Audio data routing between multiple wirelessly connected devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016360018-A1
Application number	US-201615169554-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatus and methods to communicate audio data from either an active wireless device or a requesting wireless device to one or more audio reproduction devices that are simultaneously communicatively coupled to both the active wireless device and to the requesting wireless device are disclosed. Responsive to a request from the requesting wireless device to transmit audio data to the one or more audio reproduction devices, the active wireless device determines whether to transmit audio data from the requesting wireless device based at least in part on an audio status of the active wireless device and a set of predetermined arbitration criteria that prioritizes among applications and operating system processes that generate the audio data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
by an active wireless device: detecting an audio status of the active wireless device, the active wireless device and a requesting wireless device both being simultaneously communicatively coupled to one or both of a pair of wireless ear buds, the active wireless device having control of an audio channel for transmission of audio data to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds; determining whether to transmit audio data associated with the requesting wireless device to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds based at least in part on the audio status of the active wireless device and predetermined arbitration criteria; and causing the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device to be transmitted to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds when the audio status of the active wireless device and the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device satisfy the predetermined arbitration criteria, wherein the audio status of the active wireless device comprises whether the active wireless device is communicating audio data to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the audio status of the active wireless device comprises the active wireless device operating in a muted state or an audio paused state in which audio data associated the active wireless device is not being communicated to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds; and the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device is transmitted to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the audio status of the active wireless device comprises the active wireless device communicating audio data having a first priority level to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds; the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device comprises audio data having a second priority level that is equal to or higher than the first priority level; and the audio data of the second priority level associated with the requesting wireless device is transmitted to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds and transmission of the audio data of the first priority level associated with the active wireless device is suspended.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the audio data having the second priority level associated with the requesting wireless device comprises audio data associated with a voice call or a video call.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the audio status of the active wireless device comprises the active wireless device communicating audio data having a first priority level to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds; the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device comprises audio data having a second priority level lower than the first priority level; and the audio data of the second priority level associated with the requesting wireless device is not transmitted to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the audio data having the first priority level associated with the active wireless device comprises audio data associated with a voice call or a video call; and the audio data having the second priority level associated with the requesting wireless device comprises audio data associated with an application or operating system process other than servicing a voice call or a video call.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the audio data having the second priority level associated with the requesting wireless device further comprises audio data corresponding to at least one of an alert, an alarm, a navigation application, a game application, media playback, or a voice mail.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a wearing status of the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds, wherein audio data is transmitted to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds from either the active wireless device or the requesting wireless device when at least one wireless ear bud has an in-ear status.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
audio data is not transmitted to the one or both of the pair of wireless ear buds from either the active wireless device or the requesting wireless device when both of the pair of wireless ear buds have an out-of-ear status.

10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause an active wireless device to:
detect an audio status of the active wireless device communicatively coupled to at least one wireless ear bud of a pair of wireless ear buds; receive a request to transmit audio data to the at least one wireless ear bud from a requesting wireless device, wherein the requesting wireless device and the active wireless device are both simultaneously communicatively coupled to the at least one wireless ear bud of the pair of wireless ear buds, the active wireless device having control of an audio channel for transmission of audio data to the at least one wireless ear bud of the pair of wireless ear buds; determine whether to grant the request to transmit the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device to the at least one wireless ear bud based at least in part on the audio status of the active wireless device and predetermined arbitration criteria; and grant the request to transmit the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device to the at least one wireless ear bud when the audio status of the active wireless device and the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device satisfy the predetermined arbitration criteria.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein:
the audio status of the active wireless device comprises the active wireless device operating in a muted state or an audio paused state in which audio data associated with the active wireless device is not being communicated to the at least one wireless ear bud of the pair of wireless ear buds; and the request to transmit the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device to the at least one wireless ear bud of the pair of wireless ear buds is granted.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein:
the audio status of the active wireless device comprises the active wireless device communicating audio data having a first priority level to the at least one wireless ear bud of the pair of wireless ear buds; the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device comprises audio data having a second priority level that is equal to or higher than the first priority level; and the request to transmit the audio data of the second priority level associated with the requesting wireless device to the at least one of the pair of wireless ear buds is granted and transmission of the audio data of the first priority level associated with the active wireless device is suspended.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein:
the audio status of the active wireless device comprises the active wireless device communicating audio data having a first priority level to the at least one wireless ear bud of the pair of wireless ear buds; the audio data associated with the requesting wireless device comprises audio data having a second priority level lower than the first priority level; and the request to transmit the audio data of the second priority level associated with the requesting wireless device to the at least one of the pair of wireless ear buds is not granted.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Watson Robert D
• Ganapathi Batta Ganesha Adkasthala
• Guetta Anthony
• Shaw David John
• Dooley Craig
• Saari Chris
• Novick Gregory
• De Vries Nathan
• Hariharan Sriram
• Bernhard Patrick Ian
• Mclaughlin Dana
• Moore Jeffrey Chandler
• Coffman Patrick Lee
• Bennett Jonathan Anderson
• Iyer Deepak
• Howard Riley
• Conn Jason

Classifications

• H04W72/566 Primary

  of the information or information source or recipient · CPC title

• H04R1/1041

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · 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

• H04M1/6066 Primary

  including a wireless connection · CPC title