Multiple transmission network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11051296-B2
Application number	US-201715481967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2017
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A wireless communication method and a system comprising a first audio source unit and at least a second audio source unit each comprising; a connection management interface for connecting to a network topology, a protocol management interface, a management link and a communication link, and during a configuration period the first audio source unit may be configured to listen for a notification packet via the management link, and, based on a first criteria, the first audio source unit may be configured to establish, via the protocol management interface, a communication group and a respective communication frame. Furthermore, where the first audio source unit may be a coordinator of the communication group, the coordinator may then be configured to establish notification packets in the communication frame, and the notification packets may then be transmitted via the management link assigned to a first time interval in the communication frame. During the configuration period, the second audio source unit may be configured to listen for a notification packet received? via the management link of the second audio source unit, the second audio source unit receives at least the notification packet and may be configured to extract, via a protocol management interface link, information of the management link of the coordinator from the received notification packet, and the second audio source unit may then be configured to transmit an ID information via the management link of the coordinator of the communication group, and where the coordinator may be configured to assign a second time interval for a communication link of the second audio source unit in the communication frame, the second audio source unit may then be configured to become an audio source member of that communication group. During a data communication period the second audio source member may be configured to communicate via the communication link of the audio source member at the second time interval in the communication frame to a sink unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for coordinating communication in a wireless network topology, where the communication in the wireless network topology includes communication between a plurality of audio source members of a communication group and at least one sink unit, wherein the plurality of audio source members includes a first audio source unit and a second audio source unit, the method comprising:
by the first audio source unit, during a configuration period,
connecting to the wireless network topology via a connection management interface in a first communication frame,
listening for a notification packet in the wireless network topology via a management link in a link layer of the first communication frame, and wherein the management link is linked to the connection management interface,
establishing a communication group in the wireless network topology based on a first criteria, wherein the first criteria is based on that the first audio source unit does not receive a notification packet within the configuration period from a higher-priority audio source according to a prioritization scheme, the first audio source unit being a coordinator of the communication group and is also assigned to a first communication link,
establishing notification packets via a protocol management interface in the first communication frame and transmitting the notification packets via the management link assigned to a first time interval in the first communication frame, and

by the first audio source unit, during a data communication period, electronically transmitting a first audio stream via the first communication link directly to the at least one sink unit;
by the second audio source unit, during the configuration period,
connecting to the wireless network topology via a connection management interface in a second communication frame,
listening for a notification packet via a management link in a link layer of the second communication frame, wherein the management link is linked to the connection management interface and to the management link of the first audio source unit,
receiving one of the notification packets transmitted by the coordinator via the management link, and the notification packet includes link information to the management link of the coordinator of the communication group in the first communication frame,
in response to determining that the coordinator is a higher-priority audio source than the second audio source unit according to the prioritization scheme, transmitting an ID information via the management link to the coordinator by using the link information;

by the coordinator, during the configuration period,
assigning the second audio source unit to a second communication link in a second time interval of the first communication frame by using the ID information of the second audio source unit, and the second audio source unit is a second audio source member of the communication group, and

by the second audio source member, during the data communication period,
electronically transmitting a second audio stream via the second communication link directly to the at least one sink unit,

wherein the at least one sink unit includes a hearing aid synchronized to each of the first and second communication links to electronically receive the first and second audio streams, respectively, by receiving one of the notification packets transmitted by the coordinator,
wherein, according to the prioritization scheme, a stationary audio source unit has a higher priority than a mobile audio source unit, and a personal audio source unit has a lowest priority.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
when receiving the notification packet transmitted by the first audio source, if the second audio source unit is already a member of a communication group established by a lower-priority coordinator than the first audio source, the second audio source instructs the lower-priority coordinator to join the communication group established by the first audio source, thereby merging the communication groups and establishing the first audio source as the coordinator of the merged communication group.

3. A wireless communication system configured to establish a communication between a plurality of audio source members of a communication group and at least one sink unit in a wireless network topology,
wherein the plurality of audio source members includes a first audio source unit and a second audio source unit, wherein the first audio source unit comprises:
a connection management interface in a first communication frame configured to connect the first audio source unit to the wireless network topology,
a management link in a link layer of the first communication frame, wherein the management link is linked to the connection management interface, and wherein the first audio source unit is configured to listen for a notification packet via the management link during a configuration period, and

wherein the first audio source unit is configured to establish a communication group in the wireless network topology based on a first criteria, wherein the first criteria is based on that the first audio source unit does not receive a notification packet within the configuration period from a higher-priority audio source according to a prioritization scheme, wherein the first audio source unit is assigned to a first communication link, and the first audio source unit is a coordinator of the communication group, wherein the coordinator is configured to establish notification packets via a protocol management interface in the first communication frame and transmitting the notification packets via the management link assigned to a first time interval in the first communication frame, and wherein during a data communication period the first audio source member is configured to electronically transmit a first audio stream via the first communication link directly to the at least one sink unit,
wherein the second audio source unit comprises:
a connection management interface in a second communication frame configured to connect the second audio source unit to the wireless network topology,
a management link in a link layer of the second communication frame, wherein the management link is linked to the connection management interface and to the management link of the first audio source unit, and wherein the second audio source unit is configured to listen for a notification packet via the management link during the configuration period, and

wherein the second audio source unit is configured to
receive one of the notification packets, transmitted by the coordinator, via the management link during the configuration period, and the notification packet includes link information to the management link of the coordinator of the communication group in the first communication frame, and
in response to determining that the coordinator is a higher-priority audio source than the second audio source according to the prioritization scheme, transmit an ID information via the management link to the coordinator by using the link information,

wherein, during the configuration period the coordinator is configured to assign the second audio source unit to a second communication link in a second time interval of the first communication frame by using the ID information of the second audio source unit,
wherein, during the data communication period, the second audio source member is configured to electronically transmit a second audio stream via the second communication link directly to the at least one sink unit,
wherein the at least one sink unit includes a hearing aid synchronized to each of the first and second communication links to electronically receive the first and second audio streams, respectively, by receiving one of the notification packets transmitted by t

Assignees

• Oticon As

Inventors

• Klemmensen Bjarne
• Hansen Peter Søren Kirk

Classifications

• H04R25/554 Primary

  using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils · CPC title

• H04R25/43

  Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics (H04R25/407 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R27/02

  Amplifying systems for the deaf · CPC title

• H04R2225/55

  Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange · CPC title

• H04R2227/003

  Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet · CPC title