System and method for optimizing operation time of connected audio equipment

Abstract

On one hand, the invention provides the audio equipment capable of optimizing the operating time of the system and the system for connecting a plurality of audio equipment to form the system so as to optimize the operating time. Another aspect provides a method for optimizing the operating time of a system connecting audio devices. The operational time optimized audio devices, systems, and methods provided may achieve maximum play time for the entire system by referring to power consumption condition information for each device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present inventive subject matter generally relates to the operation of audio devices, and more particularly to an audio device connected to a system for optimizing operating time, a system for optimizing the operating time of connected audio devices, and a method thereof. Background Art

[0002] It is a new technology to use battery-powered audio devices to form multi-device connections for an audio playback experience. As a modern integrated entertainment system, for example, a sound system that uses multiple speakers connected and coordinated to work to achieve a surround sound effect is becoming increasingly popular. Portable speakers and wireless connection solutions can be adopted in such a surround sound system to transmit audio signals, reducing unnecessary external wiring and enabling an ideal surround sound effect for multiple speakers in multiple spaces.

[0003] However, due to the addition of many battery-powered speakers as components, in this multi-device system, when the power of one or more speakers runs out, the system will have to accept the withdrawal of the device and recalculate the operation of other devices, and the entire system may need to pause, resulting in a poor user listening experience.

[0004] Therefore, multi-party power consumption has become an important factor restricting the continuous operation of multi-device systems. There is a need for a system and method for optimizing the operating time of multiple connected audio devices to achieve the maximum playback time of the entire system by using the power status information of each device as a reference. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the present inventive subject matter, there is provided an audio device connected to a system for optimizing operating time. The system includes at least two audio devices, including a main audio device and at least one auxiliary audio device. Each audio device includes a processor configured to measure the power status of the audio device itself and send the power status information to the main audio device, and to listen for reconfiguration messages from the main audio device. The processor of each audio device is further configured to, when the audio device is the main audio device, receive the power status information sent by each of at least two audio devices in the system, determine whether to replace the main audio device with another auxiliary audio device, and when it is determined to replace the main audio device with another auxiliary audio device, send a reconfiguration message to it and perform a reconfiguration operation, and, when the audio device is an auxiliary audio device, perform a reconfiguration operation after listening for a reconfiguration message sent by the main audio device.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present inventive subject matter, there is provided a system for optimizing the operating time of at least two connected audio devices, the system including a main audio device and at least one auxiliary audio device. Each of the at least two connected audio devices in the system is configured to measure its own power status and send the power status information to the main audio device among the at least two audio devices, and to listen for reconfiguration messages from the main audio device. In this system, the main audio device is further configured to receive the power status information sent by each of the at least two audio devices, determine whether to replace the main audio device with another auxiliary audio device, and, when it is determined to replace the main audio device with another auxiliary audio device, send a reconfiguration message and perform a reconfiguration operation. In this system, the auxiliary audio device is further configured to perform a reconfiguration operation after listening for a reconfiguration message sent by the main audio device.

[0007] According to yet another aspect of the present inventive subject matter, there is provided a method for optimizing the operating time of a system connecting at least two audio devices. The method includes performing the following steps via an audio device: measuring the power status of the audio device itself and sending the power status information to the main audio device among the at least two audio devices, and listening for reconfiguration messages from the main audio device. The method further includes, when the audio device is the main audio device, receiving the power status information sent by each of the at least two audio devices, determining whether to replace the main audio device with another auxiliary audio device, and, when it is determined to replace the main audio device with another auxiliary audio device, sending a reconfiguration message and performing a reconfiguration operation, and, when the audio device is an auxiliary audio device, performing a reconfiguration operation after listening for a reconfiguration message sent by the main audio device.

[0008] According to still another aspect of the present inventive subject matter, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method for optimizing the operating time of a system connecting at least two audio devices provided by the present inventive subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] These and / or other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like characters represent like components, where:

[0010] Figure 1 A block diagram showing the structure of a system in which audio devices are connected to a system for optimizing operating time according to one or more embodiments of the present inventive subject matter is shown, where the system shown includes, for example, six audio devices;

[0011] Figure 2A flowchart of a method for optimizing the operating time of a system for connecting audio devices in accordance with one or more embodiments of the inventive subject matter is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following description of various embodiments is given for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.

