great achievement but not well suited for all use cases of multi-hop networks. This paper surveys the tremendous work done on Bluetooth multi-hop networks during the last 20 years. All aspects are discussed with demands for a real world Bluetooth multi-hop operation in mind. Relationships and side effects of different topics for a real world implementation are explained. This unique focus distinguishes this survey from existing ones. Furthermore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first survey consolidating the work on Bluetooth multi-hop networks for classic Bluetooth technology as well as for Bluetooth Low Energy. Another individual characteristic of this survey is a synopsis of real world Bluetooth multi-hop network deployment efforts. In fact, there are only four reports of a successful establishment of a Bluetooth multi-hop network with more than 30 nodes and only one of them was integrated in a real world application - namely a photovoltaic power plant. © 2019 The Author

Energy efficiency in short and wide-area IoT technologies—A survey

In the last years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a key application context in the design and evolution of technologies in the transition toward a 5G ecosystem. More and more IoT technologies have entered the market and represent important enablers in the deployment of networks of interconnected devices. As network and spatial device densities grow, energy efficiency and consumption are becoming an important aspect in analyzing the performance and suitability of different technologies. In this framework, this survey presents an extensive review of IoT technologies, including both Low-Power Short-Area Networks (LPSANs) and Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWANs), from the perspective of energy efficiency and power consumption. Existing consumption models and energy efficiency mechanisms are categorized, analyzed and discussed, in order to highlight the main trends proposed in literature and standards toward achieving energy-efficient IoT networks. Current limitations and open challenges are also discussed, aiming at highlighting new possible research directions

Mobile Message Passing using a Scatternet Framework

The Mobile Message Passing Interface is a library which implements MPI functionality on Bluetooth enabled mobile phones. It provides many of the functions available in MPI, including point-to-point and global communication. The main restriction of the library is that it was designed to work over Bluetooth piconets. Piconet based networks provide for a maximum of eight devices connected together simultaneously. This limits the libraries usefulness for parallel computing. A solution to solve this problem is presented that provides the same functionality as the original Mobile MPI library, but implemented over a Bluetooth scatternet. A scatternet may be defined as a number of piconets interconnected by common node(s). An outline of the scatternet design is explained and its major components discussed

Improving forwarding mechanisms for mobile personal area networks

This thesis presents novel methods for improving forwarding mechanisms for personal area networks. Personal area networks are formed by interconnecting personal devices such as personal digital assistants, portable multimedia devices, digital cameras and laptop computers, in an ad hoc fashion. These devices are typically characterised by low complexity hardware, low memory and are usually batterypowered. Protocols and mechanisms developed for general ad hoc networking cannot be directly applied to personal area networks as they are not optimised to suit their specific constraints. The work presented herein proposes solutions for improving error control and routing over personal area networks, which are very important ingredients to the good functioning of the network. The proposed Packet Error Correction (PEC) technique resends only a subset of the transmitted packets, thereby reducing the overhead, while ensuring improved error rates. PEC adapts the number of re-transmissible packets to the conditions of the channel so that unnecessary retransmissions are avoided. It is shown by means of computer simulation that PEC behaves better, in terms of error reduction and overhead, than traditional error control mechanisms, which means that it is adequate for low-power personal devices. The proposed C2HR routing protocol, on the other hand, is designed such that the network lifetime is maximised. This is achieved by forwarding packets through the most energy efficient paths. C2HR is a hybrid routing protocol in the sense that it employs table-driven (proactive) as well as on-demand (reactive) components. Proactive routes are the primary routes, i.e., packets are forwarded through those paths when the network is stable; however, in case of failures, the protocol searches for alternative routes on-demand, through which data is routed temporarily. The advantage of C2HR is that data can still be forwarded even when routing is re-converging, thereby increasing the throughput. Simulation results show that the proposed routing method is more energy efficient than traditional least hops routing, and results in higher data throughput. C2HR relies on a network leader for collecting and distributing topology information, which in turn requires an estimate of the underlying topology. Thus, this thesis also proposes a new cooperative leader election algorithm and techniques for estimating network characteristics in mobile environments. The proposed solutions are simulated under various conditions and demonstrate appreciable behaviour

Proposta de um protocolo de roteamento autoconfigurável para redes mesh em Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) baseado em proactive source routing

