Method of exchanging data packages between first and second portable communication devices using a favoured frequency band

• US 9,819,705 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Hearing A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Hearing A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Pedersen, Brian Dam, Jensen, Klaus Hagen
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US14/835,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20170054763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1664 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with payload signals; piggybacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The present disclosure relates in a first aspect to a method of exchanging data packages between a first portable communication device and a second portable communication device over a bi-directional wireless communication channel, where at least one of the first and second portable communication devices comprises a hearing instrument. The method comprises generating, by the first portable communication device, a plurality of data packages over time and transmitting the plurality of data packages from the first to the second portable communication device through a plurality of spaced apart frequency bands distributed across a predetermined radio frequency range of the bi-directional wireless communication channel. The method further comprises computing, at the first wireless communication device or at the second wireless communication device, respective transmission quality estimators of the plurality of spaced apart frequency bands and determining a favored frequency band based on the detected transmission quality estimators.

Claims

1. A method of exchanging data packages between a first portable communication device and a second portable communication device over a bi-directional wireless communication channel, where at least one of the first and second portable communication devices comprises a hearing instrument, the method comprising:

generating, by the first portable communication device, a first plurality of data packages;

transmitting the first plurality of data packages from the first portable communication device to the second portable communication device through a plurality of spaced apart frequency bands distributed across a radio frequency range of the bi-directional wireless communication channel;

computing, at the first wireless communication device or at the second wireless communication device, transmission quality estimators for the respective spaced apart frequency bands;

determining a favoured frequency band based on the transmission quality estimators; and

transmitting, from the first portable communication device to the second portable communication device, a second plurality of data packages on the favoured frequency band, the second plurality of data packages comprising a first data package;

wherein if the transmission of one of the second plurality of data packages fails, the method further comprises;

selecting, in accordance with a frequency hopping key, a frequency band of the plurality of spaced apart frequency bands that is different from the favoured frequency band; and

retransmitting the one of the second plurality of data packages on the different frequency band.

2. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a second data package transmitted from the second portable communication device to the first portable communication device on the favoured frequency band.

3. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 1, further comprising establishing a plurality of successive connection events through the bi-directional wireless communication channel;

wherein the second plurality of data packages is transmitted during at least a subset of the plurality of successive connection events on the favoured frequency band.

4. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 1, wherein one of the second plurality of data packages comprises a header section, a payload section, and a data check section holding a package error-detection code.

5. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 4, further comprising adding a band identifier indicating the favoured frequency band to a predetermined header field of the header section.

6. The method of exchanging data packages according claim 1, wherein a first subset of the second plurality of data packages transmitted by the first portable communication device belongs to a first packet category comprising audio data, and a second subset of the second plurality of data packages belongs to a second packet category without audio data.

7. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 6, wherein a size of the data packages in the second subset belonging to the second packet category is smaller than a size of the data packages in the first subset belonging to the first packet category.

8. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 1, further comprising adding a first plurality of acknowledgement indicators, at the first portable communication device, to the first plurality of data packages before they are transmitted by the first portable communication device, wherein at least a subset of the first plurality of acknowledgement indicators indicates whether a previous data package was successfully received at the first portable communication device.

9. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 8, further comprising adding a second plurality of acknowledgement indicators, at the second portable communication device, to a third plurality of data packages before they are transmitted by the second portable communication device, wherein at least a subset of the second plurality of acknowledgement indicators indicates whether a previous data package was successfully received at the second portable communication device.

10. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a second data package at the first portable communication device;

wherein if an acknowledgement indicator of the second data package is set;

the method further comprises generating, at the first portable communication device, a third data package comprising an acknowledgment indicator setting reflecting successful or failed receipt of the second data package, and transmitting the third data package to the second portable communication device.

11. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 1, wherein if the first portable communication device fails to receive a second data package or if an acknowledgement indicator of the second data package is unset:

the method further comprises setting an acknowledgment indicator of one of the second plurality of data packages to reflect a failed receipt of the second data package, and retransmitting the one of the second plurality of data packages from the first portable communication device to the second portable communication device.

12. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 11, wherein act of retransmitting the one of the second plurality of data packages is performed if the one of the second plurality of data packages belongs to a packet category.

13. The method of exchanging data packages according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the second portable communication device, a second data package with an acknowledgment indicator setting reflecting successful or failed receipt of one of the first or second plurality of data packages; and

transmitting the second data package from the second portable communication device to the first portable communication device through the bi-directional wireless communication channel.

14. A method of exchanging data packages between a first portable communication device and a second portable communication device over a bi-directional wireless communication channel, where at least one of the first and second portable communication devices comprises a hearing instrument, the method comprising:

generating, by the first portable communication device, a first plurality of data packages;

transmitting the first plurality of data packages from the first portable communication device to the second portable communication device through a plurality of spaced apart frequency bands distributed across a radio frequency range of the bi-directional wireless communication channel;

computing, at the first wireless communication device or at the second wireless communication device, transmission quality estimators for the respective spaced apart frequency bands;

determining a favoured frequency band based on the transmission quality estimators; and

transmitting, from the first portable communication device to the second portable communication device, a second plurality of data packages on the favoured frequency band, the second plurality of data packages comprising a first data package;

wherein a first subset of the second plurality of data packages transmitted by the first portable communication device belongs to a first packet category comprising audio data, and a second subset of the second plurality of data packages belongs to a second packet category without audio data;

wherein if the transmission of one of the second plurality of data packages fails, the method further comprises retransmitting the one of the second plurality of data packages for at most N times if the one of the second plurality of data packages belongs to the first packet category; and

wherein N is a positive integer between 1 and 4.

15. A method of exchanging data packages between a first portable communication device and a second portable communication device over a bi-directional wireless communication channel, where at least one of the first and second portable communication devices comprises a hearing instrument, the method comprising:

generating, by the first portable communication device, a first plurality of data packages;

transmitting the first plurality of data packages from the first portable communication device to the second portable communication device through a plurality of spaced apart frequency bands distributed across a radio frequency range of the bi-directional wireless communication channel;

computing, at the first wireless communication device or at the second wireless communication device, transmission quality estimators for the respective spaced apart frequency bands;

determining a favoured frequency band based on the transmission quality estimators;

transmitting, from the first portable communication device to the second portable communication device, a second plurality of data packages on the favoured frequency band, the second plurality of data packages comprising a first data package;

receiving a second data package at the first portable communication device; and

checking an error-detection code of the second data package subsequent to receipt of the second data package at the first portable communication device;

wherein if the error-detection code indicates invalid data of the second data package, the method further comprises ignoring a setting of an acknowledgment indicator of the second data package, and unsetting an acknowledgment indicator of a third data package to reflect a failed receipt of the second data package.