Methods and devices for dual mode bidirectional audio communication

• US 8,792,945 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Russell, Michael E., Braun, Mark R., Sheynman, Arnold, Zhai, Tongyan (Annie)
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, DUNG LE
• Application Number:
  US11/842,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20080101279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,534 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 455/552.1, 455/569.1
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Disclosed are dual mode I/O devices and methods for transmission of a short range radio link such as a Bluetooth® link that is a bi-directional real-time audio communication signal that can be over a synchronous circuit-switched transport and an asynchronous packet-switched transport either sequentially or simultaneously. Also disclosed are dual mode wireless headset systems and methods of at least two dual mode I/O devices and more particularly including a wireless audio terminal and an audio gateway for transmission of a bi-directional real-time audio communication signal that can be over a synchronous circuit-switched (SCO) transport and an asynchronous packet-switched (ACL) transport either sequentially or simultaneously. Having both SCO and ACL modes available may allow the user to optimize voice quality or data throughput under different operating conditions. The user may benefit from better Bluetooth®voice quality and may have the flexibility of using either mode depending upon the situation.

Claims

1. An I/O device, comprising:

a controller;

a transceiver coupled to the controller, the transceiver configured to establish a short range radio link and bi-directionally communicate real-time audio signals over a synchronous circuit-switched transport and an asynchronous packet-switched transport over the short range radio link from a single source of real-time audio signals;

a decision controller for transport selection of one of the transports during operation for real-time audio signal communication based on operating conditions; and

a switch for dynamically switching between the synchronous circuit-switched transport and the asynchronous packet-switched transport during operation for real-time audio signal communication based upon operating conditions, the switch is processed by a queue controller configured to deliver at least one packet in a queue during the switching between transmission of the synchronous transport and the asynchronous transport, wherein when the synchronous transport continues through the queue, the asynchronous transport is buffered, and once the asynchronous transport is buffered, the synchronous transport is flushed.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the I/O device is a wireless audio terminal.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the I/O device is an audio gateway.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the synchronous circuit-switched transport is a Bluetooth®

synchronous connection-oriented or extended synchronous connection-oriented transport.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the asynchronous packet-switched transport is a Bluetooth®

asynchronous connection-oriented transport.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein transport selection is automatically activated.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein transport selection is based on at least one of power management criteria, radio frequency quality measurements and network criteria.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein transport selection is manually activated.

9. The device of claim 1, bi-directionally communicating real-time audio signals between the wireless audio terminal and the audio gateway over a synchronous circuit-switched transport and simultaneously an asynchronous packet-switched transport of the short range radio link.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein audio signals are voice signals.

11. A method of an I/O device, comprising:

bi-directionally communicating with another I/O device over a short range radio link of real-time audio signals over a synchronous circuit-switched transport and an asynchronous packet-switched transport over the short range radio link from a single source of real-time audio signals;

providing a decision controller for transport selection of one of the transports during operation for real-time audio signal communication based on operating condition; and

dynamically switching between the synchronous circuit-switched transport and the asynchronous packet-switched transport during operation for real-time audio signal communication based upon operating conditions, the switching being processed by a queue controller configured to deliver at least one packet in a queue during the switching between transmission of the synchronous transport and the asynchronous transport, wherein when the synchronous transport continues through the queue, the asynchronous transport is buffered, and once the asynchronous transport is buffered, the synchronous transport is flushed.

12. The method of claim 11, bi-directionally communicating real-time audio signals between the wireless audio terminal and the audio gateway over a synchronous circuit-switched transport and simultaneously an asynchronous packet-switched transport of the short range radio link.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the synchronous circuit-switched transport is a Bluetooth®

synchronous connection-oriented or extended synchronous connection-oriented transport.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the asynchronous packet-switched transport is a Bluetooth®

asynchronous connection-oriented transport.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein transport selection is automatically activated.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the transport selection is based on at least one of power management criteria, radio frequency quality measurements and network criteria.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein transport selection is manually activated.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

switching processed by a queue controller configured to deliver at least one packet in a queue when the wireless audio terminal is switching audio communication between the synchronous transport and the asynchronous transport.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein audio signals are voice signals.

20. A method of a dual mode wireless headset system, including a wireless audio terminal and an audio gateway, the method comprising:

establishing a short range radio link between the wireless audio terminal and the audio gateway;

bi-directionally communicating real-time audio signals between the wireless audio terminal and the audio gateway over a synchronous circuit-switched transport and an asynchronous packet-switched transport of the short range radio link from at least one single source;

providing a decision controller for transport selection of one of the transports during operation for real-time audio signal communication based on operating condition; and

dynamically switching between the synchronous circuit-switched transport and the asynchronous packet-switched transport during operation for real-time audio signal communication based operating conditions of at least one of the wireless audio terminal and the audio gateway, the switching being processed by a queue controller configured to deliver at least one packet in a queue during the switching between transmission of the synchronous transport and the asynchronous transport, wherein when the synchronous transport continues through the queue, the asynchronous transport is buffered, and once the asynchronous transport is buffered, the synchronous transport is flushed.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the synchronous circuit-switched transport is a Bluetooth®

synchronous connection-oriented or extended synchronous connection-oriented transport.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the asynchronous packet-switched transport is a Bluetooth®

asynchronous connection-oriented transport.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein transport selection is automatically activated.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein transport selection is based on at least one of radio frequency quality measurements, network criteria and power management criteria.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein transport selection is manually activated.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

switching processed by a queue controller configured to deliver at least one packet in a queue when the wireless audio terminal is switching audio communication between the synchronous transport and the asynchronous transport.

27. The method of claim 20, upon transport selection, further comprising:

switching between the synchronous circuit-switched transport and an asynchronous packet-switched transport that is processed by a queue controller configured to deliver at least one packet in a queue when at least one of the wireless audio terminal and the audio gateway is in audio communication.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein audio signals are voice signals.