Seamless bluetooth handover system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating seamless handoff of Bluetooth communications of a Bluetooth accessory device from a first Bluetooth host to a second Bluetooth host is disclosed. A first host identifier uniquely identifies the first Bluetooth host for Bluetooth communications of the first Bluetooth host, and a second host identifier uniquely identifies the second Bluetooth host for Bluetooth communications of the second Bluetooth host. The host identifiers are stored in the Bluetooth accessory device and provided to an application on a mobile device, which allows a user to select either the first or second Bluetooth host as a selected host for the Bluetooth accessory device without having to re-pair the host device with the accessory device. Because re-pairing is not required, the user can quickly and seamlessly switch the Bluetooth accessory's communications between multiple different host devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to components, systems, and methods for seamlessly switching communications between various Bluetooth-enabled devices. Background Technology

[0002] Bluetooth-enabled devices, including headphones, wireless speakers, and other accessories, have become increasingly popular in recent years. Many devices, including accessories such as cars, televisions, radios, computers, mobile phones, and / or smartphones, also support Bluetooth and can connect to Bluetooth devices. For a Bluetooth-enabled device to communicate with another Bluetooth-enabled device, the two devices must typically first go through a Bluetooth pairing process, during which they exchange identification information and other parameters. To connect a Bluetooth-enabled device to different Bluetooth-enabled devices, the Bluetooth-enabled accessory may need to disconnect from the first device and then connect to the second. This process can be lengthy, time-consuming, and frustrating for users who want to quickly switch Bluetooth communication between multiple devices. Attached Figure Description

[0003] In different views of the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar components, features, and structures. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to actual scale, but generally emphasize aspects of this disclosure. In the following description, some aspects of this disclosure will be described with reference to the following drawings, wherein:

[0004] Figure 1 An exemplary set of Bluetooth-enabled devices capable of Bluetooth communication is shown;

[0005] Figure 2 An exemplary application (APP) is shown that allows a Bluetooth-enabled device to seamlessly switch between multiple selected Bluetooth-enabled devices;

[0006] Figure 3 An exemplary application (APP) is shown that allows Bluetooth-enabled devices to seamlessly switch between multiple Bluetooth-enabled devices;

[0007] Figure 4 A flowchart of an exemplary system is shown, which allows Bluetooth-enabled devices to seamlessly switch between multiple Bluetooth-enabled devices; Detailed Implementation

[0008] The following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrates by way of illustration specific details and aspects by which the present disclosure may be implemented. One or more aspects are described in detail to enable those skilled in the art to implement the present disclosure. Other aspects may be utilized, and structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The aspects described herein are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as some aspects may be combined with one or more other aspects to form new aspects. The methods of combination describe aspects, and the apparatus of combination describes aspects, and vice versa. However, it is understood that aspects described by methods of combination can be similarly applied to apparatuses, and vice versa. It should be noted that throughout the drawings, similar reference numerals are used to describe the same or similar components, features, and structures.

[0009] As discussed in more detail below, this disclosure provides a system that allows a Bluetooth-enabled device (e.g., an accessory) to seamlessly switch its Bluetooth communication between various Bluetooth-enabled devices (e.g., a host device) without needing to re-pair with the newly selected device. This solution improves the speed and continuity when switching connections, such as those of a Bluetooth accessory device, from one host device to another.

[0010] Figure 1 This document illustrates a set of Bluetooth-enabled devices capable of communicating with each other using the Bluetooth communication protocol. Bluetooth is a widely used short-range wireless protocol standard that allows for wireless data exchange over short distances. Bluetooth operates in the 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz frequency band and covers a variety of devices with varying output power. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (“Bluetooth SIG”) is responsible for maintaining the Bluetooth standard, which has evolved over time with new releases, from Bluetooth 1.0 to Bluetooth 5.2. The term “Bluetooth” as used herein, unless a specific version (or revision) is specifically mentioned, includes all past and future versions / releases of the Bluetooth standard. When a specific version is mentioned, such as “Bluetooth 4.1,” it means that all revisions of that specific version and versions compatible with that standard are included. For example, the current version of the core Bluetooth specification is the Bluetooth Core Specification, Rev. 5.2 (released December 31, 2019), released by the Bluetooth SIG. The term "Bluetooth communication" refers to the exchange of user data (i.e., data in the application layer) between two Bluetooth devices over a Bluetooth communication interface that is part of a Bluetooth protocol stack that has been established to the application layer, unless a specific message or procedure in the Bluetooth standard is specifically specified.

