Bt and bcc communication for wireless earbuds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016119708-A1
Application number	US-201414521048-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2014
Priority date	Oct 22, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Devices and methods for controlling the functionality of a pair of earbuds. The first earbud establishes a connection between the first earbud and an electronic device, searches for the second earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication, BCC, and sends a signal from the first earbud to the electronic device including information defining whether the first earbud detected the second earbud during the search. The electronic device receives a signal from the at least one of the earbuds, the signal comprising information defining whether the earbud has detected the other earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication, BCC, and sends a signal to the at least one earbud wherein the signal is controlled based on the received signal and includes information associated with controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds.

First claim

1 . A method performed in a first earbud of a pair of earbuds for controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds, the method comprises:
establishing a connection between the first earbud and an electronic device; searching (S 3 ) for the second earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication (BCC); sending a signal from the first earbud to the electronic device, the signal comprising information defining whether the first earbud detected the second earbud during the search.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing a connection between the first earbud and an electronic device comprises that the connection is a Bluetooth connection or BCC connection.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
detecting, using a body recognizing sensor, direct contact between the first earbud and the body of a user of the first earbud.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the earbud that first detects contact is the first earbud.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the earbud that is detected first is the first earbud which acts as a BCC master and the second earbud acts as a BCC client.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the second earbud will act as a BCC master if the direct contact between the first earbud and the body of the user is broken.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
receiving from the electronic device, a signal comprising information associated with the functionality of the pair of earbuds; controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds based on the received signal from the electronic device.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises that the first earbud receives a stereo audio signal, decodes the signal into two channels of which one sent to a speaker in the first earbud and the other is sent to the second earbud using BCC.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises that the first earbud or second earbud reproduces sound from a received signal in mono.

10 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises that the first earbud receives a mono audio signal and sends it to a speaker in the first earbud and the second earbud converts sound into a signal that is sent to the first earbud using BCC, the first earbud sends the signal on to the electronic device, whereby the first and the second earbud forms a headset.

11 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises that the second earbud receives a mono audio signal and sends it to a speaker in the second earbud and the first earbud converts sound into a signal that is sent to the second earbud using BCC, the second earbud sends the signal on to the electronic device, whereby the first and the second earbud forms a headset.

12 . A method performed in an electronic device, for controlling the functionality of a pair of earbuds the method comprises:
establishing a connection between the electronic device and at least one of the earbuds; receiving, in the electronic device, a signal from the at least one of the earbuds, the signal comprising information defining whether the earbud has detected the other earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication (BCC); sending a signal to the at least one earbud wherein the signal is controlled based on the received signal and comprises information associated with controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the information associated with the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises instructions to set the functionality of the first earbud and the second earbud to reproduce sound from a signal in stereo.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the information associated with the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises instructions to set the functionality of the first earbud or second earbud to reproduce sound from a received signal in mono.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the information associated with the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises instructions to set the functionality of the first earbud to reproduce sound from a received signal in mono and of the second earbud to convert sound into a signal that is sent to the electronic device, whereby the first and the second earbud forms a headset.

16 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the information associated with the functionality of the pair of earbuds comprises instructions to set the functionality of the second earbud to reproduce sound from a received signal in mono and of the first earbud to convert sound into a signal that is sent to the electronic device, whereby the first and the second earbud forms a headset.

17 . A first earbud of a pair of wireless earbuds for controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds, comprising:
communication circuitry for short distance communication; processing circuitry configured to:
establish a connection, using the communication circuitry, between the first earbud and an electronic device;
search for the second earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication (BCC) of the communication circuitry;
send a signal, using the communication circuitry, from the first earbud to the electronic device, the signal comprising information defining whether the first earbud detected the second earbud during the search.

18 . The first earbud according to claim 18 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
receive from the electronic device, a signal, using the communication circuitry, comprising information associated with the functionality of the pair of earbuds; control the functionality of the pair of earbuds based on the received signal from the electronic device.

19 . An electronic device, for controlling the functionality of a pair of earbuds, comprising:
communication circuitry for short distance communication; processing circuitry configured to:
establish a connection, using the communication circuitry, between the electronic device and at least one of the earbuds;
receive, in the electronic device, a signal, using the communication circuitry, from the at least one of the earbuds, the signal comprising information defining whether the earbud has detected the other earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication (BCC);
send a signal, using the communication circuitry, to the at least one earbud wherein the signal is controlled based on the received signal and comprises information associated with controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds.

20 . A computer program, comprising computer readable code which, when run on an electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform the method as claimed in claim 12 .

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Rodzevski Aleksandar
• Midholt Magnus

Classifications

• H04M1/05

  specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast · CPC title

• H04M1/6066

  including a wireless connection · CPC title

• H04B13/005

  Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body · CPC title

• H04M2250/02

  including a Bluetooth® interface · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title