Bluetooth communication system and Bluetooth device group

Abstract

The present application relates to a Bluetooth communication system and a Bluetooth device group. The present specification provides a Bluetooth communication system, comprising a Bluetooth master control device and a Bluetooth device group. The connection between the Bluetooth master control device and the Bluetooth device group complies with the specifications of the Bluetooth low energy audio technology. The Bluetooth device group comprises at least one first member device and one second member device. The Bluetooth master control device can respectively configure the first member device and the second member device in a first mode for returning a sound signal, and connect them using isochronous streaming channel technology. The first member device returns the received sound signal to the Bluetooth master control device, while the second member device does not return the received sound signal. When a trigger event occurs, the first member device can notify the second member device through a third-party member device, so that the first member device and the second member device can perform a subsequent sound reception handover procedure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a Bluetooth low-power communication technology, and in particular to a Bluetooth communication system capable of avoiding sound interruption and a related Bluetooth main control device and Bluetooth device group. Background Art

[0002] Bluetooth technology is divided into two categories, one is the classic Bluetooth / Legacy Bluetooth technology, and the other is the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. BLE technology and classic Bluetooth technology are not compatible with each other (or not completely 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 classic Bluetooth technology, or it can be designed to support only one of the Bluetooth communication standards. The new low-power Bluetooth audio (Bluetooth LE 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 technology specification 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 while significantly reducing power consumption. It is foreseeable that the market demand for Bluetooth device sets (such as Bluetooth headsets or multi-channel Bluetooth speakers, etc.) that can support BLE audio technology will become higher and higher.

[0003] As we all know, when a Bluetooth device group using traditional Bluetooth technology wants to connect to a Bluetooth master device (for example, a mobile phone or a computer), the Bluetooth master device will treat multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group as a single Bluetooth device, so the Bluetooth master device only needs to establish a connection with one of the member devices in the Bluetooth device group.

[0004] According to the specification of BLE audio technology, when a group of Bluetooth devices want to connect to a Bluetooth master device, a new method called Low Energy (LE) isochronous (or synchronous) channel is used to transmit time-limited data between Bluetooth devices. Low Energy Isochronous Channel ensures that multiple receiver devices receiving data from the same source can play synchronously. The transmitted data contains a time validity limit. Data that has exceeded the time validity period and has not been sent will be discarded. In other words, the Bluetooth receiver will decide whether to receive the data based on specific waiting time rules. There are two modes for transmitting audio streams on Low Energy Isochronous Channel. One is the connection-oriented communication mode (Connection-Oriented Communication Mode), and the other is the connectionless communication mode (Connectionless Communication Mode).

[0005] The data stream transmitted in the link-oriented communication mode is called a connected isochronous stream (CIS). In the case where sound data needs to be transmitted synchronously (for example, when the left and right earphones play music), the Bluetooth master device can configure multiple Bluetooth peripheral devices into a Bluetooth device group called a connected isochronous group (CIG). The connected isochronous streams CIS belonging to the same connected isochronous group CIG can share specific reference data to achieve the function of synchronously playing sound on multiple Bluetooth peripheral devices.

[0006] Generally speaking, the Bluetooth master device based on BLE audio technology establishes independent CIS channels with the left and right earphones to play music. In the case of voice calls, usually only one side of the receiver circuit / microphone is turned on to perform the reception operation and return the received sound signal. However, when the earphone responsible for receiving the sound cannot continue to receive the sound, the BLE audio technology protocol has not yet defined an effective method to avoid the problem of sound interruption. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present specification provides a Bluetooth communication system, including a Bluetooth master control device and a Bluetooth device group. The Bluetooth master control device includes a master communication circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is coupled to the master communication circuit and is configured to control the master communication circuit. The Bluetooth device group includes at least a first member device and a second member device. The first member device includes a first audio processing circuit, a first communication circuit, and a first control circuit. The first audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a first radio circuit to convert the sound received by the first radio circuit into a first sound signal. The first communication circuit is configured to perform wireless communication with the master communication circuit. The first control circuit is coupled to the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit and is configured to control the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit. The second member device includes a second audio processing circuit, a second communication circuit, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a second radio circuit to convert the sound received by the second radio circuit into a second sound signal. The second communication circuit is configured to communicate wirelessly with the master communication circuit. The second control circuit is coupled to the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit. The processing circuit is also configured to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the first member device using the master communication circuit, and to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the second member device using the master communication circuit. The processing circuit is also configured to transmit a first indication to the first member device using the master communication circuit, and to transmit a second indication to the second member device. The first communication circuit is also configured to receive the first indication, and the first control circuit is also configured to set the first member device to operate in a first mode according to the first indication. When the first member device operates in the first mode, the first control circuit can transmit the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the first isochronous streaming channel using the first communication circuit. The second communication circuit is further configured to receive the second indication, and the second control circuit is further configured to set the second member device to operate in a second mode according to the second indication. When the first member device operates in the first mode, the second member device operates in the second mode, and when the second member device operates in the second mode, the second communication circuit does not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device.

[0008] The present specification further provides a Bluetooth master device, which includes a master communication circuit and a processing circuit. The master communication circuit is configured to wirelessly communicate with a Bluetooth device group, wherein the Bluetooth device group includes at least a first member device and a second member device. The processing circuit is coupled to the master communication circuit and configured to control the master communication circuit, and can use the master communication circuit to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the first member device, and can use the master communication circuit to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the second member device. The processing circuit is also configured to use the master communication circuit to transmit a first indication to the first member device to indicate that the first member device operates in a first mode. The processing circuit is also configured to use the master communication circuit to transmit a second indication to the second member device to indicate that the second member device operates in a second mode. When the first member device operates in the first mode, the master communication circuit can receive a first sound signal from the first member device through the first isochronous streaming channel. When the first member device operates in the first mode, the second member device operates in the second mode, and when the second member device operates in the second mode, the second member device does not transmit a second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device.

[0009] The present specification also provides a Bluetooth device group for wireless communication with a Bluetooth master device, wherein the Bluetooth device group includes a first member device and a second member device. The first member device includes a first audio processing circuit, a first communication circuit, and a first control circuit. The first audio processing circuit is connected to a first radio circuit and configured to convert the sound received by the first radio circuit into a first sound signal. The first communication circuit is configured to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the Bluetooth master device for wireless communication. The first control circuit is coupled to the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit and configured to control the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit. The second member device includes a second audio processing circuit, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is connected to a second radio circuit and configured to convert the sound received by the second radio circuit into a second sound signal. The second communication circuit is configured to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the Bluetooth master device for wireless communication. The second control circuit is coupled to the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit. The first control circuit is also configured to utilize the first communication circuit to receive a first instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, so that the first member device is configured to operate in a first mode. The second control circuit is also configured to utilize the second communication circuit to receive a second instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, so that the second member device is configured to operate in a second mode. When the first member device operates in the first mode, the second member device will operate in the second mode, and when the second member device operates in the second mode, the second communication circuit will not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device.

[0010] The present specification provides a Bluetooth communication system, including a Bluetooth master control device and a Bluetooth device group. The Bluetooth master control device includes a master communication circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is coupled to the master communication circuit and is configured to control the master communication circuit. The Bluetooth device group includes at least a first member device and a second member device. The first member device includes a first audio processing circuit, a first communication circuit, and a first control circuit. The first audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a first radio circuit to convert the sound received by the first radio circuit into a first sound signal. The first communication circuit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the master communication circuit. The first control circuit is coupled to the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit and is configured to control the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit. The second member device includes a second audio processing circuit, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a second radio circuit to convert the sound received by the second radio circuit into a second sound signal. The second communication circuit is configured to communicate wirelessly with the master communication circuit. The second control circuit is coupled to the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit. The processing circuit is further configured to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the first member device using the master communication circuit, and to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the second member device using the master communication circuit. The processing circuit is further configured to transmit a first configuration instruction to the first member device using the master communication circuit, and to transmit a second configuration instruction to the second member device. The first communication circuit is further configured to receive the first configuration instruction, and the first control circuit is further configured to set the first member device to operate in a first mode according to the first configuration instruction, and to transmit the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the first isochronous streaming channel using the first communication circuit. The second communication circuit is further configured to receive the second configuration instruction, and the second control circuit is further configured to configure the second member device to operate in the first mode according to the second configuration instruction, and not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the second communication circuit according to the second configuration instruction. The first communication circuit and the second communication circuit are further configured to communicate directly with each other.

[0011] The present specification also provides a Bluetooth device group for wireless communication with a Bluetooth master device. The Bluetooth device group includes at least one first member device and one second member device. The first member device includes a first audio processing circuit, a first communication circuit, and a first control circuit. The first audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a first radio circuit to convert the sound received by the first radio circuit into a first sound signal. The first communication circuit is configured to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the Bluetooth master device and perform wireless communication. The first control circuit is coupled to the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit. The second member device includes a second audio processing circuit, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a second radio circuit to convert the sound received by the second radio circuit into a second sound signal. The second communication circuit is configured to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the Bluetooth master device and perform wireless communication. The second control circuit is coupled to the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit. The first communication circuit is also configured to receive a first configuration instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, and the first control circuit is also configured to set the first member device to operate in a first mode according to the first configuration instruction, and transmit the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the first isochronous streaming channel using the first communication circuit. The second communication circuit is also configured to receive a second configuration instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, and the second control circuit is also configured to set the second member device to operate in the first mode according to the second configuration instruction, and transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device not through the second communication circuit according to the second configuration instruction. The first communication circuit and the second communication circuit are also configured to communicate directly with each other.

[0012] The present specification further provides a Bluetooth communication system, comprising a Bluetooth master control device and a Bluetooth device group. The Bluetooth master control device comprises a master control end communication circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is coupled to the master control end communication circuit and is configured to control the master control end communication circuit. The Bluetooth device group comprises at least a first member device and a second member device. The first member device comprises a first audio processing circuit, a first communication circuit, and a first control circuit. The first audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a first radio circuit to convert the sound received by the first radio circuit into a first sound signal. The first communication circuit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the master control end communication circuit. The first control circuit is coupled to the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit and is configured to control the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit. The second member device comprises a second audio processing circuit, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a second radio circuit to convert the sound received by the second radio circuit into a second sound signal. The second communication circuit is configured to communicate wirelessly with the master communication circuit. The second control circuit is coupled to the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit. The processing circuit is further configured to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the first member device using the master communication circuit, and to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the second member device using the master communication circuit. The processing circuit is further configured to transmit a first configuration instruction to the first member device using the master communication circuit, and to transmit a second configuration instruction to the second member device. The first communication circuit is further configured to receive the first configuration instruction, and the first control circuit is further configured to set the first member device to operate in a first mode according to the first configuration instruction, and to transmit the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the first isochronous streaming channel using the first communication circuit. The second communication circuit is further configured to receive the second configuration instruction, and the second control circuit is further configured to configure the second member device to operate in the first mode according to the second configuration instruction, and not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the second communication circuit according to the second configuration instruction. The processing circuit is further configured to utilize the master communication circuit to forward an event notification that the first member device wants to transmit to the second member device.