[0013] In daily life, stereo speaker systems that connect multiple speakers and work in coordination to reproduce a live sound scene are already very common. For example, in a stereo audio system that has connected multiple speakers such as those of the Harman OneOS platform, many speakers are battery-powered and added as components. When the power of one of the speakers runs out, the entire system may need to pause and recalculate the channel configurations for each, resulting in a poor listening experience for the user.

[0014] To achieve the maximum playback time of the entire system, the inventive subject matter provides a system for optimizing the operating time of connected audio devices, which includes at least two audio devices. These audio devices intelligently manage power consumption by continuously monitoring the power status of each connected audio device, and then attempt to achieve the maximum playback time of the entire system by using the power status information of each device as a reference, thereby extending the operating time of the entire system almost imperceptibly to the user.

[0015] Figure 1 A block diagram of a system 100 for connecting audio devices to an operating time optimization system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the inventive subject matter is shown, which vividly shows an application scenario of wirelessly connecting multiple audio devices to the system. As Figure 1 shown, the system 100 can be a multi-channel system that includes six audio devices 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, and 160 that are wirelessly connected to each other.

[0016] Each of the audio devices may include one or more processors (not shown). The processor can be implemented as a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor DSP, discrete logic, or a combination of these and / or other types of circuits or logic. By configuring the processor, the audio device can be intelligently configured as a main audio device or a secondary audio device to perform various operations.

[0017] In Figure 1In an example of the audio system 100 composed of multiple audio devices shown, the audio device 110 can act as the main audio device to perform heavy computing and other intelligent tasks such as decoding and transmission, for example Figure 1 the main audio device 110 marked as "P" in Figure 1 ; the remaining audio devices 120, 130, 140, 150, and 160 are mainly used to receive the audio source to be played and play it. Therefore, they act as secondary auxiliary audio devices and are marked as "S" in Figure 1 Figure 1 . Due to the computing load, the main audio device usually has a relatively large power consumption, and the power consumption efficiency of each auxiliary audio device may vary

[0018] These audio devices connected in the system can each adopt different power supply methods. For example Figure 1 in the example shown in Figure 1 , the main audio device 110 adopts the power supply method of inserting into the wall power supply 112, and it can be seen that one of the auxiliary audio devices 150 also adopts the power supply method of inserting into the wall power supply 152, while the other auxiliary audio devices 120, 130, 140, and 160 are powered by the batteries 122, 132, 142, and 162 respectively. The selection of the power supply method for various devices can be actually selected according to the on-site environmental conditions and device configuration. For example, in another example, the audio devices connected in the system can all be composed of portable audio devices powered by batteries, so as to exert the portability of the system and the flexibility to adapt to different venues

[0019] It can be envisaged that the number of multiple audio devices connected in this system is not fixed. In one example, these audio devices can be, for example, the speakers that make up a home theater system, such as the multiple speakers connected in a Dolby 5.1 or 7.1 sound system for reproducing multi-channel effects. In another example, these audio devices can be a group of speaker devices distributed in different rooms or spaces, etc

[0020] Figure 2 Shows a flowchart of a method 200 for optimizing the operating time of connected audio devices according to one or more embodiments of the present inventive subject matter

[0021] In the method 200 as shown in Figure 2 Figure 2 , first as shown in step 210, the system has entered the working state, and the multiple audio devices connected therein can each measure and estimate their own current power status. Refer to Figure 1The system 100 shown, within a specific time interval, such as every 30 seconds, each audio device 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160 connected to the system reports its power status to the main audio device 110, including that the main audio device 110 itself will also learn its own power status from the report from the main audio device 110. For example, a power meter can be set in each audio device, and the accuracy of measuring its own power status through the power meter can reach 1%. Additionally, the accuracy of measuring the power status in audio devices without a power meter can be around 2 - 5%. Furthermore, based on the measured power status and past power performance, each audio device can also estimate the remaining playback time of the audio device itself and can send, for example, the measured power status and / or the estimated remaining playback time as power status information to the main audio device.