[0011] A prerequisite for Bluetooth communication of user data at the application layer is that Bluetooth devices must follow a handshake process called "pairing." The pairing process involves the exchange and authentication of information between two Bluetooth-enabled devices. During pairing, the two devices establish a relationship by creating a shared key called a "link key." Once both devices have stored the same link key, they are "paired," and they can use the link key to exchange user data through the established Bluetooth communication interface. This pairing and communication mode is also known as "Bluetooth Classic" mode.

[0012] Such pairing processes typically involve some degree of user interaction so that the user can confirm that the correct device has been selected for pairing and that the two devices should begin Bluetooth communication. For small accessory devices without a display screen (such as Bluetooth-enabled headphones), the pairing process can be particularly cumbersome because, without a display, the user may not know which host device they are pairing with or connecting to. Problems can arise when there are multiple host devices to which the accessory can connect. Therefore, the user usually has to follow a pairing process whenever the accessory device changes its Bluetooth connection from one host to another.

[0013] Figure 1 Several devices are illustrated, each having a Bluetooth module that allows Bluetooth communication with other Bluetooth-enabled devices. For example, smartphone 100 is an exemplary Bluetooth-enabled device having a Bluetooth module 102 that enables smartphone 100 to communicate with other Bluetooth devices. Smartphone 100 also has hardware and software (such as a processor and operating system) that allow smartphone 100 to instantiate user applications such as APP 104. Headphones 110 is another exemplary Bluetooth-enabled device having a Bluetooth module 112 that enables headphones 110 to communicate with other Bluetooth-enabled devices. For example, headphones 110 may include a speaker 114 for outputting audio. Television 120 is also an exemplary Bluetooth-enabled device having a Bluetooth module 122 that enables television 120 to communicate with other Bluetooth-enabled devices. CD player 130 is also an exemplary Bluetooth-enabled device having a Bluetooth module 132 that enables CD player 130 to communicate with other Bluetooth-enabled devices.

[0014] In operation, for example, headphones 110 can be paired with a television 120, enabling data communication between the two devices using the Bluetooth communication protocol. Once paired, a Bluetooth communication interface 140b is established, and the television 120 can use Bluetooth communication to provide an audio data stream to the headphones 110 via the Bluetooth communication interface 140b. The headphones 110 interprets the data and outputs it as audio to its speaker 114. Alternatively, as another example, headphones 110 can be paired with a CD player 130 to enable data communication between the two devices using the Bluetooth communication protocol. Once paired, a Bluetooth communication interface 140c is established, and the CD player 130 can use Bluetooth communication to provide an audio data stream to the headphones 110 via the Bluetooth communication interface 140c. The headphones 110 interprets the data and outputs the audio to the speaker 114. In these exemplary scenarios, the television 120 and CD player 130 can be referred to as host devices, while the headphones 110 can be referred to as an accessory. Typically, an accessory such as headphones 110 can be connected to one host device at a time. This means that headphones 110 may need to be disconnected from the television 120 in order to connect and communicate with the CD player 130. As mentioned earlier, the devices must be paired first so that they can use the correct link key established for Bluetooth communication between the two connected devices.

[0015] In some cases, Bluetooth-enabled devices can communicate with another Bluetooth-enabled device using so-called Bluetooth Low Energy mode (also known as "Bluetooth LE" or "BLE"). In this mode, the communication capabilities between the two devices may be more limited compared to pairing in the Bluetooth Classic mode described above. While Bluetooth-enabled devices generally can only pair with another device in Bluetooth Classic mode, if one device is paired in BLE mode, that device can pair with a second device. (See reference) Figure 1For example, headphones 110 can pair with smartphone 100 in BLE mode while simultaneously maintaining pairing with TV 120 in Bluetooth Classic mode. This allows smartphone 100 to exchange limited information with headphones 110 via the established Bluetooth Low Energy communication interface 140a using Bluetooth Low Energy communication, while headphones 110 can also communicate with TV 120 via Bluetooth communication interface 140b using Bluetooth Classic mode to receive audio data streams from TV 120, decode the audio data, and output sound on its speaker 114 based on the decoded audio data. Alternatively, to output sound based on audio data received from CD player 130, headphones 110 can disconnect from TV 120 and connect to CD player 130 in Bluetooth Classic mode to establish Bluetooth communication interface 140c without affecting the Bluetooth Low Energy communication interface 140a already established between smartphone 100 and headphones 110. In this way, APP 104 can, for example, transmit limited information from smartphone 100 to headset 110 via Bluetooth Low Energy communication interface 140a.