[0013] The present specification also provides a Bluetooth device group for wireless communication with a Bluetooth master device. The Bluetooth device group includes at least one first member device and one second member device. The first member device includes a first audio processing circuit, a first communication circuit, and a first control circuit. The first audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a first radio circuit to convert the sound received by the first radio circuit into a first sound signal. The first communication circuit is configured to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the Bluetooth master device and perform wireless communication. The first control circuit is coupled to the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit. The second member device includes a second audio processing circuit, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a second radio circuit to convert the sound received by the second radio circuit into a second sound signal. The second communication circuit is configured to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the Bluetooth master device and perform wireless communication. The second control circuit is coupled to the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit. The first communication circuit is also configured to receive a first configuration instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, and the first control circuit is also configured to set the first member device to operate in a first mode according to the first configuration instruction, and use the first communication circuit to transmit the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the first isochronous streaming channel. The second communication circuit is also configured to receive a second configuration instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, and the second control circuit is also configured to set the second member device to operate in the first mode according to the second configuration instruction, and not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the second communication circuit according to the second configuration instruction. The first control circuit is also configured to use the first communication circuit to transmit an event notification to be transmitted to the second member device to the Bluetooth master device. The second control circuit is further configured to utilize the second communication circuit to receive the event notification from the Bluetooth master device that the first member device wants to transmit to the second member device.

[0014] The present specification further provides a Bluetooth communication system, comprising: a Bluetooth master control device, a Bluetooth device group, and a non-member device. The Bluetooth master control device comprises a master control end communication circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is coupled to the master control end communication circuit and is configured to control the master control end communication circuit. The Bluetooth device group comprises at least a first member device and a second member device. The non-member device is not a member of the Bluetooth device group and comprises a wireless communication circuit and a core processing circuit. The core processing circuit is coupled to the wireless communication circuit and is configured to control the wireless communication circuit to wirelessly communicate with the first member device and the second member device. The first member device comprises a first audio processing circuit and a first communication circuit. The first audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a first radio circuit to convert the sound received by the first radio circuit into a first sound signal. The first communication circuit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the master control end communication circuit and the wireless communication circuit. The first control circuit is coupled to the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit and is configured to control the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit. The second member device includes a second audio processing circuit, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a second sound receiving circuit to convert the sound received by the second sound receiving circuit into a second sound signal. The second communication circuit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the master communication circuit and the wireless communication circuit. The second control circuit is coupled to the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit. The processing circuit is also configured to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the first member device using the master communication circuit, and to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the second member device using the master communication circuit. The processing circuit is also configured to transmit a first configuration indication to the first member device using the master communication circuit, and to transmit a second configuration indication to the second member device. The first communication circuit is further configured to receive the first configuration instruction, and the first control circuit is further configured to set the first member device to operate in a first mode according to the first configuration instruction, and transmit the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the first isochronous streaming channel using the first communication circuit. The second communication circuit is further configured to receive the second configuration instruction, and the second control circuit is further configured to set the second member device to operate in the first mode according to the second configuration instruction and not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the second communication circuit according to the second configuration instruction. The core processing circuit is further configured to use the wireless communication circuit to forward an event notification that the first member device wants to transmit to the second member device.

[0015] The present specification further provides a Bluetooth device group for wireless communication with a Bluetooth master device and a non-member device, wherein the non-member device is not a member of the Bluetooth device group. The Bluetooth device group includes at least a first member device and a second member device. The first member device includes a first audio processing circuit and a first communication circuit. The first audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a first radio circuit to convert the sound received by the first radio circuit into a first sound signal. The first communication circuit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the master communication circuit and the wireless communication circuit. The first control circuit is coupled to the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the first communication circuit and the first audio processing circuit. The second member device includes a second audio processing circuit, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is configured to be coupled to a second radio circuit to convert the sound received by the second radio circuit into a second sound signal. The second communication circuit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the master communication circuit and the wireless communication circuit. The second control circuit is coupled to the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit, and is configured to control the second communication circuit and the second audio processing circuit. The processing circuit is also configured to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the first member device using the master communication circuit, and to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the second member device using the master communication circuit. The processing circuit is also configured to transmit a first configuration instruction to the first member device using the master communication circuit, and to transmit a second configuration instruction to the second member device. The first communication circuit is also configured to receive the first configuration instruction, and the first control circuit is also configured to set the first member device to operate in a first mode according to the first configuration instruction, and to transmit the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the first isochronous streaming channel using the first communication circuit. The second communication circuit is further configured to receive the second configuration instruction, and the second control circuit is further configured to configure the second member device to operate in the first mode according to the second configuration instruction and not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device through the second communication circuit according to the second configuration instruction. The first control circuit is further configured to transmit an event notification to be transmitted to the second member device to the non-member device using the first communication circuit. The second control circuit is further configured to receive the event notification to be transmitted by the first member device to the second member device from the non-member device using the second communication circuit.

[0016] One of the advantages of the above embodiment is that when the first member device is unable to continue to transmit the sound received by the microphone back to the Bluetooth master device, the second member device can effectively take over the sound collection operation of the microphone to achieve an uninterrupted sound effect.

[0017] Other advantages of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a simplified functional block diagram of a Bluetooth communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a simplified flow chart of the method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 It is a simplified functional block diagram of a Bluetooth communication system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Fig. 9 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Fig.10 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will illustrate the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the related drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or similar elements or method flows.

[0029] Figure 1 The simplified functional block diagram of the Bluetooth communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. The Bluetooth communication system 100 includes a Bluetooth master device 110 and a Bluetooth device group 102 , wherein the Bluetooth device group 102 may include a plurality of member devices.

[0030] In actual applications, multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can establish a Bluetooth piconet using various methods that comply with the Bluetooth communication standards, and can perform various instructions or data transmissions through the Bluetooth piconet. Alternatively, multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can collectively form a coordinate set that complies with various Bluetooth communication standards.

[0031] In this embodiment, the Bluetooth master device 110 and all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support the Bluetooth LE Audio (BLEAudio) technology (hereinafter referred to as BLE audio technology) specified by Bluetooth core specification version 5.2 or later. Therefore, the user can connect the Bluetooth master device 110 to the Bluetooth device group 102 to use the Bluetooth device group 102 to perform various audio playback operations.

[0032] For example, two member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be equipped with appropriate audio playback circuits to form a pair of Bluetooth headphones or a pair of 2.0-channel speakers. For another example, three member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be equipped with appropriate audio playback circuits to form a set of 2.1-channel speakers. For another example, six member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be equipped with appropriate audio playback circuits to form a set of 5.1-channel speakers. For another example, eight member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be equipped with appropriate audio playback circuits to form a set of 7.1-channel speakers.

[0033] In order to simplify the content of the drawing, 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. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the first member device 120 is coupled to a first audio playback circuit 162 and a first radio circuit 164, the second member device 130 is coupled to a second audio playback circuit 172 and a second radio circuit 174, and the third member device 140 is coupled to a third audio playback circuit 182 and a third radio circuit 184.

[0034] 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 use the aforementioned member devices to control related audio playback circuits to play audio data transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110 using BLE audio technology.

[0035] exist Figure 1In the embodiment of the present invention, the Bluetooth master device 110 includes a master communication circuit 111, an input circuit 113, and a processing circuit 115. The first member device 120 includes a first communication circuit 123, a first sensing circuit 121, a first control circuit 125, and a first audio processing circuit 127. The second member device 130 includes a second communication circuit 133, a second sensing circuit 131, a second control circuit 135, and a second audio processing circuit 137.

[0036] In the Bluetooth master control 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 processing circuit 115 is coupled to the master communication circuit 111 and the input circuit 113. The processing circuit 115 is configured to generate various Bluetooth packets to be transmitted through the master communication circuit 111, and to parse various Bluetooth packets received by the master communication circuit 111 to obtain relevant data or instructions. The processing circuit 115 can also control the operation of the Bluetooth master control device 110 according to various operation instructions issued by the user through the input circuit 113.

[0037] The term "Bluetooth packet" referred to in the specification and patent application also includes various protocol data units (PDUs) specified by various Bluetooth communication standards.

[0038] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 115 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 watch.

[0039] In the first member device 120, the first communication circuit 123 is configured to receive and transmit various Bluetooth packets. The first sensing circuit 121 is configured to detect the environmental state of the device surroundings to generate a working environment value. The first control circuit 125 is coupled to the first communication circuit 123 and the first sensing circuit 121. The first control circuit 125 is configured to generate various Bluetooth packets to be transmitted through the first communication circuit 123, to parse various Bluetooth packets received by the first communication circuit 123 to obtain relevant data or instructions, and to control the operation of the first sensing circuit 121. In addition, the first control circuit 125 is also configured to generate an event notification when the working environment value meets a trigger condition.

[0040] The first audio processing circuit 127 is coupled to the first control circuit 125, the first audio playing circuit 162, and the first sound receiving circuit 164. The first audio processing circuit 127 is configured to process the audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110 (for example, encode or decode the audio data, and / or convert the data format) according to the instruction of the first control circuit 125, and control the first audio playing circuit 162 to play the content of the audio data. The first audio processing circuit 127 is also configured to encode the sound received by the first sound receiving circuit 164 to generate corresponding sound data.

[0041] In the second member device 130, the second communication circuit 133 is configured to receive and transmit various Bluetooth packets. The second sensing circuit 131 is configured to detect the environmental state of the device surrounding to generate a working environment value. The second control circuit 135 is coupled to the second communication circuit 133 and the second sensing circuit 131. The second control circuit 135 is configured to generate various Bluetooth packets to be transmitted through the second communication circuit 133, analyze various Bluetooth packets received by the second communication circuit 133 to obtain relevant data or instructions, and control the operation of the second sensing circuit 131.

[0042] The second audio processing circuit 137 is coupled to the second control circuit 135, the second audio playing circuit 172, and the second sound receiving circuit 174. The second audio processing circuit 137 is configured to process the audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110 (for example, encode or decode the audio data, and / or convert the data format) according to the instruction of the second control circuit 135, and control the second audio playing circuit 172 to play the content of the audio data. The second audio processing circuit 137 is also configured to encode the sound received by the second sound receiving circuit 174 to generate corresponding sound data.

[0043] In this embodiment, the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, and the second member device 130 can all support BLE audio technology. In this case, the processing circuit 115 of the Bluetooth master device 110 is also configured to generate audio data (hereinafter referred to as BLE audio data) that complies with the relevant specifications of the BLE audio technology, and can use the master communication circuit 111 to transmit the aforementioned audio data to all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102. The first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 is also configured to use the first audio processing circuit 127 to process the BLE audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110, and can 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 also configured to use the second audio processing circuit 137 to process the BLE audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110, and can instruct the second audio processing circuit 137 to control the second audio playback circuit 172 to play the content of the BLE audio data.

