Bluetooth communication system and related Bluetooth master control device and Bluetooth device group

Abstract

The present application relates to a Bluetooth communication system and related Bluetooth master devices and Bluetooth device groups. This specification provides a Bluetooth communication system, comprising a Bluetooth master device and a Bluetooth device group. The connection between the Bluetooth master device and the Bluetooth device group complies with the specifications of Bluetooth low energy audio technology. The Bluetooth device group includes at least one first member device and one second member device. The Bluetooth master device can configure the first member device and the second member device in a first mode and a second mode, respectively, and connect them using isochronous streaming channel technology. The first member device returns the received sound signal to the Bluetooth master device, while the second member device does not return the received sound signal. When a trigger event occurs, the first member device can use the Bluetooth master device to enable the first member device and the second member device to perform a subsequent radio handover procedure.

Description

Technical Field

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

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

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

[0004] According to the BLE audio technology specification, when a group of Bluetooth devices connect to a Bluetooth master device, a new method called the Low Energy (LE) isochronous channel (also known as the isochronous channel) is used to transmit time-limited data between Bluetooth devices. The LE isochronous channel ensures that multiple receiver devices receiving data from the same source maintain synchronized playback. The transmitted data includes a time validity period. Data that has expired but has not been sent is discarded. In other words, the Bluetooth receiver decides whether to receive data based on specific waiting time rules. There are two modes for transmitting audio streams over the LE isochronous channel: connection-oriented communication mode and connectionless communication mode.

[0005] The data stream transmitted in link-oriented communication mode is called a Connected Isochronous Stream (CIS). When synchronous audio data transmission is required (for example, when playing music on both earphones), the Bluetooth master device can configure multiple Bluetooth peripheral devices into a group of Bluetooth devices called a Connected Isochronous Group (CIG). The Connected Isochronous Streams (CIS) belonging to the same CIG can share specific reference data, enabling synchronized audio playback on multiple Bluetooth peripheral devices.

[0006] Typically, a Bluetooth master device based on BLE audio technology establishes independent CIS channels with each earbud for music playback. During voice calls, only one earbud's receiver / microphone is typically activated to receive and transmit the received audio signal. However, the BLE audio protocol currently lacks an effective method to prevent audio interruption if the earbud responsible for receiving audio ceases to function. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This specification provides a Bluetooth communication system comprising a Bluetooth master device and a Bluetooth device group. The Bluetooth master device comprises a master communication circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is coupled to the master communication circuit and configured to control the master communication circuit. The Bluetooth device group comprises at least one first member device and one 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 couple to a first radio circuit to convert 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 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, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is configured to couple to a second radio circuit to convert 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 instruction to the first member device and a second instruction to the second member device using the master communication circuit. The first communication circuit is further configured to receive the first instruction, and the first control circuit is further configured to configure the first member device to operate in a first mode based on the first instruction. When the first member device operates in the first mode, the first control circuit may utilize the first communication circuit to transmit the first audio signal to the Bluetooth master device via the first isochronous streaming channel. The second communication circuit is further configured to receive the second instruction, and the second control circuit is further configured to set the second member device to operate in a second mode according to the second instruction. 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] This specification also provides a Bluetooth master device comprising 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, establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the first member device using the master communication circuit, and 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 instruction to the first member device via the master communication circuit, instructing the first member device to operate in a first mode. The processing circuit is further configured to transmit a second instruction to the second member device via the master communication circuit, instructing the second member device to operate in a second mode. When the first member device operates in the first mode, the master communication circuit can receive a first audio signal from the first member device via the first isochronous streaming channel. When the first member device operates in the first mode, the second member device operates in the second mode. 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] This specification also provides a Bluetooth device group for wirelessly communicating with a Bluetooth master device. 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 is configured to convert 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 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 connected to a second radio circuit and is configured to convert 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 further configured to utilize the first communication circuit to receive a first instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, thereby configuring the first member device to operate in a first mode. The second control circuit is further configured to utilize the second communication circuit to receive a second instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, thereby configuring the second member device to operate in a second mode. 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.

[0010] This specification provides a Bluetooth communication system comprising a Bluetooth master device and a Bluetooth device group. The Bluetooth master device comprises a master communication circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is coupled to the master communication circuit and configured to control the master communication circuit. The Bluetooth device group comprises at least one first member device and one 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 couple to a first radio circuit to convert sound received by the first radio circuit into a first sound signal. The first communication circuit is configured to communicate wirelessly with the master communication circuit. 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 comprises a second audio processing circuit, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is configured to couple to a second radio circuit to convert 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 configure 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 via 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 via 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] This specification also provides a Bluetooth device group for wirelessly communicating 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 further configured to receive a first configuration instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, 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 via the first isochronous streaming channel using the first communication circuit. The second communication circuit is further configured to receive a second configuration instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, 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 to not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device via 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.

[0012] This specification also provides a Bluetooth communication system comprising a Bluetooth master device and a Bluetooth device group. The Bluetooth master device comprises a master communication circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is coupled to the master communication circuit and configured to control the master communication circuit. The Bluetooth device group comprises at least one first member device and one 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 couple to a first radio circuit to convert sound received by the first radio circuit into a first sound signal. The first communication circuit is configured to communicate wirelessly with the master communication circuit. 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 comprises a second audio processing circuit, a second communication circuit, and a second control circuit. The second audio processing circuit is configured to couple to a second radio circuit to convert 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 configure 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 via 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 via the second communication circuit according to the second configuration instruction. The processing circuit is further configured to forward an event notification that the first member device is to transmit to the second member device via the master communication circuit.

[0013] This specification also provides a Bluetooth device group for wirelessly communicating 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 further configured to receive a first configuration instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, and the first control circuit is further configured to configure 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 via the first isochronous streaming channel using the first communication circuit. The second communication circuit is further configured to receive a second configuration instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device, 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 via 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 Bluetooth master device using the first communication circuit. 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] This specification further provides a Bluetooth communication system comprising: a Bluetooth master device, a Bluetooth device group, and a non-member device. The Bluetooth master device comprises a master communication circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is coupled to the master communication circuit and configured to control the master 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 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 couple to a first radio circuit to convert 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 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 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 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 configure 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 via 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 via the second communication circuit according to the second configuration instruction. The core processing circuit is further configured to utilize the wireless communication circuit to forward an event notification that the first member device is to transmit to the second member device.

