BT and BCC communication for wireless earbuds

• US 9,794,670 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rodzevski, Aleksandar, Midholt, Magnus
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUTHERS, DOUGLAS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US14/521,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 381 74, 381 231, 381151
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

Devices and methods for controlling the functionality of a pair of earbuds. The first earbud establishes a connection between the first earbud and an electronic device, searches for the second earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication, BCC, and sends a signal from the first earbud to the electronic device including information defining whether the first earbud detected the second earbud during the search. The electronic device receives a signal from the at least one of the earbuds, the signal comprising information defining whether the earbud has detected the other earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication, BCC, and sends a signal to the at least one earbud wherein the signal is controlled based on the received signal and includes information associated with controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds.

Claims

1. A method performed in a first earbud of a pair of earbuds for controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds, the method comprising:

detecting, using a body recognizing sensor, direct contact between the first earbud and the body of a user of the first earbud, wherein an earbud of the pair of earbuds that first detects direct contact with the body is assigned as the first earbud;

establishing a connection between the first earbud and an electronic device;

searching for the second earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication (BCC); and

sending a signal from the first earbud to the electronic device, the signal comprising information defining whether the first earbud detected the second earbud during the search.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of establishing a connection between the first earbud and an electronic device comprises that the connection is a Bluetooth connection or BCC connection.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first earbud acts as a BCC master and the second earbud acts as a BCC client.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second earbud will act as a BCC master if the direct contact between the first earbud and the body of the user is broken.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

receiving from the electronic device, a signal comprising information associated with the functionality of the pair of earbuds;

controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds based on the received signal from the electronic device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises that the first earbud receives a stereo audio signal, decodes the signal into two channels of which one sent to a speaker in the first earbud and the other is sent to the second earbud using BCC.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises that the first earbud or second earbud reproduces sound from a received signal in mono.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises that the first earbud receives a mono audio signal and sends it to a speaker in the first earbud and the second earbud converts sound into a signal that is sent to the first earbud using BCC, the first earbud sends the signal on to the electronic device, whereby the first and the second earbud forms a headset.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises:

the second earbud receives a mono audio signal and sends it to a speaker in the second earbud, and the second earbud sends the signal on to the electronic device; and

the first earbud converts sound into a signal that is sent to the second earbud using BCC, whereby the first and the second earbud forms a headset.

10. A first earbud of a pair of wireless earbuds, for controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds, comprising:

communication circuitry for short distance communication; and

processing circuitry configured to;

detect, using a body recognizing sensor, direct contact between the first earbud and the body of a user of the first earbud, wherein an earbud of the pair of earbuds that first detects direct contact with the body is assigned as the first earbud;

establish a connection, using the communication circuitry, between the first earbud and an electronic device;

search for the second earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication (BCC) of the communication circuitry; and

send a signal, using the communication circuitry, from the first earbud to the electronic device, the signal comprising information defining whether the first earbud detected the second earbud during the search.

11. The first earbud according to claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

receive from the electronic device, a signal, using the communication circuitry, comprising information associated with the functionality of the pair of earbuds;

control the functionality of the pair of earbuds based on the received signal from the electronic device.