INTELLIGENT BATTERY WEAR COMPENSATION FOR AUDIO DEVICES

Abstract

A method of balancing power consumption among wireless nodes, comprising: establishing (402) a first communication link between a first wireless node and a second wire¬ less node, wherein the first wireless node assumes a master role and the second wireless node assumes a slave role; establishing (404) a second communication link between the first wireless node and a source wireless device; receiving (406) data transmissions from the source wireless device on the first wireless node over the second communication link; relaying (406) at least a portion of the data transmissions from the first wireless node to the second wireless node over the first communication link; determining (407) whether to exchange master-slave roles between the first wireless node and the second wireless node; exchanging (410; 418) master-slave roles between the first wireless node and the second wire¬ less node in response to determining that it is time to exchange master-slave roles; and receiving (412) the data transmissions from the source wireless device on the second wireless node over the second communication link, characterized in that: the method further comprises monitoring the data transmissions to identify (408) periods of low data transmission or pauses, and wherein exchanging master-slave roles between the first wireless node and the second wireless node comprises exchanging master-slave roles during an identified period of low data transmission or pauses, wherein the periods of low data transmission or pauses are not initiated by controlling a media source on the source wire¬ less device in response to determining that it is time to ex¬ change master-slave roles.

Description

[0001] In the patent invalidity case, the X. Civil Senate of the Federal Court of Justice has decided at the oral hearing on 18 February 2025 found to be right: On appeal by the plaintiff, the judgment of the 4th Senate (Nullity Senate) of the Federal Patent Court of 7 December 2022 is amended. European Patent 2 856 808 is declared partially invalid with effect for the Federal Republic of Germany by supplementing claim 1 in the version of the contested judgment as follows: wherein the periods of low data transmission or pauses are not initiated by controlling a media source on the source wireless device in response to determining that it is time to exchange master-slave roles.

