NFMI BASED ROBUSTNESS

• US 20170366924A1
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Thoen, Steven Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,015,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/245 by using the properties of transmission codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/144 camera and display on the same optical axis, e.g. optically multiplexing the camera and display for eye to eye contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/05 Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 : Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 : Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

One example discloses an apparatus for near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) based robustness, including: a first wireless device including a first wireless signal interface and a first NFMI signal interface; wherein the first wireless signal interface is configured to receive a data set from a third wireless device; wherein the first NFMI signal interface is configured to communicate with a second wireless device through a second NFMI signal interface; and wherein the first wireless device is configured to detect an error in the data set received from the third wireless device and in response to detecting the error configure the first NFMI signal interface to receive the data set from the second wireless device through the second NFMI signal interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus for near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) based robustness, comprising:

a first wireless device including a first wireless signal interface and a first NFMI signal interface;

wherein the first wireless signal interface is configured to receive a data set from a third wireless device;

wherein the first NFMI signal interface is configured to communicate with a second wireless device through a second NFMI signal interface; and

wherein the first wireless device is configured to detect an error in the data set received from the third wireless device and in response to detecting the error configure the first NFMI signal interface to receive the data set from the second wireless device through the second NFMI signal interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the first wireless signal interface is a primary interface for receiving the data set and the first NFMI signal interface is a backup interface for receiving the data set.

3. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the data set that the first wireless signal interface is configured to receive is a complete set of data and the data set that the first NFMI signal interface is configured to receive is a first subset of the complete set of data.

4. The apparatus of claim 3:

wherein the complete set of data includes stereo audio data having left audio data and right stereo data; and

wherein the first subset of data includes either the left audio data or the right stereo data.

5. The apparatus of claim 3:

wherein the complete set of data includes voice data having mono-audio data and microphone data; and

wherein the first subset of data includes either the mono-audio data or the microphone data.

6. The apparatus of claim 3:

wherein the first wireless device is configured to transmit a second subset of the complete data set over the first NFMI signal interface to the second wireless device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the data set received at the first wireless signal interface and the first NFMI signal interface is a complete set of data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the first wireless device is configured to not receive the data set from the second wireless device until the first wireless device requests transfer of the data set.

9. The apparatus of claim 8:

wherein the transfer request includes at least one of;

a switch roles of the first and second wireless devices request;

or a set-up a new wireless connection with the third wireless device request.

10. The apparatus of claim 1:

further comprising the second wireless device;

wherein the second wireless device is configured to receive the data set from the third wireless device through a second wireless signal interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the wireless signal interface includes at least one of;

a Bluetooth Classic wireless interface, or a Bluetooth Low Energy wireless interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein robustness includes at least one of;

providing an alternate data set path;

a network reconfiguration;

network switching;

signal retransmission;

or signal diversity.

13. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the data set is at least one of;

media data;

video playback data;

audio (e.g. sound) playback data;

sensor data;

health status data;

battery status;

or device settings.

14. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the error is at least one of;

an error caused by body shadowing;

the data set is no longer being received;

the data set is degraded;

the data set has a signal strength below a threshold value;

the data set contains digital or analog errors;

a corrupted data set error;

an incomplete data set error;

or an erratic data set error.

15. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the first and second wireless devices are hearables; and

wherein the third wireless device is at least one of;

a smartphone;

or a wearable.

16. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the wireless devices include at least one of;

a microphone;

a earbud;

a hearable;

a smartphone;

a smartwatch;

a wearable device;

a tablet;

or a computer.

17. An article of manufacture including at least one non-transitory, tangible machine readable storage medium containing executable machine instructions for robustness, comprising:

wherein the article includes,

a first wireless device including a first wireless signal interface and a first NFMI signal interface; and

wherein the instructions include,

configuring the first wireless signal interface to receive a data set from a third wireless device;

configuring the first NFMI signal interface to communicate with a second wireless device through a second NFMI signal interface; and

configuring the first wireless signal to detect an error in the data set from the third wireless device and in response to detecting the error request that the second wireless device send the data set to the first NFMI signal interface from the second NFMI signal interface.

18. A method for NFMI based robustness, comprising:

receiving a data set at a first wireless device from a third wireless device through a wireless channel;

communicating between the first wireless device and a second wireless device through an NFMI channel; and

detecting an error in the data set that the first wireless device receives from the third wireless device; and

requesting that the second wireless device send the data set to the first wireless device over the NFMI channel in response to detecting the error.