Bluetooth communication system and related Bluetooth device group

Abstract

The present invention relates to a Bluetooth communication system and a related group of Bluetooth devices. The Bluetooth communication system includes: a Bluetooth master device; and a group of Bluetooth devices, which includes a first member device and a second member device. The first member device can transmit device information of the first member device to the Bluetooth master device. The Bluetooth master device can control a display device to display a list of candidate devices, and will display a single device option in the list of candidate devices to represent the group of Bluetooth devices, but will not simultaneously display two device options representing the first member device and the second member device in the list of candidate devices. The Bluetooth master device can, after receiving a selection instruction issued by a user, establish a connection with the first member device and perform pairing to generate a first key. The first member device can establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device and perform pairing to generate a second key corresponding to the first key.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to Bluetooth technology, and particularly to a Bluetooth communication system that can improve the generation efficiency of keys required for data transmission between a Bluetooth master device and a Bluetooth device group, and related Bluetooth device groups. Background Art

[0002] Bluetooth technology is divided into two major categories. One is Bluetooth classic (Classic Bluetooth / Legacy Bluetooth) technology, and the other is Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. BLE technology and Bluetooth classic technology are not compatible with each other (or not fully compatible), but the two technologies can coexist in the same Bluetooth device or the same Bluetooth chip. In other words, a single Bluetooth device or a single Bluetooth chip can be designed to support both BLE technology and Bluetooth classic technology, or can be designed to support only one of the Bluetooth communication standards. The newly introduced Bluetooth Low Energy Audio (BLE Audio) technology (hereinafter referred to as BLE audio technology) based on the Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.2 is a major update to the audio transmission technical specifications in the more than 20 years of Bluetooth technology development. The main advantage of BLE audio technology is that it can transmit higher-quality audio and significantly reduce power consumption at the same time. It can be foreseen that the market demand for Bluetooth device groups (such as Bluetooth headsets or multi-channel Bluetooth speakers, etc.) that can support BLE audio technology will be higher and higher.

[0003] As is well known, when a Bluetooth device group using Bluetooth classic technology wants to connect to a Bluetooth master device (such as a mobile phone or a computer, etc.), the Bluetooth master device treats multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group as a single Bluetooth device. Therefore, the Bluetooth master device only needs to establish a connection with one of the member devices in the Bluetooth device group.

[0004] However, according to the specifications of BLE audio technology, when a Bluetooth device group that supports BLE audio technology wants to connect to a Bluetooth master device, the Bluetooth master device must perform Bluetooth pairing with all member devices in the Bluetooth device group one by one in order to successfully transmit audio data or other data to all member devices in the Bluetooth device group. According to the existing technology, the process of the Bluetooth master device performing Bluetooth pairing with all member devices in the Bluetooth device group one by one is quite long. One of the main reasons is that the Bluetooth master device must spend a lot of time negotiating the relevant parameters of the cypher key that both parties need to generate with each individual member device. The more member devices there are in the Bluetooth device group, the longer the time spent by the Bluetooth master device and the Bluetooth device group in generating the required keys.

[0005] Therefore, if the generation efficiency of the keys required for subsequent data transmission cannot be improved for the Bluetooth master device and the Bluetooth device group, it will seriously hinder the development prospects of the BLE audio technology in related applications of the Bluetooth device group. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, how to significantly improve the generation efficiency of the keys required for subsequent data transmission for the Bluetooth master device and the Bluetooth device group is indeed a problem to be solved.

[0007] This specification provides an embodiment of a Bluetooth communication system, which includes: a Bluetooth master device, which includes: a master communication circuit; a master key generation circuit; and a processing circuit, coupled to the master communication circuit and the master key generation circuit, configured to control the operations of the master communication circuit and the master key generation circuit; and a Bluetooth device group, which includes at least a first member device and a second member device; wherein, the first member device includes: a first communication circuit, configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit; a first key generation circuit; and a first control circuit, coupled to the first communication circuit and the first key generation circuit, configured to generate a first group identification code corresponding to the first member device according to a device group identification information corresponding to the Bluetooth device group, generate one or more target Bluetooth packets including an automatic pairing request and a device information of the first member device, and transmit the one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit; wherein, the second member device includes: a second communication circuit, configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit; and a second control circuit, coupled to the second communication circuit, configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit and configured to generate a second group identification code corresponding to the second member device according to the device group identification information; wherein, the master communication circuit is further configured to receive the one or more target Bluetooth packets; wherein, the processing circuit is further configured to identify the first member device as a first privileged device according to the automatic pairing request in the one or more target Bluetooth packets, and after identifying the first member device as the first privileged device, the processing circuit can transmit a first privileged pairing notification to the first member device through the master communication circuit and generate a first key; wherein, the first control circuit is further configured to generate a second key corresponding to the first key after the first communication circuit receives the first privileged pairing notification.

[0008] This specification further provides an embodiment for a group of Bluetooth devices in a Bluetooth communication system, which includes: a first member device, which includes: a first communication circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with a Bluetooth master device in the Bluetooth communication system; a first key generation circuit; and a first control circuit, coupled to the first communication circuit and the first key generation circuit, configured to generate a first group identification code corresponding to the first member device according to a device group identification information corresponding to the group of Bluetooth devices, generate one or more target Bluetooth packets including an automatic pairing request and device information of the first member device, and transmit the one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit; a second member device, which includes: a second communication circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with the Bluetooth master device; and a second control circuit, coupled to the second communication circuit, configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit and generate a second group identification code corresponding to the second member device according to the device group identification information; wherein, the Bluetooth master device identifies the first member device as a first privileged device according to the automatic pairing request in the one or more target Bluetooth packets, and after identifying the first member device as the first privileged device, the Bluetooth master device transmits a first privileged pairing notification to the first member device and generates a first key; wherein, the first control circuit is further configured to generate a second key corresponding to the first key after the first communication circuit receives the first privileged pairing notification.

[0009] This specification further provides an embodiment of a Bluetooth communication system, which includes: a Bluetooth master device, which includes: a master communication circuit; a master key generation circuit; and a processing circuit, coupled to the master communication circuit and the master key generation circuit, and configured to control the operations of the master communication circuit and the master key generation circuit; and a group of Bluetooth devices, which includes at least one first member device and a second member device; wherein, the first member device includes: a first communication circuit, configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit; a first key generation circuit; and a first control circuit, coupled to the first communication circuit and the first key generation circuit, and configured to generate a first group identification code corresponding to the first member device according to a device group identification information corresponding to the group of Bluetooth devices, generate one or more target Bluetooth packets including a device information of the first member device and the first group identification code, and transmit the one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit; wherein, the second member device includes: a second communication circuit, configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit; and a second control circuit, coupled to the second communication circuit, and configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit and generate a second group identification code corresponding to the second member device according to the device group identification information; wherein, the master communication circuit is further configured to receive the one or more target Bluetooth packets; wherein, the processing circuit is further configured to control a display device to display a candidate device list, and display a single device option in the candidate device list to represent the group of Bluetooth devices, but not display two device options representing the first member device and the second member device in the candidate device list at the same time; wherein, the processing circuit is further configured to identify the first member device as a first privileged device according to the position of the first group identification code in the one or more target Bluetooth packets, and after identifying the first member device as the first privileged device, the processing circuit can transmit a first privileged pairing notification to the first member device through the master communication circuit and generate a first key; wherein, the first control circuit is further configured to generate a second key corresponding to the first key after the first communication circuit receives the first privileged pairing notification.

[0010] This specification further provides an embodiment for a group of Bluetooth devices in a Bluetooth communication system, which includes: a first member device, which includes: a first communication circuit configured to perform wireless communication with a Bluetooth master device in the Bluetooth communication system; a first key generation circuit; and a first control circuit, coupled to the first communication circuit and the first key generation circuit, configured to generate a first group identification code corresponding to the first member device according to a device group identification information corresponding to the group of Bluetooth devices, generate one or more target Bluetooth packets including a device information of the first member device and the first group identification code, and transmit the one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit; a second member device, which includes: a second communication circuit configured to perform wireless communication with the Bluetooth master device; and a second control circuit, coupled to the second communication circuit, configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit and generate a second group identification code corresponding to the second member device according to the device group identification information; wherein, the Bluetooth master device controls a display device to display a candidate device list, and displays a single device option in the candidate device list to represent the group of Bluetooth devices, but does not display two device options representing the first member device and the second member device in the candidate device list at the same time; wherein, the Bluetooth master device identifies the first member device as a first privileged device according to the position of the first group identification code in the one or more target Bluetooth packets, and after identifying the first member device as the first privileged device, the Bluetooth master device transmits a first privileged pairing notification to the first member device and generates a first key; wherein, the first control circuit is further configured to generate a second key corresponding to the first key after the first communication circuit receives the first privileged pairing notification.

[0011] This specification further provides an embodiment of a Bluetooth communication system, which includes: a Bluetooth master device, which includes: a master communication circuit; a master key generation circuit; and a processing circuit, coupled to the master communication circuit and the master key generation circuit, configured to control the operations of the master communication circuit and the master key generation circuit; and a Bluetooth device group, which includes at least one first member device and a second member device; wherein, the first member device includes: a first communication circuit, configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit; a first key generation circuit; and a first control circuit, coupled to the first communication circuit and the first key generation circuit, configured to generate a first group identification code corresponding to the first member device according to a device group identification information corresponding to the Bluetooth device group, and configured to transmit a device information of the first member device to the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit; wherein, the second member device includes: a second communication circuit, configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit; and a second control circuit, coupled to the second communication circuit, configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit, and configured to generate a second group identification code corresponding to the second member device according to the device group identification information; wherein, the processing circuit is further configured to control a display device to display a candidate device list, and a single device option representing the Bluetooth device group is displayed in the candidate device list, but two device options representing the first member device and the second member device are not displayed simultaneously in the candidate device list; wherein, the processing circuit is further configured to establish a connection with the first member device by using the master communication circuit and perform a pairing procedure to generate a first key after receiving a selection instruction issued by a user; wherein, the first control circuit is further configured to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit and perform a pairing procedure to generate a second key corresponding to the first key.

[0012] This specification further provides an embodiment of a Bluetooth device group in a Bluetooth communication system, which includes: a first member device, which includes: a first communication circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with a Bluetooth master device in the Bluetooth communication system; a first key generation circuit; and a first control circuit, coupled to the first communication circuit and the first key generation circuit, configured to generate a first group identification code corresponding to the first member device according to a device group identification information corresponding to the Bluetooth device group, and configured to transmit a device information of the first member device to the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit; a second member device, which includes: a second communication circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with the Bluetooth master device; and a second control circuit, coupled to the second communication circuit, configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit, and configured to generate a second group identification code corresponding to the second member device according to the device group identification information; wherein, the Bluetooth master device controls a display device to display a candidate device list, and displays a single device option in the candidate device list to represent the Bluetooth device group, but does not display two device options representing the first member device and the second member device in the candidate device list at the same time; wherein, the Bluetooth master device establishes a connection with the first member device and performs a pairing process to generate a first key after receiving a selection instruction issued by a user; wherein, the first control circuit is further configured to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit and perform a pairing process to generate a second key corresponding to the first key.

[0013] This specification further provides an embodiment of a Bluetooth communication system, which includes: a Bluetooth master device, which includes: a master communication circuit; a master key generation circuit; and a processing circuit, coupled to the master communication circuit and the master key generation circuit, configured to control the operations of the master communication circuit and the master key generation circuit; and a Bluetooth device group, which includes at least one first member device and a second member device; wherein, the first member device includes: a first communication circuit, configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit; a first key generation circuit; and a first control circuit, coupled to the first communication circuit and the first key generation circuit, configured to generate a first group identification code corresponding to the first member device according to a device group identification information corresponding to the Bluetooth device group, and to transmit a device information of the first member device to the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit; wherein, the second member device includes: a second communication circuit, configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit; and a second control circuit, coupled to the second communication circuit, configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit, and configured to generate a second group identification code corresponding to the second member device according to the device group identification information; wherein, the processing circuit is further configured to control a display device to display a candidate device list, and to display a single device option in the candidate device list to represent the Bluetooth device group, but not to display two device options representing the first member device and the second member device in the candidate device list at the same time; wherein, the processing circuit is further configured to, after receiving a selection instruction issued by a user, establish a connection with the first member device by using the master communication circuit, and generate a first key according to an instruction of the first member device and the device information of the first member device; wherein, the first control circuit is further configured to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit, and generate a second key corresponding to the first key according to a device information of the Bluetooth master device.

[0014] This specification further provides an embodiment of a Bluetooth device group in a Bluetooth communication system, which includes: a first member device, which includes: a first communication circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with a Bluetooth master device in the Bluetooth communication system; a first key generation circuit; and a first control circuit, coupled to the first communication circuit and the first key generation circuit, configured to generate a first group identification code corresponding to the first member device according to a device group identification information corresponding to the Bluetooth device group, and configured to transmit a device information of the first member device to the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit; a second member device, which includes: a second communication circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with the Bluetooth master device; and a second control circuit, coupled to the second communication circuit, configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit and configured to generate a second group identification code corresponding to the second member device according to the device group identification information; wherein, the Bluetooth master device controls a display device to display a candidate device list, and displays a single device option in the candidate device list to represent the Bluetooth device group, but does not display two device options representing the first member device and the second member device in the candidate device list at the same time; wherein, after receiving a selection instruction issued by a user, the Bluetooth master device establishes a connection with the first member device and generates a first key according to an instruction of the first member device and the device information of the first member device; wherein, the first control circuit is further configured to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit and generate a second key corresponding to the first key according to a device information of the Bluetooth master device.

