Audio rendering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10904666-B2
Application number	US-201916450545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2019
Priority date	Aug 7, 2018
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

An audio rendering device includes: at least one wireless communications interface configured to receive a first plurality of audio packets from a wireless communication device, the first plurality of audio packets including frames of audio data for a first audio channel from a set of one or more audio channels; and a processing unit; wherein the audio rendering device is configured to release, at respective first buffer release times, the frames of the audio data for the first audio channel from a first buffer for rendering by the processing unit; wherein the audio rendering device is configured to receive one or more messages from an other audio rendering device; and wherein the audio rendering device is configured to synchronize the first buffer release times with second buffer release times associated with the other audio rendering device based on the received one or more messages.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An audio rendering device comprising:
at least one wireless communication interface configured to receive a first plurality of audio packets from a wireless communication device, the first plurality of audio packets including frames of audio data for a first audio channel from a set of one or more audio channels; and
a processing unit;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to release, at respective first buffer release times, the frames of the audio data for the first audio channel from a first buffer for rendering by the processing unit;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to receive one or more messages from an other audio rendering device;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to synchronize the first buffer release times with second buffer release times associated with the other audio rendering device based on the received one or more messages;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to determine at least one of the first buffer release times based on a delay interval between a transmission of one of the first plurality of audio packets and a transmission of one of a second plurality of audio packets for the other audio rendering device;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to release one of the frames of the audio data from the first buffer at a time that is equal to a packet receipt time for the one of the frames of the audio data in the first plurality of audio packets delayed by a buffer delay configured to compensate for the delay interval.

2. The audio rendering system according to claim 1 , wherein the first buffer release times are regularly spaced apart by a first interval, and wherein the second buffer release times are regularly spaced apart by a second interval equal to the first interval.

3. The audio rendering device according to claim 1 , wherein the audio rendering device is configured to determine first packet receipt times indicative of respective times of receipt of audio packets of the first plurality of audio packets from the wireless communication device, and to determine the first buffer release times based on the determined first packet receipt times.

4. The audio rendering device according to claim 1 , wherein the audio rendering device is configured to maintain the first buffer responsive to the received one or more messages.

5. An audio rendering device comprising:
at least one wireless communication interface configured to receive a first plurality of audio packets from a wireless communication device, the first plurality of audio packets including frames of audio data for a first audio channel from a set of one or more audio channels; and
a processing unit;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to release, at respective first buffer release times, the frames of the audio data for the first audio channel from a first buffer for rendering by the processing unit;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to receive one or more messages from an other audio rendering device;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to synchronize the first buffer release times with second buffer release times associated with the other audio rendering device based on the received one or more messages; and
wherein at least one of the one or more messages is indicative of a time of receipt, by the other audio rendering device, of a previous one of a second plurality of audio packets; and
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to determine a delay interval based on (1) the at least one of the one or more messages, and (2) a time of receipt of a previous one of the first plurality of audio packets by the audio rendering device.

6. The audio rendering system according to claim 5 , wherein the first buffer release times are regularly spaced apart by a first interval, and wherein the second buffer release times are regularly spaced apart by a second interval equal to the first interval.

7. The audio rendering device according to claim 5 , wherein the audio rendering device is configured to maintain the first buffer responsive to the received one or more messages.

8. An audio rendering device comprising:
at least one wireless communication interface configured to receive a first plurality of audio packets from a wireless communication device, the first plurality of audio packets including frames of audio data for a first audio channel from a set of one or more audio channels; and
a processing unit;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to release, at respective first buffer release times, the frames of the audio data for the first audio channel from a first buffer for rendering by the processing unit;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to receive one or more messages from an other audio rendering device;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to synchronize the first buffer release times with second buffer release times associated with the other audio rendering device based on the received one or more messages; and
wherein at least one of the one or more messages from the other audio rendering device is indicative of a sequence number of a frame scheduled for release at the other audio rendering device.

9. The audio rendering system according to claim 8 , wherein the first buffer release times are regularly spaced apart by a first interval, and wherein the second buffer release times are regularly spaced apart by a second interval equal to the first interval.

10. The audio rendering device according to claim 8 , wherein the audio rendering device is configured to determine first packet receipt times indicative of respective times of receipt of audio packets of the first plurality of audio packets from the wireless communication device, and to determine the first buffer release times based on the determined first packet receipt times.

11. The audio rendering device according to claim 8 , wherein the audio rendering device is configured to determine at least one of the first buffer release times based on a delay interval between a transmission of one of the first plurality of audio packets and a transmission of one of a second plurality of audio packets for the other audio rendering device.

12. The audio rendering device according to claim 8 , wherein the audio rendering device is configured to maintain the first buffer responsive to the received one or more messages.

13. An audio rendering device comprising:
at least one wireless communication interface configured to receive a first plurality of audio packets from a wireless communication device, the first plurality of audio packets including frames of audio data for a first audio channel from a set of one or more audio channels; and
a processing unit;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to release, at respective first buffer release times, the frames of the audio data for the first audio channel from a first buffer for rendering by the processing unit;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to receive one or more messages from an other audio rendering device;
wherein the audio rendering device is configured to synchronize the first buffer release times with second buffer release times associated with the other audio rendering device based on the received one or more messages; and
wherein at least one of the one or more messages from the other audio rendering device is indicative of an elapsed time since a receipt, by the other audio rendering device, of a frame of audio data scheduled for release from the a second buffer associated with the other audio rendering device at a next buffer release time.

Assignees

• Gn Hearing As

Inventors

• Pedersen Thorkild Find
• Pedersen Brian Dam

Classifications

• G06F3/162 Primary

  Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs · CPC title

• H04R25/552 Primary

  Binaural · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• G06F2212/171

  Portable consumer electronics, e.g. mobile phone · CPC title