Un-tethered wireless audio system

• US 10,104,474 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Watson, Clarke S., Cook, Benjamin W., Berny, Axel D., Trachewsky, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic
• Application Number:
  US15/713,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0092 Error control systems characterised by the topology of the transmission link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/05 Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or 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: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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

A wireless speaker audio system configured to receive audio information wirelessly transmitted by an audio source including first and second wireless transceivers. The first wireless transceiver establishes a bidirectional secondary wireless link with the audio source for receiving and acknowledging receipt of the audio information. The first and second wireless transceivers communicate with each other via a primary wireless link. A wireless audio system including an audio source and first and second wireless transceivers. The first and second wireless transceivers communicate via a primary wireless link. The audio source communicates audio information to the first wireless transceiver via a secondary wireless link which is configured according to a standard wireless protocol. The first wireless transceiver is configured to acknowledge successful reception of audio information via the secondary wireless link. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a first speaker configured to communicate with a second speaker via a first wireless link, and configured to communicate with an audio source via a second wireless link;

determining whether an audio packet has been received from the audio source via the second wireless link;

determining whether a snoop acknowledgement corresponding to the audio packet has been received from the second speaker via the first wireless link; and

when the audio packet has been received and the snoop acknowledgement corresponding to the audio packet has not been received, relaying the audio packet to the second speaker via the first wireless link.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the snoop acknowledgement has been received and the audio packet has not been received, transmitting a negative acknowledgement (NACK) to the audio source via the second wireless link.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, the audio packet is scheduled to be received during a first portion of a first slot, the snoop acknowledgement is scheduled to be received during a second portion of the first slot, and the NACK is scheduled to be transmitted during a second slot subsequent to the first slot.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first wireless link and the second wireless link comprises one of a Bluetooth connection, a proprietary protocol connection, a peer-to-peer connection, or a WiFi connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio packet comprises first audio channel data and second audio channel data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

extracting only the first audio channel data from the audio packet.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

transmitting communication information to the second speaker via the first wireless link, wherein the communication information is used by the second speaker to snoop communications on the second wireless link.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first speaker and the second speaker form a first piconet comprising the first wireless link and the first speaker and the audio source form a second piconet comprising the second wireless link.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first speaker comprises an ear bud.

10. A first speaker, comprising:

a wireless communication interface configured to communicate with a second speaker via a first wireless link and to communicate with an audio source via a second wireless link, wherein the communication with the audio source is one of bidirectional or receive-only; and

processor electronics configured to perform operations comprising;

determining that an audio packet has been received from the audio source via the second wireless link; and

transmitting, via the wireless communication interface, an acknowledgement corresponding to the audio packet to at least one of the second speaker or the audio source.

11. The first speaker of claim 10, wherein, when the first speaker transmits the acknowledgement to the second speaker, the acknowledgement is a snoop acknowledgement.

12. The first speaker of claim 10, wherein, when the first speaker transmits the acknowledgement to the audio source, the processor electronics are further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining whether a snoop acknowledgement corresponding to the audio packet has been received from the second speaker via the first wireless link,

wherein, the acknowledgement is transmitted after receiving the snoop acknowledgement, and

wherein, when the snoop acknowledgement is not received, the acknowledgment is a negative acknowledgement (NACK).

13. The first speaker of claim 12, wherein, the audio packet is scheduled to be received during a first portion of a first slot, the snoop acknowledgement is scheduled to be received during a second portion of the first slot, and the acknowledgement is scheduled to be transmitted during a second slot subsequent to the first slot.

14. The first speaker of claim 10, wherein each of the first wireless link and the second wireless link comprises one of a Bluetooth connection, a proprietary protocol connection, a peer-to-peer connection, or a WiFi connection.

15. The first speaker of claim 10, wherein the audio packet comprises first audio channel data and second audio channel data.

16. The first speaker of claim 15, wherein the processor electronics are further configured to perform operations comprising:

extracting only the first audio channel data from the audio packet.

17. The first speaker of claim 10, wherein the processor electronics are further configured to perform operations comprising:

transmitting communication information to the second speaker via the first wireless link, wherein the communication information is used by the second speaker to snoop communications on the second wireless link.

18. The first speaker according to claim 10, wherein the first speaker and the second speaker form a first piconet comprising the first wireless link and the first speaker and the audio source form a second piconet comprising the second wireless link.

19. The first speaker according to claim 10, wherein the first speaker comprises an ear bud.

20. A first speaker configured to communicate with a second speaker via a first wireless link, and configured to communicate with an audio source via a second wireless link, comprising:

processor electronics configured to perform operations comprising;

determining whether an audio packet has been received from the audio source via the second wireless link;

determining whether a snoop acknowledgement corresponding to the audio packet has been received from the second speaker via the first wireless link; and

when the audio packet has been received and the snoop acknowledgement corresponding to the audio packet has not been received, relaying the audio packet to the second speaker via the first wireless link.