[0015] The present specification further provides an embodiment of a Bluetooth communication system, which includes: a Bluetooth master device, which includes: a master communication circuit; a master key generation circuit; and a processing circuit, coupled to the master communication circuit and the master key generation circuit, configured to control the operations of the master communication circuit and the master key generation circuit; and a group of Bluetooth devices, which includes at least one first member device and a second member device; wherein, the first member device includes: a first communication circuit, configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit; a first key generation circuit; and a first control circuit, coupled to the first communication circuit and the first key generation circuit, configured to generate a first group identification code corresponding to the first member device according to a device group identification information corresponding to the group of Bluetooth devices, and to transmit a device information of the first member device to the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit; wherein, the second member device includes: a second communication circuit, configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit; and a second control circuit, coupled to the second communication circuit, configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit, and configured to generate a second group identification code corresponding to the second member device according to the device group identification information; wherein, the processing circuit is further configured to control a display device to display a candidate device list, and to display a single device option in the candidate device list to represent the group of Bluetooth devices, but not to display two device options representing the first member device and the second member device in the candidate device list at the same time; wherein, the processing circuit is further configured to transmit a first parameter to the first member device by using the master communication circuit after receiving a selection instruction issued by a user, and to execute a predetermined key algorithm according to the first parameter to generate a first key; wherein, the first control circuit is further configured to receive the first parameter by using the first communication circuit, and to execute the predetermined key algorithm according to the first parameter to generate a second key corresponding to the first key.

[0016] This specification further provides an embodiment for a Bluetooth device group in a Bluetooth communication system, which includes: a first member device, which includes: a first communication circuit configured to perform wireless communication with a Bluetooth master device in the Bluetooth communication system; a first key generation circuit; and a first control circuit, coupled to the first communication circuit and the first key generation circuit, configured to generate a first group identification code corresponding to the first member device according to a device group identification information corresponding to the Bluetooth device group, and configured to transmit a device information of the first member device to the Bluetooth master device by using the first communication circuit; a second member device, which includes: a second communication circuit configured to perform wireless communication with the Bluetooth master device; and a second control circuit, coupled to the second communication circuit, configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit, and configured to generate a second group identification code corresponding to the second member device according to the device group identification information; wherein, the Bluetooth master device controls a display device to display a candidate device list, and displays a single device option in the candidate device list to represent the Bluetooth device group, but does not display two device options representing the first member device and the second member device in the candidate device list at the same time; wherein, after receiving a selection instruction issued by a user, the Bluetooth master device transmits a first parameter to the first member device, and performs a predetermined key algorithm according to the first parameter to generate a first key; wherein, the first control circuit is further configured to receive the first parameter by using the first communication circuit, and perform the predetermined key algorithm according to the first parameter to generate a second key corresponding to the first key.

[0017] One of the advantages of the above embodiment is that it can greatly simplify the generation method of the keys required for subsequent data transmission between the Bluetooth master device and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group, so it can greatly improve the generation efficiency of the relevant keys for the Bluetooth master device and the Bluetooth device group.

[0018] Another advantage of the above embodiment is that it can greatly shorten the time required for the Bluetooth master device and multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group to complete pairing.

[0019] Other advantages of the present invention will be explained in more detail in conjunction with the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a simplified functional block diagram of a Bluetooth communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figures 2 to 3 It is a simplified flowchart of a method for generating a key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figures 4 to 5Simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 Simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 Simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 Simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 9 Simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 10 Simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 11 Simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 12 Simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 13 Simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0031] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with the relevant drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or method flows.

[0032] Figure 1 Simplified functional block diagram of a Bluetooth communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The Bluetooth communication system 100 includes a Bluetooth master device 110 and a Bluetooth device group 102. Among them, the Bluetooth device group 102 may include multiple member devices.

[0033] In practical applications, multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can establish a Bluetooth piconet in various ways compliant with the Bluetooth communication standard, and can perform various instruction or data transmissions through this Bluetooth piconet. Alternatively, multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can jointly form a coordinate set compliant with various Bluetooth communication standards.

[0034] In this embodiment, the Bluetooth master device 110 and all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support the Bluetooth Low Energy Audio (BLEAudio) technology (hereinafter referred to as BLE audio technology) specified by the Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.2 or a later version. Therefore, the user can connect the Bluetooth master device 110 to the Bluetooth device group 102 to perform various audio playback operations using the Bluetooth device group 102.

[0035] For example, two member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be combined with a suitable audio playback circuit to jointly form a pair of Bluetooth headsets or a pair of 2.0-channel speakers. For another example, three member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be combined with a suitable audio playback circuit to jointly form a set of 2.1-channel speakers. For another example, six member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be combined with a suitable audio playback circuit to jointly form a set of 5.1-channel speakers. For another example, eight member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be combined with a suitable audio playback circuit to jointly form a set of 7.1-channel speakers.

[0036] For the purpose of simplifying the content of the drawings, Figure 1 only three exemplary member devices are shown, namely a first member device 120, a second member device 130, and a third member device 140. In Figure 1 the embodiment, the first member device 120 is coupled to a first audio playback circuit 162 and a first sound collection circuit 164, the second member device 130 is coupled to a second audio playback circuit 172 and a second sound collection circuit 174, and the third member device 140 is coupled to a third audio playback circuit 182 and a third sound collection circuit 184.

[0037] The user can connect the Bluetooth master device 110 to the first member device 120, the second member device 130, and the third member device 140 in the Bluetooth device group 102 to control the relevant audio playback circuits using the foregoing member devices to play the audio data transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110 using BLE audio technology.

[0038] In Figure 1In an embodiment, the Bluetooth master device 110 includes a master communication circuit 111, an input circuit 113, a master key generation circuit 115, and a processing circuit 117. The first member device 120 includes a first communication circuit 121, a first key generation circuit 123, a first control circuit 125, and a first audio processing circuit 127. The second member device 130 includes a second communication circuit 131, a second key generation circuit 133, a second control circuit 135, and a second audio processing circuit 137.

[0039] In the Bluetooth master device 110, the master communication circuit 111 is configured to receive and transmit various Bluetooth packets. The input circuit 113 is configured to receive various operation instructions issued by the user. The master key generation circuit 115 is configured to perform various selected or predetermined key algorithms to generate keys required for the Bluetooth master device 110 to perform subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102. The processing circuit 117 is coupled to the master communication circuit 111, the input circuit 113, and the master key generation circuit 115. The processing circuit 117 is configured to generate various Bluetooth packets to be transmitted through the master communication circuit 111, parse various Bluetooth packets received by the master communication circuit 111 to obtain relevant data or instructions, and control the key generation operation of the master key generation circuit 115. The processing circuit 117 can also control the operation of the Bluetooth master device 110 according to various operation instructions issued by the user through the input circuit 113.

[0040] The term "Bluetooth packet" referred to in the specification and the claims also includes various protocol data units (PDUs) specified by various Bluetooth communication standards.

[0041] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 117 is further coupled to a display device 150 and can control the operation of the display device 150 to display relevant information or images for the user to view.

[0042] In the first member device 120, the first communication circuit 121 is configured to receive and transmit various Bluetooth packets. The first key generation circuit 123 is configured to perform various selected or predetermined key algorithms to generate the keys required for the first member device 120 to perform subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110. The first control circuit 125 is coupled to the first communication circuit 121 and the first key generation circuit 123. The first control circuit 125 is configured to generate various Bluetooth packets to be transmitted through the first communication circuit 121, parse various Bluetooth packets received by the first communication circuit 121 to obtain relevant data or instructions, and control the key generation operation of the first key generation circuit 123. In addition, the first control circuit 125 is further configured to adjust the clock signal used by the first member device 120 to synchronize a piconet clock used between the first member device 120 and other Bluetooth devices.

[0043] The first audio processing circuit 127 is coupled to the first control circuit 125, the first audio playback circuit 162, and the first radio circuit 164. The first audio processing circuit 127 is configured to process the audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110 according to the instructions of the first control circuit 125 (for example, perform encoding or decoding operations on the audio data, and / or perform data format conversion), and control the first audio playback circuit 162 to play the content of the audio data. The first audio processing circuit 127 is further configured to encode the sound received by the first radio circuit 164 to generate corresponding sound data.

[0044] In the second member device 130, the second communication circuit 131 is configured to receive and transmit various Bluetooth packets. The second key generation circuit 133 is configured to perform various selected or predetermined key algorithms to generate the keys required for the second member device 130 to perform subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110. The second control circuit 135 is coupled to the second communication circuit 131 and the second key generation circuit 133. The second control circuit 135 is configured to generate various Bluetooth packets to be transmitted through the second communication circuit 131, parse various Bluetooth packets received by the second communication circuit 131 to obtain relevant data or instructions, and control the key generation operation of the second key generation circuit 133. In addition, the second control circuit 135 is further configured to adjust the clock signal used by the second member device 130 to synchronize a piconet clock used between the second member device 130 and other Bluetooth devices.

[0045] The second audio processing circuit 137 is coupled to the second control circuit 135, the second audio playback circuit 172, and the second radio circuit 174. The second audio processing circuit 137 is configured to process audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110 according to the instructions of the second control circuit 135 (for example, perform encoding or decoding operations on the audio data, and / or perform data format conversion), and is also configured to control the second audio playback circuit 172 to play the content of the audio data. The second audio processing circuit 137 is further configured to encode the sound received by the second radio circuit 174 to generate corresponding sound data.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first control circuit 125 is further configured to control the first member device 120 to act as a Bluetooth master device (Bluetooth Central) in a Bluetooth piconet, and to adjust the clock signal used by the first member device 120 to synchronize the piconet clock used between the first member device 120 and other Bluetooth devices. In this case, the second control circuit 135 is further configured to control the second member device 130 to act as a Bluetooth slave device (Bluetooth Peripheral) in the aforementioned Bluetooth piconet, and to adjust the clock signal used by the second member device 130 to synchronize the piconet clock used between the second member device 130 and the first member device 120.

[0047] In this embodiment, the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 all support BLE audio technology. In this case, the processing circuit 117 of the Bluetooth master device 110 is further configured to generate audio data that complies with the relevant specifications of BLE audio technology (hereinafter referred to as BLE audio data), and to transmit the aforementioned audio data to all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 by using the master communication circuit 111. The first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 is further configured to process the BLE audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110 by using the first audio processing circuit 127, and to instruct the first audio processing circuit 127 to control the first audio playback circuit 162 to play the content of the BLE audio data. Similarly, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 is further configured to process the BLE audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110 by using the second audio processing circuit 137, and to instruct the second audio processing circuit 137 to control the second audio playback circuit 172 to play the content of the BLE audio data.

[0048] In some embodiments, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 is further configured to receive voice data transmitted by a remote device (not shown in the figure) through various networks (such as the Internet, a mobile communication network, or various private networks) by using various wired network transmission technologies or radio access technologies (RATs). The processing circuit 117 can analyze the voice data received by the master communication circuit 111, and use the master communication circuit 111 to transmit the analyzed voice data to the first member device 120 and / or the second member device 130 in the Bluetooth device group 102 in the form of Bluetooth packets, and instruct the first member device 120 and / or the second member device 130 to play the content of the voice data by using the first audio playback circuit 162 and / or the second audio playback circuit 172.

[0049] The aforementioned radio access technologies can be various second-generation (2G) mobile communication technologies, various third-generation (3G) mobile communication technologies, various fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication technologies, various fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technologies, various wireless network communication technologies of the IEEE 802.11 series specifications, various Internet-of-Things (IoT) communication technologies, various NarrowBand Internet of Thing (NB-IoT) communication technologies, various vehicle-to-vehicle communication technologies, various vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication technologies, various satellite communication technologies, or various wireless communication technologies released by other standards organizations, etc.

[0050] On the other hand, the first member device 120 and / or the second member device 130 can use the first sound collection circuit 164 and / or the second sound collection circuit 174 to receive the user's voice, and can use the first audio processing circuit 127 and / or the second audio processing circuit 137 to generate relevant voice data. The first member device 120 and / or the second member device 130 can also use the first communication circuit 121 and / or the second communication circuit 131 to transmit the aforementioned voice data to the Bluetooth master device 110. In this case, the processing circuit 117 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can also use the aforementioned wired network transmission technology or radio access technology to transmit the voice data generated by the Bluetooth device group 102 to the remote device through various appropriate networks.

[0051] In this way, the user can use the combined operation of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the Bluetooth device group 102 to achieve a voice call with the remote device.

[0052] In actual operation, the master communication circuit 111 in the aforementioned Bluetooth master device 110 can be implemented by a suitable wireless transceiver circuit that can support the Bluetooth communication protocol of the Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.2 or a later version. Alternatively, the master communication circuit 111 can also be implemented by various hybrid communication circuits that simultaneously support the aforementioned Bluetooth communication protocol and the aforementioned wired network transmission technology or radio access technology (RAT). If necessary, the master communication circuit 111 can also be coupled to an additional antenna device (not shown).

[0053] The input circuit 113 can be implemented by various suitable circuits that can receive user instructions. For example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, a voice control device, a gesture sensing device, or a combination of the aforementioned various devices, etc.

[0054] The master key generation circuit 115 can be implemented by various digital arithmetic circuits, microprocessors, security modules, or application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) with key operation capabilities.

[0055] The processing circuit 117 can be implemented by various packet demodulation circuits, digital arithmetic circuits, microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits, single processor modules, combinations of multiple processor modules, single computer systems, combinations of multiple computer systems, single servers, combinations of multiple servers, or cloud computing systems that have appropriate computing capabilities and can parse and generate Bluetooth packets using the BLE audio technology specified in the Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.2 (or a later version).

[0056] In practical applications, different functional blocks in the aforementioned Bluetooth master device 110 can be implemented by different circuits respectively, or integrated into a single circuit chip or a single device.

[0057] For example, the input circuit 113 and / or the master key generation circuit 115 can be integrated into the processing circuit 117. Another example is that the input circuit 113 and the display device 150 can be integrated into a touch screen.

[0058] Alternatively, all the functional blocks in the Bluetooth master device 110 can also be integrated into a single circuit chip, a mobile communication device (e.g., a mobile phone), a wearable device, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, an audio broadcast system, a voice guide system, a voice broadcast system, a vehicle-mounted communication system, a satellite communication device, a smart TV, or a Bluetooth smart speaker, etc.

[0059] In actual operation, the first communication circuit 121 and the second communication circuit 131 in the aforementioned Bluetooth device group 102 can both be implemented by suitable Bluetooth communication circuits that support the Bluetooth communication protocol of Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.2 or a later version. If necessary, the first communication circuit 121 and the second communication circuit 131 can also be respectively coupled to additional antenna devices (not shown).

