Easy sharing of wireless audio signals

• US 9,819,710 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Anderson, Jeff, Depallens, Philippe, Shmueli, Shimon
• Primary Examiner(s): Klicos, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/567,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20130117693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 715753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• 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

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention is directed to a method comprising receiving, at a first media output device, streaming media from a media source device, receiving, at the first media output device, a command by motion or voice to share the streaming media with a second media output device, and initiating, by the first media output device, sharing of the streaming media between the first media output device and the second media output device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first speaker device, streaming media from a media source device, wherein the first speaker device requires a separate media source device to provide streaming media;

detecting, by a motion sensor in a first control unit mounted in the first speaker device, that a first predefined motion has occurred by the first speaker device;

resolving, by the first control unit in the first speaker device, the first predefined motion to a share-out command to share the streaming media the first speaker device is receiving from the media source device, with a second speaker device that is not currently paired with the first speaker device, wherein the first predefined motion is in a first direction;

receiving, at a wireless transfer element mounted in the first speaker device, an indication from the second speaker device that a second control unit in the second speaker device has detected a second predefined motion that is resolved to a share-in command indicating that sharing the streaming media is desired, wherein the second predefined motion is in a second direction, opposite from the first direction;

determining, by the first control unit in the first speaker device, that the indication from the second speaker device was received within a predetermined period of time;

initiating, by the first control unit in the first speaker device, a pairing with the second speaker device; and

initiating, by the first control unit in the first speaker output device, sharing of the streaming media the first device is receiving from the media source device to establish a link between the first speaker device and the second speaker device for sharing of the streaming media using the wireless transfer element, such that the first control unit controls the retransmission of the streaming media from the first speaker device to the second speaker device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a command to terminate the sharing of the streaming media; and

in response to the command, initiating a termination of the sharing of the streaming media.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first predefined motion includes a gesture by the first speaker device.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the command to terminate sharing of the streaming media includes a bump between the first speaker device and the second speaker device, an engaged button or switch on the first speaker device or the second speaker device, a motion or gesture by the first speaker device or the second speaker device, or a voice command on the first speaker device or the second speaker device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein sharing of the streaming media continues until a command to terminate the sharing of the streaming media is received at the first speaker device or the second speaker device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first speaker device is a headphone, speaker, or earbud.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the media source device is a mobile phone, smart phone, tablet, personal digital assistant, MP3 player, portable radio, portable DVD player, receiver, laptop, or personal computer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first predefined motion is detected by motion sensors in the first speaker device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second predefined motion is detected by motion sensors in the second speaker device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first speaker device is a headphone or earbud, and wherein the first predefined motion is caused by a user of the first speaker device moving his head in the first direction while wearing the first speaker device.

11. A first speaker device, wherein the first speaker device requires a separate media source device to provide streaming media, the first speaker device comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium, coupled with the processor, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code for performing the following functions;

receiving streaming media from the separate media source device;

detecting, by a first control unit mounted in the first speaker device, that a first predefined motion has occurred by the first speaker device;

resolving, by the first speaker device, the first predefined motion to a share-out command to share the streaming media the first speaker device is receiving from the separate media source device, with a second speaker device that is not currently paired with the first speaker device, wherein the first predefined motion is in a first direction;

receiving an indication from the second speaker device by a second predefined motion that is detected and resolved to a share-in command indicating that sharing the streaming media is desired, wherein the second predefined motion is in a second direction, opposite from the first direction;

determining that the indication from the second speaker device was received within a predetermined period of time;

initiating, by the first speaker device, a pairing with the second speaker device; and

initiating sharing of the streaming media the first device is receiving from the separate media source device to establish a link between the first speaker device and the second speaker device for sharing of the streaming media, such that the first control unit controls the re-transmission of the streaming media from the first speaker device to the second speaker device.

12. The speaker device of claim 11, the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising code for performing the following functions:

receiving a command to terminate the sharing of the streaming media; and

in response to the command, initiating termination of the sharing of the streaming media.