Asynchronous Quick Connect for Low-Latency Audio Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices experience significant transition latency when establishing wireless connections with portable speakers, leading to delayed or incomplete audio content presentation, which degrades user experience due to the trade-off between power conservation and latency in existing Bluetooth and Wi-Fi communication protocols.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an asynchronous quick connection method using an out-of-band frame sync signal to synchronize clocks and expedite the reconnection of an in-band OTA communication session, reducing latency by bypassing traditional sniff procedures and beacon intervals, thus enabling low-latency audio streaming with minimal power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Bluetooth connection establishment protocol is used, then wireless connection can be established between devices, but connection latency of 1-3 seconds occurs which delays audio content presentation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-synchronizing clocks between devices using out-of-band frame sync signals before the actual audio data transmission begins. This allows the in-band communication session to be expedited significantly, reducing connection latency from 1-3 seconds to under 200 milliseconds while maintaining reliable connection establishment.
2Use of energy by moving object
If devices turn off RF transceivers to conserve battery power, then power consumption is reduced, but transition latency increases when waking up to establish wireless connection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication into out-of-band and in-band channels. The out-of-band channel remains active or uses low-power signaling for clock synchronization and connection coordination, while the in-band channel for audio data transmission is activated only when needed. This segmentation allows devices to conserve power by keeping the high-power in-band RF transceiver off most of the time, yet achieve low transition latency through the always-on or low-power out-of-band synchronization mechanism.
3Use of energy by moving object
If traditional sniff procedures and beacon intervals are used for connection maintenance, then power consumption is minimized, but audio streaming latency increases to 200 ms or more
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary out-of-band frame sync signal mechanism that mediates between power conservation and low-latency audio streaming. This intermediary synchronization channel enables the in-band audio data transmission to be expedited without requiring continuous high-power RF transmission, thus maintaining low power consumption while achieving audio streaming latency under 200 milliseconds.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device, method, and computer program product provide an asynchronous quick connection or reconnection between wireless connecting devices for low-latency transitions in presentation of content to a user. A first device transmits an out-of-band frame sync signal to a second device to prompt the second device to synchronize clocks with the first device and to one of: (i) connect; and (ii) reconnect an over-the-air (OTA) communication session with the first device. First and second devices establish the OTA communication session. The establishment is expedited by the out-of-band frame sync signal. First device transmits output data, via the in-band OTA session, by the first device to the second device to present the output data on a second user output device of the second device.