[0060] The first key generation circuit 123 and the second key generation circuit 133 can both be implemented by various digital arithmetic circuits, microprocessors, security modules, or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) with key operation capabilities.

[0061] The first control circuit 125 and the second control circuit 135 can both be implemented by various packet processing circuits, digital arithmetic circuits, microprocessors, a single processor module, a combination of multiple processor modules, or application-specific integrated circuits with appropriate computing capabilities and capable of parsing and generating Bluetooth packets defined by the BLE audio technology specified in Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.2 (or a later version).

[0062] In some embodiments, the aforementioned first communication circuit 121 and second communication circuit 131 can also be designed as suitable Bluetooth communication circuits that simultaneously support the Bluetooth communication protocols of earlier Bluetooth versions (e.g., Bluetooth 2.0, Bluetooth 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth 4.2, etc.). In this case, the aforementioned first control circuit 125 and second control circuit 135 also need to be designed to be able to parse and generate Bluetooth packets defined by the Bluetooth communication protocols of earlier Bluetooth versions.

[0063] The first audio processing circuit 127 and the second audio processing circuit 137 can both be implemented by digital arithmetic circuits, microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits, or digital-to-analog converters (DACs) capable of performing various encoding / decoding processes and / or data format conversions on audio data.

[0064] In some embodiments, the foregoing first audio processing circuit 127 and second audio processing circuit 137 may also be respectively integrated into the foregoing first control circuit 125 and second control circuit 135.

[0065] The different functional blocks in the foregoing first member device 120 may be implemented by different circuits respectively, or may be integrated in a single circuit chip, a single wearable Bluetooth device, or a single Bluetooth speaker.

[0066] Similarly, the different functional blocks in the foregoing second member device 130 may be implemented by different circuits respectively, or may be integrated in a single circuit chip, a single wearable Bluetooth device, or a single Bluetooth speaker.

[0067] In addition, the first audio playback circuit 162 and the second audio playback circuit 172 can both be implemented by various suitable circuits capable of receiving and playing audio data, for example, various types of speakers. The first sound collection circuit 164 and the second sound collection circuit 174 can both be implemented by various suitable circuits capable of receiving sound and converting it into corresponding audio signals, for example, various types of microphones.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first member device 120, the first audio playback circuit 162, and the first sound collection circuit 164 may also be integrated into a single device. Similarly, the second member device 130, the second audio playback circuit 172, and the second sound collection circuit 174 may also be integrated into a single device (for example, a wearable Bluetooth device or a Bluetooth speaker).

[0069] The main circuit architectures and implementation manners of other member devices (for example, the third member device 140), other audio playback circuits (for example, the third audio playback circuit 182), and other sound collection circuits (for example, the third sound collection circuit 184) in the Bluetooth device group 102 can all be similar to the corresponding member devices and / or corresponding circuits described above. However, additional different circuit elements may be provided in different member devices, different audio playback circuits, and / or different sound collection circuits, and are not limited to being exactly the same as the corresponding member devices and / or corresponding circuits described above.

[0070] When the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support the BLE audio technology, the user can use the Bluetooth communication system 100 to perform various audio playback operations using the BLE audio technology, so as to reduce the power consumption of the Bluetooth communication system 100 and improve the overall audio playback quality.

[0071] As described above, when a group of traditional Bluetooth devices supporting BLE audio technology needs to connect to a traditional Bluetooth master device, the traditional Bluetooth master device must negotiate the relevant parameters for generating a cypher key with each member device in the Bluetooth device group one by one. Therefore, the process of the traditional Bluetooth master device performing Bluetooth pairing with each member device in the Bluetooth device group will be quite long.

[0072] To solve the problem of the too low efficiency of the traditional Bluetooth master device pairing with different member devices in the traditional Bluetooth device group one by one, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the Bluetooth device group 102 in the aforementioned Bluetooth communication system 100 will adopt different methods to improve the generation efficiency of relevant keys.

[0073] The following will be paired with Figure 2 and Figure 3 to further illustrate the operation mode of the Bluetooth communication system 100. Figures 2 to 3 It is a simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] In Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the flowchart, the process located in the field of a specific device represents the process performed by the specific device. For example, the part marked in the "Bluetooth master device" field is the process performed by the Bluetooth master device 110; the part marked in the "first member device" field is the process performed by the first member device 120; the part marked in the "second member device" field is the process performed by the second member device 130; and so on. The aforementioned logic also applies to other subsequent flowcharts.

[0075] When the user wants to use the Bluetooth communication system 100 to play various audio data using BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 needs to be paired with individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 first.

[0076] In this case, the processing circuit 117 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can generate a Bluetooth inquiry request containing the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the Bluetooth master device 110), and can use the master communication circuit 111 to send the Bluetooth inquiry request to other nearby Bluetooth devices and wait for the response of the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102. In actual operation, the processing circuit 117 can also fill in other data or information in the aforementioned Bluetooth inquiry request according to the needs of functional design.

[0077] Alternatively, the processing circuit 117 can control the master communication circuit 111 to operate in a predetermined receiving mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or the operation instructions preset by the internal program. For example, the aforementioned predetermined receiving mode can be a Low Energy Extended Passive Scan mode, a Low Energy Extended Active Scan mode, a Low Energy Extended Initiator mode, or a Periodic Scanning mode that can be used to receive various Bluetooth advertisement packets.

[0078] On the other hand, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can enter a predetermined transmission mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or the operation instructions preset by the internal program, or can operate in the predetermined transmission mode after receiving the Bluetooth inquiry request generated by the Bluetooth master device 110. The aforementioned predetermined transmission mode refers to various operation modes that can be used to transmit various Bluetooth advertisement packets and / or Bluetooth protocol data units. For example, the aforementioned predetermined transmission mode can be an Advertising mode, a Scannable mode, a Connectable mode, a Non-connectable mode, a Non-scannable mode, a Periodic Advertising mode, a Low Energy Extended Advertising mode, or a Low Energy Periodic Advertising mode.

[0079] After entering the predetermined transmission mode, the first member device 120 can perform Figure 2 the process 202 in

[0080] In process 202, the first control circuit 125 may generate one or more target Bluetooth packets. Among them, the one or more target Bluetooth packets contain an auto-pair request for identifying the brand, vendor, circuit model, and / or firmware version of the first member device 120 or the first control circuit 125, and device information of the first member device 120 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the first member device 120). The first control circuit 125 may, according to preset rules, define the content and format of the auto-pair request by itself. The first control circuit 125 may insert the auto-pair request and the device information of the first member device 120 together into a single or multiple specific fields of a single target Bluetooth packet, or insert them separately into specific fields of multiple target Bluetooth packets. During operation, the first control circuit 125 may select a specified Bluetooth advertising packet as the aforementioned target Bluetooth packet.

[0081] For example, the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in the aforementioned process 202 may be one or more auxiliary advertising indication (AUX_ADV_IND) packets, or may also be a set of packets formed by one or more extended advertising indication (ADV_EXT_IND) packets and one or more auxiliary advertising indication (AUX_ADV_IND) packets.

[0082] For another example, the one or more target Bluetooth packets may be one or more auxiliary chain indication (AUX_CHAIN_IND) packets, or may also be a set of packets formed by one or more extended advertising indication (ADV_EXT_IND) packets, one or more auxiliary advertising indication (AUX_ADV_IND) packets, and one or more auxiliary chain indication (AUX_CHAIN_IND) packets.

[0083] For still another example, the one or more target Bluetooth packets may be one or more auxiliary scan response (AUX_SCAN_RSP) packets, or may also be a set of packets formed by one or more extended advertising indication (ADV_EXT_IND) packets, one or more auxiliary advertising indication (AUX_ADV_IND) packets, and one or more auxiliary scan response (AUX_SCAN_RSP) packets.

[0084] For another example, the aforementioned one or more target Bluetooth packets may be a set of packets formed by one or more Auxiliary Scan Response (AUX_SCAN_RSP) packets and one or more Auxiliary Chain Indication (AUX_CHAIN_IND) packets.

[0085] For another example, the aforementioned one or more target Bluetooth packets may be a set of packets formed by one or more Advertising Extension Indication (ADV_EXT_IND) packets, one or more Auxiliary Advertising Indication (AUX_ADV_IND) packets, one or more Auxiliary Scan Response (AUX_SCAN_RSP) packets, and one or more Auxiliary Chain Indication (AUX_CHAIN_IND) packets.

[0086] For another example, the aforementioned one or more target Bluetooth packets may be one or more Auxiliary Synchronous Indication (AUX_SYNC_IND) packets, or may also be a set of packets formed by one or more Advertising Extension Indication (ADV_EXT_IND) packets, one or more Auxiliary Advertising Indication (AUX_ADV_IND) packets, and one or more Auxiliary Synchronous Indication (AUX_SYNC_IND) packets.

[0087] For another example, the aforementioned one or more target Bluetooth packets may be one or more Advertising Indication (ADV_IND) packets, one or more Non-Connectable Advertising Indication (ADV_NONCONN_IND) packets, or one or more Discoverable Advertisement Indication (ADV_DISCOVER_IND) packets.

[0088] For another example, the aforementioned one or more target Bluetooth packets may be a set of packets formed by one or more Advertising Indication (ADV_IND) packets and one or more Non-Connectable Advertising Indication (ADV_NONCONN_IND) packets.

[0089] For another example, the aforementioned one or more target Bluetooth packets may also be a set of packets formed by one or more Advertising Indication (ADV_IND) packets and one or more Discoverable Advertisement Indication (ADV_DISCOVER_IND) packets.

[0090] For another example, the aforementioned one or more target Bluetooth packets may also be a set of packets formed by one or more advertisement indication (ADV_IND) packets, one or more non-connectable advertisement indication (ADV_NONCONN_IND) packets, and one or more discoverable advertisement indication (ADV_DISCOVER_IND) packets.

[0091] In process 204, the first control circuit 125 may transmit the aforementioned one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device 110 by using the first communication circuit 121.

[0092] In process 206, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 may receive the one or more target Bluetooth packets.

[0093] In process 208, the processing circuit 117 of the Bluetooth master device 110 may analyze the one or more target Bluetooth packets to obtain the automatic pairing request sent by the first member device 120 and the device information of the first member device 120. Then, the processing circuit 117 may check the format and content of the automatic pairing request to determine whether the brand, manufacturer, circuit model, and / or firmware version of the first member device 120 or the first control circuit 125 meet a predetermined condition (for example, whether they correspond to the brand, manufacturer, circuit model, and / or firmware version of the Bluetooth master device 110 and / or the processing circuit 117). For example, the processing circuit 117 may check whether the format of the automatic pairing request conforms to a predetermined feature or whether the automatic pairing request contains predetermined content.

[0094] In an embodiment, if the format of the automatic pairing request conforms to a predetermined feature and / or the automatic pairing request contains predetermined content, the processing circuit 117 may determine that the brand, manufacturer, circuit model, and / or firmware version of the first member device 120 or the first control circuit 125 meet the predetermined condition. In this case, the processing circuit 117 may identify the first member device 120 as a first privileged device according to the aforementioned automatic pairing request, and then proceed to process 210.

[0095] In this embodiment, when the first member device 120 is identified as a privileged device by the processing circuit 117, it means that when the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 perform Bluetooth pairing, many traditional key parameter negotiation processes can be omitted, and a pre-agreed simplified method can be directly used to generate keys. The operation method of this part will be further described in processes 210 to 216 below.

[0096] Conversely, if the format of the automatic pairing request does not conform to the predetermined characteristics and the predetermined content is not included in the automatic pairing request, the processing circuit 117 may determine that the brand, manufacturer, circuit model, and / or firmware version of the first member device 120 or the first control circuit 125 do not meet the predetermined conditions. In this case, the processing circuit 117 may identify the first member device 120 as a general Bluetooth device and then pair with the first member device 120 in various known ways and generate relevant keys.

[0097] In process 210, the processing circuit 117 can establish a connection with the first member device 120 through the master communication circuit 111, and can determine a first parameter P1 and generate a first privileged pairing notice. In one embodiment, the processing circuit 117 can generate a first predetermined value, a first random value, a first predetermined address, a first random address, a first predetermined string, a first random string, a first predetermined token, a first random token, or a first access address corresponding to the first member device 120 as the first parameter P1. In another embodiment, the processing circuit 117 can specify the content of a predetermined field in a certain Bluetooth packet transmitted by the first member device 120 to the Bluetooth master device 110 as the first parameter P1, or can specify the content of a predetermined field in a certain Bluetooth packet transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110 to the first member device 120 as the first parameter P1. For example, the processing circuit 117 can specify to use an initial cyclic redundancy check code (CRC InitialValue, CRCInit), a window size value (Window Size, WinSize), a window offset value (Window Offset, WinOffset), a connection event interval (Connection Interval), a slave latency, a monitoring timeout value (Timeout), a channel map, a hop increment number (Hop), or a sleep clock accuracy (SCA) in a connection indication (Connect_IND) packet or an auxiliary connection request (AUX_Connect_REQ) packet generated by the processing circuit 117 as the first parameter P1. Another example is that the processing circuit 117 can specify to use a cyclic redundancy check code (CRC) in the aforementioned connection indication (Connect_IND) packet or auxiliary connection request (AUX_Connect_REQ) packet as the first parameter P1.For another example, the processing circuit 117 may specify to use a cyclic redundancy check code (CRC) in an auxiliary connection response (AUX_Connect_RSP) packet generated by the first member device 120 or a certain specific Bluetooth advertising packet as the first parameter P1. The processing circuit 117 may also transmit a first privilege pairing notification to the first member device 120 through the master communication circuit 111 in process 210. Additionally, the processing circuit 117 may also transmit the first parameter P1 or a first field indication indicating that the content of a certain specific packet field is to be used as the first parameter P1 to the first member device 120 through the master communication circuit 111 in process 210.