Orientador: Yuzo IanoTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de ComputaçãoResumo: A Internet das Coisas (Internet of Things ¿ IoT) visa a criação de ambientes inteligentes como domótica, comunicação intra-veicular e redes de sensores sem fio (Wireless Sensor Network ¿ WSN), sendo que atualmente essa tecnologia vem crescendo de forma rápida. Uma das tecnologias sem fio utilizada para aplicações de curta distância que se encontra mais acessível à população, em geral, é o Bluetooth. No final de 2010, o Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG), lançou a especificação Bluetooth 4.0 e, como parte dessa especificação, tem-se o Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). O BLE é uma tecnologia sem fio de baixíssimo consumo de potência, que pode ser alimentada por uma bateria tipo moeda, ou até mesmo por indução elétrica (energy harvesting). A natureza do Bluetooth (e BLE) é baseada na conexão do tipo Mestre/Escravo. Muitos estudos mostram como criar redes mesh baseadas no Bluetooth clássico, que são conhecidas como Scatternets, onde alguns nós são utilizados como escravos com o objetivo de repassar os dados entre os mestres. Contudo, o BLE não tinha suporte para a mudança entre mestre e escravo até o lançamento da especificação Bluetooth 4.1, em 2013. A capacidade de uma tecnologia sem fio para IoT de criar uma rede ad-hoc móvel (Mobile Ad-hoc Network ¿ MANET) é vital para poder suportar uma grande quantidade de sensores, periféricos e dispositivos que possam coexistir em qualquer ambiente. Este trabalho visa propor um novo método de autoconfiguração para BLE, com descoberta de mapa de roteamento e manutenção, sem a necessidade de mudanças entre mestre e escravo, sendo compatível com os dispositivos Bluetooth 4.0, assim como com os 4.1 e mais recentes. Qualquer protocolo de mensagens pode aproveitar o método proposto para descobrir e manter a topologia de rede mesh em cada um dos seus nósAbstract: Nowadays, the Internet of Things (IoT) is spreading rapidly towards creating smart environments. Home automation, intra-vehicular interaction, and wireless sensor networks (WSN) are among the most popular applications discussed in IoT literature. One of the most available and popular wireless technologies for short-range operations is Bluetooth. In late 2010, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) launched the Bluetooth 4.0 Specification, which brings Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as part of the specification. BLE characterises as being a very low power wireless technology, capable of working on a coin-cell or even by energy scavenging. Nevertheless, the nature of Bluetooth (and BLE) has always been a connection-oriented communication in a Master/Slave configuration. Several studies exist showing how to create mesh networks for Classic Bluetooth, called Scatternets, by utilizing some nodes as slaves to relay data between Masters. However, BLE didn¿t support role changing until the 4.1 Specification released in 2013. The capability of a wireless technology to create a Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET) is vital for supporting the plethora of sensors, peripherals, and devices that could coexist in any IoT environment. This work focuses on proposing a new autoconfiguring dynamic address allocation scheme for a BLE Ad-Hoc network, and a network map discovery and maintenance mechanism that doesn¿t require role changing, thus being possible to implement it in 4.0 compliant devices as well as 4.1 or later to develop a MANET. Any ad-hoc routing protocol can utilise the proposed method to discover, keep track, and maintain the mesh network node topology in each of their nodesDoutoradoTelecomunicações e TelemáticaDoutor em Engenharia ElétricaCAPE

Distributed construction and maintenance of bandwidth-efficient bluetooth scatternets

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Bluetooth is currently the mainstream technology used for short range wireless communication due to its low power and low cost properties. In order to communicate, Bluetooth enabled devices can form networks called piconets, which consist of at most eight members. To construct larger Bluetooth networks, which are called scatternets, any number of piconets can be combined. Although piconet construction process is standardized by Bluetooth Special Interest Group, scatternet construction policies and algorithms are not yet clarified. There have been many solution proposals for the scatternet construction problem each of which focuses on different aspects of it like the efficiency of the construction algorithm, ease of routing in the resulting scatternet and number of piconets that constitute it. Although various considerations came into picture, bandwidth efficiency of the resulting scatternet topology, which depends on the placement of nodes and communication demand among them, did not take much attention. In this thesis, we provide a distributed and adaptive algorithm that constructs a scatternet and based on collected traffic flow information, modifies it to minimize the overall bandwidth usage. As consequences of efficient use of available bandwidth, reduce in average latency and total energy consumption as well as increase in available bandwidth for new communication demand are also aimed. Moreover, performance of the proposed algorithm is presented, based on the evaluation criteria described.Tekkalmaz, MetinM.S

AN EFFICIENT COMBINED CONGESTION HANDLING=--A--cN-:cD~-­ ROUTE MAINTENANCE PROTOCOL FOR DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT IN BLUETOOTH NETWORK

Bluetooth IS a widespread technology for small wireless networks that permits Bluetooth devices to construct a multi-hop network called a scatternet. A large number of connections passing through a single master/ bridge device may create the problem of congestion in a Bluetooth scatternet. In addition, routing in a multi-hop dynamic Bluetooth network, where a number of masters and bridges exist, sometimes creates technical hitches in a scatternet. It has been observed that frequent link disconnections and a new route construction consume more system resources that ultimately degrade the performance of the whole network. As, Bluetooth specification has defined piconet configuration, scatternet configuration has still not been standardized. The main objective of this thesis is to provide an efficient combined protocol for scatternet congestion handling and route maintenance. The methodology contains three parts

Proximity Awareness and Ad Hoc Network Establishment in Bluetooth

In recent years, wireless ad hoc networks have been a growing area of research. While there has been considerable research on the topic of routing in such networks, the topic of topology creation has not received due attention. This is because almost all ad hoc networks to date have been built on top of a single channel, broadcast-based wireless media, suchas 802.11 or IR LANs. For such networks the distance relationship between the nodes implicitly (and uniquely) determines the topology of the ad hoc network.Bluetooth is a promising new wireless technology that enables portable devices to form short-range wireless ad hoc networks and is based on a frequency hopping physical layer. This fact implies that hosts are not able to communicate unless they have previously discovered each other by synchronizing their frequency hopping patterns. Thus, even if all nodes are within direct communication range of each other, only those nodes which are synchronized with the transmitter can hear the transmission. To support any-to-any communication, nodes must be synchronized so that the pairs of nodes (which can communicate with each other) together form a connected graph.Using Bluetooth as an example, this paper first provides deeper insights into the issue to link establishment in frequency hopping wireless systems. It then introduces the Bluetooth Topology Costruction Protocol (BTCP), an asynchronous distributed protocol for constructing scatternets which starts with nodes that have no knowledge of their surroundings and terminates with the formation of a connected network satisfying all connectivity constraints posed by the Bluetooth technology. To the best of our knowledge, the work presented in this paper is the first attempt at building Bluetooth scatternets using distributed logic and is quite "practical" in the sense that it can be implemented using the communication primitives offered by the Bluetooth 1.0 specifications