[0016] Bluetooth devices, such as headset 110, may include memory for storing information about paired devices and / or previously paired devices. This information may include identifiers that uniquely identify the devices, such as the media access control address (MAC address) of the paired device, the link key established with the paired device, the name of the paired device, other information about the paired device, or other information about the communication interface established between the two devices. This type of information may be stored in memory as a collection of information / identifiers using generally known database techniques, for example, storing each known device and its associated information / identifier in fields and records of a database. By storing this information, headset 110 can, in a sense, remain "paired" with more than one Bluetooth device, because by retaining the pairing information of previously paired Bluetooth devices, headset 110 can easily switch Bluetooth communication from one Bluetooth device to another without having to negotiate new pairing information during the re-pairing process.

[0017] Turning Figure 2 This illustrates how APP 104 can operate to exchange information with headset 110. Figure 2 Implicitly, the smartphone 100 (not shown) has established a Bluetooth communication interface (not shown) for Bluetooth communication with the headset 110. (As mentioned above...) Figure 1The interface can be established using either Bluetooth Low Energy mode or Bluetooth Classic mode. Once the smartphone 100 establishes the Bluetooth communication interface, the app 104 can communicate with the headset 110. The app 104 can, for example, receive information about devices previously paired with the headset 110. The information received from the headset 110 may include the MAC address of the paired device, the link key established with each paired device, the name of each paired device, or any other information stored in the memory of the headset 110.

[0018] APP 104 can use information received from headset 110 to display specific information to the user of APP 104 on smartphone 100. For example, APP 104 can display a list of known devices generated from information received from headset 110. Figure 2 In the example shown, APP 104 receives information from headset 110 about two known Bluetooth devices that headset 110 has previously paired with. Based on the information received from headset 110, APP 104 can display images or names (e.g., TV icon 106 and CD icon 107), each corresponding to a known Bluetooth device of headset 110 (e.g., TV 120 and CD player 130). APP 104 may also provide a method for selecting at least one of the displayed known devices as the selected device. Figure 2 As shown, for example, the selection box next to each of the displayed TV icon 106 and CD icon 107 can indicate which device has been selected by placing the selection indicator 108 in the selection box of the selected device. Figure 2 As shown in the example, the selection indicator 108 indicates that the TV icon 106 is the selected device. As is generally understood, the selection indicator 108 can be selected by the user in various ways, such as using a touch screen, mouse, keyboard, etc., so that the user of the smartphone 100 can place the selection indicator 108 on the selected device according to their own preferences.

[0019] APP 104 may use, for example, a Bluetooth communication interface established between the two devices to report the selected device to headset 110. APP 104 may transmit the selected device to headset 110 at regular time intervals, when the selection indicator 108 is moved to a newly selected device, when headset 110 requests it, when the user requests a refresh, or in any other manner.

[0020] The headset 110 can receive information from the app 104 indicating which device is the selected device. Based on the received information, the headset 110 can, for example, switch its Bluetooth communication to the selected device. Figure 2 and Figure 3 For example, Figure 2The selection indicator 108 is shown to be placed next to the TV icon 106, corresponding to the TV 120 as the selected device. Thus, the headset 110 sets its Bluetooth communication to communicate with the TV 120. Figure 3 For example, selection indicator 108 has been placed next to CD icon 107, which corresponds to CD player 130 as the selected device. Therefore, headphones 110 set its Bluetooth communication to communicate with CD player 130.