[0098] In this case, the first communication circuit 121 of the first member device 120 may perform process 212 to receive the first privilege pairing notification transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110. Additionally, the first communication circuit 121 may also receive the first parameter P1 or the relevant first field indication transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110 in process 212, so that the first control circuit 125 can learn the first parameter P1 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0099] In process 214, the processing circuit 117 of the Bluetooth master device 110 may generate a first key Key-1 required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the first member device 120 according to the first parameter P1. For example, the processing circuit 117 may execute a predetermined key algorithm according to the first parameter P1 and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the first key Key-1. For another example, the processing circuit 117 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm according to the first parameter P1, the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110, and the device information of the first member device 120 to generate the first key Key-1.

[0100] In process 216, the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 may generate a second key Key-2 required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110 according to the first parameter P1. In other words, the second key Key-2 generated by the first control circuit 125 corresponds to the first key Key-1 generated by the processing circuit 117. For example, the first control circuit 125 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm according to the first parameter P1 and the device information of the first member device 120 to generate the second key Key-2. For another example, the first control circuit 125 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm according to the first parameter P1, the device information of the first member device 120, and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the second key Key-2.

[0101] In other words, after the first member device 120 is recognized as the first privileged device by the Bluetooth master device 110, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and instead use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding first key Key-1 and second key Key-2. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly generate the first key Key-1 based on the first parameter P1 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110, and the first member device 120 can directly generate the second key Key-2 based on the first parameter P1 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110. In this way, the time required to generate the first key Key-1 and the second key Key-2 can be significantly shortened.

[0102] In process 218, the processing circuit 117 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the first key Key-1 to perform Bluetooth data transmission with the first member device 120 through the master communication circuit 111.

[0103] In process 220, the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 can use the second key Key-2 to perform Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110 through the first communication circuit 121.

[0104] For example, in an embodiment where both the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 support the BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the first member device 120, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0105] As Figure 3 shown, after the first control circuit 125 generates the second key Key-2, the first control circuit 125 can also perform process 302 to transmit a device set identification information (Set-ID) corresponding to the Bluetooth device group 102 using the first communication circuit 121. For example, the first control circuit 125 can use a Set Identity Resolving Key (SIRK) of the Bluetooth device group 102 as the device group identification information Set-ID of the Bluetooth device group 102.

[0106] In this case, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can perform process 304 to receive the device group identification information Set-ID transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0107] During operation, the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 can also generate a group identification code (resolvable set identifier, RSI) corresponding to the first member device 120 at an appropriate time point (for example, at any time point between process 202 and process 220, or at a certain time point before process 202). For example, the first control circuit 125 can perform a predetermined target algorithm based on the device group identification information Set-ID of the Bluetooth device group 102 to generate a random address (random access), and use this random address as the group identification code RSI-1 corresponding to the first member device 120.

[0108] In actual operation, the first control circuit 125 can also transmit the group identification code RSI-1 corresponding to the first member device 120 to the Bluetooth master device 110 using the first communication circuit 121 at any time point after process 202.

[0109] Alternatively, the first control circuit 125 can also insert the group identification code RSI-1 corresponding to the first member device 120 into the one or more target Bluetooth packets to be transmitted to the Bluetooth master device 110 in process 202. In this way, the Bluetooth master device 110 can receive the group identification code RSI-1 corresponding to the first member device 120 in process 206.

[0110] Similarly, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 can perform Figure 3 Process 306 in to generate a group identification code RSI-2 corresponding to the second member device 130. For example, the second control circuit 135 can perform the aforementioned predetermined target algorithm based on the device group identification information Set-ID of the Bluetooth device group 102 to generate a random address, and use this random address as the group identification code RSI-2 corresponding to the second member device 130. In actual operation, the second control circuit 135 can perform the aforementioned process 306 at any time point between process 202 and process 220, or at a certain time point before process 202.

[0111] As mentioned above, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can operate in a predetermined transmission mode. The second member device 130 can perform Figure 3 Process 308 in during the period of operating in the predetermined transmission mode.

[0112] In process 308, the second control circuit 135 can use the second communication circuit 131 to transmit device information of the second member device 130 (e.g., the Bluetooth device address of the second member device 130) and the group identification code RSI-2 to the Bluetooth master device 110. During operation, the second control circuit 135 can generate one or more target Bluetooth packets containing the device information of the second member device 130 and the group identification code RSI-2 in a manner similar to the aforementioned process 202. For example, the second control circuit 135 can insert the group identification code RSI-2 and the device information of the second member device 130 together into a single or multiple specific fields of a single target Bluetooth packet, or insert them separately into specific fields of multiple target Bluetooth packets. Then, the second control circuit 135 can use the second communication circuit 131 to transmit the one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0113] The type of the target Bluetooth packet referred to in process 308 can be the same as the type of the target Bluetooth packet referred to in the aforementioned process 202. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0114] In this case, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can perform process 310 to receive one or more target Bluetooth packets transmitted from the second member device 130. The processing circuit 117 can then parse the one or more target Bluetooth packets to obtain the device information of the second member device 130 and the group identification code RSI-2.

[0115] Next, in process 312, the processing circuit 117 can check the group identification code RSI-2 of the second member device 130 based on the device group identification information Set-ID transmitted from the first member device 120 to determine whether the second member device 130 belongs to the Bluetooth device group 102. For example, in this embodiment, the processing circuit 117 can check whether the group identification code RSI-2 is a random address calculated based on the device group identification information Set-ID.

[0116] If the processing circuit 117 determines that the group identification code RSI-2 is a random address calculated based on the device group identification information Set-ID, the processing circuit 117 can determine that the second member device 130 belongs to the Bluetooth device group 102. In this case, the processing circuit 117 can identify the second member device 130 as a member device in the Bluetooth device group 102 based on the device group identification information Set-ID and the group identification code RSI-2 in process 312, and then proceed to process 314.

[0117] In this embodiment, when the second member device 130 is recognized by the processing circuit 117 as a member device in the Bluetooth device group 102, it means that when the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 are performing Bluetooth pairing, many traditional key parameter negotiation processes can be omitted, and a pre-agreed simplified method can be directly used to generate keys. The operation method of this part will be further described in the subsequent processes 314 to 320.

[0118] Conversely, if the processing circuit 117 determines that the group identification code RSI-2 is not a random address calculated based on the device group identification information Set-ID, the processing circuit 117 can determine that the second member device 130 does not belong to the Bluetooth device group 102. In this case, the processing circuit 117 can recognize the second member device 130 as a general Bluetooth device, and then use various known methods to pair with the second member device 130 and generate relevant keys.

[0119] In process 314, the processing circuit 117 may establish a connection with the second member device 130 through the master communication circuit 111, and may determine a second parameter P2 and generate a second privileged pairing notice. In one embodiment, the processing circuit 117 may generate a second predetermined value, a second random value, a second predetermined address, a second random address, a second predetermined string, a second random string, a second predetermined token, a second random token, or a second access address corresponding to the second member device 130 as the second parameter P2. In another embodiment, the processing circuit 117 may specify the content of a predetermined field in a certain Bluetooth packet transmitted by the second member device 130 to the Bluetooth master device 110 as the second parameter P2, or may specify the content of a predetermined field in a certain Bluetooth packet transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110 to the second member device 130 as the second parameter P2. For example, the processing circuit 117 may specify to use an initial Cyclic Redundancy Check value (CRC Initial Value, CRCInit), a window size value (Window Size, WinSize), a window offset value (Window Offset, WinOffset), a connection event interval (Connection Interval), a slave latency, a monitoring timeout value (Timeout), a channel map, a hop increment number (Hop), or a sleep clock accuracy (SCA) in a Connect_IND packet or an AUX_Connect_REQ packet generated by the processing circuit 117 as the second parameter P2. Another example, the processing circuit 117 may specify to use a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) in the aforementioned Connect_IND packet or AUX_Connect_REQ packet as the second parameter P2.For another example, the processing circuit 117 may specify to use a cyclic redundancy check code (CRC) in an auxiliary connection response (AUX_Connect_RSP) packet generated by the second member device 130 or a certain specific Bluetooth advertising packet as the second parameter P2. The processing circuit 117 may also transmit a second privilege pairing notification to the second member device 130 through the master communication circuit 111 in process 314. Additionally, the processing circuit 117 may also transmit the second parameter P2 or a second field indication used to indicate that the content of a certain specific packet field is used as the second parameter P2 to the second member device 130 through the master communication circuit 111 in process 314. In actual operation, the second parameter P2 may be the same as the aforementioned first parameter P1 or different from the first parameter P1.

[0120] In this case, the second communication circuit 131 of the second member device 130 may perform process 316 to receive the second privilege pairing notification sent by the Bluetooth master device 110. Additionally, the second communication circuit 131 may also receive the second parameter P2 or the relevant second field indication sent by the Bluetooth master device 110 in process 316 so that the second control circuit 135 can learn the second parameter P2 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0121] In process 318, the processing circuit 117 of the Bluetooth master device 110 may generate a third key Key-3 required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the second member device 130 according to the second parameter P2. For example, the processing circuit 117 may execute a predetermined key algorithm according to the second parameter P2 and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the third key Key-3. For another example, the processing circuit 117 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm according to the second parameter P2, the device information of the second member device 130, and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the third key Key-3.

[0122] In process 320, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 may generate a fourth key Key-4 required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110 according to the second parameter P2. In other words, the fourth key Key-4 generated by the second control circuit 135 will correspond to the third key Key-3 generated by the processing circuit 117. For example, the second control circuit 135 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm according to the second parameter P2 and the device information of the second member device 130 to generate the fourth key Key-4. For another example, the second control circuit 135 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm according to the second parameter P2, the device information of the second member device 130, and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the fourth key Key-4.

[0123] In other words, after the second member device 130 is recognized as a member device in the Bluetooth device group 102 by the Bluetooth master device 110, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding third key Key-3 and fourth key Key-4. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly generate the third key Key-3 based on the second parameter P2 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110, and the second member device 130 can directly generate the fourth key Key-4 based on the second parameter P2 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110. In this way, the time required to generate the third key Key-3 and the fourth key Key-4 can be significantly shortened.

[0124] In process 322, the processing circuit 117 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the third key Key-3 to perform Bluetooth data transmission with the second member device 130 through the master communication circuit 111.

[0125] In process 324, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 can use the fourth key Key-4 to perform Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110 through the second communication circuit 131.

[0126] In actual operation, the Bluetooth master device 110 and other member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 (for example, the third member device 140) can be connected in the same way as the interaction between the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 described above, and generate the keys required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission between them respectively.

[0127] In an embodiment where both the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 support the BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the second member device 130, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low-complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0128] In another embodiment, other member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 (e.g., the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) can generate and transmit one or more target Bluetooth packets containing the aforementioned automatic pairing request, device information of individual member devices, and group identification codes corresponding to individual member devices to the Bluetooth master device 110 in the same manner as the aforementioned first member device 120 in process 202. In other words, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can perform the same operations in process 202.

[0129] In this case, the Bluetooth master device 110 can identify the member device that first transmits the automatic pairing request as the first privileged device and first perform a simplified pairing process with the first privileged device. After that, the Bluetooth master device 110 can, based on the device group identification information Set-ID transmitted by the first privileged device and the group identification codes transmitted by other member devices, identify other member devices as member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 and then perform a simplified pairing process with other member devices.

[0130] From the foregoing Figures 2 to 3 description, the Bluetooth master device 110 can determine whether the first member device 120 is a privileged device based on the automatic pairing request transmitted by the first member device 120. After the first member device 120 is identified as a privileged device by the Bluetooth master device 110, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding first key Key-1 and second key Key-2. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly perform the aforementioned processes 210 and 214 to generate the first key Key-1, while the first member device 120 can directly perform the aforementioned processes 212 and 216 to generate the second key Key-2. In this way, the time required to generate the first key Key-1 and the second key Key-2 can be significantly shortened.

[0131] On the other hand, after the second member device 130 is identified as a member device in the Bluetooth device group 102 by the Bluetooth master device 110, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding third key Key-3 and fourth key Key-4. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly perform the aforementioned processes 314 and 318 to generate the third key Key-3, while the second member device 130 can directly perform the aforementioned processes 316 and 320 to generate the fourth key Key-4. In this way, the time required to generate the third key Key-3 and the fourth key Key-4 can be significantly shortened.

[0132] Obviously, the foregoingFigures 2 to 3 The method can effectively simplify the Bluetooth pairing procedure between the Bluetooth master device 110 and individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, thereby significantly shortening the time required for the Bluetooth master device 110 and the Bluetooth device group 102 to complete pairing.

[0133] In the foregoing Figures 2 to 3 method, neither the Bluetooth master device 110 nor individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 need to use any display device. Therefore, the display device 150 can be omitted, and the hardware architecture, weight, and volume of individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be significantly simplified.

[0134] In addition, in an embodiment where both the Bluetooth master device 110 and member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low-complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110 and member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110 and member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0135] Please refer to Figures 4 to 5 , which shows a simplified flowchart of the method for generating a key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0136] As described above, when the user wants to use the Bluetooth device group 102 to play the audio data transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110 using BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 and individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 need to be paired first. In this case, as described above, the processing circuit 117 can generate a Bluetooth inquiry request containing the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the Bluetooth master device 110), and can use the master communication circuit 111 to send the Bluetooth inquiry request to other nearby Bluetooth devices, and wait for a response from member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102.

[0137] Alternatively, the processing circuit 117 can control the master communication circuit 111 to operate in the foregoing predetermined reception mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or an operation instruction default in the internal program.

[0138] On the other hand, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can enter a predetermined transmission mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or an operation instruction default in the internal program, or can operate in the foregoing predetermined transmission mode after receiving the Bluetooth inquiry request generated by the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0139] After entering the predetermined transmission mode, the first member device 120 can perform Figure 4 the process 402 in

[0140] In process 402, the first control circuit 125 can generate one or more target Bluetooth packets. Among them, the one or more target Bluetooth packets contain a group identification code RSI-1 corresponding to the first member device 120 and a device information of the first member device 120 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the first member device 120). In operation, the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 can generate a group identification code RSI-1 corresponding to the first member device 120 at a certain time point during or before process 402. For example, the first control circuit 125 can perform a predetermined target algorithm based on the device group identification information Set-ID of the Bluetooth device group 102 to generate a random address, and use this random address as the group identification code RSI-1 corresponding to the first member device 120. The first control circuit 125 can insert the group identification code RSI-1 and the device information of the first member device 120 into a single or multiple specific fields of a single target Bluetooth packet, or scatter them into specific fields of multiple target Bluetooth packets.

