Alternating Bluetooth Earpiece Roles for Balanced Power

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing Bluetooth systems for wire-free earpieces face high power consumption and packet loss issues when delivering audio streams, particularly when one earpiece silently 'sniffs' packets, leading to uneven battery life and reliability concerns.

Innovation Solution

A system with alternating modes of operation for each earpiece, where one earpiece acts as a Bluetooth transceiver and the other as a sidelink transmitter, using Low Energy (LE) RF and Bluetooth GFSK modulation to efficiently deliver audio streams, ensuring balanced power consumption and reliable packet transmission between the two earpieces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If one earpiece silently sniffs Bluetooth packets to deliver the remaining channel, then wire-free delivery is achieved, but packet loss occurs when RF signal is attenuated and power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewire-free deliveryVSAvoidpacket loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between two operational modes: sniffing mode (for wire-free delivery) and direct connection mode (for reliable transmission). This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by selecting the appropriate mode based on signal conditions, ensuring both wire-free operation and packet reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A wired connection serves as an intermediary backup when wireless sniffing fails due to signal attenuation. This intermediary approach ensures reliable packet delivery by providing an alternative transmission path when the wireless channel is insufficient.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If both earpieces use fully functional Bluetooth receivers, then wire-free delivery is achieved, but power consumption becomes excessively high

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewire-free deliveryVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The Bluetooth reception function is segmented between two earpieces: one earpiece uses a full functional receiver while the other uses a simplified sniffing receiver. This segmentation reduces the total power consumption of the system while maintaining wire-free delivery capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sniffing receiver is implemented as a low-power, simplified version of a full Bluetooth receiver. This 'cheap' (low-power) approach allows wire-free operation without the excessive power consumption of two full receivers, accepting limited functionality in exchange for energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Use of energy by moving object

If one earpiece terminates the Bluetooth connection, then power consumption is reduced, but battery life becomes unbalanced between earpieces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidbattery life balance

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system periodically alternates between two configurations: in one period, earpiece A terminates the connection while earpiece B sniffs; in the next period, their roles are reversed. This periodic switching ensures that both earpieces share the power consumption burden equally, balancing their battery life while maintaining reduced overall power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach achieves approximately equal power consumption and extended battery life for both earpieces by alternating roles in each time interval, reducing packet loss and ensuring synchronized audio delivery.

Implementation Method 1

The Bluetooth protocol provides a transport layer for data communication using a wireless protocol

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

using Low Energy (LE) RF and Bluetooth GFSK modulation to efficiently deliver audio streams

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRF transmission: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 3

using Low Energy (LE) RF and Bluetooth GFSK modulation to efficiently deliver audio streams

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFrequency shift keying: Phase Modulation

Data Source

PatentUS11032766B2Wire-free bluetooth communication system with fast pairing

Publication Date: 2021.06.08 SILICON LABORATORIES INC

AI summary

A power saving wire-free earpiece has a Bluetooth transceiver and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transceiver. A stream of audio from a remote source is separated into a local audio stream and a stream sent to the BLE transceiver for a remote earpiece. The earpiece is operative in a first and second mode, the first mode enabling the BT transceiver and BLE transceiver, the second mode enabling only the BLE transceiver for receiving remote streams of data. The first and second mode alternate so that the local and remote earpiece have substantially uniform current requirements.