SYNCHRONISED CONTROL

• US 20160188287A1
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm technologies international, ltd. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm technologies international, ltd. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: SOLE, Jonathon, CAMPBELL, Benjamin, HABOUBI, Harith
• Granted Patent: US 9,671,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/00 Gain control in amplifiers or frequency changers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02

Abstract

A device capable of operating according to a wireless communications protocol, the device being configured to: receive audio data from an audio data source; generate volume control data for controlling the playback volume of the audio data; encapsulate the audio data and volume control data in a broadcast packet; and broadcast the packet in accordance with the wireless communications protocol.

Claims

1. A device capable of operating according to a wireless communications protocol, the device being configured to:

receive audio data from an audio data source;

generate volume control data for controlling the playback volume of the audio data;

encapsulate the audio data and volume control data in a broadcast packet; and

broadcast the packet in accordance with the wireless communications protocol.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the volume data is generated in dependence on a time for playing the audio data.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a playback device configured to receive the audio data and the volume data and play the audio data at a volume level dependent on the volume control data.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcast is unidirectional.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless communications protocol is Bluetooth.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the broadcast is a connectionless slave broadcast.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcast packet comprises a first portion for the audio data and a second portion for the volume control data.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the volume control data represents a volume level in dB, dBm, dBfs or dBV.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the volume control data is generated in dependence on a user input.

15. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless communications protocol is Bluetooth.

16. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the broadcast packet is received via a connectionless slave broadcast.

10. A device capable of operating according to a wireless communications protocol, the device being configured to:

receive a broadcast packet broadcasted in accordance with the wireless communications protocol, wherein the broadcast packet comprises audio data and volume control data;

decode the audio data;

determine a volume level for playing the decoded audio data in dependence on the volume control data; and

play the decoded audio data at the determined volume level.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the broadcast packet comprises a time for playing the audio and the device is configured to play the decoded audio at that time.

12. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the device comprises a user interface for setting a volume level for playing audio.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the volume level for playing the decoded audio is determined further in dependence on the volume level set by the user interface.

14. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the device is configured to analyse the volume control data and, in dependence on that analysis, disregard the volume level set by the user interface.

17. A method of playing an audio stream comprising:

receiving a stream of packets, each packet comprising one or more audio frames representing an audio stream and volume control data associated with the one or more frames, the stream of packets being broadcasted in accordance with a wireless communications protocol;

setting a playback volume for each audio frame in dependence on the volume control data comprised in the same packet as the audio frame;

playing each audio frame of the audio stream at the playback volume set for that frame.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the wireless communications protocol is Bluetooth.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the stream of packets are received via a connectionless slave broadcast.

20. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein each packet comprises time data indicating a time for playing each frame and each audio frame is played at the time indicated for that audio frame.