[0141] In actual operation, the first control circuit 125 can also fill the device group identification information Set-ID of the Bluetooth device group 102 and / or the device information of other member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 (for example, the second member device 130, the third member device 140) into the aforementioned one or more target Bluetooth packets.

[0142] The type of the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in process 402 can be the same as the type of the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in the aforementioned process 202. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0143] In some embodiments, other member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 (for example, the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) can generate and transmit one or more target Bluetooth packets containing the device information of individual member devices and the group identification codes corresponding to individual member devices to the Bluetooth master device 110 in the same manner as the first member device 120 in process 402. Similarly, other member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 (for example, the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) can also fill the device group identification information Set-ID of the Bluetooth device group 102 and / or the device information of other member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 into the one or more target Bluetooth packets to be transmitted to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0144] In other words, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can perform the same operations in process 402.

[0145] In process 404, the first control circuit 125 can use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the aforementioned one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0146] In process 406, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can receive the one or more target Bluetooth packets.

[0147] In process 408, the processing circuit 117 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can parse the one or more target Bluetooth packets to obtain the group identification code RSI-1 transmitted by the first member device 120 and the device information of the first member device 120. Then, the processing circuit 117 can check the position of the group identification code RSI-1 in the one or more target Bluetooth packets to determine whether the brand, manufacturer, circuit model, and / or firmware version of the first member device 120 or the first control circuit 125 meet a predetermined condition (for example, whether they correspond to the brand, manufacturer, circuit model, and / or firmware version of the Bluetooth master device 110 and / or the processing circuit 117). For example, the processing circuit 117 can check whether the position of the group identification code RSI-1 in the one or more target Bluetooth packets conforms to a predetermined rule.

[0148] In one embodiment, if the position of the group identification code RSI-1 in the one or more target Bluetooth packets conforms to the predetermined rule, the processing circuit 117 can determine that the brand, manufacturer, circuit model, and / or firmware version of the first member device 120 or the first control circuit 125 meet the predetermined condition. In this case, the processing circuit 117 can identify the first member device 120 as a first privileged device according to the position of the aforementioned group identification code, and then proceed to Figure 4 process 410 in

[0149] In this embodiment, when the first member device 120 is identified as a privileged device by the processing circuit 117, it means that when the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 perform Bluetooth pairing, many traditional key parameter negotiation processes can be omitted, and a pre-agreed simplified method can be directly used to generate keys. The operation method of this part is substantially the same as that of the aforementioned processes 210 to 216.

[0150] Conversely, if the position of the group identification code RSI-1 in the one or more target Bluetooth packets does not conform to the predetermined rule, the processing circuit 117 may determine that the brand, manufacturer, circuit model, and / or firmware version of the first member device 120 or the first control circuit 125 do not meet the predetermined conditions. In this case, the processing circuit 117 may identify the first member device 120 as a general Bluetooth device, and then pair with the first member device 120 in various known ways and generate relevant keys.

[0151] In process 410, the processing circuit 117 may generate a corresponding candidate device list based on information transmitted by multiple nearby Bluetooth devices (e.g., responses to Bluetooth inquiry requests sent by the Bluetooth master device 110), and control the display device 150 to display the candidate device list. The processing circuit 117 also filters the device options to be displayed in the candidate list in process 410, and controls the display device 150 to display a single device option in the candidate device list to represent the entire Bluetooth device group 102, rather than displaying multiple device options representing multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 simultaneously, so as to simplify the operation complexity of the user during the Bluetooth pairing process.

[0152] As described above, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can perform the same operation in process 402, that is, transmit one or more target Bluetooth packets containing the device group identification information Set-ID of the Bluetooth device group 102, their own device information, their own group identification code RSI-1, and the device information of other member devices to the Bluetooth master device 110. The processing circuit 117 can determine which member devices the first member device 120 belongs to the same Bluetooth device group 102 based on the content of the target Bluetooth packets transmitted by different member devices in the aforementioned process 410.

[0153] For example, the processing circuit 117 may check the group identification code RSI-2 provided by the second member device 130 according to the device group identification information Set-ID transmitted by the first member device 120 to determine whether the second member device 130 belongs to the Bluetooth device group 102. In this embodiment, the processing circuit 117 may check whether the group identification code RSI-2 is a random address calculated based on the device group identification information Set-ID. If the processing circuit 117 checks that the group identification code RSI-2 is a random address calculated based on the device group identification information Set-ID, the processing circuit 117 may determine that the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 belong to the same Bluetooth device group 102.

[0154] For another example, the processing circuit 117 can compare the device information of the second member device 130 provided by the first member device 120 with the device information of the second member device 130 provided by the second member device 130 itself to determine whether the second member device 130 belongs to the Bluetooth device group 102. In this embodiment, when the device information of the second member device 130 provided by the first member device 120 is the same as the device information of the second member device 130 provided by the second member device 130 itself, the processing circuit 117 can determine that the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 belong to the Bluetooth device group 102 together.

[0155] The user can learn from the candidate device list displayed on the display device 150 which Bluetooth devices can be Bluetooth paired with the Bluetooth master device 110. If the processing circuit 117 does not filter the device options to be displayed in the candidate list in process 410, multiple device options representing multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 may appear in the candidate device list. Such a Bluetooth pairing operation method is likely to be too complex (because the user has to select multiple member devices to be Bluetooth paired with the Bluetooth master device 110 one by one), and may even make it difficult for the user to find the correct pairing object.

[0156] From another perspective, the operation of the processing circuit 117 to filter the device options to be displayed in the candidate list in the foregoing process 410 can simplify the operation complexity of the user during the Bluetooth pairing process and reduce the possibility of user operation errors.

[0157] The user can operate the input circuit 113 to select the Bluetooth device group 102 as the object to be Bluetooth paired with the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0158] In this case, the input circuit 113 will perform process 412 to receive a selection instruction issued by the user and transmit the selection instruction to the processing circuit 117.

[0159] Next, the operation modes of the Bluetooth master device 110 in Figure 4 in the subsequent processes 210 and 214 are the same as the corresponding processes in the foregoing Figure 2 and the operation modes of the first member device 120 in Figure 4 in the subsequent processes 212 and 216 are the same as the corresponding processes in the foregoing Figure 2 For the sake of brevity, they will not be elaborated here.

[0160] In other words, after the first member device 120 is recognized as the first privileged device by the Bluetooth master device 110, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and instead use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding first key Kev-1 and second key Key-2. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly perform the aforementioned processes 210 and 214 to generate the first key Key-1, while the first member device 120 can directly perform the aforementioned processes 212 and 216 to generate the second key Key-2. In this way, the time required to generate the first key Key-1 and the second key Key-2 can be significantly shortened.

[0161] As Figure 5 shown, after generating the first key Key-1, the Bluetooth master device 110 can perform Figure 5 process 218 and subsequent processes in Figure 5 while after generating the second key Key-2, the first member device 120 can perform

[0162] process 220 and subsequent processes in Figure 5 Similarly, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 can perform Figure 4 process 306 in Figure 5 at an appropriate time point to generate a group identification code RSI-2 corresponding to the second member device 130. For example, the second control circuit 135 can perform the aforementioned predetermined target algorithm based on the device group identification information Set-ID of the Bluetooth device group 102 to generate a random address and use this random address as the group identification code RSI-2 corresponding to the second member device 130. In actual operation, the second control circuit 135 can perform Figure 4 process 306 at any time point between Figure 5 process 402 in

[0163] Figure 5 and Figure 2 process 220 in Figure 3 or at a certain time point before

[0164] In other words, in Figure 5In the embodiment, after the second member device 130 is recognized as a member device in the Bluetooth device group 102 by the Bluetooth master device 110, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding third key Key-3 and fourth key Key-4. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly perform the foregoing processes 314 and 318 to generate the third key Key-3, and the second member device 130 can directly perform the foregoing processes 316 and 320 to generate the fourth key Key-4. In this way, the time required to generate the third key Key-3 and the fourth key Key-4 can be significantly shortened.

[0165] In actual operation, the Bluetooth master device 110 and other member devices (for example, the third member device 140) in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be connected in the same way as the interaction between the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 described above, and generate the keys required for subsequent data transmission between the two parties respectively.

[0166] Similarly, in the embodiment where the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 all support the BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0167] In another embodiment, other member devices (for example, the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) in the Bluetooth device group 102 can all generate and transmit one or more target Bluetooth packets containing the device information of individual member devices and the group identification codes corresponding to individual member devices to the Bluetooth master device 110 in the same way as the first member device 120 in Figure 4 process 402. In other words, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can perform the same operation in process 402.

[0168] In this case, the Bluetooth master device 110 may identify the member device that first transmits the group identification code as the first privileged device, and first perform a simplified pairing process with the first privileged device. After that, the Bluetooth master device 110 may, based on the device group identification information Set-ID transmitted by the first privileged device and the group identification codes transmitted by other member devices, identify the other member devices as the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and then perform a simplified pairing process with the other member devices.

[0169] From the foregoing Figures 4 to 5 description, it can be seen that the Bluetooth master device 110 can determine whether the first member device 120 is a privileged device according to the position of the group identification code RSI-1 transmitted by the first member device 120 in the one or more target Bluetooth packets. After the first member device 120 is identified as a privileged device by the Bluetooth master device 110, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding first key Key-1 and second key Key-2. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly perform the foregoing process 210 and process 214 to generate the first key Key-1, while the first member device 120 can directly perform the foregoing process 212 and process 216 to generate the second key Key-2. In this way, the time required to generate the first key Key-1 and the second key Key-2 can be significantly shortened.

[0170] On the other hand, after the second member device 130 is identified as a member device in the Bluetooth device group 102 by the Bluetooth master device 110, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding third key Key-3 and fourth key Key-4. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly perform the foregoing process 314 and process 318 to generate the third key Key-3, while the second member device 130 can directly perform the foregoing process 316 and process 320 to generate the fourth key Key-4. In this way, the time required to generate the third key Key-3 and the fourth key Key-4 can be significantly shortened.

[0171] Obviously, the foregoing Figures 4 to 5 method can also effectively simplify the Bluetooth pairing process between the Bluetooth master device 110 and individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and thus significantly shorten the time required for the Bluetooth master device 110 to complete pairing with the Bluetooth device group 102.

[0172] Furthermore, the operation of the processing circuit 117 to filter the device options to be displayed in the candidate list in the foregoing process 410 can simplify the operation complexity of the user during the Bluetooth pairing process and reduce the possibility of user operation errors.

[0173] In addition, in an embodiment where both the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support the implementation of the BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0174] Please refer to Figure 6 , which shows a simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0175] As described above, when the Bluetooth master device 110 needs to pair with an individual member device in the Bluetooth device group 102, the processing circuit 117 can generate a Bluetooth inquiry request containing the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the Bluetooth master device 110), and can use the master communication circuit 111 to send the Bluetooth inquiry request to other nearby Bluetooth devices.

[0176] Alternatively, the processing circuit 117 can control the master communication circuit 111 to operate in the foregoing predetermined reception mode.

[0177] On the other hand, all the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can enter a predetermined transmission mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or the operation instructions defaulted by the internal program. Alternatively, after receiving the Bluetooth inquiry request generated by the Bluetooth master device 110, they can operate in the foregoing predetermined transmission mode.

[0178] After entering the predetermined transmission mode, the first member device 120 can perform Figure 6 the process 602 in

[0179] In process 602, the first control circuit 125 may use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit device information of the first member device 120 (e.g., the Bluetooth device address of the first member device 120) and device information of the second member device 130 (e.g., the Bluetooth device address of the second member device 130) to the Bluetooth master device 110. For example, the first control circuit 125 may generate one or more target Bluetooth packets containing the device information of the first member device 120 and the device information of the second member device 130, and use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0180] The type of the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in process 602 may be the same as the type of the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in the foregoing process 202. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0181] In process 604, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 may receive the device information of the first member device 120 and the device information of the second member device 130 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0182] In actual operation, other member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 (e.g., the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) may, in the same manner as the foregoing first member device 120 in process 602, transmit their own device information and the device information of other member devices to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0183] In other words, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 may perform the same operation in process 602. In this case, the master communication circuit 111 may receive the device information of multiple member devices transmitted from different member devices in process 604.

[0184] In process 606, the processing circuit 117 may generate a corresponding candidate device list based on information transmitted from multiple nearby Bluetooth devices (e.g., responses to Bluetooth inquiry requests sent by the Bluetooth master device 110), and control the display device 150 to display the candidate device list. The processing circuit 117 will also filter the device options to be displayed in the candidate list in process 606, and control the display device 150 to display a single device option in the candidate device list to represent the entire Bluetooth device group 102, rather than simultaneously displaying multiple device options representing multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 in the candidate device list, so as to simplify the operation complexity of the user during the Bluetooth pairing process.

[0185] As described above, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can perform the same operation in process 602, that is, transmit their own device information and the device information of other member devices to the Bluetooth master device 110. In process 606, the processing circuit 117 can determine which member devices belong to the same Bluetooth device group 102 as the first member device 120 based on the device information of multiple member devices transmitted by different member devices.

[0186] For example, the processing circuit 117 can compare the device information of the second member device 130 provided by the first member device 120 with the device information of the second member device 130 provided by the second member device 130 itself to determine whether the second member device 130 belongs to the Bluetooth device group 102. In this embodiment, when the device information of the second member device 130 provided by the first member device 120 is the same as the device information of the second member device 130 provided by the second member device 130 itself, the processing circuit 117 can determine that the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 belong to the same Bluetooth device group 102.

[0187] The user can learn from the candidate device list displayed on the display device 150 which Bluetooth devices can be paired with the Bluetooth master device 110 via Bluetooth. If the processing circuit 117 does not filter the device options to be displayed in the candidate list in process 606, multiple device options representing multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 may appear in the candidate device list. Such a Bluetooth pairing operation method is likely to be too complex (because the user has to select multiple member devices to be paired with the Bluetooth master device 110 one by one), and may even make it difficult for the user to find the correct pairing object.