[0022] In step 220, each audio device 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160 connected to the system can embed the power status information as metadata into the report and send it to the main audio device 110 via the existing connection channels and protocols. These connection protocols can include but are not limited to, for example, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, Sparklink, HTTP, UPnP, Zigbee, Matter, MQTT, CoAP, AMQP, WebSocket, or any other possible future connection protocols, etc.

[0023] After (or concurrently with the reporting period) each of the audio devices 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160 connected to the system reports its own power status information to the main audio device 110, each audio device 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160 is also set to listen for messages from the main audio device 110. When the main audio device determines that the system needs to be reconfigured, each audio device makes different responses depending on the new configuration, as described in step 230.

[0024] After the main audio device 110 receives the power status information sent by each of the audio devices 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160 connected to the system, the main audio device 110 is set to perform calculations to determine whether a new main audio device should be set to replace itself, as described in step 240.

[0025] In step 240, a simple rule for the main audio device to perform calculations and make decisions can be, for example, to use the audio device with the longest remaining playback time among the various audio devices connected to the system as the main audio device.

[0026] Refer to asFigure 1 In the example shown, if the main audio device 110 is plugged into a wall power supply, the main audio device 110 can be considered to have an unlimited playback time. Therefore, the main audio device 110 should be able to keep working as an audio device without being replaced. Thus, the main audio device 110 can determine that there is no need to reconfigure a new main audio device. The method returns to step 210 and continues with each audio device measuring and reporting its respective self-power status in the next time interval.

[0027] Additionally or alternatively, if the battery power status of the current main audio device 110 is the highest among all audio devices connected to the system, or the estimated remaining playback time of the main audio device 110 is the longest, then the main audio device 110 can also determine that the main audio device 110 still serves as the main audio device and does not need to be replaced. Thus, the main audio device 110 can determine that there is no need to reconfigure a new main audio device. The method returns to step 210 and continues with each audio device measuring and reporting its respective self-power status in the next time interval.

[0028] In one example, if the main audio device is battery-powered, for example, and the battery of the main audio device is about to run out, then in step 240, the main audio device can determine that a new main audio device needs to be determined to replace the current main audio device to complete heavy computations such as decoding and / or transmission and other intelligent tasks. In this case, the audio device needs to coordinate with the entire system and perform appropriate reconfiguration. At this time, the main audio device determines, among other slave audio devices, the slave audio device that will replace the current main audio device and enters step 250 to perform the reconfiguration operation. Ideally, the user should not notice that a main audio device change or other reconfiguration operations have occurred among the audio devices he / she is using.

[0029] In another example, an entire system in which all connected audio devices are battery-powered can be designed such that each audio device in the system takes turns as the main audio device, enabling the group of audio devices to apply battery power in a balanced manner, even if the battery power of the main audio device is not close to being depleted. In this example, the main audio device can determine, in a certain order, for a slave audio device to replace it as the main audio device in turn, and then let the slave audio device serve as the main audio device and continue to work for a period of time. Under such a design strategy, the power status of each audio device connected to the system can basically remain relatively balanced, and the power difference between them will not be too large. For example, the order of replacing the main audio device among the slave audio devices can be as Figure 1The order of the arrangement positions of the audio devices, for example, in a clockwise or counterclockwise order. For another example, the audio device with the highest power level in the auxiliary audio devices can always be replaced by the main audio device after a fixed period of time. Therefore, in step 240, the main audio device determines, based on making the power status relatively balanced among the audio devices connected to the system, the auxiliary audio device that will succeed the current main audio device among the other auxiliary audio devices, and then proceeds to step 250 to perform the reconfiguration operation.

[0030] Next, in step 250, the main audio device sends corresponding reconfiguration messages to each of the audio devices connected in the system, informing each audio device of the reconfiguration settings of the system to perform the corresponding reconfiguration operations. In one example, if the reconfiguration is determined by the main audio device, the main audio device can send the reconfiguration message only to each auxiliary audio device. After detecting the corresponding reconfiguration message, the relevant auxiliary audio devices can perform various reconfiguration operations according to their different configurations to replace the current main audio device as the new main audio device, or different reconfiguration operations can be performed in the whole system for adjustment.