[0044] In some embodiments, the master communication circuit 111 of the Bluetooth master device 110 may also utilize various wired network transmission technologies or radio access technology (RAT) to receive voice data transmitted from a remote device (not shown in the figure) via various networks (e.g., the Internet, mobile communication networks, or various private networks). The processing circuit 115 may analyze the voice data received by the master communication circuit 111, and 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 a Bluetooth packet using the master communication circuit 111, and instruct the first member device 120 and / or the second member device 130 to use the first audio playback circuit 162 and / or the second audio playback circuit 172 to play the content of the voice data.

[0045] The aforementioned wireless access technology may be various second generation (2nd Generation, 2G) mobile communication technologies, various third generation (3rd Generation, 3G) mobile communication technologies, various fourth generation (4th Generation, 4G) mobile communication technologies, various fifth generation (5th Generation, 5G) mobile communication technologies, various IEEE 802.11 series specification wireless network communication technologies, various Internet-of-Thing (IoT) communication technologies, various narrowband Internet of Things (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 standard setting organizations.

[0046] On the other hand, the first member device 120 and / or the second member device 130 may utilize the first sound receiving circuit 164 and / or the second sound receiving circuit 174 to receive the user's voice, and may utilize the first audio processing circuit 127 and / or the second audio processing circuit 137 to generate relevant audio data. The first member device 120 and / or the second member device 130 may also utilize the first communication circuit 123 and / or the second communication circuit 133 to transmit the aforementioned audio data to the Bluetooth master device 110. In this case, the processing circuit 115 of the Bluetooth master device 110 may also utilize the aforementioned wired network transmission technology or wireless access technology to transmit the audio data generated by the Bluetooth device group 102 to the remote device through various suitable networks.

[0047] In this way, the user can utilize the coordinated operation of the Bluetooth master device 110 and the Bluetooth device group 102 to realize a voice call with the remote device.

[0048] In practice, the master communication circuit 111 in the aforementioned Bluetooth master device 110 can be implemented with a suitable wireless transceiver circuit that can support Bluetooth core specification version 5.2 or a later version of the Bluetooth communication protocol. Alternatively, the master communication circuit 111 can also be implemented with various hybrid communication circuits that simultaneously support the aforementioned Bluetooth communication protocol and the aforementioned wired network transmission technology or wireless access technology (RAT). If necessary, the master communication circuit 111 can also be coupled to an additional antenna device (not shown).

[0049] The input circuit 113 may be implemented by any suitable circuit capable of receiving user commands, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, a voice control device, a gesture sensing device, or a combination of the aforementioned devices.

[0050] The processing circuit 115 can be implemented using various packet demodulation circuits, digital computing circuits, microprocessors, special application 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 power and are capable of parsing and generating Bluetooth packets using BLE audio technology as specified by Bluetooth core specification version 5.2 (or later versions).

[0051] In practical applications, different functional blocks in the aforementioned Bluetooth master device 110 may be implemented using different circuits, or may be integrated into a single circuit chip or a single device.

[0052] For example, the input circuit 113 may be integrated into the processing circuit 115. For another example, the input circuit 113 and the display device 150 may be integrated into a touch screen.

[0053] Alternatively, all functional blocks in the Bluetooth master device 110 may 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 broadcasting system, a voice guide system, a voice broadcasting system, an in-vehicle communication system, a satellite communication device, a smart TV, or a Bluetooth smart speaker, etc.

[0054] In practice, the first communication circuit 123 and the second communication circuit 133 in the Bluetooth device group 102 can be implemented with a suitable Bluetooth communication circuit that can support Bluetooth core specification version 5.2 or a later version of the Bluetooth communication protocol. If necessary, the first communication circuit 123 and the second communication circuit 133 can also be coupled to an additional antenna device (not shown) respectively.

[0055] The first sensing circuit 121 and the second sensing circuit 131 can be implemented by sensors with environmental sensing capabilities, such as a magnetic sensor, a gyroscope, a voltmeter, a thermometer, a touch sensing circuit, etc.

[0056] The first control circuit 125 and the second control circuit 135 can both be implemented using various packet processing circuits, digital computing circuits, microprocessors, single processor modules, combinations of multiple processor modules, or special application integrated circuits that have appropriate computing power and are capable of parsing and generating Bluetooth packets that use BLE audio technology as specified by Bluetooth core specification version 5.2 (or a later version).

[0057] In some embodiments, the first communication circuit 123 and the second communication circuit 133 may also have downward compatibility, that is, they may be implemented as suitable Bluetooth communication circuits that support 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 first control circuit 125 and the second control circuit 135 may also be designed to be able to parse and generate Bluetooth packets defined by the Bluetooth communication protocols of earlier Bluetooth versions.

[0058] The first audio processing circuit 127 and the second audio processing circuit 137 can be implemented by a digital operation circuit, a microprocessor, a special application integrated circuit, or a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that can perform various codec processing and / or data format conversion on the audio data.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first audio processing circuit 127 and the second audio processing circuit 137 may be integrated into the first control circuit 125 and the second control circuit 135 , respectively.

[0060] The different functional blocks in the first member device 120 may be implemented using different circuits, or may be integrated into a single circuit chip, a single wearable Bluetooth device, or a single Bluetooth speaker.

[0061] Similarly, different functional blocks in the second member device 130 may be implemented using different circuits, or may be integrated into a single circuit chip, a single wearable Bluetooth device, or a single Bluetooth speaker.

[0062] In addition, the first audio playback circuit 162 and the second audio playback circuit 172 can be implemented by various suitable circuits capable of receiving and playing audio data, such as various types of speakers. The first sound receiving circuit 164 and the second sound receiving circuit 174 can be implemented by various suitable circuits capable of receiving sound and converting it into corresponding audio signals, such as various types of microphones.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first member device 120, the first audio playback circuit 162, and the first sound receiving circuit 164 may be integrated into a single device (e.g., a wearable Bluetooth device or a Bluetooth speaker). Similarly, the second member device 130, the second audio playback circuit 172, and the second sound receiving circuit 174 may be integrated into a single device (e.g., a wearable Bluetooth device or a Bluetooth speaker).

[0064] The main circuit architecture and implementation of other member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 (e.g., the third member device 140, other audio playback circuits (e.g., the third audio playback circuit 182), and other radio circuits (e.g., the third radio circuit 184) may 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 radio circuits, and are not limited to being exactly the same as the corresponding member devices and / or corresponding circuits described above.

[0065] When the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support BLE audio technology, the user can use the Bluetooth communication system 100 to perform various audio playback operations using BLE audio technology to reduce power consumption of the Bluetooth communication system 100 and improve the overall audio playback quality.

[0066] According to the provisions of BLE audio technology, when the Bluetooth master device 110 conducts two-way voice communication with the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 respectively, two independent isochronous streaming channels (CIS) must be established first, so that the two member devices can receive the downlink sound data transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110 and play it to the user synchronously. As for the sound reception, the Bluetooth master device 110 will designate one of the two member devices to perform a sound reception operation, including controlling the sound reception circuit to receive the user's voice and returning the received sound signal. In other words, only one Bluetooth member device will transmit a sound signal at the same time. However, this approach has some shortcomings that the BLE audio technology protocol has not solved. For example, when a user uses a set of true wireless Bluetooth headset products to make a Bluetooth wireless call, only one side of the headset turns on the microphone reception function. If the headset on that side cannot continue to receive sound due to an emergency, the BLE audio technology protocol does not specify how to immediately make the microphone of the headset on the other side continue to receive sound, that is, hand over the sound reception. Therefore, the existing technology has the problem that calls are easily interrupted.

[0067] In order to solve the problem of handover in the Bluetooth voice communication process based on BLE audio technology, the aforementioned Bluetooth communication system 100 can adopt different handover mechanisms in different usage scenarios.

[0068] The following will be matched Figure 2 The operation of the Bluetooth communication system 100 is further described. Figure 2 It is a simplified flow chart of the method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] exist Figure 2In the flowchart of FIG. 1 , the process in the column to which a specific device belongs represents the process performed by the specific device. For example, the part marked in the "Bluetooth master device" column is the process performed by the Bluetooth master device 110; the part marked in the "first member device" column is the process performed by the first member device 120; the part marked in the "second member device" column is the process performed by the second member device 130; and so on. The aforementioned logic is also applicable to other subsequent flowcharts.

[0070] In process 202 , the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 in the Bluetooth device group 102 may establish a first isochronous streaming channel 129 via the BLE audio technology.

[0071] In practice, a synchronous channel based on the Bluetooth low energy protocol can be established between the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120. These channels can be connection-oriented channels or connectionless channels. Both types of synchronous channels are based on the isochronous physical channel of the BLE audio technology. When the aforementioned isochronous physical channel is established, the timing of the first data packet will be specified as the positioning point for the timing of subsequent data packets, thereby achieving synchronous operation between multiple channels. Various logical channels can be established on each isochronous physical channel to support bidirectional transmission. For example, a data stream established on a connection-oriented physical channel is called a connected isochronous stream (CIS), which is a point-to-point synchronous communication dedicated to two connected devices. The transmission process of CIS is controlled by an expiration date. Any data packet that is not sent within the expiration date will be discarded. The logical channel used to transmit CIS is hereinafter referred to as the CIS channel. The first isochronous streaming channel 129 in this embodiment may be a CIS channel established based on the above-mentioned BLE audio technology protocol, for supporting two-way voice transmission.

[0072] In process 204 , the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 in the Bluetooth device group 102 may establish a second isochronous streaming channel 139 via the BLE audio technology.

[0073] Similar to the first isochronous streaming channel 129, the second isochronous streaming channel 139 can be a CIS channel established based on the above-mentioned BLE audio technology protocol to support two-way voice transmission. In this embodiment, the Bluetooth master device 110 can configure the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 in a connected isochronous group (CIG). CIS channels belonging to the same connected isochronous group CIG can share specific reference data to achieve the function of synchronously playing sound on multiple Bluetooth peripheral devices.

[0074] In process 206 , the processing circuit 115 may generate a first indication, and may transmit the first indication to the first member device 120 via the master communication circuit 111 to instruct the first member device 120 to operate in a first mode.

[0075] In the process 208 , the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 may control the first member device 120 to operate in the first mode and perform a sound receiving function to generate a first sound signal according to the first instruction.

[0076] In practice, the order of execution of processes 202 and 204 is not limited, and the order of execution of processes 206 and 208 is not limited either.

[0077] In practice, the first member device 120 can receive sounds from the external environment, such as the user's voice, through the first sound receiving circuit 164. Then, the first audio processing circuit 127 digitizes and encodes the sounds received by the first sound receiving circuit 164 to generate a first sound signal. The first audio processing circuit 127 may include a low complexity communication codec (Low Complexity Communication Codec) (not shown) to make the first sound signal have a lower bit rate or higher sound quality.

[0078] In the process 210 , the first control circuit 125 may control the first communication circuit 123 to transmit the first audio signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 via the first isochronous streaming channel 129 .