[0021] Importantly, the headset 110 does not need to be re-paired with the newly selected device to communicate with it via Bluetooth. While the headset 110 typically needs to be re-paired with the selected device before switching its Bluetooth communication from one device (e.g., TV 120) to another (e.g., CD player 130), this is not necessary here. Having previously paired with each Bluetooth-enabled device and storing the pairing information in its memory, the headset 110 can seamlessly switch from communicating with the TV 120 (as a selected device using Bluetooth) to communicating with the CD player 130 (as a newly selected device using Bluetooth) without being interrupted by the pairing process. If Bluetooth communication with the newly selected device fails (for example, perhaps the newly selected device is no longer within the Bluetooth communication range of the headset 110), the headset 110 can notify the app 104 that the Bluetooth communication with the newly selected device failed. The headset 110 can notify the app 104 of the connection failure after waiting for a certain period of time (e.g., several seconds) and / or after a certain number of retries. In the event of unsuccessful Bluetooth communication with the newly selected device, the headset 110 can revert to Bluetooth communication with the previously selected device.

[0022] The advantage of this seamless approach is that it means users can easily and quickly switch between using different Bluetooth devices without being bothered by a cumbersome pairing process. For example, a user of smartphone 100 can select CD player 130 as the selected device to listen to a music audio stream generated by CD player 130, which is transmitted via Bluetooth communication to headphones 110 and output through the speakers 114 of headphones 110. While enjoying music, the user may be watching something of interest on TV 120 and wish to listen to the audio stream from TV 120 through the speakers 114 of headphones 110. To facilitate quick and easy switching without having to re-pair TV 120 and headphones 110, as... Figure 2As shown by selection indicator 108 in the app 104, the user can select the TV icon 106 to indicate that the TV 120 is the selected device. Once selected, the headphones 110 are instructed to switch Bluetooth communication from the CD player 130 to the TV 120, so that the audio stream from the TV 120 is received by the headphones 110 using Bluetooth communication and output on the headphones 110's speaker 114. Because the user can switch Bluetooth communication without having to re-pair the TV 120, the user can quickly and easily receive the audio stream from the TV 120 on the headphones 110.

[0023] Figure 4 A flowchart 400 of the exemplary system described herein is shown, wherein the upper portion of the diagram includes steps typically performed by, for example, a Bluetooth-enabled device (e.g., an accessory) (e.g., headphones or a wireless speaker), and the lower portion of the diagram includes steps typically performed by, for example, an application (e.g., an app) running on a Bluetooth-enabled computer device (e.g., a smartphone device) that can communicate with the accessory. Initially, the accessory may decide to pair with a new host at step 410. If the accessory decides to pair with a new host, the accessory moves to step 415, disconnecting from the currently paired host if already paired. Next, in step 420, the accessory pairs with the new host device by following a Bluetooth pairing process (e.g., using the Bluetooth Classic mode communication interface). Then, in step 425, the accessory collects a unique identifier (e.g., MAC address), name, link key, and / or other information about the new host device and may store it in memory (e.g., in a data record). Then, in step 410, the accessory may decide to pair with another new host device, or it may move to step 430, in which it may send the stored data record (or any part thereof) to the app. Once received by the app, in step 435, the app can display a list of host devices based on the information in the data record received from the accessory. In step 440, a host can be selected from the displayed list (e.g., by a user using a touchscreen, keyboard, etc.), and then in step 445, this information is transmitted to the accessory to notify the accessory of the selected host. In step 450, the accessory switches its Bluetooth communication to communicate with the selected host without initiating a second pairing process with the selected host.

[0024] The following example illustrates a further implementation.

[0025] Example 1 is a method for seamless handover of communication, the method comprising receiving a first host identifier at an accessory, which uniquely identifies a first host for communication. The method further comprises receiving a second host identifier at the accessory, which uniquely identifies a second host for communication. The method further comprises storing the first host identifier and the second host identifier as identifier information in the accessory. The method further comprises receiving at least a portion of the identifier information at a mobile device. The method further comprises displaying a host list based on at least a portion of the identifier information at the mobile device. The method further comprises selecting a first host from the host list as a selected host. The method further comprises instructing the accessory to communicate with the selected host without re-pairing with the selected host. The method further comprises selecting a second host from the host list as a newly selected host. The method further comprises instructing the accessory to switch communication from the selected host to the newly selected host without re-pairing with the newly selected host.

[0026] In Example 2, the subject of Example 1 may optionally include: the communication is Bluetooth communication.

