Local Wireless Link Quality Notification for Wearable Audio Devices

• US 20150181010A1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Bran, Cary, Sarkar, Shantanu, Johnston, Timothy P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,392,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

Computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer in a wireless device to perform functions comprises: receiving first link quality data for a wireless link from a wearable wireless audio device connected to the wireless device by the wireless link; receiving second link quality data for the wireless link from a radio-frequency (RF) of the wireless device; determining a quality of the wireless link based on the first link quality data and the second link quality data; and causing a user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link to be generated by at least one of i) the wearable wireless audio device, and ii) the wireless device.

Claims

1. Computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer in a wireless device to perform functions comprising:

receiving first link quality data for a wireless link from a wearable wireless audio device connected to the wireless device by the wireless link;

receiving second link quality data for the wireless link from a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver of the wireless device;

determining a quality of the wireless link based on the first link quality data and the second link quality data; and

causing a user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link to be generated by at least one of

i) the wearable wireless audio device, and

ii) the wireless device.

2. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first link quality data and the second link quality data comprise at least one of:

a received signal strength indication;

a dropped packets indication; and

a corrupted packets indication.

3. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein:

the user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link indicates a sufficiency of the wireless link to support a voice call.

4. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

generating a wireless link quality map based on the quality of the wireless link and a location where the quality of the wireless link was determined.

5. The computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein the wearable wireless audio device is a first wearable wireless audio device, wherein the wireless link is a first wireless link, wherein the location of the wireless device is a first location, and wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving third link quality data for a second wireless link from a second wearable wireless audio device connected to the wireless device by a second wireless link;

receiving fourth link quality data for the second wireless link from the RF transceiver;

determining a quality of the second wireless link based on the third link quality data and the fourth link quality data; and

modifying the wireless link quality map based on the quality of the second wireless link and a location where the quality of the second wireless link was determined.

6. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

conducting a test call to another audio device; and

causing a user-perceivable indication of the quality of the test call to be generated by at least one of

i) the wearable wireless audio device, and

ii) the wireless device.

7. Computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer in a wireless device to perform functions comprising:

providing a wireless link quality map, wherein the wireless link quality map comprises a respective wireless link quality for each of a plurality of locations; and

generating a predicted quality of a wireless link between the wireless device and a wearable wireless audio device based on a location of the wireless device and the wireless link quality map.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the functions further comprise:

causing a user-perceivable indication of the predicted quality of the wireless link to be generated by at least one of

i) the wearable wireless audio device, and

ii) the wireless device.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the functions further comprise:

generating user-perceivable navigation instructions based on the location of the wireless device and the wireless link quality map; and

providing the user-perceivable navigation instructions to at least one of

i) the wearable wireless audio device, and

ii) the wireless device.

10. The computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

providing the user-perceivable navigation instructions responsive to knowledge of an imminent event.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving the wireless link quality map from a server remote from the wireless device.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving first link quality data for the wireless link from the wearable wireless audio device;

receiving second link quality data for the wireless link from a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver of the wireless device; and

determining a quality of the wireless link based on the first link quality data and the second link quality data.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the first link quality data and the second link quality data comprise at least one of:

a received signal strength indication;

a dropped packets indication; and

a corrupted packets indication.

14. The computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the functions further comprise:

causing a user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link to be generated by at least one of

i) the wearable wireless audio device, and

ii) the wireless device.

15. The computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein:

the user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link indicates a sufficiency of the wireless link to support a voice call.

16. The computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the functions further comprise:

modifying the wireless link quality map based on the quality of the wireless link and a location where the quality of the wireless link was determined.

17. Computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer to perform functions comprising:

receiving a plurality of localized wireless link quality reports, wherein each of the localized wireless link quality reports includes

i) a quality of a respective wireless link between a respective wearable wireless audio device and a respective wireless device, and

ii) a respective location where the quality of the respective wireless link was determined; and

generating a wireless link quality map based on the plurality of localized wireless link quality reports.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein each of the localized wireless link quality reports represents at least one of:

a received signal strength indication;

a dropped packets indication; and

a corrupted packets indication.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

sending the wireless link quality map to one of the wireless devices.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein generating the wireless link quality map comprises:

generating a respective wireless link quality index for each of a plurality of locations based on the plurality of localized wireless link quality reports.