Concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11233836-B2
Application number	US-201916428648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2019
Priority date	May 31, 2019
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A device providing concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices may include at least one processor configured to receive a user selection of at least two paired audio output devices. The at least one processor may be further configured to connect to each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices. The at least one processor may be further configured to synchronize at least one audio output synchronization parameter across each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices. The at least one processor may be further configured to concurrently stream a respective audio stream to each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
discovering a proximate wireless audio output device by an electronic device having a wireless connection with another wireless audio output device;
receiving, by the electronic device, a request to initiate concurrent audio streaming with the proximate wireless audio output device and the other wireless audio output device;
temporarily pairing, responsive to receiving the request, with the proximate wireless audio output device; and
establishing, responsive to the pairing, another wireless connection with the proximate wireless audio output device while maintaining the wireless connection with the other wireless audio output device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying an indication that the proximate wireless audio output device is available for concurrent audio streaming, wherein the request to initiate the concurrent audio streaming with the proximate wireless audio output device and the other wireless audio output device is received responsive to displaying the indication.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing, responsive to the pairing, the other wireless connection to the proximate wireless audio output device comprises:
synchronizing an audio output parameter across the proximate wireless audio output device and the other wireless audio output device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the audio output parameter comprises a jitter buffer depth.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless connection and the other wireless connection comprise Bluetooth connections, the other wireless connection with the proximate wireless audio device utilizes a first Bluetooth profile, and the wireless connection with the other wireless audio output device utilizes a second Bluetooth profile that is separate from, and independent of, the first Bluetooth profile.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proximate wireless audio output device is associated with a first user account, and the other wireless audio output device and the electronic device are associated with a second user account.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein an audio notification triggered by an event on the electronic device is provided to the other wireless audio output device but not to the proximate wireless audio output device.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
automatically and without user input, unpairing with the proximate wireless audio output device after termination of the other wireless connection with the proximate wireless audio output device, wherein the other wireless audio output device remains paired after a termination of the wireless connection with the other wireless audio output device.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
concurrently streaming a first audio stream to the proximate wireless audio output device and a second audio stream to the other wireless audio output device.

10. A device comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor configured to:
receive a user selection of at least two paired audio output devices;
connect to each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices;
synchronize at least one audio output synchronization parameter across each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices by:
requesting that each of the at least two of the paired audio devices provide a respective current parameter configuration,
determining the at least one audio output synchronization parameter for the at least two of the paired audio devices based on the respective current parameter configuration of the at least two of the paired audio devices, and
transmitting the at least one audio output synchronization parameter to each of the at least two of the paired audio devices; and

concurrently stream a respective audio stream to each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the respective current parameter configuration of the at least two of the paired audio devices comprises a jitter buffer depth for each of the at least two of the paired audio devices, and wherein the at least one audio output synchronization parameter comprises a jitter buffer depth corresponding to a larger of the jitter buffer depth for each of the at least two of the paired audio devices.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein each respective audio stream comprises a same audio content.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive an incoming call, and wherein, prior to receipt of the incoming call, each respective audio stream comprises different audio content.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
independently control a respective volume level of each respective audio stream.

15. The device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive an incoming audio communication;
provide a respective notification of the incoming audio communication to each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices;
receive a request to receive the incoming audio communication from one of the at least two of the paired audio output devices; and
stream the incoming audio communication to the one of the at least two of the paired audio output devices in lieu of the respective audio stream for the one of the at least two of the paired audio output devices.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
continue to stream each respective audio stream to each other paired audio output device of the at least two of the paired audio output devices while streaming the incoming audio communication to the one of the at least two of the paired audio output devices.

17. A system comprising:
an electronic device wirelessly connected to a wireless audio output device, the electronic device comprising a memory and at least one processor configured to:
discover a proximate electronic device that is wirelessly coupled to another wireless audio output device;
establish a peer-to-peer connection with the proximate electronic device;
receive, over the peer-to-peer connection, connection information for temporarily connecting to the other wireless audio output device;
connect to the other wireless audio output device based at least in part on the received connection information; and
stream a first audio stream to the wireless audio output device while concurrently streaming a second audio stream to the other wireless audio output device.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor of the electronic device is further configured to:
synchronize audio output of the wireless audio output device and the other wireless audio output device by adjusting at least one audio output synchronization parameter of at least one of the wireless audio output device or the other wireless audio output device.

19. The system of claim 17 , further comprising the other wireless audio device, the other wireless audio device configured to:
receive the connection information from the proximate electronic device, the connection information being different from another connection information used by the other wireless audio output device to connect to the proximate electronic device;
connect to the electronic device based at least in part on the connection information, wherein connecting to the electronic device causes a disconnection from the proximate electronic device; and
delete the connection information and reconnect to the proxi

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Fornshell Natalia A
• Kumar Aarti
• Yi Astrid
• Iyer Deepak C
• Pietsch Brian D
• De Camargo Barscevicius Cesar
• Richter Alexander
• Arya Ashraya
• Ranade Sarang S
• Giles Michael

Classifications

• H04L65/611 Primary

  for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06) · CPC title

• H04N21/8106

  involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages · CPC title

• H04N21/439 Primary

  Processing of audio elementary streams · CPC title

• H04N21/4307

  Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen · CPC title

• H04W4/70

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title