[0027] In Example 3, the subject of any of Examples 1 to 2 may optionally include: instructing the accessory to communicate with a selected host without re-pairing with the selected host, including instructing the accessory to communicate using Bluetooth communication without re-pairing with the selected host.

[0028] In Example 4, the subject of any of Examples 1 to 3 may optionally include: receiving a first host identifier at the accessory, including pairing the first host with the accessory.

[0029] In Example 5, the subject of any of Examples 1 to 4 may optionally include: the first host identifier includes the MAC address of the first host.

[0030] In Example 6, the subject of any of Examples 1 through 5 may optionally include: the first host identifier includes the name of the first host.

[0031] In Example 7, the subject of any of Examples 1 through 6 may optionally include: the identifier information includes a set of host identifiers, wherein each host identifier in the set of host identifiers corresponds to a different host.

[0032] In Example 8, the subject of any of Examples 1 to 7 may optionally include: instructing the accessory to communicate with the selected host includes transmitting identifier information corresponding to the selected host to the accessory.

[0033] In Example 9, the subject of any of Examples 1 through 8 may optionally include: instructing the accessory to disconnect from the selected host when the accessory switches communication from the selected host to a new selected host.

[0034] In Example 10, the subject of any of Examples 1 to 9 may optionally include: the mobile device using a Bluetooth Low Energy communication mode with an accessory to receive at least a portion of the identifier information.

[0035] In Example 11, the subject of any of Examples 1 to 10 may optionally include: indicating that the accessory communicates with a selected host, including indicating that the accessory communicates with the host using Bluetooth Classic mode.

[0036] In Example 12, the subject matter of any of Examples 1 to 11 may optionally include: receiving at least a portion of the identifier information at the mobile device includes receiving at least a portion of the identifier information from the accessory using Bluetooth Low Energy communication.

[0037] Example 13 is a mobile device including a communication module configured to pair with and receive identifier information from an accessory. The identifier information includes a first host identifier and a second host identifier. The first host identifier uniquely identifies a first host, and the second host identifier uniquely identifies a second host. The mobile device also includes a user interface configured to allow selection of a selected host from a list of hosts derived from the identifier information. The communication module is further configured to send instructions to the accessory, wherein the instructions instruct the accessory to communicate with the selected host without re-pairing with it.

[0038] In Example 14, the subject matter of Example 13 may optionally include: the communication module is further configured to send instructions to the accessory using Bluetooth Low Energy communication.

[0039] In Example 15, the subject of any of Examples 13 to 14 may optionally include: the first host and the second host have previously been paired with accessories.

[0040] In Example 16, the subject of any of Examples 13 to 15 may optionally include: the first host identifier includes the MAC address of the first host.

[0041] In Example 17, the subject of any of Examples 13 to 16 may optionally include: the first host identifier includes the name of the first host.

[0042] In Example 18, the subject of any of Examples 13 to 17 may optionally include: the instructions include identifier information corresponding to the selected host.

[0043] In Example 19, the subject of any of Examples 13 to 18 may optionally include: the first host includes a Bluetooth-enabled TV, and the accessories include Bluetooth-enabled headphones.

[0044] Example 20 is an accessory including a communication module configured to receive a first host identifier during a first pairing process. The communication module is further configured to receive a second host identifier during a second pairing process. The first host identifier uniquely identifies a first host used for communication, and the second host identifier uniquely identifies a second host used for communication. The accessory also includes an identifier database configured to store the first and second host identifiers as identifier information. The communication module is further configured to send at least a portion of the identifier information from the identifier database to a mobile device. The communication module is further configured to receive a first message from the mobile device indicating that the first host is a selected host. The first message also indicates that the accessory should communicate with the selected host without repeating the first pairing process. The communication module is further configured to receive a second message from the mobile device indicating that the second host is a newly selected host. The second message also indicates that the accessory should communicate with the newly selected host without repeating the second pairing process.

[0045] It is understood that the described system can be implemented in hardware (e.g., hardwired circuitry) and / or software (e.g., code segments or the entire application). For example, an application (also referred to as a "program") may be provided, which has corresponding code segments (e.g., program code). The code segments may be executed on a processor and / or through circuitry having one or more processors, and any, all, or part of them may execute one or more portions of the code segments.

