Wireless Streaming Link Break-in

• US 20130223663A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Meskins, Werner, Banna, Rami, Roos, Rene, Gielis, Philip, Brasch, Alex von, Wu, Orlando
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/021 Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/025 In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/55 using an external connection, either wireless or wired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

A system and method for wireless streaming link break-in is disclosed. A first device transmits digital packets to a second device over a wireless streaming link. A third device synchronizes itself with the second device. Once the third device is synchronized with the second device, the third device transmits command request packets to the second device during a data receive window. The wireless streaming link is inactive during the data receive window. The second device responds to the request during a next data receive window.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first device configurable to transmit a first type of digital packets to a second device at a first rate utilizing a synchronous communication link over a first group of frequency channels; and

a third device configurable to transmit a second type of digital packets to the second device utilizing an asynchronous communication link over a second group of frequency channels, wherein the first group of frequency channels is non-overlapping with the second group of frequency channels, and wherein the second device is configurable to listen for the first type and the second type of digital packets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device is further configurable to listen for the second type of digital packets at evenly spaced intervals in time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device communicates with the third device in a bidirectional manner.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first type of digital packets includes digital audio data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second type of digital packets includes digital control data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is a device with data streaming capabilities.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device is a hearing prosthesis.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the third device is a remote control that controls at least the second device.

9. A system comprising;

a synchronous communication network in which a second device receives digital signals at a first rate from a first device; and

an asynchronous communication network in which the second device listens for digital requests at a second rate slower than the first rate from a third device and in which the second device responds to the digital requests.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the synchronous communication network is one or more of a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), a slow Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS), a Frequency Agility (FA), and a Slow Frequency Agility (SFA) communications network.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the asynchronous communication network is one or more of a slow Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS), a Frequency Agility (FA), and a Slow Frequency Agility (SFA) communications network.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the synchronous communication network comprises one or more frequency channels.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the asynchronous communication network comprises one or more frequency channels that are non-overlapping with the synchronous communication network'"'"'s one or more frequency channels.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the synchronous communication network includes a device streaming digital data signals to a sound processor located in a hearing prosthesis.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the asynchronous communication network includes a remote control communicating with a sound processor located in a hearing prosthesis.

16. A method comprising:

while a device is receiving digital data transmissions in a first group of receive windows, sending request packets to the device until receiving an acknowledgement signal from the device;

upon receiving the acknowledgement signal, sending a command request in a second group of receive windows; and

receiving a response to the command request.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first group of receive windows are spread across a first group of frequency channels and the second group of receive windows are spread across a second group of frequency channels.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first group of frequency channels is non-overlapping with the second group of frequency channels.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the command request includes a request for status and the response to the command request includes status information.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the command request includes a request to adjust settings and the response to the command request includes status information regarding setting adjustments.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein sending the request packets includes sending multiple request packets in quick succession.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein sending the request packets includes using a timing pattern designed to align with a timeslot not used for reception of the digital data transmissions by the device.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein sending the command request includes sending the command request multiple times.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving the response to the command request includes receiving the response to the command request in a next data timeslot.