[0079] In practice, the first mode may refer to a streaming mode based on an isochronous streaming channel. During operation, the Bluetooth master device 110 may send a data channel establishment command (e.g., HCI_LE_Setup_ISO_Data_Path) with relevant necessary parameters to establish a data channel between the first member device 120 and the Bluetooth master device 110 based on the first isochronous streaming channel 129 to transmit microphone sound. In this way, in the first mode, the Bluetooth master device 110 can not only transmit the sound to be broadcast to the first member device 120, but also receive the microphone sound (i.e., the first sound signal) transmitted back by the first member device 120.

[0080] In process 216 , the host communication circuit 111 may receive the first audio signal through the first isochronous stream channel 129 .

[0081] In other words, when the first member device 120 operates in the first mode, the host communication circuit 111 can receive the first audio signal transmitted from the first member device 120 through the first isochronous streaming channel 129 .

[0082] In process 212 , the processing circuit 115 may generate a second indication, and may transmit the second indication to the second member device 130 via the master communication circuit 111 to instruct the second member device 130 to operate in the second mode.

[0083] In process 214, the second control circuit 135 may control the second member device 130 to operate in the second mode according to the second instruction, and not to perform the sound reception operation. In practice, the second mode may refer to a mode (e.g., Config Mode) operated based on an isochronous streaming channel. In general, in the second mode, the second member device 130 may play the audio frequency output by the Bluetooth master device 110, but will not transmit the sound received by the microphone back to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0084] During operation, the second control circuit 135 controls the second member device 130 to not perform the sound reception operation in the following manners, but not limited to. For example, the second control circuit 135 may disable the second member device 130 from transmitting the microphone sound according to the second instruction, or the second control circuit 135 may disable the second sound reception circuit 174 in the second member device 130, or the second control circuit 135 may disable the sound reception encoding function in the second audio processing circuit 137, or the second control circuit 135 may not use the second communication circuit 133 to transmit the sound signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 according to the second instruction.

[0085] In summary, Figure 2In the usage scenario, when the first member device 120 operates in the first mode, the second member device 130 operates in the second mode, and when the second member device 130 operates in the second mode, the second member device 130 does not transmit a sound signal to the Bluetooth master device 110. At this time, only the first member device 120 can return the sound received by the microphone (that is, the first sound signal) to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0086] In process 218, the first sensing circuit 121 in the first member device 120 can detect the working environment of the first member device 120 to generate a working environment value. For the sake of convenience, it is assumed that the first member device 120 is one of the earphones of a true wireless Bluetooth headset. Under normal use, the first member device 120 is usually worn on the ear. If the first member device 120 leaves the ear or is stored in a charging box, the conditions of the working environment of the first member device 120 will change. For example, a specific magnetic field is usually provided in the charging box. When worn on the ear, the background sound received by the in-ear microphone (not shown) of the first member device 120 is different from the off-ear state. The first sensing circuit 121 can also sense changes in a specific magnetic field or a specific background sound, and output a corresponding working environment value. In practice, the first sensing circuit 121 can also be used to detect the remaining battery power or whether the user performs a specific touch operation. During operation, the first sensing circuit 121 can sense changes in the working environment of the first member device 120 and transmit the working environment value to the first control circuit 125.

[0087] In the process 220 , the first control circuit 125 may determine whether a trigger event occurs according to the working environment value generated by the first sensing circuit 121 .

[0088] In the usage scenario of this embodiment, the trigger event may refer to the first member device 120 leaving the wearing state or being placed in the storage box. The trigger event may also be defined as the remaining battery power being lower than a certain critical value, or the user inputting a specific instruction through touch control. The working environment values ​​in various situations may meet specific conditions or characteristics, and the first control circuit 125 may determine that a trigger event has occurred at that time when it detects that these conditions or characteristics are met. For example, when the first member device 120 is placed in the storage box, the magnet or connection point in the storage box may enable the first sensing circuit 121 to sense a specific environmental change, thereby determining that the first member device 120 is placed in the storage box (hereinafter referred to as entering the box). For another example, when the first member device 120 leaves the ear wearing state, the in-ear microphone in the first member device 120 may detect a change in the background sound, thereby determining that the first member device 120 has left the user's ear (hereinafter referred to as leaving the ear). In the absence of a trigger event, the first member device 120 may repeat processes 218 and 220 to continuously monitor the working environment. If the first control circuit 125 detects a trigger event (for example, the working environment value meets the aforementioned various trigger conditions), process 222 may be performed.

[0089] In the process 222 , the first control circuit 125 may generate an event notification, and may transmit the event notification to the Bluetooth master device 110 via the first communication circuit 123 .

[0090] In this embodiment, the first member device 120 may have encountered a triggering event that made it unable to continue receiving sound before issuing the event notification. In other words, the first member device 120 is likely to enter a disconnected or powered-off state immediately after issuing the event notification. Therefore, after issuing the event notification, the first member device 120 may directly proceed to process 223 to stop the sound receiving operation that was originally in progress.

[0091] In process 224, the master communication circuit 111 may receive the event notification from the first member device 120. During operation, the processing circuit 115 in the Bluetooth master device 110 may utilize the master communication circuit 111 to receive the event notification from the first member device 120 at any time for immediate processing.

[0092] In the process 226 , the processing circuit 115 may generate a third indication, and transmit the third indication to the second member device 130 via the master communication circuit 111 .

[0093] In this embodiment, the function of the third indication is designed for handover of sound reception. The trigger event occurring in process 220 indicates that the first member device 120 cannot continue to transmit the sound received by the microphone. Therefore, the Bluetooth master device 110 can control the second member device 130 to take over the sound reception function of the first member device 120 and transmit the sound signal through the third indication. The subsequent processing method is described in detail as follows.

[0094] In the process 228 , the second communication circuit 133 may receive the third instruction from the Bluetooth master device 110 , and the second control circuit 135 may switch the operation of the second member device 130 to the first mode according to the third instruction.

[0095] As mentioned above, the first mode may refer to a streaming mode based on an isochronous streaming channel. The Bluetooth master device 110 may switch the second member device 130 originally operating in the second mode to the first mode through the third instruction, and establish a data channel for returning microphone sound between the second member device 130 and the Bluetooth master device 110 based on the second isochronous streaming channel 139.

[0096] In the process 230 , the second control circuit 135 may control the second audio processing circuit 137 to utilize the second sound receiving circuit 174 to perform a sound receiving function to generate a second sound signal.

[0097] In process 232, the second control circuit 135 may control the second communication circuit 133 to transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 via the second isochronous streaming channel 139. In practice, the third instruction may be used to grant the second member device 130 permission to transmit microphone sound, may be used to instruct the second control circuit 135 to control the second sound receiving circuit 174, may be used to enable the sound receiving encoding function in the second audio processing circuit 137, and / or may be used to instruct the second control circuit 135 to use the second communication circuit 133 to start transmitting the generated second sound signal.

[0098] Thus, when the second member device 130 operates in the first mode, the Bluetooth master device 110 can not only transmit the broadcast sound to the second member device 130 , but also receive the microphone sound (ie, the second sound signal) transmitted back by the second member device 130 .

[0099] In process 234, the processing circuit 115 may disconnect the master communication circuit 111 from the first member device 120, or instruct the master communication circuit 111 to stop receiving the first audio signal through the first isochronous stream channel 129. For example, the processing circuit 115 may execute the HCI_LE_REMOVE_ISO_DATA_PATH instruction.

[0100] In process 236 , the master communication circuit 111 may receive the second sound signal transmitted from the second member device 130 via the second isochronous stream channel 139 .

[0101] In process 238, the processing circuit 115 may use the second sound signal to connect to the first sound signal. The process of the processing circuit 115 connecting the sound signal is summarized as follows. In the implementation of a two-way voice call, after the processing circuit 115 receives the first sound signal from the first member device 120, it uses it as a data source to generate an output sound stream, and forwards the output sound stream to the remote call partner (not shown) through the master communication circuit 111. When the master communication circuit 111 receives the second sound signal from the second member device 130, the processing circuit 115 can use the second sound signal to seamlessly replace the first sound signal according to the synchronization timing related information in the first sound signal and the second sound signal to generate the aforementioned output sound stream, and then transmit it through the master communication circuit 111.

[0102] In actual operation, processes 234 to 236 may be performed simultaneously or in any order. In order to allow the user to experience a smooth and uninterrupted sound reception effect, the interval between switching from the first sound signal to the second sound signal is as short as possible. Therefore, the Bluetooth master device 110 may perform process 234 only after starting to receive the second sound signal and completing the sound connection operation of process 238. On the other hand, the first member device 120 itself may immediately shut down or disconnect the connection after various triggering events occur and no longer transmit the first sound signal. Therefore, the first member device 120 does not necessarily need to execute the channel interruption instruction in process 234, but can directly update the connection status related information or directly reclaim the configured channel resources. For example, in an embodiment where the processing circuit 115 in the Bluetooth master device 110 includes a codec that supports LC3, the first sound signal and the second sound signal returned by the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can be format-converted and transmitted to the remote call object (not shown) through the master communication circuit 111. When the subject receiving sound from the microphone is switched from the first member device 120 to the second member device 130 , the processing circuit 115 may convert the source of the sound data from the first sound signal to the second sound signal, thereby achieving a seamless connection.

[0103] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the Bluetooth master device 110 may start processing the radio handover procedure after receiving the event notification transmitted by the first member device 120. However, this is only an exemplary embodiment, and does not limit the actual implementation of the present invention. For example, when the first member device 120 encounters an emergency and loses connection, the processing circuit 115 of the Bluetooth master device 110 may determine that a special event has been encountered, and further actively runs the subsequent processes 226 to 238, so that the radio operation of the Bluetooth device group 102 remains uninterrupted.

[0104] From the above description, we can see that Figure 2 The method at least highlights the following advantages. The two-way voice channel established by the present embodiment adopts BLE audio technology, and the power consumption is extremely low, so that the endurance of the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 is increased. In addition, the wireless transmission of audio is not only highly stable, but also has higher audio quality than traditional technologies. It is easy to encounter various events and interrupt the sound reception when only a single microphone is used for sound reception. The present embodiment defines event notifications, so that the Bluetooth master device 110 can control the sound reception handover between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, solving the problem that is not defined by BLE audio technology. The triggering conditions of the event notification can be flexibly set, so that the Bluetooth communication system 100 of the present embodiment can be applied to a wide range of application scenarios. From another perspective, in the actual application scenarios of true wireless headphones, this approach allows the earphone on the side with higher power consumption to have the opportunity to temporarily rest and charge without interrupting the two-way call, which invisibly increases the convenience in various applications in important occasions.

[0105] The following will be matched Figure 3 The operation of the Bluetooth communication system 100 is further described. Figure 3 It is a simplified flow chart of the method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is based on Figure 2 Further embodiments derived from this. Process 202 to process 226 are the same as the previous embodiment and will not be described again. The derived embodiments are modified as follows.