[0046] The word “exemplary” in this document is used to mean “as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any instance or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other instances or designs.

[0047] The terms "multiple" and "of multiples" in this specification or claims explicitly refer to a quantity greater than one. The terms "a group," "a set," "a collection," "a series," "a sequence," "a group," etc., in this specification or claims refer to a quantity equal to or greater than one, i.e., one or more. Any term expressed in plural form, unless explicitly stated as "multiple" or "of multiples," also refers to a quantity equal to or greater than one.

[0048] For example, the term "processor" in this article can be understood as any kind of entity that can be used to process data, signals, etc. Data and signals can be processed according to one or more specific functions performed by the processor.

[0049] Therefore, a processor can be or includes analog circuits, digital circuits, mixed-signal circuits, logic circuits, processors, microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), as examples, or any combination thereof. Any other implementation of functions further detailed below can also be understood as a processor or logic circuit. It is understood that any two (or more) processors or logic circuits detailed herein can be implemented as a single entity with equivalent functionality, and conversely, any single processor or logic circuit detailed herein can be implemented as two (or more) independent entities with equivalent functionality. It is understood that one or more systems detailed herein can be executed (e.g., implemented) by a processor, or can be executed by one or more specific functions that can be executed by a processor.

[0050] The term "system" as detailed herein can be understood as a set of interacting elements, which may be exemplary, but not limited to, one or more physical components (e.g., processors, transmitters, and / or receivers) and / or one or more digital components (e.g., code segments, instructions, protocols). Generally, a system may include one or more operational functions (also referred to as "operational functions"), each of which can be controlled to operate the entire system.

[0051] The processor can be configured, for example, via code segments (e.g., software) to control the operation of the system (e.g., its operational sequence, etc.), and optionally includes memory, for example, to store code segments representing the functions or processes performed by the controller. Additionally or alternatively, for example, as detailed herein, the memory may store one or more models, criteria, rules, and algorithms. It is understood that any two (or more) controllers detailed herein can be implemented as a single controller with substantially equivalent functionality, and conversely, any single controller detailed herein can be implemented as two (or more) independent controllers with substantially equivalent functionality. Additionally, the term "controller" may refer to two or more controllers that together constitute a single controller.

[0052] The term "software" refers to any type of executable instructions, including firmware.

[0053] Various aspects of this disclosure may utilize or relate to wireless communication technologies. While some embodiments may relate to specific wireless communication technologies, the examples provided herein can be similarly applied to a variety of other existing and undeveloped wireless communication technologies, particularly when such wireless communication technologies have features similar to those disclosed in the examples below.

[0054] While the foregoing description and accompanying drawings may depict electronic device components as discrete components, those skilled in the art will appreciate the various possibilities of combining or integrating discrete components into a single component. This may include combining two or more circuits from a single circuit, mounting two or more circuits on a common chip or baseboard to form an integrated component, or executing discrete software components on a common processor core, etc. Conversely, those skilled in the art will appreciate the possibility of separating a single component into two or more discrete components, such as dividing a single circuit into two or more discrete circuits, separating a chip or baseboard into discrete components originally provided thereon, separating a software component into two or more parts, and executing each part separately on separate processor cores, etc. Furthermore, it is understood that specific embodiments of the hardware and / or software components are for illustrative purposes only, and other combinations of hardware and / or software performing the methods described herein also fall within the scope of this invention.

[0055] It is understood that the implementations of the methods detailed herein are exemplary in nature and are therefore to be understood as being implementable in the corresponding apparatus. Similarly, it is understood that implementations of the apparatus detailed herein are to be understood as being implementable as the corresponding methods. Therefore, it is understood that an apparatus corresponding to the methods detailed herein may include one or more components configured to perform each aspect of the relevant methods.

[0056] All abbreviations and acronyms defined in the foregoing description also apply to all claims included herein.

[0057] While the invention has been specifically shown and described with reference to particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the invention is specified by the appended claims, and all changes within the meaning and equivalence of the claims are incorporated herein.