[0031] The various reconfiguration operations in step 250 can include but are not limited to, for example:

[0032] a. Smooth transition: To keep the user experience transparent, the selected auxiliary audio device succeeding the current main audio device can be designed for smooth transition. For example, during the conversion process, both the original main audio device and the new main audio device can decode the multi-channel audio content simultaneously until the new main audio device fully takes over and can stably separate and transmit the audio stream to each auxiliary audio device as the main audio device;

[0033] b. Volume change: If the entire system needs to extend the playback time, the main audio device can judge the volume on each audio device and appropriately reduce the volume to save power consumption;

[0034] c. Spectrum change: If the remaining power of a certain audio device is extremely low, the main audio device may decide to transfer some low-frequency information of that audio device to other audio devices (with a longer remaining playback time) to relieve the burden on the audio device with low power. It can be seen from such an example that more than one main audio device can be set in the system to jointly execute or share the functions with large power consumption and large computational load.

[0035] Generally, the design of the reconfiguration operation in the audio system should aim to maximize the playback time of the entire system, and the user should not notice that the main audio device has changed or other reconfiguration operations have been performed among the audio devices he / she is using.

[0036] In one or more embodiments of the inventive subject matter, the audio devices connected in the system may not be limited to audio devices such as speakers, but may also be any device that contributes to the overall system experience, such as headphones.

[0037] In one or more embodiments of the inventive subject matter, in order for the user to understand the power status of these audio devices, a user interface may also be provided and designed to provide visual feedback to the user and sometimes prompt the user to perform operations, such as:

[0038] 1. For devices such as receivers and soundbars that can be connected to a television, the television screen can be used as a display to show the power level and relative position of each device;

[0039] 2. The estimated remaining play time can also be displayed;

[0040] 3. When a device with low battery power may have a significant impact on the overall experience, certain reminder tones or reminder light patterns can be displayed on the device to prompt the user to charge it.

[0041] Additionally or alternatively, as Figure 2 shown, the steps of method 200 for optimizing the operating time of connected audio devices can be implemented by one or more processors. Similarly, the instructions for implementing method 200 for optimizing the operating time of connected audio devices, as Figure 2 shown, can be stored in a memory, which can be DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, or other types of memory. Parameters (such as conditions and thresholds) and other data structures can be stored and managed separately, combined into a single memory or database, or organized logically and physically in many different ways. Programs and instruction sets can be part of a single program, separate programs, or distributed across multiple memories and processors.

[0042] The operation time optimized audio devices, systems and methods provided by the inventive subject matter can achieve the maximum playback time of the entire system by using the power status information of each device as a reference. Those skilled in the art can envision that the devices, systems and methods mentioned herein should broadly cover the experiences of all relevant systems, not limited to the well-known multi-space, multi-room or multi-channel audio system settings. The terms "primary" and "secondary" mentioned herein are metaphorical names of devices only used to explain concepts, and the actual labels on the devices may be different. For ease of explanation, one or more embodiments herein adopt an example including a primary audio device and several secondary audio devices, however, the number of these devices is not fixed, and the number of primary and secondary devices can be expanded. The current power status listed herein can simply be described as the percentage of the remaining battery and the playback time, etc., but the concept of these conditions can also be extended to include any metrics that contribute to the remaining stored energy of the device.

[0043] Examples of one or more embodiments of the inventive subject matter are described in the following clauses:

[0044] Clause 1. An audio device connected to an operation time optimized system, the system including at least two audio devices, including a primary audio device and at least one secondary audio device, the audio device including:

[0045] A processor configured to:

[0046] Measure the power status of the audio device itself and send the power status information to the primary audio device;

[0047] Listen for reconfiguration messages from the primary audio device;

[0048] When the audio device is the primary audio device, receive the power status information sent by each of the at least two audio devices, determine whether to replace the primary audio device with another secondary audio device, and when it is determined to replace another secondary audio device with the primary audio device, send the reconfiguration message and perform the reconfiguration operation; and

[0049] When the audio device is a secondary audio device, perform the reconfiguration operation after listening for the reconfiguration message sent by the primary audio device.

[0050] Clause 2. The audio device according to Clause 1, wherein the power status includes an estimated remaining playback time.

[0051] Clause 3. The audio device as described in Clause 1 or Clause 2, wherein the processor is configured to, when the audio device is the main audio device, make each of the at least two audio devices be determined as the main audio device in turn based on making the power status relatively balanced between the at least two audio devices.