[0188] From another perspective, the operation of the processing circuit 117 to filter the device options to be displayed in the candidate list in the foregoing process 606 can simplify the operation complexity of the user during the Bluetooth pairing process and reduce the possibility of user operation errors.

[0189] The user can operate the input circuit 113 to select the Bluetooth device group 102 as the object to be paired with the Bluetooth master device 110 via Bluetooth.

[0190] In this case, the input circuit 113 can perform process 608 to receive a selection instruction issued by the user and transmit the selection instruction to the processing circuit 117.

[0191] In process 610, the processing circuit 117 can establish a connection with the first member device 120 via the master communication circuit 111 and perform a pairing procedure according to the selection instruction to generate a first key Key-1.

[0192] In this case, the first control circuit 125 can perform process 612 to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device 110 through the first communication circuit 121 and perform a pairing procedure to generate a second key Key-2 corresponding to the first key Key-1.

[0193] Please note that in the aforementioned processes 610 and 612, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 can adopt various suitable methods to perform the Bluetooth pairing procedure, not limited to the pairing methods in the aforementioned Figure 2 and Figure 4 embodiments. In addition, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 can also adopt various suitable methods to negotiate their key generation parameters to respectively generate the first key Key-1 and the second key Key-2, not limited to the Figure 2 and Figure 4 key generation mechanisms in the embodiments.

[0194] As Figure 6 shown, after generating the first key Key-1, the processing circuit 117 in this embodiment will also perform process 614 to establish the association between the second member device 130 and the first key Key-1.

[0195] On the other hand, after generating the second key Key-2, the first control circuit 125 can also perform process 616 to use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit a device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the Bluetooth master device 110), and the second key Key-2 to the second member device 130.

[0196] In this case, the second communication circuit 131 of the second member device 130 can perform process 618 to receive the second key Key-2 and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0197] Then, the processing circuit 117 can perform process 620 to establish a connection with the second member device 130 through the master communication circuit 111 and directly use the first key Key-1 to perform data transmission with the second member device 130.

[0198] The second control circuit 135 can then perform process 622 to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device 110 through the second communication circuit 131 according to the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 and directly use the second key Key-2 to perform data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0199] In actual operation, the first control circuit 125 can, in a manner similar to the foregoing, transmit the foregoing second key Key-2 to other member devices (e.g., the third member device 140) in the Bluetooth device group 102, so that other member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can directly use the second key Key-2 generated by the first member device 120 to perform data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0200] In an embodiment where the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 all support BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low-complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0201] In the foregoing Figure 6 embodiment, the first member device 120 transmits the device information of the first member device 120 and the device information of the second member device 130 to the Bluetooth master device 110 in process 602. However, this is only an exemplary embodiment and does not limit the actual implementation of the present invention. In actual operation, the first member device 120 can also transmit the device information of the second member device 130 to the Bluetooth master device 110 at other time points.

[0202] For example, Figure 7 FIG. shows a simplified flowchart of a method for generating keys required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 The method is similar to the foregoing Figure 6 method, but in the Figure 7 embodiment, the first member device 120 performs process 702 instead of process 602.

[0203] In process 702, the first control circuit 125 uses the first communication circuit 121 to transmit a device information of the first member device 120 to the Bluetooth master device 110, but does not transmit the device information of other member devices (e.g., the second member device 130) to the Bluetooth master device 110. For example, the first control circuit 125 can generate one or more target Bluetooth packets that include the device information of the first member device 120 but do not include the device information of the second member device 130, and use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0204] The type of one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in process 702 may be the same as the type of one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in the foregoing process 202. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0205] In process 704, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can receive the device information of the first member device 120 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0206] In Figure 7 's embodiment, after the first control circuit 125 generates the second key Key-2, it proceeds to process 708 to transmit the device information of the second member device 130 (e.g., the Bluetooth device address of the second member device 130) to the Bluetooth master device 110 using the first communication circuit 121.

[0207] In this case, the master communication circuit 111 can perform process 710 to receive the device information of the second member device 130 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0208] Next, the processing circuit 117 can perform Figure 7 process 614 in to establish the association between the second member device 130 and the first key Key-1.

[0209] Figure 7 The operation modes of other processes in are the same as the corresponding processes in the foregoing Figure 6 embodiment. Therefore, the foregoing descriptions of the operation modes of other processes in and the related advantages, etc., also apply to the Figure 6 embodiment. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here. Figure 7 's

[0210] From the foregoing Figure 6 and Figure 7 descriptions, it can be seen that in this embodiment, only the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 need to generate the corresponding first key Key-1 and second key Key-2 respectively. Other member devices (e.g., the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) will directly use the second key Key-2 generated by the first member device 120 to perform subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110 without having to generate the relevant keys themselves. Therefore, adopting the Figure 6 or Figure 7 method can significantly reduce the time and computational amount consumed by other member devices (e.g., the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) in the Bluetooth device group 102 for negotiating key parameters and generating keys with the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0211] In addition, in Figure 6 andFigure 7 In the embodiment, the Bluetooth master device 110 only needs to negotiate the key generation parameters with a single member device (i.e., the first member device 120) in the Bluetooth device group 102, and does not need to negotiate the relevant key generation parameters with other member devices (e.g., the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) in the Bluetooth device group 102. In other words, by adopting Figure 6 or Figure 7 's method, the time and computing amount consumed by the Bluetooth master device 110 in negotiating key parameters with other member devices and generating keys can also be significantly reduced.

[0212] Obviously, the aforementioned Figure 6 and Figure 7 's method can effectively simplify the Bluetooth pairing procedure between the Bluetooth master device 110 and individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and thus significantly shorten the time required for the Bluetooth master device 110 to complete pairing with the Bluetooth device group 102.

[0213] Furthermore, the operation of the processing circuit 117 to filter the device options to be displayed in the candidate list in the aforementioned process 606 can simplify the operation complexity of the user during the Bluetooth pairing process and reduce the possibility of user operation errors.

[0214] In addition, in the embodiment where both the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support the BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low-complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0215] Please refer to Figure 8 , which shows a simplified flowchart of the method for generating the keys required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0216] As described above, when the Bluetooth master device 110 wants to pair with an individual member device in the Bluetooth device group 102, the processing circuit 117 can generate a Bluetooth inquiry request containing the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 (e.g., the Bluetooth device address of the Bluetooth master device 110), and can use the master communication circuit 111 to send the Bluetooth inquiry request to other nearby Bluetooth devices.

[0217] Similarly, the processing circuit 117 can also control the master communication circuit 111 to operate in the aforementioned predetermined receiving mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or the operation instructions defaulted by the internal program.

[0218] On the other hand, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can enter a predetermined transmission mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or the operation instructions defaulted by the internal program, or can operate in the aforementioned predetermined transmission mode after receiving the Bluetooth inquiry request generated by the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0219] After entering the predetermined transmission mode, the first member device 120 can perform Figure 8 the process 602 in Figure 8 The operation modes of the processes 602 to 612 in Figure 6 are respectively the same as the corresponding processes in the aforementioned Figure 6 Therefore, the descriptions of the operation modes and related advantages of the relevant processes in the aforementioned Figure 8 are also applicable to the embodiments of

[0220] As Figure 8 shown, after the first control circuit 125 in this embodiment generates the second key Key-2 in the process 612, it can also perform the process 802.

[0221] In the process 802, the first control circuit 125 can execute a predetermined key algorithm to generate a corresponding third key Key-3 and a fourth key Key-4. Then, the first control circuit 125 can perform the processes 802 and 804.

[0222] In the process 804, the first control circuit 125 can use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the third key Key-3 to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0223] In the process 806, the first control circuit 125 can use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit a device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the Bluetooth master device 110) and the fourth key Key-4 to the second member device 130.

[0224] In this case, the Bluetooth master device 110 can perform the processes 808 and 810, while the second member device 130 can perform the process 812.

[0225] In the process 808, the master communication circuit 111 can receive the third key Key-3 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0226] In process 810, processing circuit 117 may establish an association between the second member device 130 and the third key, Key-3.

[0227] In process 812, the second communication circuit 131 of the second member device 130 may receive the fourth key, Key-4, transmitted from the first member device 120 and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0228] Next, the processing circuit 117 may perform process 814 to establish a connection with the second member device 130 through the master communication circuit 111 and directly use the third key, Key-3, generated by the first member device 120 to perform data transmission with the second member device 130.

[0229] The second control circuit 135 may then perform process 816 to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device 110 through the second communication circuit 131 based on the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 and directly use the fourth key, Key-4, generated by the first member device 120 to perform data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0230] In actual operation, the first control circuit 125 may generate key pairs required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission for the Bluetooth master device 110 and other member devices in a manner similar to the foregoing.

[0231] In an embodiment where the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 all support the BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 may use the BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, and the Bluetooth master device 110 may encode the audio data using a low-complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0232] In the foregoing Figure 8 embodiment, the first member device 120 transmits the device information of the first member device 120 and the device information of the second member device 130 to the Bluetooth master device 110 in process 602. However, this is only an exemplary embodiment and does not limit the actual implementation of the present invention. In actual operation, the first member device 120 may also transmit the device information of the second member device 130 to the Bluetooth master device 110 at other time points.

[0233] For example, Figure 9The figure shows a simplified flowchart of a method for generating a key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 The method is similar to the foregoing Figure 8 method, but in the Figure 9 embodiment, the first member device 120 will perform process 702 instead of process 602.

[0234] As described above, in process 702, the first control circuit 125 uses the first communication circuit 121 to transmit device information of the first member device 120 to the Bluetooth master device 110, but does not transmit device information of other member devices (for example, the second member device 130) to the Bluetooth master device 110. For example, the first control circuit 125 can generate one or more target Bluetooth packets that contain the device information of the first member device 120 but do not contain the device information of the second member device 130, and use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0235] The type of the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in process 702 can be the same as the type of the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in the foregoing process 202. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0236] In process 704, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can receive the device information of the first member device 120 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0237] In Figure 9 the embodiment, after the first control circuit 125 generates the second key Key-2 in process 612, it then performs process 904 to use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the device information of the second member device 130 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the second member device 130) and the third key Key-3 to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0238] In this case, the master communication circuit 111 can perform process 908 to receive the device information of the second member device 130 and the third key Key-3 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0239] Next, the processing circuit 117 can perform Figure 9 process 810 in

[0240] Next, the processing circuit 117 can perform Figure 9 process 814 in to establish an association between the second member device 130 and the third key Key-3, and directly use the third key Key-3 generated by the first member device 120 to establish a connection with the second member device 130 and perform data transmission with the second member device 130.

[0241] The second control circuit 135 can then perform Figure 9 the process 816 in it to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device 110 through the second communication circuit 131 according to the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110, and directly use the fourth key Key-4 generated by the first member device 120 to perform data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0242] Figure 9 The operation modes of other processes in it are all the same as those of the corresponding processes in the foregoing Figure 6 , Figure 7 , or Figure 8 embodiments. Therefore, the foregoing descriptions of the operation modes and related advantages of the relevant processes in Figure 6 , Figure 7 , and Figure 8 also apply to the embodiments of Figure 9 . For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0243] From the foregoing descriptions in Figure 8 and Figure 9 , it can be seen that the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 in this embodiment need to generate the corresponding first key Key-1 and second key Key-2 respectively. However, the keys required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission between the Bluetooth master device 110 and other member devices (for example, the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) in the Bluetooth device group 102 are all generated by the first member device 120. Therefore, adopting Figure 8 or Figure 9 's method can greatly reduce the time and computing amount consumed by other member devices (for example, the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) in the Bluetooth device group 102 for negotiating key parameters and generating keys with the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0244] In addition, in the embodiments of Figure 8 and Figure 9 , the Bluetooth master device 110 only needs to negotiate the key generation parameters with a single member device (that is, the first member device 120) in the Bluetooth device group 102, and does not need to negotiate the relevant key generation parameters with other member devices (for example, the second member device 130 and the third member device 140) in the Bluetooth device group 102. In other words, adopting Figure 8 or Figure 9 's method can also greatly reduce the time and computing amount consumed by the Bluetooth master device 110 for negotiating key parameters and generating keys with other member devices.

[0245] Obviously, the foregoing Figure 8 and Figure 9The method can effectively simplify the Bluetooth pairing procedure between the Bluetooth master device 110 and individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, thereby significantly shortening the time required for the Bluetooth master device 110 and the Bluetooth device group 102 to complete pairing.

[0246] Furthermore, the operation of the processing circuit 117 to filter the device options to be displayed in the candidate list in the foregoing process 606 can simplify the operation complexity of the user during the Bluetooth pairing process and reduce the possibility of user operation errors.

[0247] In addition, in an embodiment where both the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support the BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low-complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0248] Please refer to Figure 10 which shows a simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0249] As described above, when the Bluetooth master device 110 is to be paired with an individual member device in the Bluetooth device group 102, the processing circuit 117 can generate a Bluetooth inquiry request containing the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the Bluetooth master device 110), and can use the master communication circuit 111 to send the Bluetooth inquiry request to other nearby Bluetooth devices.

[0250] Similarly, the processing circuit 117 can also control the master communication circuit 111 to operate in the foregoing predetermined reception mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or the operation instructions defaulted by the internal program.

[0251] On the other hand, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can enter a predetermined transmission mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or the operation instructions defaulted by the internal program, or can operate in the foregoing predetermined transmission mode after receiving the Bluetooth inquiry request generated by the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0252] After entering the predetermined transmission mode, the first member device 120 can perform Figure 10 the process 602 in Figure 10 The operation modes of the processes 602 to 608 in Figure 6The corresponding processes are the same. Therefore, the descriptions of the operation methods and related advantages of the relevant processes in Figure 6 also apply to the embodiments of Figure 10 For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0253] As Figure 10 shown, after the Bluetooth master device 110 in this embodiment receives a selection instruction issued by the user in process 608, process 1010 can be performed.

[0254] In process 1010, the processing circuit 117 can establish a connection with the first member device 120 through the master communication circuit 111 according to the selection instruction, and transmit a device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the Bluetooth master device 110) to the first member device 120.