[0106] After the Bluetooth master device 110 runs the process 226, it also runs the process 328. After the master communication circuit 111 receives the event notification, the processing circuit 115 in the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the master communication circuit 111 to send a fourth instruction to the first member device 120. The fourth instruction can be used to enable the first member device 120 to fully execute various preparations required to end the sound reception operation, such as turning off the first sound reception circuit 164, disabling the sound reception function in the first audio processing circuit 127, or enabling the first communication circuit 123 to release the resources occupied by the microphone data channel. In some usage scenarios, although the first member device 120 issues an event notification in the process 222, it does not need to completely stop operation or go offline. For example, although the first member device 120 stops the sound reception function, it still needs to continue to play the sound. Therefore, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the fourth instruction to enable the first member device 120 to appropriately adjust the configuration so that the first member device 120 continues to operate without receiving sound.

[0107] In the process 330 , after sending the fourth instruction, the Bluetooth master device 110 may stop receiving the first audio signal through the first isochronous streaming channel 129 .

[0108] In process 332, after receiving the fourth instruction, the first member device 120 may operate in the second mode according to the fourth instruction and not perform the sound reception operation. More specifically, the first control circuit 125 in the first member device 120 may switch the first member device 120 to the second mode after the first communication circuit 123 receives the fourth instruction.

[0109] As described in the previous embodiment, the second mode may refer to a mode (e.g., Config Mode) that operates based on an isochronous streaming channel. In general, in the second mode, the first member device 120 may play the audio frequency output by the Bluetooth master device 110, but will not transmit the sound received by the first radio circuit 164 back to the Bluetooth master device 110. During operation, the aforementioned manner in which the first member device 120 does not perform cash register operation may include but is not limited to the following situations. For example, the first control circuit 125 may disable the permission of the first member device 120 to transmit the microphone sound back according to the fourth instruction, or the first control circuit 125 may disable the first radio circuit 164 in the first member device 120, or the first control circuit 125 may disable the radio encoding function in the first audio processing circuit 127, or the first control circuit 125 may not use the first communication circuit 123 to transmit the sound signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 according to the fourth instruction.

[0110] In actual operation, the order of executing processes 328, 330, 332, 236, and 238 is not limited. In order to allow the user to experience a smooth and uninterrupted sound reception effect, if the actual situation permits, a more ideal approach is that the Bluetooth master device 110 executes processes 328 and 330 only after confirming that the second sound signal is received in process 236.

[0111] Figure 3 The other processes, including 228, 230, 232, 236 and 238, are the same as those in the previous embodiment and will not be repeated for the sake of space.

[0112] In the process 218 of the above-mentioned embodiment, it is explained that the first member device 120 can detect the working environment to generate the working environment value. From another perspective, the above-mentioned working environment value can also include the remaining power of the battery. If both the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 monitor the remaining power respectively, the function of balancing power consumption is achieved. For example, the first sensing circuit 121 in the first member device 120 and the second sensing circuit 131 of the second member device 130 can periodically monitor the remaining power respectively. During the two-way voice call, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 continuously report the power information to the Bluetooth master device 110, so that the Bluetooth master device 110 has a way to decide to switch the party with more power to the first mode and start receiving the sound, and switch the party with less power to the second mode without receiving the sound. In this way, the power of one side of the device can be prevented from being exhausted prematurely during the two-way voice call. The same implementation method can also be applied when the Bluetooth device group 102 includes more than three member devices.

[0113] In summary, Figure 3 based on Figure 2 In addition to the advantages of the aforementioned embodiments, the derived embodiments further highlight at least the following advantages. After the event is triggered, the Bluetooth master device 110 can also switch the first member device 120 back to the second mode through the fourth indication, so that the first member device 120 has the opportunity to stop the radio operation while continuing to maintain the broadcasting capability. In the actual application of true wireless headphones, the headphones on both sides have the opportunity to switch the microphone to receive the sound in turn. In this way, without interrupting the two-way call, the power consumption of the headphones on both sides can be balanced, which invisibly increases the convenience.

[0114] The following will be matched Figure 4 The operation of the Bluetooth communication system 100 is further described. Figure 4 It is a simplified flow chart of the method for hand-over operation of receiving sound according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0115] exist Figure 4In the embodiment of the present invention, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 in the Bluetooth communication system 100 both operate in the first mode at the same time. The method of handover of receiving sound in this situation is described in detail as follows.

[0116] First, in process 202, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 establish a first isochronous streaming channel 129 through the BLE audio technology. Then, in process 204, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the second member device 130 establish a second isochronous streaming channel 139 through the BLE audio technology. The operation details of processes 202 and 204, as well as the basic principles of isochronous streaming channels, have been described in the previous Figure 2 and Figure 3 The embodiments are described in detail below and therefore will not be repeated.

[0117] In process 406, the Bluetooth master device 110 generates and transmits a first configuration instruction to the first member device 120. During operation, the processing circuit 115 in the Bluetooth master device 110 may also transmit the first configuration instruction to the first member device 120 using the master communication circuit 111. In contrast, in process 408, the first member device 120 receives the first configuration instruction and operates in the first mode according to the first configuration instruction and performs a sound receiving function to generate a first sound signal.

[0118] In process 412, the processing circuit 115 in the Bluetooth master device 110 may use the master communication circuit 111 to transmit the second configuration instruction to the second member device 130. In process 414, after the second communication circuit 133 of the second member device 130 receives the second configuration instruction, the second control circuit 135 enables the second member device 130 to operate in the first mode according to the second configuration instruction, but does not perform the sound reception operation.

[0119] It can be understood that the sound receiving operation described in this embodiment includes the process of receiving sound by the first sound receiving circuit 164 / the second sound receiving circuit 174, encoding by the first audio processing circuit 127 / the second audio processing circuit 137 to generate the first / second sound signal, and transmitting the first / second sound signal to the Bluetooth master control device 110 by the first communication circuit 123 / the second communication circuit 133 or any other means. The definition of not performing the sound receiving operation covers the situation where any of the above links is turned off. In other words, not performing the sound receiving operation can mean that the sound receiving circuit / microphone is not turned on, or that the sound receiving circuit / microphone is turned on, but the communication circuit does not transmit.

[0120] In summary, flows 202, 204, 406, and 412 enable the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 to operate in the first mode at the same time, that is, both have the authority to return the sound signal, but only one of the member devices actually returns the sound signal. It can be understood that the processes 202, 204, 406, and 412 of this embodiment do not limit the order of operation. In principle, the subsequent processes can wait until processes 408 and 414 are confirmed to be completed before continuing. The following processes 210, 216, 218, and 220 are all the same as Figure 2 and Figure 3 The embodiments are the same as those of the present invention, so they will not be described again.

[0121] When the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 detects a trigger event in process 220, process 422 may be performed to generate an event notification and send it through the first communication circuit 123. At this time, the event notification is directly transmitted to the second member device 130. After process 422 is completed, the first member device 120 may directly perform process 223 in principle to stop the sound receiving operation that was originally being performed.

[0122] One of the features of this embodiment is that a direct interconnection communication protocol can be initiated between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 to transmit event notifications. Since the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 are already in the connection state of the first mode, both are already configured with the permission to return the microphone sound. This embodiment only requires the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 to communicate and coordinate directly to complete the sound reception handover. In other words, the sound reception handover process of this embodiment may not require the intervention of the Bluetooth master control device 110. The implementation method of the direct wireless connection between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can be, but is not limited to, the Bluetooth communication protocol.

[0123] In addition, in this embodiment, the event notification itself can be a packet carrying event information, and can be understood as a radio handover request or indication. The packet data volume of the event notification itself is not large, and can be transmitted in a low-cost manner, such as a simple broadcast response. However, it can be understood that, regardless of whether it is implemented through an established communication protocol, the second control circuit 135 in the second member device 130 can be pre-configured to monitor and identify the status of the event notification through the second communication circuit 133. Figure 4 The first configuration instruction and the second configuration instruction transmitted in processes 406 and 412 can be derived here to carry specific configuration information respectively, so that the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can obtain the ability to communicate directly with each other after receiving the aforementioned first configuration instruction and the aforementioned second configuration instruction.

[0124] In process 424, after receiving the event notification sent by the first member device 120, the second member device 130 may start a new sound reception operation according to the instruction of the event notification to replace the sound reception operation of the first member device 120. Then, the first member device 120 may perform processes 230 and 232, so that the Bluetooth master device 110 may then perform processes 236 and 238. The implementation details of processes 230, 232, 233, 236, and 238 are similar to those described above. Figures 2 to 3 The embodiments are the same as those of the present invention and will not be described again here.

[0125] In order to ensure that the continuity of sound reception is not affected by the handover of the sound reception, the handover timing of the sound reception of the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can be further calculated. In a specific embodiment, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can agree on the handover timing through specific information exchange during the communication process. For example, in process 222, when the first control circuit 125 generates an event notification, a timing information can be included in the event notification. The aforementioned timing information can be various synchronization time information shared in the CIS channel, timestamps, packet sequence numbers, event numbers, etc. The first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can both use the same timing information to determine the best handover timing, such as calculating a predetermined time. Therefore, the sound reception handover procedure can be executed when the predetermined time arrives, that is, the first member device 120 stops the original sound reception operation, and the second member device 130 starts a new sound reception operation.

[0126] In another implementation, since the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 operate in the same connection isochronous group CIG, the first isochronous streaming channel 129 and the second isochronous streaming channel 139 share basic time synchronization information. Based on the time synchronization information, the first member device 120 can directly provide a predetermined time when issuing an event notification in the process 422, so that the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can switch hands at the predetermined time, that is, simultaneously execute the corresponding radio function switching action.

[0127] In another embodiment, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 are both operated in the first mode and are configured with permission to return the sound signal. When the second processing circuit 135 of the second member device 130 receives the event notification sent by the first member device 120 through the second communication circuit 133 in process 424, process 230 can also be directly performed, that is, the second sound receiving circuit 174 is activated to start generating the second sound signal.

[0128] In another embodiment, when the second processing circuit 135 of the second member device 130 receives an event notification transmitted by the first member device 120 through the second communication circuit 133 in process 424, it can also directly start processes 230 and 232, that is, start the second audio receiving circuit 174 and then transmit the second sound signal through the second isochronous streaming channel 139.

[0129] In contrast, after the first member device 120 issues the event notification in the process 422 , it may also determine a delay time by itself and then stop the sound receiving operation in the process 223 .

[0130] From the above description, we can see that Figure 4 The method has at least the following advantages. Figure 2 and Figure 3 What is different from the embodiment is that the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 in this embodiment operate in the first mode from the beginning. Therefore, when a trigger event occurs that requires switching the microphone, the second member device 130 does not need to spend time switching from the second mode back to the first mode. The first communication circuit 123 and the second communication circuit 133 can directly communicate with each other wirelessly, so that the immediacy of the handover is improved. In the process, the effect of synchronous switching can be generated by exchanging timing information, or the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can be allowed to return sound signals at the same time within a short period of time. Thereby, when the Bluetooth master device 110 uses the second sound signal to follow the first sound signal in process 238, a seamless connection effect can be ensured.