[0015] This specification also provides a Bluetooth device group 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 includes at least one first member device and one 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 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 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 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 configure 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 via 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 via the second communication circuit according to the second configuration instruction. The first control circuit is further configured to transmit an event notification intended for the second member device to the non-member device via the first communication circuit. The second control circuit is further configured to receive the event notification intended for the first member device to transmit to the second member device from the non-member device via the second communication circuit.

[0016] One of the advantages of the above embodiment is that when the first member device is unable to continue transmitting the sound received by the microphone back to the Bluetooth master device, the second member device can effectively take over the microphone reception operation 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 FIG. 1 is a simplified functional block diagram of a Bluetooth communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for handover operation of receiving audio according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0026] Figure 9 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for handover operation of receiving audio according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for handover operation of receiving audio according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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

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

[0030] In practical applications, multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can establish a Bluetooth piconet using various methods compliant with Bluetooth communication standards, and can transmit various commands or data through the Bluetooth piconet. Alternatively, multiple member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 can collectively form a coordinate set compliant 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 Bluetooth LE Audio (BLE Audio) technology (hereinafter referred to as BLE audio technology) as specified in 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 perform various audio playback operations using the Bluetooth device group 102.

[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 the relevant audio playback circuits to play the audio data transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110 using BLE audio technology.

[0035] exist Figure 1In the embodiment, 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 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 user-initiated operational commands. 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 via the master communication circuit 111 and to parse various Bluetooth packets received by the master communication circuit 111 to obtain relevant data or commands. The processing circuit 115 also controls the operation of the Bluetooth master device 110 based on various user-initiated operational commands issued via 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 to the user.

[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 conditions surrounding the device to generate an operating 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 via 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 further configured to generate an event notification when the operating environment value meets a trigger condition.

[0040] The first audio processing circuit 127 is coupled to the first control circuit 125, the first audio playback circuit 162, and the first sound receiving circuit 164. The first audio processing circuit 127 is configured to process audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110 (e.g., encoding or decoding the audio data and / or converting the data format) according to instructions from the first control circuit 125, and to control the first audio playback circuit 162 to play 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 ambient conditions surrounding the device to generate an operating 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 via the second communication circuit 133, parse 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 playback circuit 172, and the second sound receiving circuit 174. The second audio processing circuit 137 is configured to process audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110 (e.g., encoding or decoding the audio data and / or converting the data format) according to instructions from the second control circuit 135, and to control the second audio playback circuit 172 to play 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 all support BLE audio technology. In this case, the processing circuit 115 of the Bluetooth master device 110 is further configured to generate audio data (hereinafter referred to as BLE audio data) that complies with BLE audio technology specifications and transmit the aforementioned audio data to all member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 via the master communication circuit 111. The first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 is further configured to process the BLE audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110 using the first audio processing circuit 127 and instruct the first audio processing circuit 127 to control the first audio playback circuit 162 to play the content of the BLE audio data. Similarly, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 is further configured to process the BLE audio data transmitted from the Bluetooth master device 110 using the second audio processing circuit 137 and 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) via various networks (e.g., the Internet, a mobile communication network, 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 Bluetooth packets via the master communication circuit 111. The processing circuit 115 may also instruct the first member device 120 and / or the second member device 130 to play the content of the voice data using the first audio playback circuit 162 and / or the second audio playback circuit 172.

[0045] The aforementioned radio access technologies may be various second-generation (2G) mobile communication technologies, various third-generation (3G) mobile communication technologies, various fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication technologies, various fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technologies, various wireless network communication technologies compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series of specifications, various Internet of Things (IoT) communication technologies, various narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) communication technologies, various vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) 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 can utilize the first audio receiving circuit 164 and / or the second audio receiving circuit 174 to receive the user's voice and can 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 can 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 can 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 via 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 implement 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 using a suitable wireless transceiver circuit that supports the Bluetooth communication protocol, Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.2 or later. Alternatively, the master communication circuit 111 can be implemented using a hybrid communication circuit that supports both the aforementioned Bluetooth communication protocol and various other types of wired network transmission technologies or radio access technologies (RATs). If desired, 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 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.

[0050] The processing circuit 115 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).

[0051] In practical applications, the 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 using suitable Bluetooth communication circuits that support Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.2 or later. If necessary, the first communication circuit 123 and the second communication circuit 133 can also be coupled to additional antenna devices (not shown).

[0055] The first sensing circuit 121 and the second sensing circuit 131 can both be implemented using 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 using BLE audio technology specified by Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.2 (or later versions).

[0057] In some embodiments, the first communication circuit 123 and the second communication circuit 133 may also be backward compatible, 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 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 both be implemented using a digital computing 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, the 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] Furthermore, the first audio playback circuit 162 and the second audio playback circuit 172 can be implemented using any suitable circuit 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 using any suitable circuit capable of receiving sound and converting it into a corresponding audio signal, such as various types of microphones.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first member device 120, the first audio playback circuit 162, and the first audio receiver 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 audio receiver 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 those of the aforementioned corresponding member devices and / or corresponding circuits. 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 identical to those of the aforementioned corresponding member devices and / or corresponding circuits.

[0065] When the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102 support BLE audio technology, users 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 overall audio playback quality.