Claims

[1] A method of balancing power consumption among wireless nodes, comprising: establishing (402) a first communication link between a first wireless node and a second wire¬ less node, wherein the first wireless node assumes a master role and the second wireless node assumes a slave role; establishing (404) a second communication link between the first wireless node and a source wireless device; receiving (406) data transmissions from the source wireless device on the first wireless node over the second communication link; relaying (406) at least a portion of the data transmissions from the first wireless node to the second wireless node over the first communication link; determining (407) whether to exchange master-slave roles between the first wireless node and the second wireless node; exchanging (410; 418) master-slave roles between the first wireless node and the second wire¬ less node in response to determining that it is time to exchange master-slave roles; and receiving (412) the data transmissions from the source wireless device on the second wireless node over the second communication link, characterized in that: the method further comprises monitoring the data transmissions to identify (408) periods of low data transmission or pauses, and wherein exchanging master-slave roles between the first wireless node and the second wireless node comprises exchanging master-slave roles during an identified period of low data transmission or pauses, wherein the periods of low data transmission or pauses are not initiated by controlling a media source on the source wire¬ less device in response to determining that it is time to ex¬ change master-slave roles. [2] The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring for a period of low data transmission comprises monitoring for a break between songs in a stream of music. [3] The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging master-slave roles between the first wireless node and the second wireless node comprises exchanging addresses in link key fields associated with the first and second wireless nodes. [4] The method of claim 1, further comprising: Determine whether an audio signal is currently a monaural sound directed to a particular ear; and Routing the audio signal to the first wireless node or the second wireless node positioned in the specific ear after swapping the master-slave roles between the first wireless node and the second wireless node. [5] The method of claim 1, further comprising: Determining (414) whether the source wireless device is currently capable of receiving a pause request; and Sending (416) the pause request to the source wireless device in response to determining that the master-slave roles should be swapped and determining that the source wireless device is currently able to receive the pause request, wherein swapping (418) the master-slave roles between the first wireless node and the second wireless node is performed in response to the source wireless device pausing data transmissions. [6] A communication system comprising: a first wireless node (102); a second wireless node (104); a source wireless device (106); Means for establishing a first communication connection between the first wireless node (102) and the second wireless node (104), wherein the first wireless node (102) assumes a master role and the second wireless node (104) assumes a slave role; Means for establishing a second communication connection between the first wireless node (102) and the source wireless device (106); means for receiving data transmissions from the source wireless device (106) at the first wireless node (102) over the second communication link; means for forwarding at least a portion of the data transmissions from the first wireless node (102) to the second wireless node (104) over the first communication link; means for determining whether to swap the master-slave roles between the first wireless node (102) and the second wireless node (104); means for swapping the master-slave roles between the first wireless node (102) and the second wireless node (104) in response to determining that it is time to swap the master-slave roles; and Means for receiving data transmissions from the source wireless device (106) at the second wireless node (104) via the second communication link, characterized by , that: the communication system further comprises means for monitoring the data transmissions to identify periods of low data transmission or pauses, and wherein the means for swapping master-slave roles between the first wireless node (102) and the second wireless node (104) comprises means for swapping master-slave roles during an identified period of low data transmission or pauses; or the means for swapping master-slave roles comprises means for controlling a media source on the wireless device (106) such that the master-slave roles are swapped without interrupting data transmissions from the source wireless device (106). [7] A communication system according to claim 6, wherein the means for monitoring for a period of low data transmission comprises means for monitoring for a break between songs in a stream of music. [8] A communication system according to claim 6, further comprising: Means for determining whether an audio signal is currently a monaural sound directed to a particular ear; and Means for directing the audio signal to the first wireless node (102) or the second wireless node (104) positioned in the particular ear after swapping the master-slave roles between the first wireless node (102) and the second wireless node (104). [9] A communication system according to claim 6, further comprising: means for determining whether the source wireless device (106) is currently capable of receiving a pause request; and means for sending the pause request to the source wireless device (106) in response to determining that the master-slave roles should be swapped and determining that the source wireless device (106) is currently capable of receiving the pause request, wherein the means for swapping the master-slave roles between the first wireless node (102) and the second wireless node (104) comprises means for swapping the master-slave roles between the first wireless node (102) and the second wireless node (104) in response to the source wireless device (106) pausing data transmissions. [10] A computing device (102; 104) comprising: Means for establishing a first communication connection with a second computing device (104; 102); means for establishing a second communication link with a source wireless device (106); Means for receiving data transmissions from the source wireless device (106) over the second communication link; means for forwarding at least a portion of the data transmissions to the second computing device (104; 102) over the first communication link; Means for determining whether the master-slave roles should be swapped with the second computing device (104; 102); and means for swapping the master-slave roles with the second computing device (104; 102) in response to determining that it is time to swap the master-slave roles, characterized by , that the computing device (102; 104) further comprises means for monitoring the data transmissions to identify periods of low data transmission or pauses, and wherein the means for exchanging the master-slave roles with the second computing device (104; 102) comprises means for exchanging the master-slave roles during an identified period of low data transmission or pauses; or the means for swapping the master-slave roles comprises means for receiving information from the source wireless device (106) indicating a time at which the master-slave roles can be swapped without interrupting data transmissions from the source wireless device (106). [11] The computing device (102; 104) of claim 10, wherein the means for monitoring for a period of low data transmission comprises means for monitoring for a break between songs in a stream of music. [12] The computing device (102; 104) of claim 10, wherein the means for exchanging master-slave roles with the second computing device (104; 102) comprises means for changing an address value in a connection key field. [13] Calculation device (102; 104) according to claim 10, further comprising: means for determining whether an audio signal is currently a monaural sound directed to a particular ear; means for determining whether the computing device (102; 104) is configured for use in the particular ear; and Means for directing the audio signal to the second computing device (104; 102) after swapping the master-slave roles with the second computing device (104; 102) in response to determining that the computing device (102; 104) is not configured for use in the particular ear. [14] A computing device according to claim 10, further comprising: means for determining whether the source wireless device (106) is currently capable of receiving a pause request; and means for sending the pause request to the source wireless device (106) in response to determining that the master-slave roles should be swapped and determining that the source wireless device (106) is currently capable of receiving the pause request, wherein the means for swapping master-slave roles comprises means for swapping master-slave roles in response to the source wireless device (106) pausing data transmissions. [15] A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having processor-executable software instructions stored thereon, configured to cause a processor of a first wireless device (102; 104) to perform operations for balancing power consumption among wireless devices, the operations comprising: Establishing a first communication connection with a second wireless device (104; 102); Establishing a second communication link with a source wireless device (106); Receiving data transmissions from the source wireless device (106) over the second communication link; forwarding at least a portion of the data transmissions from the second wireless device (104; 102) over the first communication link; Determining whether the master-slave roles should be swapped with the second wireless device (104; 102); and Swapping the master-slave roles with the second wireless device (104; 102) in response to determining that it is time to swap the master-slave roles, characterized by in that the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations that further comprise monitoring data transmissions to identify periods of low data transmission or pauses, and wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that swapping master-slave roles with the second wireless device (104; 102) comprises swapping master-slave roles during an identified period of low data transmission or pauses; or the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that swapping the master-slave roles with the second wireless device (104; 102) comprises, in response to determining that it is time to swap the master-slave roles, receiving information from the source wireless device (106) indicating a time at which the master-slave roles can be swapped without interrupting data transmissions from the source wireless device (106).