[0131] The following will be matched Figure 5 The operation of the Bluetooth communication system 100 is further described. Figure 5 This is a simplified flow chart of the method for handover operation of receiving sound according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The method further derived from the embodiment is applicable to the occasion where the first member device 120 does not need to be disconnected or shut down immediately after an event occurs. Process 202 to process 424 continue the method of the previous embodiment, and then different methods are derived after process 424.

[0132] After the second member device 130 completes receiving the event notification in process 424, in process 526, the second control circuit 135 controls the second sound receiving circuit 174 according to the received event notification. At this stage, the second sound receiving circuit 174 can start receiving sound, and the second audio processing circuit 137 encodes and converts it into a second sound signal in digital form. However, the second control circuit 135 has not yet officially used the second communication circuit 133 to transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 on the second isochronous streaming channel 139.

[0133] In process 528 , the second control circuit 135 in the second member device 130 may generate a response notification after the second communication circuit 133 receives the event notification, and transmit the response notification to the first member device 120 using the second communication circuit 133 .

[0134] In the process 530 , after the first communication circuit 123 receives the response notification, the first control circuit 125 in the first member device 120 may stop transmitting the first sound signal through the first communication circuit 123 according to the response notification.

[0135] In other words, after the first member device 120 issues the event notification in the process 422 , it does not immediately stop the sound reception operation, but waits for the second member device 130 to respond before stopping the sound reception operation.

[0136] After completing the process 528 , the second member device 130 may then execute the process 232 to enable the Bluetooth master device 110 to execute the processes 236 and 238 .

[0137] and Figure 4 Similar to the embodiment of the present invention, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 may also share timing information to agree on a handover time. In practice, the first member device 120 may include the timing information when the process 422 issues an event notification. The second member device 130 may calculate a scheduled time for running the process 232 based on the timing information and operate accordingly. In another embodiment, the first member device 120 may include the scheduled time when the process 422 issues an event notification, so that the second member device 130 directly runs the process 232 according to the scheduled time.

[0138] Alternatively, when the second member device 130 determines the aforementioned scheduled time according to the timing information, the second member device 130 may also inform the first member device 120 of the scheduled time when sending a response notification in process 528, so that the first member device 120 stops the sound receiving operation at the scheduled time according to the response notification in process 530.

[0139] After the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 both determine the scheduled time in various ways, the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 may execute the process 530 at the scheduled time. In contrast, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 may execute the process 232 at the scheduled time. Alternatively, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 may execute the process 526 in advance after receiving the event notification in the process 424, and start to execute the process 232 after the scheduled time arrives.

[0140] From another perspective, when arranging the aforementioned scheduled time, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can deliberately arrange a short overlap time. That is, process 232 is executed before process 530. In this way, the Bluetooth master device 110 can have a short time to simultaneously execute processes 216 and 236, that is, to simultaneously receive sound signals from two member devices. In this way, it can be ensured that when the Bluetooth master device 110 uses the second sound signal to follow the first sound signal in process 238, the effect of uninterrupted speech is produced.

[0141] The processes 232 , 236 , and 238 have been described in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0142] From the above description, we can see that Figure 5 The embodiment can highlight at least the following advantages. The direct communication between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 is derived into a two-way direct communication, that is, the second member device 130 can respond to a response notification of the first member device 120. The communication between the two parties can achieve time synchronization switching more effectively and can cope with various complex exceptional situations. For example, if the first member device 120 does not receive the expected response notification during the handover process, it means that the second member device 130 may have a problem. At this time, the first member device 120 can choose not to stop the radio operation to ensure that the two-way voice call of the Bluetooth communication system 100 is not interrupted. The more accurate the timing of the synchronous switching, the more efficient the power consumption of the radio circuit, and the better the effect of the Bluetooth master device 110 using the second sound signal to connect the first sound signal in process 238.

[0143] The following will be matched Figure 6 The operation of the Bluetooth communication system 100 is further described. Figure 6 This is a simplified flow chart of the method for handover operation of receiving sound according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The first member device 120 and the second member device 130 also operate in the first mode and determine the handover timing through event notification. The difference is that there is no direct communication mechanism between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, and they need to rely on the Bluetooth master device 110 to forward the event notification.

[0144] In this embodiment, processes 202, 204, 406, 408, 210, 412, 414, 216, 218, 220, 224 and Figure 4 In process 224, after the Bluetooth master device 110 receives the event notification, the subsequent processes derived therefrom begin to be different.

[0145] exist Figure 6In the usage scenario, the processing circuit 115 in the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the master communication circuit 111 to forward the event notification that the first member device 120 wants to send to the second member device 130. For example, in process 626, the Bluetooth master device 110 sends the event notification received from the first member device 120 to the second member device 130.

[0146] In process 628, after the second communication circuit 133 receives the event notification, the second control circuit 135 in the second member device 130 learns that the sound reception operation needs to be switched, and then proceeds to process 230. In process 230, the second control circuit 135 controls the second audio processing circuit 137 to convert the sound received by the second sound reception circuit 174 into the second sound signal.

[0147] This embodiment can also confirm the synchronous switching timing of the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 by exchanging timing information. For example, when the Bluetooth master device 110 forwards the event notification in process 626, the first control circuit 125 can also include timing information in the event notification.

[0148] The aforementioned timing information may be determined by the Bluetooth master device 110 in process 224, or may be determined by the first member device 120 in process 222. For the second member device 130, when receiving the timing information in process 628, it can compare with its own time-related parameters to determine the timing of starting the sound reception operation. For example, the second member device 130 may determine a predetermined time according to the timing information, and perform process 232 at the predetermined time. In other words, the second control circuit 135 in the second member device 130 may start to transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 on the second isochronous streaming channel 139 using the second communication circuit 133 when the predetermined time arrives.

[0149] From the above description, we can see that Figure 6 The embodiment can highlight at least the following advantages. The first member device 120 and the second member device 130 are both operating in the first mode, so when the sound reception needs to be switched, it can be done immediately without switching the operating mode of the Bluetooth master device 110. For the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, it is only necessary to coordinate the switching timing between each other. The event notification of this embodiment is forwarded through the Bluetooth master device 110, thereby, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 do not need to spend additional resources to establish a wireless channel for direct communication.

[0150] The following will be matched Figure 7 The operation of the Bluetooth communication system 100 is further described. Figure 7This is a simplified flow chart of the method for handover operation of receiving sound according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 Further variations derived from the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1 , a mechanism for transmitting a response notification is included, so that the switching mechanism between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can adapt to more complex environmental changes and ensure that the sound reception handover is successful.

[0151] exist Figure 7 In the process 202 to 628, all Figure 6 In process 628, after the second member device 130 receives the event notification sent by the Bluetooth master device 110, the subsequent practices begin to change.

[0152] In process 730, after the second communication circuit 133 receives the event notification, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 may control the second audio processing circuit 137 to convert the sound received by the second sound receiving circuit 174 into the second sound signal. It should be noted that, at this stage, the second sound receiving circuit 174 simply starts to receive sound, but the second control circuit 135 does not intend to transmit the sound back to the Bluetooth master device 110 through the second communication circuit 133.

[0153] In process 732, the second control circuit 135 in the second member device 130 may generate a response notification after the second communication circuit 133 receives the event notification, and transmit the response notification to the Bluetooth master device 110 using the second communication circuit 133. In process 734, the processing circuit 115 in the Bluetooth master device 110 transmits the response notification to the first member device 120 using the master communication circuit 111 after the master communication circuit 111 receives the response notification.

[0154] In process 736, the first member device 120 receives the response notification forwarded by the Bluetooth master device 110. In process 738, after the first communication circuit 123 receives the response notification, the first control circuit 125 in the first member device 120 stops transmitting the first sound signal through the first communication circuit 123 according to the response notification.

[0155] In the second member device 130 , the process 232 is executed after the process 732 is completed. The second control circuit 135 transmits the second sound signal generated in the process 730 to the Bluetooth master device 110 via the second communication circuit 133 .

[0156] and Figure 5 The embodiment is similar to that, Figure 7The first member device 120 and the second member device 130 in the process can also share timing information to agree on a time to change hands. In practice, the first member device 120 can insert the timing information when the event notification is issued in process 222. In another embodiment, the timing information can also be provided by the Bluetooth master device 110 in addition in process 626. For the second member device 130, as long as the timing information is received, a scheduled time for running process 232 can be calculated and operated accordingly. On the other hand, the scheduled time can also be determined by the first member device 120 when the event is triggered, and told to the second member device 130 when the event notification is issued in process 222, so that the second member device 130 can run process 232 accordingly.

[0157] Alternatively, when the second member device 130 determines the aforementioned scheduled time based on the timing information, the second control circuit 135 can also tell the first member device 120 the scheduled time when sending a response notification in process 732, so that the first control circuit 125 stops the radio operation at the scheduled time according to the response notification in process 738.

[0158] After the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 both determine the scheduled time in various ways, the first member device 120 may run the process 738 at the scheduled time. In contrast, the second member device 130 may run the process 232 at the scheduled time. For example, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 may run the process 232 only when the scheduled time arrives, and transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 on the second isochronous streaming channel 139 using the second communication circuit 133.

[0159] The processes 232 , 236 , and 238 have been described in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0160] This embodiment combines several advantages of the above-mentioned embodiments. The first member device 120 and the second member device 130 are both operating in the first mode, so when the radio handover is required, it can be performed immediately without the need to switch the operating mode of the Bluetooth master device 110. For the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, the switching timing between each other can be coordinated through the Bluetooth master device 110. The event notification of this embodiment is forwarded by the Bluetooth master device 110, so that the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 do not need to spend additional resources to establish a wireless channel for direct communication. In the process of coordinating the switching timing, the second member device 130 can respond to the first member device 120 with a response notification to ensure that the handover process is correct. The efficiency of the radio handover operation is improved, the power consumption of the radio circuit will be more efficient, and the seamless effect of the processing circuit 115 using the second sound signal to connect the first sound signal in process 238 will be better.

[0161] Figure 8 The simplified functional block diagram of a Bluetooth communication system 800 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a Bluetooth master device 110 and a Bluetooth device group 102 , wherein the Bluetooth device group 102 may include a plurality of member devices.

[0162] and Figure 1 Unlike the Bluetooth communication system 100 of the present embodiment, the present embodiment further considers the non-member device 810 as a part of the Bluetooth communication system 800 to explore the details of its interactive operation with the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102. The structural details of the Bluetooth master device 110, the first member device 120, the second member device 130, and the third member device 140 will not be described again. The structural details and operation of the non-member device 810 will be described below.

[0163] exist Figure 8 In the embodiment of the present invention, the non-member device 810 at least includes a wireless communication circuit 811, an operation input circuit 815, and a core processing circuit 813. The wireless communication circuit 811 can receive and transmit various wireless packets. The operation input circuit 815 can receive various operation instructions issued by the user. The core processing circuit 813 is coupled to the wireless communication circuit 811 and the operation input circuit 813. The core processing circuit 813 can generate various packets to be transmitted through the wireless communication circuit 811, and can parse various packets received by the wireless communication circuit 811 to obtain relevant data or instructions. The core processing circuit 813 can also control the operation of the aforementioned non-member device 810 according to various operation instructions issued by the user through the operation input circuit 813. From another perspective, the non-member device 810 can also include a display interface (not shown), which is controlled by the core processing circuit 813 to display a screen to facilitate user interaction.