[0066] According to BLE audio technology, when a Bluetooth master device 110 conducts two-way voice communication with a first member device 120 and a second member device 130, it must first establish two independent isochronous streaming channels (CIS). These channels allow the two member devices to receive downlink audio data transmitted by the Bluetooth master device 110 and play it back to the user simultaneously. Regarding audio reception, the Bluetooth master device 110 designates one of the two member devices to perform a radio operation, which includes controlling the radio circuitry to receive the user's voice and transmit the received audio signal back. In other words, only one Bluetooth member device transmits audio signals at a time. However, this approach has some shortcomings that the BLE audio technology protocol does not address. For example, when a user is making a Bluetooth call using a pair of true wireless Bluetooth earphones, only one earphone has its microphone enabled. If that earphone is unable to continue receiving audio due to an unexpected event, the BLE audio technology protocol does not specify how to immediately enable the other earphone's microphone to resume receiving audio, i.e., handover. Therefore, existing technology suffers from the problem of easily interrupted calls.

[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 paired Figure 2 The operation of the Bluetooth communication system 100 is further described. Figure 2 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for handover operation of receiving audio according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] exist Figure 2In the flowcharts, the process in the column corresponding to a specific device represents the process performed by that specific device. For example, the process marked in the "Bluetooth Master Device" column is performed by Bluetooth master device 110; the process marked in the "First Member Device" column is performed by first member device 120; the process marked in the "Second Member Device" column is performed by second member device 130, and so on. The aforementioned logic also applies to the other flowcharts that follow.

[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 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 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, the data stream established on the 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 not sent within the expiration date will be discarded. The logical channel used to transmit CIS is hereinafter referred to as the CIS channel. In this embodiment, the first isochronous streaming channel 129 may be a CIS channel established based on the aforementioned 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 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 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 in which processes 202 and 204 are executed is not limited, and the order in which processes 206 and 208 are executed is also not limited.

[0077] In practice, the first member device 120 can receive ambient sound, such as a user's voice, via the first audio receiving circuit 164. The first audio processing circuit 127 then digitizes and encodes the sound received by the first audio receiving circuit 164 to generate a first audio signal. The first audio processing circuit 127 may include a low complexity communication codec (not shown) to provide the first audio signal with 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 can be a streaming mode operating over an isochronous streaming channel. During operation, the Bluetooth master device 110 can transmit a data channel establishment command (e.g., HCI_LE_Setup_ISO_Data_Path) along with 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, enabling the return of microphone audio. Thus, in the first mode, the Bluetooth master device 110 can not only transmit audio to be broadcasted to the first member device 120, but can also receive microphone audio (i.e., the first audio signal) returned 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 streaming channel 129 .

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

[0082] In step 212 , the processing circuit 115 may generate a second instruction and transmit the second instruction 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 can control the second member device 130 to operate in the second mode and not perform audio reception based on the second instruction. In practice, the second mode can be a mode operating over an isochronous streaming channel (e.g., Config Mode). In general, in the second mode, the second member device 130 can play the audio signal output by the Bluetooth master device 110 but will not transmit audio received by the microphone back to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0084] During operation, the second control circuit 135 may control the second member device 130 to not perform a sound reception operation in the following manner, but is not limited to the following: For example, the second control circuit 135 may disable the second member device 130's ability to transmit microphone sound back 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 transmit sound signals to the Bluetooth master device 110 using the second communication circuit 133 according to the second instruction.

[0085] In summary, Figure 2In a usage scenario, when the first member device 120 operates in the first mode, the second member device 130 operates in the second mode. When the second member device 130 operates in the second mode, the second member device 130 does not transmit audio signals to the Bluetooth master device 110. In this case, only the first member device 120 can transmit the sound received by the microphone (i.e., the first audio signal) back to the Bluetooth master device 110.

[0086] In process 218, the first sensing circuit 121 in the first member device 120 can detect the operating environment of the first member device 120 to generate an operating environment value. For ease of explanation, it is assumed that the first member device 120 is one of the earbuds of a true wireless Bluetooth headset. Under normal use, the first member device 120 is typically worn on the ear. If the first member device 120 is removed from the ear or stored in a charging case, the operating environment conditions of the first member device 120 will change. For example, a charging case typically contains a specific magnetic field. 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 when worn off the ear. The first sensing circuit 121 can also sense changes in the specific magnetic field or specific background sound and output a corresponding operating environment value. In practice, the first sensing circuit 121 can also be used to detect the remaining battery charge or whether the user has performed a specific touch operation. During operation, the first sensing circuit 121 can sense changes in the operating environment of the first member device 120 and transmit the operating environment value to the first control circuit 125.

[0087] In 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 use case of this embodiment, a trigger event may refer to the first member device 120 leaving the worn state or being placed in a storage box. A trigger event can also be defined as the remaining battery charge falling below a certain threshold or the user inputting a specific command via touch. In various situations, the working environment values ​​may meet specific conditions or characteristics, and the first control circuit 125 can determine that a trigger event has occurred when these conditions or characteristics are detected to be met. For example, when the first member device 120 is placed in the storage box, the magnets or connection points in the storage box can cause the first sensing circuit 121 to sense specific environmental changes, thereby determining that the first member device 120 has been placed in the storage box (hereinafter referred to as "in-box"). For another example, when the first member device 120 is no longer worn on the ear, the in-ear microphone in the first member device 120 may detect a change in background sound, thereby determining that the first member device 120 has been removed from the user's ear (hereinafter referred to as "off-ear"). If no trigger event occurs, the first member device 120 can 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 trigger conditions), process 222 may be performed.

[0089] In process 222 , the first control circuit 125 may generate an event notification and 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 issued the event notification after encountering a triggering event that prevented it from continuing to receive audio. In other words, there is a high probability that the first member device 120 immediately entered a disconnected or powered-off state after issuing the event notification. Therefore, after issuing the event notification, the first member device 120 may directly proceed to process 223 to terminate the ongoing audio reception operation.

[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 event notifications from the first member device 120 at any time for immediate processing.

[0092] In 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 third indication function is designed for handover. The trigger event in process 220 indicates that the first member device 120 is no longer able to transmit the audio received by the microphone. Therefore, the Bluetooth master device 110 can use the third indication to control the second member device 130 to take over the audio reception function and transmit the audio signal from the first member device 120. The subsequent processing is detailed below.

