Method and system for controlling audio data playback in an accessory device

• US 7,634,227 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: de Jong, Dick
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse; Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US11/392,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/66.1, 455/344, 455/426.1, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4392 involving audio buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages

Abstract

A method of managing audio data received by an accessory device from an electronic equipment over a local wireless interface link includes buffering the audio data; feeding the buffered audio data to a decoder and detecting a decoder under run. After the detection of a decoder under run, the method restarts the feed of audio data to the decoder when an amount of buffered audio data is equal to or greater than a dynamically adjustable threshold amount of audio data.

Claims

1. A method of managing audio data received by an accessory device from an electronic equipment over a local wireless interface link, comprising:

buffering the audio data;

feeding the buffered audio data to a decoder;

detecting a decoder under run;

after the detection of a decoder under run, restarting the feed of audio data to the decoder when an amount of buffered audio data is equal to or greater than a dynamically adjustable threshold amount of audio data; and

flushing buffered audio data if an amount of buffered audio data is greater than the threshold value plus an offset value selected to minimize lag of the audio output with respect to the displayed video content; and

wherein the dynamically adjustable threshold amount is initially set to a predetermined threshold value and is incremented after each detected decoder under run and is decremented when the local wireless interface link is determined to have improved based on elapsed time since a most recent decoder under run, the incrementing and decrementing to synchronize the output of audio corresponding to the audio data with video content displayed by the electronic equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the local wireless interface link is a Bluetooth link.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the audio data is transmitted using an advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment is a mobile telephone and the accessory is a headset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment is a video playback device.

6. An accessory for an electronic equipment, the accessory for broadcasting audio sounds to a user based on audio data received from the electronic equipment, comprising:

a speaker;

a local wireless interface adapter for establishing a local wireless interface link with the electronic equipment over which the audio data is received; and

an audio data processing device including a buffer for buffering the received audio data and a decoder for decoding the buffered audio data and outputting an audio signal to the speaker, the audio data processing device configured to;

feed the buffered audio data to the decoder;

detect a decoder under run;

after the detection of a decoder under run, restart the feed of audio data to the decoder when an amount of buffered audio data is equal to or greater than a dynamically adjustable threshold amount of audio data; and

flush buffered audio data if an amount of buffered audio data is greater than the threshold value plus an offset value selected to minimize lag of the audio output with respect to video content displayed by the electronic equipment; and

wherein the dynamically adjustable threshold amount is initially set to a predetermined threshold value and is incremented after each detected decoder under run and is decremented when the local wireless interface link is determined to have improved based on elapsed time since a most recent decoder under run, the incrementing and decrementing to synchronize the output of audio corresponding to the audio data with video content displayed by the electronic equipment.

7. The accessory of claim 6, wherein the local wireless interface link is a Bluetooth link.

8. The accessory of claim 6, wherein the electronic equipment is a mobile telephone and the accessory is a headset.

9. A computer readable medium storing a program for execution by an audio data processing device of an accessory that is configured to received audio data from an electronic equipment over a local wireless interface link, the program for managing the received audio data and comprising executable logic to:

feed buffered audio data to a decoder;

detect a decoder under run;

after the detection of a decoder under run, restart the feed of audio data to the decoder when an amount of buffered audio data is equal to or greater than a dynamically adjustable threshold amount of audio data; and

flush buffered audio data if an amount of buffered audio data is greater than the threshold value plus an offset value selected to minimize lag of the audio output with respect to video content displayed by the electronic equipment; and

wherein the dynamically adjustable threshold amount is initially set to a predetermined threshold value and is incremented after each detected decoder under run and is decremented when the local wireless interface link is determined to have improved based on elapsed time since a most recent decoder under run, the incrementing and decrementing to synchronize the output of audio corresponding to the audio data with video content displayed by the electronic equipment.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the local wireless interface link is a Bluetooth link.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the electronic equipment is a mobile telephone and the accessory is a headset.