[0164] In this embodiment, the non-member device 810 can assist the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 to communicate with each other wirelessly. In other words, it can technically play the role of a signal transmitter. In practical applications, the non-member device 810 can be a device that supports Bluetooth LE Audio (BLE Audio) technology (hereinafter referred to as BLE audio technology) specified in Bluetooth core specification version 5.2 or later.

[0165] In some embodiments, the wireless communication circuit 811 of the non-member device 810 can also use various wired network transmission technologies or radio access technology (RAT) to receive voice data from a remote device (not shown in the figure) through various networks (e.g., the Internet, mobile communication networks, or various private networks). The core processing circuit 813 can analyze the event notification sent by the first member device 120 in the Bluetooth device group 102, and forward the event notification content to the second member device 130 through the wireless communication circuit 811.

[0166] In practice, the wireless communication circuit 811 in the non-member device 810 can be implemented with a suitable wireless transceiver circuit that can support Bluetooth core specification version 5.2 or a later version of the Bluetooth communication protocol. Alternatively, the wireless communication circuit 811 can also be implemented with 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 wireless communication circuit 811 can also be coupled to an additional antenna device (not shown).

[0167] The operation input circuit 815 can be implemented by various suitable circuits capable of receiving user commands, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, a voice control device, a gesture sensing device, or a combination of the aforementioned devices.

[0168] The core processing circuit 813 can be implemented using various packet demodulation circuits, digital computing circuits, microprocessors, special application integrated circuits, single processor modules, a combination of multiple processor modules, a single computer system, a combination of multiple computer systems, a single server, a combination of multiple servers, or a cloud computing system that has appropriate computing power and is capable of parsing and generating Bluetooth packets using BLE audio technology specified by Bluetooth core specification version 5.2 (or later versions).

[0169] In practical applications, different functional blocks in the aforementioned non-member device 810 may be implemented using different circuits, or may be integrated into a single circuit chip or a single device.

[0170] For example, the operation input circuit 815 may be integrated into the core processing circuit 813. For another example, the operation input circuit 815 and the display interface may be integrated into a touch screen.

[0171] Alternatively, all functional blocks in the non-member device 810 may 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 broadcasting system, a voice guide system, a voice broadcasting system, an in-vehicle communication system, a satellite communication device, a smart TV, or a Bluetooth smart speaker, etc.

[0172] When the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support BLE audio technology, the user can use the Bluetooth communication system 800 to perform various audio playback operations using BLE audio technology to reduce power consumption of the Bluetooth communication system 800 and improve the overall audio playback quality.

[0173] The following will be matched Fig. 9 To further illustrate the operation of the Bluetooth communication system 800. Fig. 9 This is a simplified flow chart of the method for changing hands during recording according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 According to the architecture of the Bluetooth communication system 800, different operation processes are generated between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130. This embodiment is particularly suitable for applications where the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 cannot communicate directly. At this time, if the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 have a third-party object that can be wirelessly connected to each other, this embodiment can be used to implement a mechanism for handover of the sound reception. In summary, the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 of this embodiment can use the first communication circuit 123 to transmit the event notification to be transmitted to the second member device 130 to the non-member device 810. Conversely, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 can use the second communication circuit 133 to receive the event notification that the first member device 120 is to transmit to the second member device 130 from the non-member device 810.

[0174] exist Fig. 9 In the embodiment of the present invention, the operation of processes 202, 204, 406, 408, 210, 412, 414, 216, 218 and 220 is similar to Figure 4 In summary, after the above process is completed, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 respectively establish isochronous streaming channels with the Bluetooth master device 110 and operate in the first mode at the same time. The first member device 120 performs a sound reception operation, the second member device 130 does not perform a sound reception operation, and the Bluetooth master device 110 receives the first sound signal transmitted by the first member device 120.

[0175] After the trigger event occurs in process 220, the first member device 120 generates and sends an event notification to the non-member device 810 in process 922. More specifically, the first control circuit 125 in the first member device 120 may generate an event notification when the working environment value meets a trigger condition, and transmit the event notification to the non-member device 810 via the first communication circuit 123.

[0176] In process 924, the non-member device 810 receives the event notification. Then in process 926, the non-member device 810 forwards the event notification to the second member device 130. More specifically, the core processing circuit 813 in the non-member device 810 may transmit the event notification to the second member device 130 using the wireless communication circuit 811 after the wireless communication circuit 811 receives the event notification from the first member device 120.

[0177] In process 928, the second member device 130 receives the event notification forwarded by the non-member device 810 and performs subsequent processes 230 and 232. More specifically, after the second communication circuit 133 receives the event notification, the second control circuit 135 in the second member device 130 may control the second audio processing circuit 137 to convert the sound received by the second sound receiving circuit 174 into the second sound signal.

[0178] After receiving the second sound signal transmitted by the second member device 130, the Bluetooth master device 110 then performs processes 236 and 238. On the other hand, after completing process 922, the first member device 120 may stop the sound receiving operation in process 223. The details of processes 230, 232, 236, 238 and 223 are the same as those in the previous embodiment and will not be described again.

[0179] In the present embodiment, the non-member device 810 is defined as not being a member of the Bluetooth device group 102. Therefore, the wireless connection between it and the first member device 120 can be achieved in various other ways. For example, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can establish independent wireless connections with the non-member device 810 in advance, so that the non-member device 810 can forward the event notification. The event notification can be a packet carrying event information, and the amount of data is not large, so it is also possible to implement it in the form of a broadcast response packet. However, it should be understood that the premise of implementing it in a broadcast manner is that the non-member device 810 is capable and willing to support this forwarding service. For example, the core processing circuit 813 in the non-member device 810 can be configured in advance to monitor and identify the status of the event notification through the wireless communication circuit 811.

[0180] From another perspective, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can agree on the timing of the handover through specific information exchange during the communication process. For example, in process 922, when the first control circuit 125 generates an event notification, a timing information can be placed in the event notification. The aforementioned timing information can be various synchronization time information shared in the CIS channel, timestamps, packet sequence numbers, event numbers, etc. The timing information will be forwarded to the second member device 130 along with the event notification, so that the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 use the same timing information to determine the best switching time, such as calculating a predetermined time. Therefore, when the predetermined time arrives, the first member device 120 stops the original radio operation, and the second member device 130 starts a new radio operation.

[0181] In another embodiment, since the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 operate in the same CIG, some basic time synchronization information is originally shared between the first isochronous streaming channel 129 and the second isochronous streaming channel 139. Based on this, when the first member device 120 issues an event notification in process 922, it can directly provide a predetermined time, so that the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can perform corresponding switching actions at the predetermined time.

[0182] For example, when the first member device 120 stops the sound receiving operation in the process 223 , the first control circuit 125 may stop transmitting the first sound signal through the first communication circuit 123 according to a predetermined time.

[0183] For another example, the process 232 may be executed by the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 only when the predetermined time arrives. In the process 232, the second control circuit 135 transmits the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 via the second isochronous streaming channel 139 using the second communication circuit 133.

[0184] As can be seen from the foregoing description, this embodiment highlights at least the following advantages. Based on BLE audio technology, the quality of the two-way voice call effect is guaranteed. The first member device 120 and the second member device 130 are initially operated in the first mode at the same time, so there is no need to spend time switching modes when switching the radio. In addition, the method of using a third-party device to forward event notifications is particularly suitable for solving the problem of radio switching in special network environments. In practice, the core processing circuit 813 in the non-member device 810 can use the wireless communication circuit 811 to forward the event notification that the first member device wants to send to the second member device. When the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 operate in certain environments where direct communication is not possible, and both can be connected to the non-member device 810 at the same time, it is suitable to adopt this embodiment.

[0185] The following will be matched Fig.10 To further illustrate the operation of the Bluetooth communication system 800. Fig.10 This is a simplified flow chart of the method for handover operation of receiving sound according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 The process from 202 to 928 is the same as the above embodiment and will not be described again. In process 928, after the second member device 130 receives the event notification forwarded by the non-member device 810, the subsequent process 1030 starts to derive different changes.

[0186] In process 1030, the second member device 130 controls the second sound receiving circuit 174 according to the event notification. More specifically, after the second communication circuit 133 receives the event notification from the non-member device 810, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 can control the second audio processing circuit 137 to convert the sound received by the second sound receiving circuit 174 into the second sound signal. It should be noted that, at this stage, the second sound receiving circuit 174 simply starts to receive sound, but does not transmit the sound back to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0187] In process 1032, the second control circuit 135 in the second member device 130 may generate a response notification after the second communication circuit 133 receives the event notification, and transmit the response notification to the non-member device 810 using the second communication circuit 133. In processes 1034 and 1036, the core processing circuit 813 in the non-member device 810 may transmit the response notification to the first member device 120 using the wireless communication circuit 811 after the wireless communication circuit 811 receives the response notification.

[0188] In process 1038, the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 receives the response notification transmitted by the non-member device 810 through the first communication circuit 123. In process 1040, after the first communication circuit 123 receives the response notification, the first control circuit 125 in the first member device 120 may stop transmitting the first sound signal through the first communication circuit 123 according to the response notification.

[0189] For the second member device 130 , after completing process 1032 , the second control circuit 135 in the second member device 130 may execute process 232 when the predetermined time arrives, and utilize the second communication circuit 133 to transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 on the second isochronous streaming channel 139 .

[0190] and Figure 5 The embodiment is similar to that, Fig.10The first member device 120 and the second member device 130 in the process 922 can also share timing information to agree on a handover time. For example, the first member device 120 can insert the timing information when the process 922 issues an event notification. For the second member device 130, as long as it receives the timing information, it can calculate a scheduled time for running the process 232 and operate accordingly. On the other hand, the scheduled time can also be determined by the first member device 120 when the event is triggered, and told to the second member device 130 when the event notification is issued in the process 922, so that the second member device 130 can run the process 232 accordingly.

[0191] Alternatively, when the second member device 130 determines the aforementioned scheduled time, the second control circuit 135 may also inform the first member device 120 of the aforementioned scheduled time when transmitting a response notification through the second communication circuit 133 in process 1032, so that the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 stops the reception operation at the aforementioned scheduled time according to the aforementioned response notification in process 1040.

[0192] The processes 232 , 236 , and 238 have been described in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0193] From the above description, we can see that Fig.10 The embodiment highlights at least the following advantages. This method of using a third-party device to forward event notifications is particularly suitable for solving the problem of radio handover in special network environments. This embodiment is particularly suitable when the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 are operating in certain environments where direct communication is not possible, and both can be connected to the non-member device 810 at the same time. In the process of interacting with the non-member device 810, a response notification is further transmitted so that the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can better confirm the timing of the synchronous switching. The more accurate the timing of the synchronous switching, the more efficient the power consumption of the radio circuit, and the better the effect of the Bluetooth master device 110 using the second sound signal to connect to the first sound signal in process 238.

