Streaming data playback apparatus

• US 8,176,194 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Eolas Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Saito, Soichi, Suzuki, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US12/584,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/228, 709/231, 709/227, 370/229, 370/321, 370/442, 370/443, 455/41.2, 455/41.3
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A handsfree apparatus performs an operation for requesting a connection of a Bluetooth connection link to a cellular phone after guaranteeing a continuous playback of music streaming data by an audio player in a time slot that does not have packet transfer of the music streaming data, if the connection request of the Bluetooth connection link to the cellular phone is generated during a time of A2DP connection that defines packet transfer of the music streaming data with the audio player. The connection request of the Bluetooth connection link to the cellular phone is thus handled appropriately without interrupting a continuous playback of the music streaming data.

Claims

1. A streaming data playback apparatus comprising:

a short range wireless communication unit capable of simultaneously establishing multiple links of short range wireless communication with a plurality of short range wireless communication devices;

a streaming data storage unit storing streaming data that has been transferred from a first short range wireless communication device when a short range wireless communication with the first short range wireless communication device is connected through a short range wireless communication protocol that regulates a packet transfer of the streaming data;

a streaming data playback unit continuously playing the streaming data stored in the streaming data storage unit; and

a control unit controlling a request operation that requests a connection of a short range wireless communication link to a second short range wireless communication device by the short range wireless communication unit, wherein

the control unit causes the short range wireless communication unit to perform the request operation that requests the connection of the short range wireless communication link to the second short range wireless communication device when the connection request of the short range wireless communication link to the second short range wireless communication device is generated at a time during which the short range wireless communication unit is in the short range wireless communication protocol connected condition that regulates the packet transfer of the streaming data with the first short range wireless communication device under a condition that the streaming data stored in the streaming data storage unit provided by the first short range communication device can be continuously played in a time slot that does not have the transfer of the data packet of the streaming data from the first short range wireless communication device.

2. The streaming data playback apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the control unit calculates a continuous playback time required for playing the streaming data stored in the streaming data storage unit by dividing an amount of the streaming data by a playback speed of continuous playing by the streaming data playback unit,

the control unit sets, as a connection request execution time, a period that is shorter than the calculated continuous playback time, and

the control unit causes the short range wireless communication unit to perform the request operation that requests a connection of the short range wireless communication link to the second short range wireless communication device for a time amount of the connection request execution time in the time slot that does not have the transfer of the data packet of the streaming data from the first short range wireless communication device.

3. A streaming data playback apparatus comprising:

a short range wireless communication unit capable of simultaneously establishing multiple links of short range wireless communication with a plurality of short range wireless communication devices;

a streaming data storage unit storing streaming data that has been transferred from a short range wireless communication device when a short range wireless communication with the first short range wireless communication device is connected through a short range wireless communication protocol that regulates a packet transfer of the streaming data;

a streaming data playback unit continuously playing the streaming data stored in the streaming data storage unit; and

a control unit controlling a request operation that requests a connection of a short range wireless communication link to a second short range wireless communication device by the short range wireless communication unit, wherein

the control unit causes the short range wireless communication unit to perform the request operation that requests the connection of the short range wireless communication link to the second short range wireless communication device when the connection request of the short range wireless communication link to the second short range wireless communication device is generated at a time during which the short range wireless communication unit is in the short range wireless communication protocol connected condition that regulates the packet transfer of the streaming data with the first short range wireless communication device under a condition that the streaming data stored in the streaming data storage unit provided by the first short range communication device can be continuously played while the connection of the short range wireless communication link to the second short range wireless communication device is established.