[0094] In 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 previously mentioned, the first mode may be a streaming mode operating over an isochronous streaming channel. The Bluetooth master device 110 may, through a third instruction, cause the second member device 130, which is originally operating in the second mode, to switch to the first mode. A data channel for transmitting microphone sound is established between the second member device 130 and the Bluetooth master device 110 over 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 audio receiving circuit 174 to perform an audio 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 audio 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 audio, instruct the second control circuit 135 to control the second audio receiver 174, enable the audio encoding function in the second audio processing circuit 137, and / or instruct the second control circuit 135 to begin transmitting the generated second audio signal via the second communication circuit 133.

[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 from 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 streaming 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 audio signal transmitted from the second member device 130 via the second isochronous streaming channel 139 .

[0101] In process 238, the processing circuit 115 may utilize the second audio signal to connect to the first audio signal. The process by which the processing circuit 115 connects to the audio signal is summarized as follows. During a two-way voice call, after receiving the first audio signal from the first member device 120, the processing circuit 115 uses the first audio signal as a data source to generate an output audio stream, and then transmits the output audio stream to the remote call recipient (not shown) via the master communication circuit 111. When the master communication circuit 111 receives the second audio signal from the second member device 130, the processing circuit 115 may seamlessly replace the first audio signal with the second audio signal based on the synchronization timing information in the first and second audio signals to generate the aforementioned output audio stream, and then transmit it via the master communication circuit 111.

[0102] In actual operation, processes 234 through 236 can be performed simultaneously or in any order. To ensure a smooth and uninterrupted audio reception experience for the user, the interval between switching from the first audio signal to the second audio signal should be as short as possible. Therefore, the Bluetooth master device 110 may proceed to process 234 only after it begins receiving the second audio signal and completes the audio connection operation in process 238. On the other hand, the first member device 120 itself may immediately shut down or disconnect after various triggering events occur, and no longer transmit the first audio signal. Therefore, the first member device 120 does not necessarily need to execute the channel disconnection instruction in process 234. Instead, it can directly update the connection status information or reclaim the allocated channel resources. For example, in an embodiment where the processing circuit 115 of the Bluetooth master device 110 includes a codec that supports LC3, the first and second audio signals transmitted back from the first and second member devices 120, 130 can be format-converted and then transmitted to the remote call recipient (not shown) via the master communication circuit 111. When the main body of the microphone receiving sound switches from the first member device 120 to the second member device 130 , the processing circuit 115 can 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 aforementioned embodiment, the Bluetooth master device 110 may only begin processing the handover process after receiving an event notification from the first member device 120. However, this is merely an exemplary embodiment and does not limit the actual implementation of the present invention. For example, if the first member device 120 experiences an unexpected situation and loses connection, the processing circuit 115 of the Bluetooth master device 110 may determine that a special event has occurred and proactively execute subsequent processes 226 through 238 to maintain uninterrupted reception of the Bluetooth device group 102.

[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 this embodiment adopts BLE audio technology, which has extremely low power consumption and increases the endurance of the first member device 120 and the second member device 130. In addition, the wireless transmission of audio is not only highly stable, but also has higher audio quality than traditional technologies. Using only a single microphone to receive sound is prone to various events that interrupt the reception. This embodiment defines event notifications, so that the Bluetooth master device 110 can control the handover of sound reception 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 event notifications can be flexibly set, so that the Bluetooth communication system 100 of this embodiment can be applied to a wide range of application scenarios. From another perspective, in the actual application of true wireless headphones, this approach allows the earphone on the side with higher power consumption to have a chance to rest and charge temporarily without interrupting the two-way call, which invisibly increases the convenience in various applications in important occasions.

[0105] The following will be paired Figure 3 The operation of the Bluetooth communication system 100 is further described. Figure 3 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for handover operation of receiving audio according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is based on Figure 2 Further embodiments derived from this. Flows 202 to 226 are identical to the previous embodiment and will not be described again. The derived embodiments are modified as follows.

[0106] After the Bluetooth master device 110 executes process 226, it also executes process 328. After the master communication circuit 111 receives the event notification, the processing circuit 115 in the Bluetooth master device 110 may transmit a fourth indication to the first member device 120 via the master communication circuit 111. This fourth indication may be used to cause the first member device 120 to fully execute the necessary preparations to terminate the reception operation, such as shutting down the first reception circuit 164, disabling the reception function in the first audio processing circuit 127, or causing the first communication circuit 123 to release resources occupied by the microphone data channel. In certain use cases, despite issuing the event notification in process 222, the first member device 120 does not need to completely cease operations or go offline. For example, although the first member device 120 ceases the reception function, it may still need to continue playing audio. Therefore, the Bluetooth master device 110 may use the fourth indication to cause the first member device 120 to appropriately adjust its configuration so that it can continue to operate even when not receiving audio.

[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 audio 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 signal 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 operations 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 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 sound signals 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. To ensure that the user experiences a smooth and uninterrupted audio reception experience, if practical conditions permit, a more ideal approach is to execute processes 328 and 330 only after the Bluetooth master device 110 confirms receipt of the second audio signal 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 aforementioned embodiment, process 218 illustrates that the first member device 120 can detect the operating environment to generate an operating environment value. Alternatively, the operating environment value can also include the remaining battery power. If both the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 monitor the remaining battery power, power consumption balancing can be achieved. For example, the first sensing circuit 121 in the first member device 120 and the second sensing circuit 131 in the second member device 130 can each periodically monitor the remaining battery power. During a two-way voice call, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 continuously report power information to the Bluetooth master device 110, enabling the Bluetooth master device 110 to determine whether to switch the device with more battery power to the first mode to begin receiving audio, or to switch the device with less battery power to the second mode to not receive audio. This prevents premature battery depletion on one side of the two-way voice call. The same embodiment can also be applied when the Bluetooth device group 102 includes three or more 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 a fourth instruction, allowing the first member device 120 to stop receiving while continuing to broadcast. In actual applications of true wireless headphones, the two earbuds have the opportunity to switch the microphone to receive the sound in turn. This allows the power consumption of the two earbuds to be balanced without interrupting the two-way call, which invisibly increases convenience.

