Electronic accessory for detecting and communicating a connection attribute corresponding to another electronic accessory

• US 9,565,255 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kapoor, Daman, Watson, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Michael Y
• Application Number:
  US14/560,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 709/228, 709/230
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72516 with means for out-of-range alerting
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless 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: 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 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

At an electronic accessory of a master electronic device, a connection attribute can be detected that is indicative of a presence or a characteristic of a connection between the electronic accessory and at least one other electronic accessory of the master electronic device. A connection-indicative signal can be generated at the electronic device that includes the connection attribute. The connection-indicative signal can be transmitted to the master electronic device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

establishing, at an electronic accessory of a master electronic device, a master-device connection with the master electronic device, the electronic accessory being a primary wearable electronic accessory and including;

a receiver configured to receive audio signals via the master-device connection from the master electronic device; and

a speaker configured to output at least part of the audio signals received;

establishing, at the electronic accessory and at a first time, an accessory connection with at least one other electronic accessory over a short-range network, the at least one other electronic accessory including a secondary wearable electronic accessory that includes;

at least one other receiver configured to receive other audio signals via the accessory connection, the other audio signals including or being based upon at least part of the audio signals; and

at least one other speaker configured to output at least part of the other audio signals;

detecting, at the electronic accessory and at a second time, a connection attribute that is indicative of a presence or a strength of the accessory connection with the at least one other electronic accessory over the short-range network;

generating, at the electronic accessory, a connection-indicative signal that includes the connection attribute; and

transmitting, via the master-device connection, the connection-indicative signal to the master electronic device, wherein receipt of the connection-indicative signal at the master electronic device facilitates tracking at the master electronic device of the at least one other electronic accessory.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the electronic accessory, a master-device audio signal from the master electronic device, the master-device audio signal corresponding to an electronic representation of sounds;

outputting at least part of the master-device audio signal via the speaker; and

transmitting a primary-device audio signal from the electronic accessory to the at least one other electronic accessory, wherein the primary-device audio signal reflects at least part of the master-device audio signal.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein receipt of the primary-device audio signal at the at least one other electronic accessory facilitates outputting at least part of the primary-device audio signal via the at least one other speaker, and

wherein the at least part of the master-device audio signal is complementary to or the same as the at least part of the primary-device audio signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the electronic accessory and the at least one other electronic accessory includes an earphone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection attribute corresponds to an identification of a new connection between or a disconnection between the electronic accessory and the at least one other electronic accessory.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection-indicative signal corresponds to an instruction to store a location of the master electronic device in association with the connection attribute or a processed version thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection attribute is indicative of a weakening connection or a disconnection between the electronic accessory and the at least one other electronic accessory, and wherein the connection-indicative signal corresponds to an instruction to facilitate presentation of an alert at the master electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the electronic accessory, a locate-accessory signal from the master electronic device, wherein the connection-indicative signal is transmitted to the master electronic device in response to the locate-accessory signal;

receiving, at the electronic accessory, a position-identifying signal from the at least one other electronic accessory that indicates whether the at least one other electronic accessory estimates that the at least one other electronic accessory is positioned in an ear;

when the position-identifying signal indicates that the at least one other electronic accessory estimates that the at least one other electronic accessory is positioned in a person'"'"'s ear, transmitting a relayed position-identifying signal to the master electronic device that indicates that the at least one other electronic accessory is estimated to be positioned in an ear;

receiving, at the electronic accessory, an alert-instruction signal from the master electronic device; and

in response to receiving the alert-instruction signal, transmitting a relayed alert-instruction signal to the at least one other electronic accessory.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory connection established with the at least one other electronic accessory includes a Bluetooth Low Energy connection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the master-device connection is supported by the short-range network or a different short-range network, and wherein connection-indicative signal is transmitted to the master electronic device wirelessly over a same short-range network or the different short-range network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the master-device audio signal includes a plurality of stereo channels;

the at least part of the master-device audio signal output via the speaker corresponds to a first channel of the plurality of stereo channels; and

the primary-device audio signal that is transmitted to the at least one other electronic accessory corresponds to a second channel of the plurality of stereo channels.

12. An electronic accessory of a master electronic device, the electronic accessory comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions including;

establishing, at the electronic accessory of a master electronic device, a master-device connection with the master electronic device, the electronic accessory being a primary wearable electronic accessory and including;

a receiver configured to receive audio signals via the master-device connection from the master electronic device; and

a speaker configured to output at least part of the audio signals received;

establishing, at the electronic accessory and at a first time, an accessory connection with at least one other electronic accessory over a short-range network, the at least one other electronic accessory including a secondary wearable electronic accessory that includes;

at least one other receiver configured to receive other audio signals via the accessory connection, the other audio signals including or being based upon at least part of the audio signals; and

at least one other speaker configured to output at least part of the other audio signals;

detecting, at the electronic accessory and at a second time, a connection attribute that is indicative of a presence or a strength of the accessory connection with the at least one other electronic accessory over the short-range network;

generating, at the electronic accessory, a connection-indicative signal that includes the connection attribute; and

transmitting, via the master-device connection, the connection-indicative signal to the master electronic device, wherein receipt of the connection-indicative signal at the master electronic device facilitates tracking at the master electronic device of the at least one other electronic accessory.

13. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein the actions further include:

receiving, at the electronic accessory, a master-device audio signal from the master electronic device, the master-device audio signal corresponding to an electronic representation of sounds;

outputting at least part of the master-device audio signal via the speaker;

and

transmitting a primary-device audio signal from the electronic accessory to the at least one other electronic accessory, wherein the primary-device audio signal reflects at least part of the master-device audio signal.

14. The electronic accessory of claim 13, wherein the actions further include:

wherein receipt of the primary-device audio signal at the at least one other electronic accessory facilitates outputting at least part of the primary-device audio signal via the at least one other speaker, and

wherein the at least part of the master-device audio signal is complementary to or the same as the at least part of the primary-device audio signal.

15. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein each of the electronic accessory and the at least one other electronic accessory includes an earphone.

16. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein the connection attribute corresponds to an identification of a new connection between or a disconnection between the electronic accessory and the at least one other electronic accessory.

17. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein the connection-indicative signal corresponds to an instruction to store a location of the master electronic device in association with the connection attribute or a processed version thereof.

18. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein the connection attribute is indicative of a weakening connection or a disconnection between the electronic accessory and the at least one other electronic accessory, and wherein the connection-indicative signal corresponds to an instruction to facilitate presentation of an alert at the master electronic device.

19. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein the actions further include:

receiving, at the electronic accessory, a locate-accessory signal from the master electronic device, wherein the connection-indicative signal is transmitted to the master electronic device in response to the locate-accessory signal;

receiving, at the electronic accessory, a position-identifying signal from the at least one other electronic accessory that indicates whether the at least one other electronic accessory estimates that the at least one other electronic accessory is positioned in an ear;

when the position-identifying signal indicates that the at least one other electronic accessory estimates that the at least one other electronic accessory is positioned in a person'"'"'s ear, transmitting a relayed position-identifying signal to the master electronic device that indicates that the at least one other electronic accessory is estimated to be positioned in an ear;

receiving, at the electronic accessory, an alert-instruction signal from the master electronic device; and

in response to receiving the alert-instruction signal, transmitting a relayed alert-instruction signal to the at least one other electronic accessory.

20. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein the accessory connection established with the at least one other electronic accessory includes a Bluetooth Low Energy connection.

21. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein the master-device connection is supported by the short-range network or a different short-range network, and wherein connection-indicative signal is transmitted to the master electronic device wirelessly over a same short-range network or the different short-range network.

22. The electronic accessory of claim 12, wherein:

the master-device audio signal includes a plurality of stereo channels;

the at least part of the master-device audio signal output via the speaker corresponds to a first channel of the plurality of stereo channels; and

the primary-device audio signal that is transmitted to the at least one other electronic accessory corresponds to a second channel of the plurality of stereo channels.

23. A system comprising:

a master electronic device; and

an electronic accessory of the master electronic device, the electronic accessory comprising;

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that, why executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions including;

establishing, at the electronic accessory of a master electronic device, a master-device connection with the master electronic device, the electronic accessory being a primary wearable electronic accessory and including;

a receiver configured to receive audio signals via the master-device connection from the master electronic device; and

a speaker configured to output at least part of the audio signals received;

establishing, at the electronic accessory and at a first time, an accessory connection with at least one other electronic accessory over a short-range network, the at least one other electronic accessory including a secondary wearable electronic accessory that includes;

at least one other receiver configured to receive other audio signals via the accessory connection, the other audio signals including or being based upon at least part of the audio signals; and

at least one other speaker configured to output at least part of the other audio signals;

detecting, at the electronic accessory and at a second time, a connection attribute that is indicative of a presence or a strength of the accessory connection with the at least one other electronic accessory over the short-range network;

generating, at the electronic accessory, a connection-indicative signal that includes the connection attribute; and

transmitting, via the master-device connection, the connection-indicative signal to the master electronic device, wherein receipt of the connection-indicative signal at the master electronic device facilitates tracking at the master electronic device of the at least one other electronic accessory.

24. A system comprising:

an electronic accessory of a master electronic device, the electronic accessory comprising;

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that, w e executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions including;

establishing, at the electronic accessory of a master electronic device, a master-device connection with the master electronic device, the electronic accessory being a primary wearable electronic accessory and including;

a receiver configured to receive audio signals via the master-device connection from the master electronic device; and

a speaker configured to output at least part of the audio signals received;

establishing, at the electronic accessory and at a first time, an accessory connection with at least one other electronic accessory over a short-range network, the at least one other electronic accessory including a secondary wearable electronic accessory that includes;

at least one other receiver configured to receive other audio signals via the accessory connection, the other audio signals including or being based upon at least part of the audio signals; and

at least one other speaker configured to output at least part of the other audio signals;

detecting, at the electronic accessory and at a second time, a connection attribute that is indicative of a presence or a strength of the accessory connection with the at least one other electronic accessory over the short-range network;

generating, at the electronic accessory, a connection-indicative signal that includes the connection attribute; and

transmitting, via the master-device connection, the connection-indicative signal to the master electronic device, wherein receipt of the connection-indicative signal at the master electronic device facilitates tracking at the master electronic device of the at least one other electronic accessory; and

the at least one other electronic accessory.