[0255] In this case, the first communication circuit 121 can perform process 1012 to receive the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110, and can establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device 110 under the control of the first control circuit 125. In addition, the first control circuit 125 will also generate an indication value required for Bluetooth pairing between the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 in process 1012.

[0256] In one embodiment, the aforementioned indication value is a predetermined value, a random value, a predetermined address, a random address, a predetermined string, a random string, a predetermined token, or a random token, etc. that can be used by a predetermined key algorithm. In another embodiment, the aforementioned indication value is an algorithm identifier corresponding to a predetermined key algorithm.

[0257] After generating the indication value, the first member device 120 can perform process 1014, process 1016, and process 1018.

[0258] In process 1014, the first control circuit 125 may generate a second key, Key-2, based on the indication value and a device information of the first member device 120 (e.g., the Bluetooth device address of the first member device 120). For example, the first control circuit 125 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the indication value and the device information of the first member device 120 to generate the second key Key-2. For another example, the first control circuit 125 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the indication value, the device information of the first member device 120, and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the second key Key-2. For yet another example, the first control circuit 125 may select a predetermined key algorithm from a plurality of pre-agreed available key algorithms based on the indication value and execute the selected predetermined key algorithm to generate the second key Key-2.

[0259] In process 1016, the first control circuit 125 may use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the indication value to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0260] In process 1018, the first control circuit 125 may use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the indication value to the second member device 130.

[0261] In this case, the Bluetooth master device 110 may perform Figure 10 processes 1020 and 1022, while the second member device 130 may perform Figure 10 process 1024.

[0262] In process 1020, the master communication circuit 111 may receive the indication value.

[0263] In process 1022, the processing circuit 117 may generate a first key, Key-1, based on the indication value and the device information of the first member device 120. For example, the processing circuit 117 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the indication value and the device information of the first member device 120 to generate the first key Key-1. For another example, the processing circuit 117 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the indication value, the device information of the first member device 120, and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the first key Key-1. For yet another example, the processing circuit 117 may select a predetermined key algorithm from a plurality of pre-agreed available key algorithms based on the indication value and execute the selected predetermined key algorithm to generate the first key Key-1.

[0264] In process 1024, the second communication circuit 131 may receive the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the indication value transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0265] In process 1026, the processing circuit 117 may establish a connection with the second member device 130 through the master control communication circuit 111 according to a device information of the second member device 130 (e.g., the Bluetooth device address of the second member device 130) transmitted by the first member device 120 in process 602, and generate a third key Key-3 based on the indication value and the device information of the second member device 130. For example, the processing circuit 117 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the indication value and the device information of the second member device 130 to generate the third key Key-3. For another example, the processing circuit 117 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the indication value, the device information of the second member device 130, and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the third key Key-3. For yet another example, the processing circuit 117 may select a predetermined key algorithm from multiple pre-agreed available key algorithms based on the indication value, and execute the selected predetermined key algorithm to generate the third key Key-3.

[0266] In this case, the second member device 130 may proceed to process 1028.

[0267] In process 1028, the second control circuit 135 may establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device 110 through the second communication circuit 131, and may generate a fourth key Key-4 corresponding to the third key Key-3 based on the indication value and the device information of the second member device 130. For example, the second control circuit 135 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the indication value and the device information of the second member device 130 to generate the fourth key Key-4. For another example, the second control circuit 135 may execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the indication value, the device information of the second member device 130, and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the fourth key Key-4. For yet another example, the second control circuit 135 may select a predetermined key algorithm from multiple pre-agreed available key algorithms based on the indication value, and execute the selected predetermined key algorithm to generate the fourth key Key-4.

[0268] In other words, after the first member device 120 generates the indication value, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 may omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and instead use a very simplified method to generate the first key Key-1 and the corresponding second key Key-2. Similarly, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 may also omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and instead use a very simplified method to generate the third key Key-3 and the corresponding fourth key Key-4. In this way, the time required to generate the first key Key-1, the second key Key-2, the third key Key-3, and the fourth key Key-4 can be significantly shortened.

[0269] In process 1030, the processing circuit 117 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the third key Key-3 to perform Bluetooth data transmission with the second member device 130 through the master communication circuit 111.

[0270] In process 1032, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 can use the fourth key Key-4 to perform Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110 through the second communication circuit 131.

[0271] In actual operation, the Bluetooth master device 110 and other member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 (e.g., the third member device 140) can generate the keys required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission between them according to the indication value generated by the first member device 120 in a similar manner as described above.

[0272] Similarly, in an embodiment where the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 all support the BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low-complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0273] In the foregoing Figure 10 embodiment, the first member device 120 transmits the device information of the first member device 120 and the device information of the second member device 130 to the Bluetooth master device 110 in process 602. However, this is only an exemplary embodiment and does not limit the actual implementation of the present invention. In actual operation, the first member device 120 can also transmit the device information of the second member device 130 to the Bluetooth master device 110 at other time points.

[0274] For example, Figure 11 FIG. shows a simplified flowchart of the method for generating the keys required for Bluetooth data transmission according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 The method is similar to the foregoing Figure 10 method, but in the Figure 11 embodiment, the first member device 120 performs process 702 instead of process 602.

[0275] As described above, in process 702, the first control circuit 125 uses the first communication circuit 121 to transmit device information of the first member device 120 to the Bluetooth master device 110, but does not transmit device information of other member devices (e.g., the second member device 130) to the Bluetooth master device 110. For example, the first control circuit 125 can generate one or more target Bluetooth packets that contain the device information of the first member device 120 but do not contain the device information of the second member device 130, and use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0276] The type of the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in process 702 can be the same as the type of the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in the foregoing process 202. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0277] In process 704, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 can receive the device information of the first member device 120 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0278] In Figure 11 In an embodiment, after the first control circuit 125 generates the second key Key-2 in process 1014, it proceeds to process 1118 to use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit device information of the second member device 130 (e.g., the Bluetooth device address of the second member device 130) to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0279] In this case, the master communication circuit 111 can proceed to process 1120 to receive the device information of the second member device 130 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0280] Figure 11 The operation modes of the other processes in Figure 6 、 Figure 7 、or Figure 10 are the same as the corresponding processes in the foregoing Figure 6 、 Figure 7 、and Figure 10 embodiments. Therefore, the descriptions of the operation modes and related advantages of the relevant processes in Figure 11 also apply to the embodiments of

[0281] From the foregoing Figure 10 and Figure 11As can be seen from the description, after the first member device 120 generates the aforementioned indication value, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the first key Key-1 and the corresponding second key Key-2. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly perform the aforementioned processes 1020 and 1022 to generate the first key Key-1, while the first member device 120 can directly perform the aforementioned process 1014 to generate the second key Key-2. In this way, the time required to generate the first key Key-1 and the second key Key-2 can be significantly shortened.

[0282] Similarly, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 can also omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the third key Key-3 and the corresponding fourth key Key-4. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly perform the aforementioned process 1026 to generate the third key Key-3, while the second member device 130 can directly perform the aforementioned processes 1024 and 1028 to generate the fourth key Key-4. In this way, the time required to generate the third key Key-3 and the fourth key Key-4 can be significantly shortened.

[0283] Obviously, the aforementioned Figure 10 and Figure 11 method can effectively simplify the Bluetooth pairing procedure between the Bluetooth master device 110 and individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and thus significantly shorten the time required for the Bluetooth master device 110 and the Bluetooth device group 102 to complete the pairing.

[0284] Furthermore, the operation of the processing circuit 117 to filter the device options to be displayed in the candidate list in the aforementioned process 606 can simplify the operation complexity of the user during the Bluetooth pairing process and reduce the possibility of user operation errors.

[0285] In addition, in an embodiment where the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 both support the BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low-complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0286] Please refer to Figure 12, which shows a simplified flowchart of the method for generating the key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

[0287] As described above, when the Bluetooth master device 110 is to pair with an individual member device in the Bluetooth device group 102, the processing circuit 117 can generate a Bluetooth inquiry request containing the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the Bluetooth master device 110), and can use the master communication circuit 111 to send the Bluetooth inquiry request to other nearby Bluetooth devices.

[0288] Similarly, the processing circuit 117 can also control the master communication circuit 111 to operate in the aforementioned predetermined reception mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or the operation instructions default in the internal program.

[0289] On the other hand, all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can enter a predetermined transmission mode at an appropriate time point according to the user's operation or the operation instructions default in the internal program, or can operate in the aforementioned predetermined transmission mode after receiving the Bluetooth inquiry request generated by the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0290] After entering the predetermined transmission mode, the first member device 120 can perform Figure 12 the process 602 in Figure 12 The operation modes of the processes 602 to 608 in Figure 6 are all the same as the corresponding processes in the foregoing Figure 6 Therefore, the descriptions of the operation modes and related advantages of the relevant processes in the foregoing Figure 12 are also applicable to the embodiments of

[0291] As Figure 12 shown, after receiving a selection instruction issued by the user in the process 608, the Bluetooth master device 110 in this embodiment can perform the process 1210.

[0292] In process 1210, the processing circuit 117 can establish a connection with the first member device 120 through the master control communication circuit 111 according to the selection instruction, and can determine a first parameter P1. The processing circuit 117 can determine the first parameter P1 in the same manner as in the aforementioned process 210. Therefore, the description of how to determine the first parameter P1 in process 210 also applies to process 1210. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here. The processing circuit 117 can also transmit the first parameter P1, or a first field indication used to indicate that the content of a specific packet field is to be used as the first parameter P1, to the first member device 120 through the master control communication circuit 111 in process 1210.

[0293] In this case, the first communication circuit 121 of the first member device 120 can perform process 1212 to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device 110 and receive the first parameter P1 or the relevant first field indication transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110, so that the first control circuit 125 can learn the first parameter P1 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0294] As Figure 12 shown, the processing circuit 117 can then perform process 214 to generate a first key Key-1 required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the first member device 120 based on the first parameter P1. For example, the processing circuit 117 can execute a predetermined key algorithm based on the first parameter P1 and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the first key Key-1. Another example is that the processing circuit 117 can execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the first parameter P1, the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110, and the device information of the first member device 120 to generate the first key Key-1.

[0295] On the other hand, the first control circuit 125 can perform process 216 to generate a second key Key-2 required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110 based on the first parameter P1. In other words, the second key Key-2 generated by the first control circuit 125 corresponds to the first key Key-1 generated by the processing circuit 117. For example, the first control circuit 125 can execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the first parameter P1 and the device information of the first member device 120 to generate the second key Key-2. Another example is that the first control circuit 125 can execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm based on the first parameter P1, the device information of the first member device 120, and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to generate the second key Key-2.

[0296] In other words, after the Bluetooth master device 110 determines the first parameter P1 corresponding to the first member device 120, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding first key Key-1 and second key Key-2. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly generate the first key Key-1 based on the first parameter P1 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110, and the first member device 120 can directly generate the second key Key-2 based on the first parameter P1 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110. In this way, the time required to generate the first key Key-1 and the second key Key-2 can be significantly shortened.

[0297] After that, the processing circuit 117 can use the first key Key-1 to perform Bluetooth data transmission with the first member device 120 through the master communication circuit 111, and the first control circuit 125 can use the second key Key-2 to perform Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110 through the first communication circuit 121.

[0298] As Figure 12 shown, the first control circuit 125 can also perform process 1216 to use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 to the second member device 130.

[0299] In this case, the second communication circuit 131 can perform Figure 12 process 1218 in to receive the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0300] As Figure 12 shown, the Bluetooth master device 110 in this embodiment can also perform process 1220.

[0301] In process 1220, the processing circuit 117 may establish a connection with the second member device 130 through the master communication circuit 111 according to a device information of the second member device 130 (e.g., the Bluetooth device address of the second member device 130) transmitted by the first member device 120 in process 602, and may determine a second parameter P2. The processing circuit 117 may determine the second parameter P2 in the same manner as in the foregoing process 314. Therefore, the foregoing description of how to determine the second parameter P2 in process 314 also applies to process 1220. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here. The processing circuit 117 may also transmit the second parameter P2, or a second field indication indicating that the content of a specific packet field is to be used as the second parameter P2, to the second member device 130 through the master communication circuit 111 in process 1220. As described above, the second parameter P2 may be the same as the foregoing first parameter P1 or different from the first parameter P1. In this case, the second communication circuit 131 of the second member device 130 may perform process 1222 to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device 110 and receive the second parameter P2 or the relevant second field indication transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110, so that the second control circuit 135 can learn the second parameter P2 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0302] As Figure 12 shown, the processing circuit 117 may then perform process 318 to generate a third key Key-3 required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the second member device 130 according to the second parameter P2. For example, the processing circuit 117 may execute a predetermined key algorithm to generate the third key Key-3 according to the second parameter P2 and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110. For another example, the processing circuit 117 may execute the foregoing predetermined key algorithm to generate the third key Key-3 according to the second parameter P2, the device information of the second member device 130, and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0303] On the other hand, the second control circuit 135 can perform process 320 to generate a fourth key Key-4 required for subsequent Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110 according to the second parameter P2. In other words, the fourth key Key-4 generated by the second control circuit 135 corresponds to the third key Key-3 generated by the processing circuit 117. For example, the second control circuit 135 can execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm to generate the fourth key Key-4 based on the second parameter P2 and the device information of the second member device 130. Another example is that the second control circuit 135 can execute the aforementioned predetermined key algorithm to generate the fourth key Key-4 based on the second parameter P2, the device information of the second member device 130, and the device information of the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0304] In other words, after the Bluetooth master device 110 determines the second parameter P2, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding third key Key-3 and fourth key Key-4. That is, the Bluetooth master device 110 can directly generate the third key Key-3 based on the second parameter P2 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110, and the second member device 130 can directly generate the fourth key Key-4 based on the second parameter P2 determined by the Bluetooth master device 110. In this way, the time required to generate the third key Key-3 and the fourth key Key-4 can be significantly shortened.

[0305] After that, the processing circuit 117 can perform Figure 12 process 322 in to perform Bluetooth data transmission with the second member device 130 using the third key Key-3 through the master communication circuit 111.

