Wireless Audio Sink Power Reduction via Channel-Specific Packet Filtering

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Solution Overview

Problem

RF transceivers in wireless audio devices face challenges in reducing power consumption, particularly in battery-powered systems, where prolonged battery life is desired without compromising audio quality.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a dual-sink mode in wireless audio devices, where audio data is split into mono left and right channels, allowing for interleaved transmission of packets with header information, enabling sink devices to enter sleep mode when not intended for them, thereby reducing the receiver's operational time and power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the receiver continuously receives all audio data packets, then complete audio information is received, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio information completenessVSAvoidreceiver power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the audio data stream into individual packets with identification information, allowing the receiver to selectively process only relevant packets (e.g., left channel or right channel) while skipping others, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining complete audio information reception

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The receiver performs partial action by selectively receiving only the necessary audio channel packets (left or right) instead of all packets, using packet identification information to determine which packets to process and which to skip, thus reducing energy expenditure while maintaining audio quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Reliability

If the receiver operates continuously to maintain audio reception, then audio quality is maintained, but battery life decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio reception reliabilityVSAvoidbattery life

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver employs periodic action by entering sleep mode between packet reception events and only activating when audio data packets are transmitted, using packet identification information to determine when to wake and process data, thereby extending battery life while maintaining reliable audio reception

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses self-service mechanisms where the receiver autonomously determines its operational state based on packet identification information in the received data stream, automatically transitioning between active and sleep modes without external control, thus preserving battery life while ensuring audio reception reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8654982B2Reducing power consumption in sink devices by having sinks receive only left audio channel or right audio channel

Publication Date: 2014.02.18 SMSC HLDG

AI summary

A wireless audio device may realize power savings when processing multi-channel data, e.g. 2-channel stereo audio data, by splitting the multi-channel block data into separate data blocks for each channel, e.g. Left-channel data block and Right-channel data block, and processing each separate data block independently in the source device to generate respective data packets targeting corresponding sink devices, e.g. a Left earphone and a Right earphone. The source device may then transmit each data packet to a different corresponding sink device, e.g. a Left-channel packet to a Left earphone and a Right-channel packet to a Right earphone. The data packets may also include header information indicative of whether a next packet is intended for a given sink device, enabling sink devices to enter sleep mode when the header information indicates that a next packet is not intended for the given sink device, to save power.