Synchronized Multichannel Data

• US 20140057569A1
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Toivanen, Timo J., Saari, Jarmo, Hentunen, Kari
• Granted Patent: US 9,112,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0031 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

An apparatus including a wireless configuration interface system configured to assist in establishing a wireless short range communication connection of the apparatus with at least one device; and a wireless short range communication system which, after the wireless communication connection has been established with the at least one device, is configured to separately transmit to each of the at least one device at least one channel of multichannel media for either at least two of the devices to each play a different one of the channels of the multichannel media, or at least two of the apparatus and the at least one device to each play a different one of the channels of the multichannel media.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless configuration interface system configured to assist in establishing a wireless short range communication connection of the apparatus with at least one device; and

a wireless short range communication system which, after the wireless short range communication connection has been established with the at least one device, is configured to separately transmit to each of the at least one device at least one channel of multichannel media for either;

at least two of the devices to each play a different one of the channels of the multichannel media, or

at least two of the apparatus and the at least one device to each play a different one of the channels of the multichannel media.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the wireless configuration interface system comprises a proximity based wireless configuration interface.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the wireless short range communication system is configured to transmit on a plurality of different wireless short range communication protocols, where the wireless short range communication system is configured to transmit a first one of the channels to a first one of the devices with a first one of the different wireless short range communication protocols and a second different one of the channels to a second one of the devices with a second one of the different wireless short range communication protocols.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the wireless configuration interface system is adapted to configure subsequent communications between the apparatus and the at least one device based, at least partially, upon the at least one device and the apparatus being brought into a proximity to one another of about 20 cm or less.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a controller connected to the wireless short range communication system, where the controller is configured to at least partially assign the channels to the at least one device and/or the apparatus.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5 where the controller is configured to:

allow a user to selectively assign at least one of the channels to the at least one device and/or the apparatus; and

/or

automatically reassign at least one of the channels to at least one of the devices and/or the apparatus based upon a predetermined event; and

/or

automatically reassign at least one of the channels to at least one of the devices and/or the apparatus based at least partially upon a number of the devices communicating with the apparatus; and

/or

dynamically adjust channel assignment of the channels to the apparatus and/or the device(s) based, at least partially, on transmitting of at least one of the channels to one of the devices being dropped by the apparatus during playing of the media; and

/or

dynamically adjust audio constellation of the media being played based, at least partially, on transmission to one of the devices being dropped by the apparatus during playing of the media.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a controller connected to the wireless short range communication system, where the controller is configured to control synchronization and latency for the channels over different wireless protocols.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a system for determining media reproduction capabilities of the at least one device, and a controller configured to assign the at least one channel to the at least one device based upon the determined media reproduction capabilities of the at least one device.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising means for proximity based configuring of the apparatus with the at least one device and means for respective dedicated channel media streaming of at least one of the channels of the multichannel media to the at least one device.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising means for dynamically adjusting channel allocation by the apparatus among the apparatus and the at least one device based upon a predetermined event.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising means for allowing a user to selectively configure allocation of the channels among the apparatus and/or the at least one device.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a controller comprising software and a user interface connected to the controller which are configured to allow a user to selectively configure which of the channels are assigned to each of the at least one device and/or the apparatus.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless configuration interface system configured to at least partially assist in establishing a wireless short range communication connection of the apparatus with at least one client device; and

a system for allowing a user to configure channel allocation of channels of multichannel media to at least two of the at least one client device and the apparatus, where the apparatus is configured to stream at least one of the channels of multichannel media to the at least one client device for the channels of the multichannel media to be played at a substantially same time on a combination of at least two of the at least one device and the apparatus.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13 where the wireless configuration interface system comprises a proximity based wireless configuration interface.

15. An apparatus as in claim 13 where the system for allowing a user to configure channel allocation comprises at least one of:

a controller configured to automatically reassign at least one of the channels to at least one of the devices and/or the apparatus based upon a predetermined event;

a controller configured to automatically reassign at least one of the channels to at least one of the devices and/or the apparatus based at least partially upon a number of the devices communicating with the apparatus;

a controller configured to dynamically adjust channel assignment of the channels to the apparatus and/or device(s) based, at least partially, on a predetermined event;

a controller configured to dynamically adjust audio constellation of the media being played based, at least partially, on a predetermined event;

a controller connected to wireless short range communication interfaces of the apparatus, where the controller is configured to control synchronization and latency for the channels over different wireless protocols.

16. An apparatus as in claim 13 further comprising a wireless short range communication system which, after the wireless short range communication connection has been established to the at least one device with the assistance of the wireless configuration interface system, is configured to separately transmit to each of the at least one device at least one of the channels of the multichannel media for either:

at least two of the devices to each play at least one different one of the channels of the multichannel media, or

at least two of the apparatus and the at least one device to each play at least one different one of the channels of the multichannel media.

18. A method as in claim 16 where transmitting the at least one of the different channels of the multichannel media from the host apparatus is done via at least two different wireless short range communication protocols.

17. A method comprising:

connecting a wireless short range communication interface of a host apparatus with at least one client device with assistance of a different wireless configuration interface of the host apparatus; and

selectively configuring channel allocation of channels of multichannel media to at least two of the at least one client device and the host apparatus, where the host apparatus is configured to stream at least one of the channels of the multichannel media to the at least one client device for the channels of the multichannel media to be played at a substantially same time on a combination of at least two of the at least one device and the apparatus.