[0052] Clause 4. The audio device as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein the processor is configured to, when the audio device is the main audio device, replace the other auxiliary audio device in the at least one auxiliary audio device with the main audio device based on the main audio device being about to run out of power.

[0053] Clause 5. The audio device as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 4, the processor is configured to, when the audio device is the main audio device, replace the other auxiliary audio device with the longest remaining playback time in the at least two audio devices with the main audio device.

[0054] Clause 6. The audio device as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 5, wherein the processor is configured to, when the audio device is the auxiliary audio device, perform a reconfiguration operation to replace it with the main audio device after detecting the reconfiguration message from the main audio device.

[0055] Clause 7. The audio device as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein the reconfiguration operation includes making the other auxiliary audio device replace the main audio device through at least one of the following: smooth transition, volume change, spectrum change.

[0056] Clause 8. The audio device as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein when the audio device is the auxiliary audio device, the power status information is sent to the main audio device via the existing connection channel and protocol.

[0057] Clause 9. The audio device as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 8, wherein the power status information is sent to the main audio device as metadata.

[0058] Clause 10. The audio device as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein the protocol includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, Sparklink, HTTP, UPnP, Zigbee, Matter, MQTT, CoAP, AMQP, WebSocket.

[0059] Clause 11. A system for optimizing the operating time of connected audio devices, the system includes:

[0060] At least two audio devices, including a main audio device and at least one auxiliary audio device;

[0061] Each of the at least two audio devices is configured to measure its own power status and send the power status information to the main audio device among the at least two audio devices, and to listen for reconfiguration messages from the main audio device;

[0062] Wherein, the main audio device is further configured to receive the power status information sent by each of the at least two audio devices, determine whether to replace the main audio device with another auxiliary audio device, and send the reconfiguration message and perform a reconfiguration operation when determining to replace the main audio device with another auxiliary audio device; and

[0063] Wherein, the auxiliary audio device is further configured to perform the reconfiguration operation after listening to the reconfiguration message sent by the main audio device.

[0064] Clause 12. The system according to clause 11, wherein the power status includes an estimated remaining play time.

[0065] Clause 13. The system according to clause 11 or clause 12, wherein the main audio device is further configured to rotate each of the at least two audio devices to be determined as the main audio device based on making the power status relatively balanced among the at least two audio devices.

[0066] Clause 14. The system according to any one of clauses 11 to 13, wherein the main audio device is further configured to replace the other auxiliary audio device among the at least one auxiliary audio device with the main audio device based on the main audio device being about to run out of power.

[0067] Clause 15. The system according to any one of clauses 11 to 14, wherein the main audio device is further configured to replace the other auxiliary audio device with the longest remaining play time among the at least two audio devices with the main audio device.

[0068] Clause 16. The system according to any one of clauses 11 to 15, wherein the auxiliary audio device is further configured to perform a reconfiguration operation to replace it with the main audio device after listening to the reconfiguration message from the main audio device.

[0069] Clause 17. The system according to any one of clauses 11 to 16, wherein the reconfiguration operation includes replacing the other auxiliary audio device with the main audio device by at least one of the following: smooth transition, volume change, spectral change.

[0070] Clause 18. The system as described in Clauses 11 to 17 further includes, when the audio device is a secondary audio device, sending the power status information to the primary audio device via an existing connection channel and protocol.

[0071] Clause 19. The system as described in any one of Clauses 11 to 18 further includes sending the power status information to the primary audio device as metadata.

[0072] Clause 20. In the system as described in any one of Clauses 11 to 19, the protocol includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, Sparklink, HTTP, UPnP, Zigbee, Matter, MQTT, CoAP, AMQP, WebSocket.

[0073] Clause 21. A method for optimizing the operating time of a system with at least two connected audio devices, the method including performing the following steps via the audio devices:

[0074] Measuring the power status of the audio device itself and sending the power status information to the primary audio device among the at least two audio devices;

[0075] Listening for reconfiguration messages from the primary audio device;

[0076] When the audio device is the primary audio device, receiving the power status information sent by each of the at least two audio devices, determining whether to replace the primary audio device with another secondary audio device, and when determining to replace another secondary audio device with the primary audio device, sending the reconfiguration message and performing a reconfiguration operation; and

[0077] When the audio device is a secondary audio device, performing the reconfiguration operation after listening for the reconfiguration message sent by the primary audio device.