[0114] The following will be paired Figure 4 The operation of the Bluetooth communication system 100 is further described. Figure 4 This is a simplified flow chart of a method for handover operation of receiving audio 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 audio in this situation is described in detail below.

[0116] First, in process 202, the Bluetooth master device 110 and the first member device 120 establish a first isochronous streaming channel 129 using 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 using BLE audio technology. The details of the operations of processes 202 and 204, as well as the basic principles of isochronous streaming channels, have been previously described. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The embodiment description is therefore not 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 via the master communication circuit 111. Conversely, in process 408, upon receiving the first configuration instruction, the first member device 120 operates in the first mode according to the first configuration instruction and performs a sound reception function to generate a first sound signal.

[0118] In process 412, the processing circuit 115 in the Bluetooth master device 110 may transmit a second configuration instruction to the second member device 130 via the master communication circuit 111. 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 causes the second member device 130 to operate in the first mode according to the second configuration instruction, but without performing a radio reception operation.

[0119] It should be understood that the sound reception operation described in this embodiment includes the process of receiving sound by the first sound reception circuit 164 / second sound reception circuit 174, encoding by the first audio processing circuit 127 / second audio processing circuit 137 to generate the first / second sound signal, and transmitting the first / second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 via the first communication circuit 123 / second communication circuit 133 or any other means. The definition of "not performing sound reception operation" encompasses situations where any of the aforementioned steps are disabled. In other words, not performing sound reception operation can mean that the sound reception circuit / microphone is not turned on, or that the sound reception circuit / microphone is turned on but the communication circuit is not transmitting.

[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 is understandable 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 FIG. 1 , and therefore description thereof will not be repeated.

[0121] When the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 detects a triggering event in process 220, process 422 may be performed to generate an event notification and send it via the first communication circuit 123. In this case, the event notification is directly transmitted to the second member device 130. After completing process 422, the first member device 120 can, in principle, proceed directly to process 223 to stop the currently ongoing sound reception operation.

[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 configured with the permission to transmit 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 radio handover. In other words, the radio 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] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the event notification itself can be a packet carrying event information and can be interpreted as a radio handover request or indication. The packet data size of the event notification itself is relatively small and can be transmitted via a cost-effective method, such as a simple broadcast response. However, it should be understood that, regardless of whether or not this is implemented via 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 via 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 audio reception operation according to the instruction of the event notification to take over the audio 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 the same as those described above. Figures 2 to 3 The embodiments are the same as those of FIG. 1 and are not described again here.

[0125] To ensure that the continuity of audio reception is not affected by handoffs, the timing of handoffs between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can be further precisely calculated. In one specific embodiment, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can agree on the handoff timing by exchanging specific information during communication. For example, in process 222, when the first control circuit 125 generates an event notification, the event notification may include timing information. This timing information can include various types of synchronization time information shared by the CIS channel, such as timestamps, packet sequence numbers, and event numbers. Both the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can use the same timing information to determine the optimal handoff timing, for example, by calculating a predetermined time. The handoff process can then be executed when the predetermined time arrives, with the first member device 120 suspending the original reception operation and the second member device 130 starting a new reception operation.

[0126] In another implementation, because first member device 120 and second member device 130 operate in the same connected isochronous group (CIG), first isochronous streaming channel 129 and second isochronous streaming channel 139 share basic time synchronization information. Based on this time synchronization information, first member device 120 can directly provide a predetermined time when issuing an event notification in process 422, allowing first member device 120 and second member device 130 to switch at the predetermined time, thereby simultaneously executing the corresponding radio function switching operation.

[0127] In another embodiment, both first member device 120 and second member device 130 operate in the first mode and are authorized to transmit audio signals. When second processing circuit 135 of second member device 130 receives an event notification from first member device 120 via second communication circuit 133 in process 424, it may directly proceed to process 230, i.e., activate second audio receiving circuit 174 to begin generating the second audio signal.

[0128] In another embodiment, when the second processing circuit 135 of the second member device 130 receives the 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, activate the second audio receiving circuit 174 and then transmit the second sound signal through the second isochronous streaming channel 139.

[0129] In contrast, after sending the event notification in process 422 , the first member device 120 may also independently determine a delay time before stopping the sound reception operation in 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 The difference between the embodiments 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 communicate directly with each other wirelessly, so that the immediacy of the handover is improved. In the process, the effect of synchronous switching can be produced by exchanging timing information, or the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can be allowed to transmit sound signals simultaneously within a short period of time. In this way, 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 paired 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 the radio reception according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The method further derived from the embodiment is applicable to situations where the first member device 120 does not need to be disconnected or shut down immediately after an event occurs. Processes 202 to 424 continue the practices of the previous embodiment, and then different practices are derived starting from process 424.

[0132] After the second member device 130 completes receiving the event notification in process 424, the second control circuit 135 controls the second audio receiver 174 in process 526 based on the received event notification. At this stage, the second audio receiver 174 can begin receiving audio, which the second audio processing circuit 137 then encodes and converts into a digital second audio signal. However, the second control circuit 135 has not yet officially transmitted the second audio signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 via the second isochronous streaming channel 139 using the second communication circuit 133.

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

[0134] In 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 a response from the second member device 130 before determining to stop 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, first member device 120 and second member device 130 can also share timing information to agree on a handover time. In practice, first member device 120 can include the timing information when issuing an event notification in process 422. Second member device 130 can calculate a scheduled time for executing process 232 based on the timing information and operate accordingly. In another embodiment, first member device 120 can also include the scheduled time when issuing an event notification in process 422, allowing second member device 130 to directly execute process 232 according to the scheduled time.

[0138] Alternatively, when the second member device 130 determines the aforementioned scheduled time based on the timing information, the second member device 130 may also inform the first member device 120 of the scheduled time when transmitting the response notification in process 528, so that the first member device 120 stops the audio reception operation at the scheduled time based on the response notification in process 530.

