Multi-Radio Bluetooth Audio Stream Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless accessories, such as earbuds and AR/VR headsets, can only receive audio from a single host device when connected to multiple devices, leading to degraded link quality and a poor listening experience due to missed packets and retransmissions.
Innovation Solution
The method involves establishing two wireless communication interfaces with host devices, determining start times for content transmission or receipt, comparing the difference in start times to a threshold, and adjusting the start times to ensure they are synchronized within the threshold, allowing simultaneous receipt of content from multiple host devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single receiver is tuned to a single frequency to receive content from host transmitters, then the receiver can focus on one communication channel, but it misses packets from other host transmitters and requires retransmissions, degrading link quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single receiver into multiple receivers (first receiver and second receiver), each tuned to different frequencies. This segmentation allows simultaneous reception from multiple host transmitters on different frequencies without missing packets, eliminating the need for retransmissions and improving link quality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the accessory switches a single receiver between multiple host transmitters, then it can receive from different devices, but it cannot receive content from multiple devices at the same time, leading to degraded output quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the receiver into multiple independent receivers, each dedicated to a specific host transmitter frequency. This allows the accessory to maintain simultaneous connections with multiple devices while receiving content from all of them concurrently, preserving content quality and eliminating the need to switch between devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional reception system where the first receiver handles content from the first host transmitter and the second receiver handles content from the second host transmitter. Each receiver is specialized for its designated frequency, enabling the accessory to universally support multiple simultaneous connections without compromising reception quality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If content from multiple host devices is mixed and output simultaneously, then the accessory can provide multi-device functionality, but the output is degraded providing a poor listening experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the content processing into separate paths for each host device. The first receiver processes content from the first host transmitter independently, and the second receiver processes content from the second host transmitter independently. This segmentation prevents degradation that would occur from mixing content, allowing high-quality simultaneous output from multiple devices.
Data Source
AI summary
This document discloses technology generally related to an accessory that may wirelessly connect to one or more host devices such that the accessory is able to receive content from two or more of the host devices simultaneously. The accessory may have two or more wireless communication interfaces connected to two or more respective host devices via a type of wireless connection. The accessory may determine a time to simultaneously receive content from and/or transmit content to each of the host devices. The time may be determined by adjusting the start times for reception and/or transmission of content from the two or more host devices, and/or it may be determined based on the type of wireless connection. According to some examples, the accessory may determine a priority for each of the wireless connections using arbitration rules. The accessory may output the received content simultaneously.