Audio routing determination for speaker devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12353792-B2
Application number	US-202318190890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2023
Priority date	Feb 16, 2021
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

When a speaker device is within communication range of an electronic device, various rules are used to determine whether to connect to or route audio data to the speaker device. For example, the electronic device may prompt the user to choose whether to connect to a wireless speaker device. In situations in which the user rejects connecting to the wireless speaker device, subsequent attempts by the speaker device to connect to the electronic device are also rejected or ignored without further prompting the user, or the wireless speaker device may be connected to the electronic device but audio data not routed to the wireless speaker device. By way of another example, the electronic device may determine whether to route audio data to a wireless speaker device based on signal strength and link quality metrics for wireless communication between the electronic device and one or more wireless speaker devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
establishing, by an electronic device, a wireless connection with a first wireless speaker device paired with the electronic device;
determining whether audio playback at the electronic device is currently active;
determining whether the electronic device is currently connected to a second wireless speaker device;
determining, in response to the electronic device not being currently connected to a second wireless speaker device, whether signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device are satisfied;
automatically setting, in response to the signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device being satisfied, the first wireless speaker device to be the active speaker device; and
routing audio data for the audio playback wirelessly to the first wireless speaker device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device not being satisfied, not routing audio data to the first wireless speaker device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the electronic device being currently connected to the second wireless speaker device:
evaluating the signal strength and link quality metrics for the second wireless speaker device and signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device;
determining whether the signal strength and link quality metrics for both the first wireless speaker device and the second speaker wireless device are satisfied;
automatically setting the first wireless speaker device to be the active speaker device; and
routing audio data for the audio playback wirelessly to the first wireless speaker device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the electronic device being currently connected to the second wireless speaker device:
evaluating the signal strength and link quality metrics for the second wireless speaker device and signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device;
determining whether the signal strength and link quality metrics for both the first wireless speaker device and the second wireless speaker device are satisfied; and
in response to the signal strength and link quality metrics for both the first wireless speaker device and the second wireless speaker device not being satisfied, not routing audio data to the first wireless speaker device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless connection comprises a Bluetooth connection.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the audio playback at the electronic device not being currently active, not routing audio data to the first wireless speaker device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal strength is satisfied if a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is greater than a threshold amount.

8. An electronic device comprising:
a processor implemented in hardware; and
a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon multiple instructions that, responsive to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts including:
establishing a wireless connection with a first wireless speaker device paired with the electronic device;
determining whether audio playback at the electronic device is currently active;
determining whether the electronic device is currently connected to a second wireless speaker device;
determining, in response to the electronic device not being currently connected to a second wireless speaker device, whether signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device are satisfied;
automatically setting, in response to the signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device being satisfied, the first wireless speaker device to be the active speaker device; and
routing audio data for the audio playback wirelessly to the first wireless speaker device.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , the acts further including, in response to the signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device not being satisfied, not routing audio data to the first wireless speaker device.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , the acts further including, in response to the electronic device being currently connected to the second wireless speaker device:
evaluating the signal strength and link quality metrics for the second wireless speaker device and signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device;
determining whether the signal strength and link quality metrics for both the first wireless speaker device and the second speaker wireless device are satisfied;
automatically setting the first wireless speaker device to be the active speaker device; and
routing audio data for the audio playback wirelessly to the first wireless speaker device.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , the acts further including, in response to the electronic device being currently connected to the second wireless speaker device:
evaluating the signal strength and link quality metrics for the second wireless speaker device and signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device;
determining whether the signal strength and link quality metrics for both the first wireless speaker device and the second wireless speaker device are satisfied; and
in response to the signal strength and link quality metrics for both the first wireless speaker device and the second wireless speaker device not being satisfied, not routing audio data to the first wireless speaker device.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the wireless connection comprises a Bluetooth connection.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 , the acts further including, in response to the audio playback at the electronic device not being currently active, not routing audio data to the first wireless speaker device.

14. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the signal strength is satisfied if a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is greater than a threshold amount.

15. An electronic device comprising:
a communication system, implemented at least in part in hardware, to establish a wireless connection with a first wireless speaker device paired with the electronic device;
an audio routing determination system, implemented at least in part in hardware, to determine whether audio playback at the electronic device is currently active, determine whether the electronic device is currently connected to a second wireless speaker device, determine, in response to the electronic device not being currently connected to a second wireless speaker device, whether signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device are satisfied, and automatically set, in response to the signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device being satisfied, the first wireless speaker device to be the active speaker device; and
the communication system being further to route audio data for the audio playback wirelessly to the first wireless speaker device.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the communication system is further to, in response to the signal strength and link quality metrics for the first wireless speaker device not being satisfied, not route audio data to the first wireless speaker device.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein:
the audio routing determination system is further to, in response to the elect

Assignees

• Motorola Mobility Llc

Inventors

• Kovalenko Igor
• Km Vishwanath

Classifications

• H04R3/12

  for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04R2420/01

  Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title