[0139] After the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 both determine a predetermined time using various methods, the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 may execute process 530 at the predetermined time. Conversely, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 may execute process 232 at the predetermined time. Alternatively, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 may execute process 526 in advance after receiving the event notification in process 424 and then begin executing process 232 after the predetermined time arrives.

[0140] From another perspective, when scheduling the aforementioned scheduled times, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can intentionally create a brief overlap. That is, process 232 can be executed before process 530. This allows the Bluetooth master device 110 to briefly execute processes 216 and 236 simultaneously, i.e., receive audio signals from both member devices simultaneously. This further ensures that when the Bluetooth master device 110 uses the second audio signal to follow the first audio signal in process 238, the audio is not interrupted.

[0141] The processes 232 , 236 , and 238 have been described in the aforementioned embodiment 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 the first member device 120 with a response notification. The communication between the two parties can achieve time synchronization switching more effectively and can cope with various complex exceptions. 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 paired 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 the radio reception according to one 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 use event notifications to determine the handover timing. However, there is no direct communication mechanism between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, and they rely on the Bluetooth master device 110 to forward the event notifications.

[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 differ.

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

[0146] In process 628, after receiving the event notification from the second communication circuit 133, the second control circuit 135 in the second member device 130 learns that the audio 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 audio 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 can be determined by the Bluetooth master device 110 in process 224 or by the first member device 120 in process 222. Upon receiving the timing information in process 628, the second member device 130 can compare it with its own time-related parameters to determine when to begin receiving the audio signal. For example, the second member device 130 can determine a predetermined time based on the timing information and proceed to process 232 at that predetermined time. In other words, the second control circuit 135 in the second member device 130 can begin transmitting the second audio signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 via the second communication circuit 133 on the second isochronous streaming channel 139 only when the predetermined time arrives.

[0149] From the above description, we can see that Figure 6 This embodiment can provide at least the following advantages. Since both the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 operate in the first mode, any need to switch hands can be immediate, without requiring the Bluetooth master device 110 to switch operating modes. For the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, they only need to coordinate the timing of the handover. In this embodiment, event notifications are forwarded via the Bluetooth master device 110, eliminating the need to expend additional resources establishing a wireless channel for direct communication between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130.

[0150] The following will be paired 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 the radio reception according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 Further variations derived from the embodiments of 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 successful handover of the reception.

[0151] exist Figure 7 In the process 202 to 628, all are related to Figure 6 In process 628 , after the second member device 130 receives the event notification sent by the Bluetooth master device 110 , the subsequent actions 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 controls the second audio processing circuit 137 to convert the sound received by the second audio receiving circuit 174 into the second sound signal. It should be noted that at this stage, the second audio receiving circuit 174 simply begins receiving sound, but the second control circuit 135 does not intend to transmit the sound back to the Bluetooth master device 110 via the second communication circuit 133.

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

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

[0156] and Figure 5 The embodiment is similar to that of Figure 7The first member device 120 and the second member device 130 in the process can also share timing information to agree on a handover time. 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, it can calculate a scheduled time for running 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 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 predetermined time based on the timing information, the second control circuit 135 may also inform the first member device 120 of the predetermined time when transmitting the response notification in process 732, so that the first control circuit 125 stops the reception operation at the predetermined time based on the response notification in process 738.

[0158] After the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 have both determined a predetermined time using various methods, the first member device 120 may execute process 738 at the predetermined time. Conversely, the second member device 130 may execute process 232 at the predetermined time. For example, the second control circuit 135 of the second member device 130 may execute process 232 only when the predetermined time arrives, utilizing the second communication circuit 133 to transmit the second audio signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 over the second isochronous streaming channel 139.

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

[0160] This embodiment combines several advantages of the aforementioned embodiments. Both the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 operate in the first mode, so when radio handover is required, it can be performed immediately without switching the operating mode of the Bluetooth master device 110. For the first member device 120 and the second member device 130, the Bluetooth master device 110 can coordinate the timing of the handover between them. In this embodiment, event notifications are forwarded via the Bluetooth master device 110, eliminating the need to expend additional resources to establish a wireless channel for direct communication between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130. During the coordination of the handover timing, the second member device 130 can respond to the first member device 120 with a response notification to ensure the handover process is correct. With improved radio handover efficiency, the radio circuit uses more power more efficiently, and the processing circuit 115 achieves a more seamless effect when using the second sound signal to follow the first sound signal in process 238.

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

[0162] and Figure 1 Unlike the Bluetooth communication system 100, this embodiment further considers the non-member device 810 as part of the Bluetooth communication system 800 to explore the details of its interaction with the Bluetooth master device 110 and the member devices in the Bluetooth device group 102. The architectural 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 repeated. The following will focus on the architectural details and operation of the non-member device 810.

[0163] exist Figure 8 In the embodiment, the non-member device 810 includes at least 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 commands issued by the user. The core processing circuit 813 is coupled to the wireless communication circuit 811 and the operation input circuit 815. The core processing circuit 813 can generate various packets to be transmitted via the wireless communication circuit 811 and can parse various packets received by the wireless communication circuit 811 to obtain relevant data or commands. The core processing circuit 813 can also control the operation of the non-member device 810 based on various operation commands 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) that is controlled by the core processing circuit 813 to display a screen to facilitate user interaction.

[0164] In this embodiment, non-member device 810 can wirelessly facilitate communication between first member device 120 and second member device 130. In other words, it can technically act as a signal relay. In practical applications, non-member device 810 can be a device that supports Bluetooth LE Audio (BLE Audio) technology (hereinafter referred to as BLE Audio technology) as 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 may also utilize various wired network transmission technologies or Radio Access Technology (RAT) to receive voice data from a remote device (not shown) via various networks (e.g., the Internet, mobile communication networks, or various private networks). The core processing circuit 813 may analyze event notifications 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 via the wireless communication circuit 811.