Claims

1. A method for seamless handover in communication, the method comprising: Receive a first host identifier at the accessory, the first host identifier uniquely identifying the first host used for communication; A second host identifier is received at the accessory, the second host identifier uniquely identifying the second host used for communication; The first host identifier and the second host identifier are stored in the accessory as identifier information; At least a portion of the identifier information is received at the mobile device via a communication interface between the mobile device and the accessory; A host list based on at least a portion of the identifier information is displayed on the mobile device; Select the first host from the host list as the selected host; The accessory is instructed to communicate with the selected host via the communication interface without re-pairing with the selected host, while maintaining the communication interface. Select the second host from the host list as the newly selected host; The accessory is instructed via the communication interface to switch communication from the selected host to the newly selected host without re-pairing with the new selected host, while maintaining the communication interface. and When communication between the accessory and the newly selected host is successful, the accessory receives a data stream from the newly selected host, and when communication between the accessory and the newly selected host is unsuccessful, communication between the accessory and the selected host is restored.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication includes Bluetooth communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the accessory to communicate with the selected host without re-pairing with the selected host comprises: The accessory is instructed to communicate using Bluetooth without re-pairing with the selected host.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first host identifier at the accessory comprises: Pair the first host with the accessory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first host identifier includes the MAC address of the first host.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first host identifier includes the name of the first host.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier information includes a set of host identifiers, wherein each host identifier in the set of host identifiers corresponds to a different host.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the accessory to communicate with the selected host comprises: The identifier information corresponding to the selected host is transmitted to the accessory.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: When the accessory switches communication from the selected host to the newly selected host, it instructs the accessory to disconnect from the selected host.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device receives the at least a portion of the identifier information in the identifier information using a Bluetooth Low Energy communication mode with the accessory.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the accessory to communicate with the selected host comprises: The accessory is instructed to communicate with the selected host using Bluetooth Classic mode.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving at least a portion of the identifier information at the mobile device via the communication interface comprises: The at least portion of the identifier information is received from the accessory via the communication interface using Bluetooth Low Energy mode communication.

13. A mobile device, comprising: A communication module is configured to pair with the accessory via a communication interface between the mobile device and the accessory and to receive identifier information from the accessory, wherein the identifier information includes a first host identifier and a second host identifier, wherein the first host identifier uniquely identifies a first host and wherein the second host identifier uniquely identifies a second host. and The user interface is configured to allow selection of a first host from a host list derived from the identifier information as the selected host. The communication module is further configured to send an instruction to the accessory via the communication interface, wherein the instruction instructs the accessory to communicate with the selected host without re-pairing with the selected host, while maintaining the communication interface. The user interface is further configured to allow selection of a second host from the host list derived from the identifier information as the new selected host. The communication module is further configured to send a further instruction to the accessory via the communication interface, wherein the further instruction instructs the accessory to switch communication from the selected host to the new selected host without re-pairing with the new selected host, while maintaining the communication interface. If communication between the accessory and the newly selected host fails, the communication module will be notified of the failure.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the communication module is further configured to send the instruction to the accessory using Bluetooth Low Energy communication.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the first host and the second host have been previously paired with the accessory.

16. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the first host identifier includes the MAC address of the first host.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the first host identifier includes the name of the first host.

18. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the instructions include identifier information corresponding to the selected host.

19. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the first host includes a Bluetooth-enabled TV, and the accessory includes Bluetooth-enabled headphones.

20. An accessory comprising: A communication module is configured to receive a first host identifier during a first pairing process, wherein the first host identifier uniquely identifies a first host for communication, and wherein the communication module is further configured to receive a second host identifier during a second pairing process, wherein the second host identifier uniquely identifies a second host for communication. as well as An identifier database is configured to store the first host identifier and the second host identifier as identifier information, wherein the communication module is further configured to send at least a portion of the identifier information from the identifier database to the mobile device via a communication interface between the mobile device and the accessory. The communication module is further configured to receive a first message from the mobile device via the communication interface, the first message indicating that the first host is a selected host and indicating that communication with the selected host is to be conducted without repeating the first pairing process, while maintaining the communication interface. The communication module is further configured to receive a second message from the mobile device via the communication interface, the second message indicating that the second host is a newly selected host and instructing communication with the newly selected host without repeating the second pairing process, while maintaining the communication interface. When communication between the accessory and the newly selected host is successful, the accessory receives a data stream from the newly selected host, and when communication between the accessory and the newly selected host is unsuccessful, the accessory resumes communication with the selected host.

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