[0078] Clause 22. In the method as described in Clause 21, the power status includes an estimated remaining play time.

[0079] Clause 23. In the method as described in Clause 21 or Clause 22, it further includes, when the audio device is the primary audio device, making each of the at least two audio devices be determined as the primary audio device in turn based on making the power status relatively balanced among the at least two audio devices

[0080] Clause 24. The method as described in any one of Clauses 21 to 23 further includes, when the audio device is the main audio device, based on the fact that the main audio device is about to run out of power, replacing the other secondary audio device in the at least one secondary audio device with the main audio device.

[0081] Clause 25. The method as described in any one of Clauses 21 to 24 further includes, when the audio device is the main audio device, replacing the other secondary audio device with the longest remaining playback time among the at least two audio devices with the main audio device.

[0082] Clause 26. The method as described in any one of Clauses 21 to 25 further includes, when the audio device is a secondary audio device, performing a reconfiguration operation to replace it with the main audio device after detecting the reconfiguration message from the main audio device.

[0083] Clause 27. The method as described in any one of Clauses 21 to 26, wherein the reconfiguration operation includes replacing the other secondary audio device with the main audio device through at least one of the following: smooth transition, volume change, spectral change.

[0084] Clause 28. The method as described in any one of Clauses 21 to 27 further includes, when the audio device is a secondary audio device, sending the power status information to the main audio device via an existing connection channel and protocol.

[0085] Clause 29. The method as described in any one of Clauses 21 to 28 further includes sending the power status information to the main audio device as metadata.

[0086] Clause 30. The method as described in any one of Clauses 21 to 29, wherein the protocol includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, Sparklink, HTTP, UPnP, Zigbee, Matter, MQTT, CoAP, AMQP, WebSocket.

[0087] Clause 31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute the method for optimizing the system operation time of connected audio devices as described in Clauses 21 - 30.

[0088] The terms chosen for this text are to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or improvements to technologies found in the market, or to enable other ordinary technicians in the field to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0089] In the foregoing, reference signs have been used to identify the embodiments presented in the present disclosure. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the specifically described embodiments. On the contrary, any combination of the foregoing features and elements, whether or not they relate to different embodiments, is contemplated for implementing and practicing the contemplated embodiments.

[0090] In addition, although the embodiments disclosed herein may achieve advantages over other possible solutions or over the prior art, whether or not a given embodiment achieves a particular advantage does not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing aspects, features, embodiments, and advantages are illustrative only and are not to be regarded as elements or limitations of the appended claims, unless expressly recited therein.

[0091] While the foregoing has been directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope of the present disclosure is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An audio device connected to a system for optimizing operating time, the system including at least two connected audio devices, including a main audio device and at least one secondary audio device, the audio device comprising: one or more processors configured to: measure the power status of the audio device itself and send the power status information to the main audio device; listen for reconfiguration messages from the main audio device; when the audio device is the main audio device, receive the power status information sent by each of the at least two audio devices, determine whether to replace the main audio device with another secondary audio device, and send the reconfiguration message and perform a reconfiguration operation when it is determined to replace another secondary audio device with the main audio device; and when the audio device is a secondary audio device, perform the reconfiguration operation after listening for the reconfiguration message sent by the main audio device.

2. The audio device according to claim 1, wherein, the power status includes an estimated remaining playback time.

3. The audio device according to claim 1, wherein, the one or more processors are configured to, when the audio device is the main audio device, determine that the reconfiguration includes rotating each of the at least two audio devices to be determined as the main audio device based on making the power status relatively balanced among the at least two audio devices.

4. The audio device according to claim 2, wherein, the one or more processors are configured to, when the audio device is the main audio device, determine that the reconfiguration includes replacing the main audio device with another secondary audio device among the at least one secondary audio device based on the main audio device being about to run out of power.

5. The audio device according to claim 2 or 3, the one or more processors are configured to, when the audio device is the main audio device, determine that the reconfiguration includes replacing the main audio device with another secondary audio device having the longest remaining playback time among the at least two audio devices.