[0194] In summary, this specification provides implementation methods for a variety of different scenarios for the undefined handover process of sound reception in BLE audio technology. The applicable scenarios are very wide. For example, when a single user uses a true wireless Bluetooth headset for a two-way voice call, the microphones on the left and right ears can be switched in turn according to the usage status. For example, in a multi-person meeting, when each person has a microphone on the table, the microphone can be switched according to the person being spoken to. For example, in an indoor space with multiple smart speakers distributed in many rooms, these smart speakers can switch the microphone reception object according to the user's location.

[0195] The embodiment of this application adopts BLE isochronous channel technology and low complexity communication codec LC3 technology to enable the application product to achieve ultra-low power consumption and high-quality audio transmission. In addition to keeping two-way voice calls uninterrupted and stable, it can also improve sound quality and product endurance, significantly enhancing the user experience.

[0196] Certain words are used in the specification and the scope of the patent application to refer to specific components, and technicians in the field may use different terms to refer to the same components. This specification and the scope of the patent application do not use the difference in name as a way to distinguish components, but use the difference in function of the components as the basis for distinction. The term "including" mentioned in the specification and the scope of the patent application is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". In addition, the term "coupling" herein includes any direct and indirect connection means. Therefore, if the text describes a first element coupled to a second element, it means that the first element can be directly connected to the second element through electrical connection or signal connection methods such as wireless transmission, optical transmission, etc., or indirectly electrically or signal connected to the second element through other elements or connection means.

[0197] The description method of "and / or" used in the specification includes any combination of one or more of the listed items. In addition, unless otherwise specified in the specification, any singular term also includes the meaning of the plural term.

[0198] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present invention should fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0199]

Explanation of symbols

[0200] 100...Bluetooth communication system

[0201] 102...Bluetooth device set

[0202] 110...Bluetooth host device

[0203] 111...Host-side communication circuit

[0204] 113...Input circuit

[0205] 115...Processing circuit

[0206] 120...first member device

[0207] 121...First sensor circuit

[0208] 123...First communication circuit

[0209] 125...First control circuit

[0210] 127...First audio processing circuit

[0211] 129...first isochronous streaming channel

[0212] 130...Second member device

[0213] 131...Second sensor circuit

[0214] 133...Second communication circuit

[0215] 135...Second control circuit

[0216] 137...Second audio processing circuit

[0217] 139...Second isochronous streaming channel

[0218] 140...Third member device

[0219] 149...third isochronous streaming channel

[0220] 150...Display

[0221] 162...First audio playback circuit

[0222] 164...First voice receiving circuit

[0223] 172...Second audio playback circuit

[0224] 174...Second voice receiving circuit

[0225] 182...Third audio playback circuit (third audio playback circuit)

[0226] 184...Third voice receiving circuit

[0227] 800...Bluetooth communication system

[0228] 810...non-member device (third-party device)

[0229] 811...Wireless communication circuit

[0230] 813...Core processor circuit

[0231] 815...Operation input circuit (user interface circuit)

[0232] 817...Auxiliary display.

Claims

1. A Bluetooth communication system (800), comprising: A Bluetooth master control device (110), comprising: A master control end communication circuit (111); A processing circuit (115), coupled to the master communication circuit (111), configured to control the master communication circuit (111); A Bluetooth device group (102) comprising at least a first member device (120) and a second member device (130); and A non-member device (810), which is not a member of the Bluetooth device group (102), and includes: a wireless communication circuit (811); a core processing circuit (813), coupled to the wireless communication circuit (811), configured to control the wireless communication circuit (811) to perform wireless communication with the first member device (120) and the second member device (130); in, The first member device (120) comprises: A first audio processing circuit (127) is configured to be coupled to a first sound receiving circuit to convert the sound received by the first sound receiving circuit (164) into a first sound signal; a first communication circuit (123) configured to be capable of wireless communication with the main control end communication circuit (111) and the wireless communication circuit (811); and A first control circuit (125) coupled to the first communication circuit (123) and the first audio processing circuit (127), configured to control the first communication circuit (123) and the first audio processing circuit (127); The second member device (130) includes: A second audio processing circuit (137) is configured to be coupled to a second sound receiving circuit (174) to convert the sound received by the second sound receiving circuit (174) into a second sound signal; a second communication circuit (133) configured to be capable of wireless communication with the main control end communication circuit (111) and the wireless communication circuit (811); and a second control circuit (135), coupled to the second communication circuit (133) and the second audio processing circuit (137), and configured to control the second communication circuit (133) and the second audio processing circuit (137); The processing circuit (115) is further configured to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the first member device (120) by using the master communication circuit (111), and to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the second member device (120) by using the master communication circuit (111); The processing circuit (115) is further configured to utilize the master communication circuit (111) to transmit a first configuration instruction to the first member device (120), and to transmit a second configuration instruction to the second member device (130); The first communication circuit (123) is further configured to receive the first configuration instruction, and the first control circuit (125) is further configured to be able to set the first member device (120) to operate in a first mode according to the first configuration instruction, and to utilize the first communication circuit (123) to transmit the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master control device (110) through the first isochronous streaming channel; The second communication circuit (133) is further configured to receive the second configuration instruction, and the second control circuit is further configured to configure the second member device (130) to operate in the first mode according to the second configuration instruction, and the second communication circuit (133) does not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master control device (110); The core processing circuit (813) is further configured to utilize the wireless communication circuit (811) to forward packets that the first member device wants to send to the second member device, or packets that the second member device wants to send to the first member device.

2. The Bluetooth communication system (800) according to claim 1, wherein: The first member device (120) further comprises: A first sensing circuit (121), coupled to the first control circuit, configured to sense a working environment value of the first member device and transmit the working environment value to the first control circuit; The first control circuit (125) is further configured to generate an event notification when the working environment value meets a trigger condition, and transmit the event notification to the non-member device (810) via the first communication circuit (123); The core processing circuit (813) is further configured to transmit the event notification to the second member device (130) using the wireless communication circuit (811) after the wireless communication circuit (811) receives the event notification; The second control circuit (135) is further configured to start the second audio processing circuit (137) after the second communication circuit (133) receives the event notification, so as to convert the sound received by the second sound receiving circuit (174) into the second sound signal.

3. The Bluetooth communication system (800) according to claim 2, wherein: The second control circuit (135) is further configured to generate a response notification after the second communication circuit (133) receives the event notification, and transmit the response notification to the non-member device (810) using the second communication circuit (133); The core processing circuit (813) is further configured to transmit the response notification to the first member device (120) using the wireless communication circuit (811) after the wireless communication circuit (811) receives the response notification; and The first control circuit (125) is further configured to stop transmitting the first sound signal through the first communication circuit (133) according to the response notification after the first communication circuit (123) receives the response notification.

4. The Bluetooth communication system (800) according to claim 3, wherein: The first control circuit (125) is further configured to include a timing information in the event notification when the event notification is generated; The first control circuit (125) is further configured to stop transmitting the first sound signal through the first communication circuit (123) according to a specified time, wherein the specified time is generated according to the timing information.

5. The Bluetooth communication system (800) according to claim 4, wherein: The second control circuit (135) is also configured to start using the second communication circuit (133) to transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master control device (110) on the second isochronous streaming channel when the designated time arrives.

6. A Bluetooth device group (102) for wirelessly communicating with a Bluetooth master device and a non-member device, wherein the non-member device is not a member of the Bluetooth device group; the Bluetooth device group (102) comprises at least a first member device (120) and a second member device (130): in, The first member device (120) comprises: A first audio processing circuit (127) is configured to be coupled to a first sound receiving circuit to convert the sound received by the first sound receiving circuit (164) into a first sound signal; a first communication circuit (123) configured to establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the Bluetooth master control device (110) and perform wireless communication; and A first control circuit (125) coupled to the first communication circuit (123) and the first audio processing circuit (127), configured to control the first communication circuit (123) and the first audio processing circuit (127); The second member device (130) includes: A second audio processing circuit (137) is configured to be coupled to a second sound receiving circuit (174) to convert the sound received by the second sound receiving circuit (174) into a second sound signal; a second communication circuit (133) configured to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the Bluetooth master control device (110) and perform wireless communication; and a second control circuit (135), coupled to the second communication circuit (133) and the second audio processing circuit (137), and configured to control the second communication circuit (133) and the second audio processing circuit (137); The first communication circuit (123) is further configured to receive a first configuration instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device (110), and the first control circuit (125) is further configured to set the first member device (120) to operate in a first mode according to the first configuration instruction, and transmit the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device (110) through the first isochronous streaming channel using the first communication circuit (123); The second communication circuit (133) is further configured to receive a second configuration instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device (110), and the second control circuit is further configured to configure the second member device (130) to operate in the first mode according to the second configuration instruction, and the second communication circuit (133) does not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device (110); The first control circuit (125) is further configured to utilize the first communication circuit (123) to transmit a packet to be transmitted to the second member device (130) to the non-member device (810), or to receive a packet to be transmitted by the second member device (130) to the first member device (120) from the non-member device (810); and The second control circuit (135) is also configured to utilize the second communication circuit (133) to transmit packets to be transmitted to the first member device (120) to the non-member device (810), or to receive packets to be transmitted by the first member device (120) to be transmitted to the second member device (130) from the non-member device (810).

7. The Bluetooth device group (102) according to claim 6, wherein: The first member device (120) further comprises: A first sensing circuit (121), coupled to the first control circuit, configured to sense a working environment value of the first member device and transmit the working environment value to the first control circuit; The first control circuit (125) is further configured to generate an event notification when the working environment value meets a trigger condition, and transmit the event notification to the non-member device (810) via the first communication circuit (123); The second control circuit (135) is further configured to turn on the second audio processing circuit (137) after the second communication circuit (133) receives the event notification forwarded by the non-member device (810) to convert the sound received by the second receiving circuit (174) into the second sound signal.

8. The Bluetooth device group (102) according to claim 7, wherein: The second control circuit (135) is further configured to generate a response notification after the second communication circuit (133) receives the event notification, and transmit the response notification to the non-member device (810) using the second communication circuit (133); The first control circuit (125) is further configured to stop transmitting the first sound signal through the first communication circuit (133) according to the response notification after the first communication circuit (123) receives the response notification forwarded by the non-member device (810).

9. The Bluetooth device group (102) according to claim 8, wherein: The first control circuit (125) is further configured to include a timing information in the event notification when the event notification is generated; The first control circuit (125) is further configured to stop transmitting the first sound signal through the first communication circuit (123) according to a specified time, wherein the specified time is generated according to the timing information.

10. The Bluetooth device group (102) according to claim 9, wherein: The second control circuit (135) is also configured to start using the second communication circuit (133) to transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master control device (110) on the second isochronous streaming channel when the designated time arrives.

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