Auracast Broadcast Assistant Proximity Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In educational settings with multiple Auracast broadcasters, there is a challenge in reliably and automatically selecting the correct Auracast broadcast device for assistive listening, especially for low-power devices like hearing aids that lack a GUI and face power consumption issues with continuous scanning.
Innovation Solution
The use of a wireless protocol different from Bluetooth for proximity detection and information retrieval allows for reliable and automated selection of the correct Auracast broadcast device, eliminating the need for user intervention beyond approaching the synchronizer device. This system includes a synchronizer device and a Broadcast Assistant device that work together to identify and synchronize with the appropriate Auracast broadcast device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous scanning for Auracast broadcasters is performed, then the receiver can detect and select the correct broadcaster, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having the synchronizer device pre-detect and broadcast synchronization information before the actual Auracast broadcasting begins. Receivers can then acquire this information passively without needing to perform intensive continuous scanning, thus ensuring reliable broadcaster detection while significantly reducing power consumption.
2Reliability
If manual broadcaster selection is implemented, then the user can choose the correct Auracast device, but user complexity and operation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by enabling receivers to automatically acquire synchronization information from the synchronizer device and autonomously synchronize to the correct Auracast broadcaster without requiring user intervention. This eliminates the complexity of manual broadcaster selection while ensuring accurate connection to the intended broadcast source.
3Reliability
If pairing between teacher's phone and hearing aids is required, then connection reliability improves, but device complexity and pairing management become unmanageable
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the pairing function from the teacher's phone by introducing a dedicated synchronizer device that handles all synchronization operations. This separates the pairing management responsibility from the teacher's personal device, eliminating the need for complex pairing between multiple devices while maintaining connection reliability through the specialized synchronizer.
4Reliability
If the teacher's phone maintains BLE connection with multiple hearing aids, then monitoring capability improves, but the phone's resources are overwhelmed
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the monitoring function by assigning it to individual receiver devices rather than centralizing it in the teacher's phone. Each receiver independently monitors its connection to the Auracast broadcaster, eliminating the need for the phone to maintain and monitor multiple BLE connections simultaneously, thus preserving monitoring capability while avoiding resource overload.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a method of providing assistive listening to a user (12, 14) of an audio receiver device (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4), comprising: providing an audio source device (20-1, 20-2) for broadcasting Auracast streams (58-1, 58-2, 58-3, 58-4), the audio receiver device (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4) for receiving Auracast streams, a Broadcast Assistant device (40-1, 40-2) wirelessly connected with the audio receiver device, and a synchronizer device (30); detecting, by the Broadcast Assistant device, proximity of the Broadcast Assistant device to the synchronizer device, and receiving, by the Broadcast Assistant device via a wireless protocol different from the Bluetooth protocol, information required for identifying the audio source device from the synchronizer device upon detection of proximity to the synchronizer device, retrieving, by the Broadcast Assistant device, via a wireless protocol different from the Bluetooth protocol, synchronization information required for synchronizing the audio receiver device to the audio source device to receive an Auracast stream; synchronizing, by the Broadcast Assistant device, to an Auracast periodic advertising of the audio source device; providing, by the Broadcast Assistant device, the synchronization information to the audio receiver device; and synchronizing the audio receiver device to the audio source device for receiving the Auracast stream from the audio receiver device.