[0166] In practice, the wireless communication circuit 811 in the non-member device 810 can be implemented using suitable wireless transceiver circuitry that supports the Bluetooth communication protocol, Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.2 or later. Alternatively, the wireless communication circuit 811 can be implemented using hybrid communication circuitry that supports both the Bluetooth communication protocol and the aforementioned wired network transmission technologies or radio access technologies (RATs). If desired, 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 can be integrated into the core processing circuit 813. For another example, the operation input circuit 815 and the display interface can 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, users 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 overall audio playback quality.

[0173] The following will be paired Figure 9 To further illustrate the operation of the Bluetooth communication system 800. Figure 9 This is a simplified flow chart of the method for handover operation of receiving audio according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 In the Bluetooth communication system 800 architecture, different operational processes are generated between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130. This embodiment is particularly suitable for applications where direct communication between the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 is impossible. In this case, if the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 have a third party to which they can wirelessly connect, this embodiment can be used to implement a radio handover mechanism. In summary, in this embodiment, the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 can use the first communication circuit 123 to transmit event notifications intended for 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 event notifications intended for the second member device 130 from the non-member device 810.

[0174] exist Figure 9 In the embodiment of the present invention, the operation of processes 202, 204, 406, 408, 210, 412, 414, 216, 218 and 220 is the same as that of Figure 4 In summary, after the above process is completed, the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 each establish an isochronous streaming channel with the Bluetooth master device 110 and simultaneously operate in the first mode. The first member device 120 performs a receiving operation, while the second member device 130 does not. The Bluetooth master device 110 receives the first audio signal transmitted by the first member device 120.

[0175] After a 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 operating 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, after the wireless communication circuitry 811 receives the event notification from the first member device 120, the core processing circuitry 813 in the non-member device 810 may transmit the event notification to the second member device 130 using the wireless communication circuitry 811.

[0177] In process 928, the second member device 130 receives the event notification forwarded by the non-member device 810 and proceeds to 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 audio signal transmitted by the second member device 130, the Bluetooth master device 110 proceeds to processes 236 and 238. Meanwhile, after completing process 922, the first member device 120 may stop receiving audio 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 repeated here.

[0179] In this 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 pre-configured to monitor and identify the status of the event notification through the wireless communication circuit 811.

[0180] From another perspective, first member device 120 and second member device 130 can agree on the timing of the handover by exchanging specific information during the communication process. For example, in process 922, when first control circuit 125 generates an event notification, it can include timing information in the event notification. This timing information can include various types of synchronization time information shared by the CIS channel, such as timestamps, packet sequence numbers, and event numbers. This timing information is forwarded to second member device 130 along with the event notification, allowing first member device 120 and second member device 130 to use the same timing information to determine the optimal handover time, such as by calculating a predetermined time. Therefore, when the predetermined time arrives, first member device 120 stops the original reception operation, and second member device 130 begins a new reception operation.

[0181] In another embodiment, because first member device 120 and second member device 130 operate in the same CIG, first isochronous streaming channel 129 and second isochronous streaming channel 139 already share some basic time synchronization information. Based on this, first member device 120 can directly provide a predetermined time when issuing an event notification in process 922, allowing first member device 120 and second member device 130 to perform corresponding switching actions at the predetermined time.

[0182] For example, when the first member device 120 stops receiving the audio in the process 223 , the first control circuit 125 may stop transmitting the first audio 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 audio 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 above description, this embodiment highlights at least the following advantages. Based on BLE audio technology, the quality of two-way voice call effects 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 between reception. In addition, the method of using a third-party device to forward event notifications is particularly suitable for solving the problem of reception handover 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. This embodiment is suitable when the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 operate in certain environments where direct communication is impossible, and both can be connected to the non-member device 810 at the same time.

[0185] The following will be paired Figure 10 To further illustrate the operation of the Bluetooth communication system 800. Figure 10 This is a simplified flow chart of the method for handover operation of the radio reception according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 The process from 202 to 928 is the same as the previous embodiment and will not be repeated. In process 928, after the second member device 130 receives the event notification forwarded by the non-member device 810, the subsequent process 1030 begins to derive different changes.

[0186] In process 1030, the second member device 130 controls the second audio receiver circuit 174 based on 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 controls the second audio processing circuit 137 to convert the sound received by the second audio receiver circuit 174 into the second sound signal. It should be noted that at this stage, the second audio receiver circuit 174 simply begins receiving sound but does not intend to transmit the sound back to the Bluetooth master device 110.

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

[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 via the first communication circuit 123. In process 1040, after the first communication circuit 123 receives the response notification, the first control circuit 125 of the first member device 120 may stop transmitting the first sound signal via 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 only when the predetermined time arrives, and utilize the second communication circuit 133 to transmit the second audio signal to the Bluetooth master device 110 on the second isochronous streaming channel 139.

[0190] and Figure 5 The embodiment is similar to that of Figure 10The first member device 120 and the second member device 130 can also share timing information to agree on a handover time. For example, the first member device 120 can include the timing information when issuing an event notification in process 922. Upon receiving the timing information, the second member device 130 can calculate a scheduled time for executing process 232 and proceed accordingly. Alternatively, the scheduled time can be determined by the first member device 120 when an event is triggered and communicated to the second member device 130 when issuing the event notification in process 922, allowing the second member device 130 to execute process 232 accordingly.

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

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

[0193] From the above description, we can see that Figure 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 operate in certain environments where direct communication is impossible, 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 to enable the first member device 120 and the second member device 130 to 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 follow 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 speaking. 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 embodiments of this application utilize BLE isochronous channel technology and the low-complexity communication codec LC3 to enable ultra-low power consumption and high-quality audio transmission. This not only allows for uninterrupted and stable two-way voice calls, but also improves sound quality and battery life, 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 those skilled in the art 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 the function of the components as the basis for distinction. The word "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 word "coupling" here 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 wireless transmission, optical transmission and other signal connection methods, or indirectly connected to the second element electrically or by signal 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 plural term.

[0198] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. Any 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

[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...User interface circuit

[0232] 817...Auxiliary display.