[0306] On the other hand, the second control circuit 135 can perform Figure 12 process 324 in to perform Bluetooth data transmission with the Bluetooth master device 110 using the fourth key Key-4 through the second communication circuit 131.

[0307] Similarly, in an embodiment where the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 all support the implementation of BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low-complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0308] In the foregoing Figure 12 embodiment, the first member device 120 transmits the device information of the first member device 120 and the device information of the second member device 130 to the Bluetooth master device 110 in process 602. However, this is only an exemplary embodiment and does not limit the actual implementation of the present invention. In actual operation, the first member device 120 may also transmit the device information of the second member device 130 to the Bluetooth master device 110 at other time points.

[0309] For example, Figure 13 FIG. shows a simplified flowchart of a method for generating a key required for Bluetooth data transmission according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 The method is similar to the foregoing Figure 12 method, but in the Figure 13 embodiment, the first member device 120 performs process 702 instead of process 602.

[0310] As described above, in process 702, the first control circuit 125 uses the first communication circuit 121 to transmit a device information of the first member device 120 to the Bluetooth master device 110, but does not transmit the device information of other member devices (for example, the second member device 130) to the Bluetooth master device 110. For example, the first control circuit 125 may generate one or more target Bluetooth packets that include the device information of the first member device 120 but do not include the device information of the second member device 130, and use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit the one or more target Bluetooth packets to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0311] The type of the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in process 702 may be the same as the type of the one or more target Bluetooth packets referred to in the foregoing process 202. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0312] In process 704, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 may receive the device information of the first member device 120 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0313] In the Figure 13 embodiment, after the first control circuit 125 generates the second key Key-2 in process 216, it then performs process 1118 to use the first communication circuit 121 to transmit a device information of the second member device 130 (for example, the Bluetooth device address of the second member device 130) to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0314] In this case, the master communication circuit 111 may perform process 1120 to receive the device information of the second member device 130 transmitted from the first member device 120.

[0315] Figure 13 The operation modes of the other processes in Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , or Figure 12 are the same as the corresponding processes in the foregoing Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , and Figure 12 embodiments. Therefore, the descriptions of the operation modes and related advantages of the relevant processes in the foregoing Figure 13 also apply to the embodiments of

[0316] For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here. Figure 12 and Figure 13 As can be seen from the foregoing descriptions of

[0317] After the Bluetooth master device 110 determines the first parameter P1, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 can omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the corresponding first key Key-1 and second key Key-2. In this way, the time required to generate the first key Key-1 and the second key Key-2 can be significantly shortened.

[0318] Similarly, after the Bluetooth master device 110 determines the second parameter P2, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 can also omit many traditional key parameter negotiation processes and use a very simplified method to generate the third key Key-3 and the corresponding fourth key Key-4. In this way, the time required to generate the third key Key-3 and the fourth key Key-4 can be significantly shortened. Figure 12 and Figure 13 The foregoing

[0319] method can effectively simplify the Bluetooth pairing procedure between the Bluetooth master device 110 and individual member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and thus significantly shorten the time required for the Bluetooth master device 110 to complete pairing with the Bluetooth device group 102.

[0320] In addition, in an embodiment where both the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support the implementation of BLE audio technology, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use BLE audio technology to transmit audio data to the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, and the Bluetooth master device 110 can encode the audio data using a low complexity communication codec (LC3). In this way, not only can the power consumption of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 be reduced, thereby extending the usage time of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102, but also the overall audio playback quality can be effectively improved.

[0321]

[0322] Please note that the execution order of the processes in the foregoing flowcharts is only an exemplary embodiment and does not limit the actual implementation manner of the present invention.

[0323] For example, in Figure 2 , process 214 can be carried out together with process 210, or can be changed to be carried out before transmitting the first privileged pairing notification, the first parameter P1, and / or the first field indication related to the first parameter P1.

[0324] For another example, in Figure 3 and Figure 5 , process 306 and process 308 can be adjusted to be before process 302, or can be carried out together with process 302.

[0325] For another example, in Figure 3 and Figure 5 , the order of process 310 and process 304 can be reversed, or can be carried out together.

[0326] For another example, in Figure 3 and Figure 5 , process 318 can be carried out together with process 314, or can be changed to be carried out before transmitting the second privileged pairing notification, the second parameter P2, and / or the second field indication related to the second parameter P2.

[0327] For another example, in Figure 4 , process 408 can be carried out together with process 410 or process 412, or can be adjusted to be between process 410 and process 412, or can also be adjusted to be between process 412 and process 210.

[0328] For another example, in Figure 7 , the order of process 708 and process 616 can be reversed, or can be carried out together.

[0329] For another example, in Figure 8In [context], the order of processes 806 and 804 can be swapped or they can be carried out together.

[0330] For another example, in Figure 9 the order of processes 806 and 904 can be swapped or they can be carried out together.

[0331] For another example, in Figure 10 and Figure 11 the order of processes 1018 and 1016 can be swapped or they can be carried out together.

[0332] For another example, in Figure 11 process 1118 can be carried out together with process 1016 or process 1018, or it can be adjusted to be between process 1016 and process 1018, or it can also be adjusted to be between process 1014 and process 1016.

[0333] For another example, in Figure 12 and Figure 13 the order of processes 1216 and 216 can be swapped or they can be carried out together.

[0334] For another example, in Figure 12 and Figure 13 process 214 can be carried out together with process 1210, or it can be carried out before transmitting the first parameter P1 or the first field indication related to the first parameter P1.

[0335] For another example, in Figure 13 the order of processes 1118 and 1216 can be swapped or they can be carried out together.

[0336] For another example, in Figure 12 and Figure 13 process 318 can be carried out together with process 1220, or it can be carried out before transmitting the second parameter P2 or the second field indication related to the second parameter P2.

[0337] In addition, the number and connection method of the functional blocks in the aforementioned Bluetooth communication system 100 can be adjusted according to the needs of the actual circuit design, and are not limited to the forms shown in the foregoing embodiments.

[0338] For another example, in some embodiments where it is not necessary to use the Bluetooth device group 102 to receive user or environmental sounds, the first sound collection circuit 164, the second sound collection circuit 174, and / or the third sound collection circuit 184 can be omitted.

[0339] For another example, in embodiments where it is not necessary to use the Bluetooth device group 102 to play audio data, the first audio playback circuit 162, the second audio playback circuit 172, and / or the third audio playback circuit 182 can be omitted.

[0340] For another example, the number of member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be expanded to a larger number as needed, or simplified to only the first member device 120 and the second member device 130.

[0341] In the description and claims of the patent application, certain terms are used to refer to specific elements, and those skilled in the art may use different terms to refer to the same elements. The description and claims of the patent application do not use the difference in names as a way to distinguish elements, but use the difference in functions of the elements as the basis for distinction. The term "comprising" mentioned in the description and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". In addition, the term "coupled" herein includes any direct and indirect connection means. Therefore, if it is described in the text that the first element is coupled to the second element, it means that the first element can be directly connected to the second element through electrical connection, wireless transmission, optical transmission or other signal connection means, or indirectly electrically or signal-connected to the second element through other elements or connection means.

[0342] The description method of "and / or" used in the description includes any combination of one or more of the listed items. In addition, unless specifically specified in the description, any singular term also includes multiple meanings.

[0343] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0344]

Symbol Description

[0345] 100... Bluetooth communication system

[0346] 102... Bluetooth device group

[0347] 110... Bluetooth master device

[0348] 111... Master communication circuit

[0349] 113... Input circuit

[0350] 115... Master key generation circuit

[0351] 117... Processing circuit

[0352] 120... First member device

[0353] 121... First communication circuit

[0354] 123... First key generation circuit

[0355] 125... First control circuit

[0356] 127...The first audio processing circuit

[0357] 130...The second member device

[0358] 131...The second communication circuit

[0359] 133...The second key generation circuit

[0360] 135...The second control circuit

[0361] 137...The second audio processing circuit

[0362] 140...The third member device

[0363] 150...The display device

[0364] 162...The first audio playback circuit

[0365] 164...The first radio circuit

[0366] 172...The second audio playback circuit

[0367] 174...The second radio circuit

[0368] 182...The third audio playback circuit

[0369] 184...The third radio circuit

[0370] 202~220, 302~324, 402~412, 602~622, 702, 704, 708, 710, 802~816, 904, 908, 1010~1032, 1118, 1120, 1210, 1212, 1216~1222...Operation procedures.

Claims

1. A Bluetooth communication system (100) comprising: A Bluetooth master device (110) comprising: A master communication circuit (111); A master key generation circuit (115); and A processing circuit (117) coupled to the master communication circuit (111) and the master key generation circuit (115), configured to control the operations of the master communication circuit (111) and the master key generation circuit (115); and A Bluetooth device group (102) comprising at least one first member device (120) and a second member device (130); Wherein, The first member device (120) comprises: A first communication circuit (121) configured to wirelessly communicate with the master communication circuit (111); A first key generation circuit (123); and A first control circuit (125) coupled to the first communication circuit (121) and the first key generation circuit (123), configured to generate a first group identification code (RSI-1) corresponding to the first member device (120) according to a device group identification information corresponding to the Bluetooth device group (102), and configured to transmit a device information of the first member device (120) to the Bluetooth master device (110) by using the first communication circuit (121); Wherein, the second member device (130) comprises: A second communication circuit (131) configured to wirelessly communicate with the master communication circuit (111); and A second control circuit (135) coupled to the second communication circuit (131), configured to control the operation of the second communication circuit (131), and configured to generate a second group identification code (RSI-2) corresponding to the second member device (130) according to the device group identification information; Wherein, the processing circuit (117) is further configured to control a display device (150) to display a candidate device list, and display a single device option in the candidate device list to represent the Bluetooth device group (102), but not display two device options representing the first member device (120) and the second member device (130) simultaneously in the candidate device list; Wherein, the processing circuit (117) is further configured to, after receiving a selection instruction issued by a user, establish a connection with the first member device (120) by using the master communication circuit (111) and perform a pairing procedure to generate a first key (Key-1); Wherein, the first control circuit (125) is further configured to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device (110) by using the first communication circuit (121) and perform a pairing procedure to generate a second key (Key-2) corresponding to the first key (Key-1); Wherein, the first control circuit (125) is further configured to transmit the second key (Key-2) and a device information of the Bluetooth master device (110) to the second member device (130) by using the first communication circuit (121); Wherein, the processing circuit (117) is further configured to be able to perform data transmission with the second member device (130) using the first key (Key-1); And wherein, the second control circuit (135) is further configured to be able to perform data transmission with the Bluetooth master device (110) using the second key (Key-2).

2. The Bluetooth communication system (100) according to claim 1, Wherein, The first control circuit (125) is further configured to be able to transmit device information of the second member device (130) to the Bluetooth master device (110) by using the first communication circuit (121).

3. The Bluetooth communication system (100) according to claim 2, Wherein, The first control circuit (125) is further configured to be able to transmit the device information of the second member device (130) to the Bluetooth master device (110) by using the first communication circuit (121) before the Bluetooth master device (110) controls the display device (150) to display the candidate device list.

4. The Bluetooth communication system (100) according to claim 2, Wherein, The processing circuit (117) is further configured to be able to establish a connection with the second member device (130) by using the master communication circuit (111) after receiving the device information of the second member device (130); Wherein, the second control circuit (135) is further configured to be able to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device (110) by using the second communication circuit (131) after receiving the second key (Key-2) and the device information of the Bluetooth master device (110).

5. A Bluetooth device group (102) for a Bluetooth communication system (100), comprising: A first member device (120), comprising: A first communication circuit (121), configured to be able to perform wireless communication with a Bluetooth master device (110) in the Bluetooth communication system (100); A first key generation circuit (123); and A first control circuit (125), coupled to the first communication circuit (121) and the first key generation circuit (123), configured to be able to generate a first group identification code (RSI-1) corresponding to the first member device (120) according to a device group identification information corresponding to the Bluetooth device group (102), and to be able to transmit device information of the first member device (120) to the Bluetooth master device (110) by using the first communication circuit (121); A second member device (130), comprising: A second communication circuit (131), configured to be able to perform wireless communication with the Bluetooth master device (110); and A second control circuit (135), coupled to the second communication circuit (131), configured to be able to control the operation of the second communication circuit (131), and configured to be able to generate a second group identification code (RSI-2) corresponding to the second member device (130) according to the device group identification information; Wherein, The Bluetooth master device (110) controls a display device (150) to display a list of candidate devices, and displays a single device option in the list of candidate devices to represent the Bluetooth device group (102), but does not display two device options representing the first member device (120) and the second member device (130) in the list of candidate devices at the same time; Wherein, after receiving a selection instruction issued by a user, the Bluetooth master device (110) establishes a connection with the first member device (120) and performs a pairing process to generate a first key (Key-1); Wherein, the first control circuit (125) is further configured to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device (110) using the first communication circuit (121) and perform a pairing process to generate a second key (Key-2) corresponding to the first key (Key-1); Wherein, the first control circuit (125) is further configured to use the first communication circuit (121) to transmit the second key (Key-2) and a device information of the Bluetooth master device (110) to the second member device (130); Wherein, the Bluetooth master device (110) is further configured to perform data transmission with the second member device (130) using the first key (Key-1); And wherein, the second control circuit (135) is further configured to perform data transmission with the Bluetooth master device (110) using the second key (Key-2).

6. The Bluetooth device group (102) according to claim 5, Wherein, the first control circuit (125) is further configured to use the first communication circuit (121) to transmit a device information of the second member device (130) to the Bluetooth master device (110).

7. The Bluetooth device group (102) according to claim 6, Wherein, the first control circuit (125) is further configured to use the first communication circuit (121) to transmit the device information of the second member device (130) to the Bluetooth master device (110) before the Bluetooth master device (110) controls the display device (150) to display the list of candidate devices.

8. The Bluetooth device group (102) according to claim 6, Wherein, the Bluetooth master device (110) further establishes a connection with the second member device (130) after receiving the device information of the second member device (130); Wherein, the second control circuit (135) is further configured to establish a connection with the Bluetooth master device (110) using the second communication circuit (131) after receiving the second key (Key-2) and the device information of the Bluetooth master device (110).

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