6. The audio device according to claim 1, wherein, the one or more processors are configured to, when the audio device is a secondary audio device, perform a reconfiguration operation to replace it with the main audio device after listening for the reconfiguration message from the main audio device.

7. The audio device according to claim 6, wherein, the reconfiguration operation includes changing the other secondary audio device to the main audio device by at least one of the following: smooth transition, volume change, spectral change.

8. The audio device according to claim 1, wherein, when the audio device is a secondary audio device, send the power status information to the main audio device via an existing connection channel and protocol.

9. The audio device according to claim 8, wherein, the power status information is sent to the main audio device as metadata.

10. The audio device according to claim 8, wherein, The protocol includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, Sparklink, HTTP, UPnP, Zigbee, Matter, MQTT, COAP, AMQP, WebSocket.

11. A system for optimizing the operating time of connected audio devices, the system comprises: at least two audio devices, including a main audio device and at least one secondary audio device; each of the at least two audio devices is configured to: measure its own power status and send the power status information to the main audio device, and listen for reconfiguration messages from the main audio device; wherein the main audio device is further configured to receive the power status information sent by each of the at least two audio devices, determine whether to replace the main audio device with another secondary audio device, and send the reconfiguration message and perform a reconfiguration operation when it is determined to replace another secondary audio device with the main audio device; and wherein the secondary audio device is configured to perform the reconfiguration operation after listening for the reconfiguration message sent by the main audio device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein, the power status includes an estimated remaining play time.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein, the main audio device is further configured to rotate each of the at least two audio devices to be determined as the main audio device based on making the power status relatively balanced among the at least two audio devices.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein, the main audio device is further configured to replace the other secondary audio device in the at least one secondary audio device with the main audio device based on the main audio device being about to run out of power.

15. The system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, the main audio device is further configured to replace the other secondary audio device with the longest remaining play time in the at least two audio devices with the main audio device.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein, the secondary audio device is further configured to perform a reconfiguration operation to replace it with the main audio device after listening for the reconfiguration message from the main audio device.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein, the reconfiguration operation includes changing the other secondary audio device to the main audio device through at least one of the following: smooth transition, volume change, spectrum change.

18. The system according to claim 11, further comprising sending the power status information to the main audio device via an existing connection channel and protocol when the audio device is a secondary audio device.

19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising sending the power status information to the main audio device as metadata.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein, The protocol includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, Sparklink, HTTP, UPnP, Zigbee, Matter, MQTT, COAP, AMQP, WebSocket.

21. A method for optimizing the operating time of a system having at least two connected audio devices, the method comprising performing the following steps via the audio devices: Measuring the power status of the audio device itself and sending the power status information to the master audio device among the at least two audio devices; Listening for a reconfiguration message from the master audio device; When the audio device is the master audio device, receiving the power status information sent by each of the at least two audio devices, determining whether to replace the master audio device with another slave audio device, and sending the reconfiguration message and performing a reconfiguration operation when it is determined to replace the master audio device with another slave audio device; and When the audio device is a slave audio device, performing the reconfiguration operation after listening for the reconfiguration message sent by the master audio device.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, the power status includes an estimated remaining play time.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising, when the audio device is the master audio device, making each of the at least two audio devices take turns to be determined as the master audio device based on making the power status between the at least two audio devices relatively balanced.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising, when the audio device is the master audio device, replacing the master audio device with the other slave audio device among the at least one slave audio device based on the master audio device being about to run out of power.

25. The method according to claim 22 or 23, further comprising, when the audio device is the master audio device, replacing the master audio device with the other slave audio device having the longest remaining play time among the at least two audio devices.

26. The method according to claim 21, further comprising, when the audio device is a slave audio device, performing a reconfiguration operation to replace it with the master audio device after listening for the reconfiguration message from the master audio device.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein, the reconfiguration operation includes making the other slave audio device replace the master audio device through at least one of the following: smooth transition, volume change, spectral change.

28. The method according to claim 21, further comprising, when the audio device is a slave audio device, sending the power status information to the master audio device via an existing connection channel and protocol.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising sending the power status information to the master audio device as metadata.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein, The protocol includes at least one of the following: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, Sparklink, HTTP, UPnP, Zigbee, Matter, MQTT, COAP, AMQP, WebSocket.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method according to claims 21-30.

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