Claims

1. A Bluetooth communication system (100), 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); and A Bluetooth device group (102) comprising at least a first member device (120) and a second member device (130); in, The first member device (120) includes: a first audio processing circuit (127) configured to be coupled to a first radio circuit to convert the sound received by the first radio 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 a first control circuit (125), coupled to the first communication circuit (123) and the first audio processing circuit (127), and 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) 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 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) using the master communication circuit (111), and to establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the second member device (120) using the master communication circuit (111); The processing circuit (115) is further configured to utilize the master communication circuit (111) to transmit a first instruction to the first member device (120) and a second instruction to the second member device (130); The first communication circuit (123) is further configured to receive the first indication, 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 indication; When the first member device (120) operates in the first mode, the first control circuit (125) can utilize the first communication circuit (123) to transmit the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device (110) through the first isochronous streaming channel; The second communication circuit (133) is further configured to receive the second instruction, and the second control circuit is further configured to set the second member device (130) to operate in a second mode according to the second instruction; 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 communication circuit (133) does not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device (110). 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 Bluetooth master control device (110) via the first communication circuit (123); The processing circuit (115) is further configured to transmit a third indication to the second member device (130) using the master communication circuit (111) after the master communication circuit (111) receives the event notification; The second control circuit (135) is further configured to switch the second member device (130) to the first mode after the second communication circuit (133) receives the third instruction; When the second member device (130) operates in the first mode, the second control circuit (135) can utilize the second communication circuit (133) to transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device (110) on the second isochronous streaming channel.

2. The Bluetooth communication system (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The processing circuit (115) is further configured to transmit a fourth indication to the first member device (120) using the master communication circuit (111) after the master communication circuit (111) receives the event notification; The first control circuit (125) is further configured to switch the first member device (120) to the second mode after the first communication circuit (123) receives the fourth instruction; When the first member device (120) operates in the second mode, the first communication circuit (123) stops transmitting the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device (110).

3. The Bluetooth communication system (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The first control circuit (125) is further configured to shut down the first sound receiving circuit (164) after the event notification is generated or when the fourth instruction is received via the first communication circuit (123).

4. A Bluetooth master control device (110), comprising: A master communication circuit (111) is configured to be capable of wireless communication with a Bluetooth device group (102), wherein: The Bluetooth device group (102) includes at least a first member device (120) and a second member device (130); and a processing circuit (115) coupled to the master communication circuit (111) and configured to control the master communication circuit (111), establish a first isochronous streaming channel with the first member device (120) using the master communication circuit (111), and establish a second isochronous streaming channel with the second member device (120) using the master communication circuit (111); The processing circuit (115) is further configured to transmit a first instruction to the first member device (120) by using the master communication circuit (111) to instruct the first member device (120) to operate in a first mode; The processing circuit (115) is further configured to transmit a second instruction to the second member device (130) using the master communication circuit (111) to instruct the second member device (120) to operate in a second mode; When the first member device (120) operates in the first mode, the master communication circuit (111) is capable of receiving a first sound signal transmitted from the first member device (120) through the first isochronous streaming channel; 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 second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device (110). The processing circuit (115) is further configured to utilize the master communication circuit (111) to receive an event notification generated by the first member device (120) according to a working environment value; The processing circuit (115) is further configured to transmit a third instruction using the master communication circuit (111) after receiving the event notification using the master communication circuit (111), so that the second member device switches the operation mode of the second member device to the first mode after receiving the third instruction; and The processing circuit (115) is further configured to utilize the master communication circuit (111) to receive the second sound signal transmitted through the second isochronous streaming channel when the second member device operates in the first mode.

5. The Bluetooth master control device (110) according to claim 4, wherein: The processing circuit (115) is further configured to transmit a fourth instruction using the master communication circuit (111) after receiving the event notification using the master communication circuit (111), so that the first member device switches its operation mode to the second mode after receiving the fourth instruction.

6. A Bluetooth device group (102) for wirelessly communicating with a Bluetooth master device, the Bluetooth device group (102) comprising: A first member device (120) comprising: a first audio processing circuit (127), connected to a first sound receiving circuit (164), and configured 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) for 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); A second member device (130) comprising: a second audio processing circuit (137), connected to a second radio circuit and configured to convert the sound received by the second radio 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) for 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); in, The first control circuit (125) is further configured to utilize the first communication circuit (123) to receive a first instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device (110), so as to set the first member device (120) to operate in a first mode; The second control circuit (135) is further configured to utilize the second communication circuit (133) to receive a second instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master device (110), so as to set the second member device (130) to operate in a second mode; 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 communication circuit (133) does not transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device (110). The first member device (120) further comprises: a first sensing circuit (121), connected to the first control circuit (125), configured to sense a working environment value of the first member device and transmit the working environment value to the first control circuit (125); The first control circuit (125) is further configured to generate an event notification when the working environment meets a trigger condition, and transmit the event notification to the Bluetooth master control device (110) using the first communication circuit (123); The second control circuit (135) is further configured to utilize the second communication circuit (133) to receive a third indication transmitted by the Bluetooth master control device (110) according to the event notification; The second control circuit (135) is further configured to switch the second member device (130) to the first mode after the second communication circuit (133) receives the third instruction; and When the second member device (130) operates in the first mode, the second control circuit (135) can utilize the second communication circuit (133) to transmit the second sound signal to the Bluetooth master device (110) on the second isochronous streaming channel.

7. The Bluetooth device group (102) according to claim 6, wherein: The first control circuit (125) is further configured to, after transmitting the event notification using the first communication circuit (123), receive a fourth instruction transmitted by the Bluetooth master control device (110) according to the event notification using the first communication circuit (123); The first control circuit (125) is further configured to switch the first member device (120) to the second mode after the first communication circuit (123) receives the fourth instruction; When the first member device (120) operates in the second mode, the first communication circuit (123) stops transmitting the first sound signal to the Bluetooth master device (110); and The first control circuit (125) is further configured to shut down the first radio circuit (164) after the event notification is generated or when the fourth instruction is received via the first communication circuit (123).

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