Scalable Controller Architecture for Reliable Isochronous BLE Audio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Audio technologies face performance limitations due to restricted retransmissions in environments with fading or interference, particularly in WBA and WLLA functions, which are unsuitable for high-definition audio broadcasting and low-latency applications with higher performance requirements, and existing solutions require significant modifications to the transmitting device or chip design.
Innovation Solution
A scalable controller architecture with a master controller and slave controllers, which adaptively utilize multiple slave controllers to assist the master controller in receiving isochronous stream audio data packets, enhancing communication performance and reliability without requiring modifications to the transmitting device or chip design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the BIG master device uses timesharing transmission with A2DP or Wi-Fi audio sources, then the system can support multiple audio protocols, but the number of BIG retransmissions is limited resulting in unsatisfactory WBA performance
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving device is divided into a master receiving device and one or more slave receiving devices. The master receiving device handles control and coordination, while slave receiving devices perform synchronous reception of audio data packets. This segmentation allows the system to maintain protocol versatility while improving transmission reliability through multiple reception paths.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple receiving devices (master and slave) are combined to work together on the same audio data reception task. The slave receiving devices synchronize with the master receiving device to receive the same audio data packets, effectively merging their reception capabilities to overcome the limitation of restricted retransmissions in single-device configurations.
2Loss of time
If the CIG isochronous interval is set very small to ensure low latency, then WLLA latency is reduced, but the ability to increase retransmissions is limited further reducing WLLA performance
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving function is segmented across multiple devices with slave receiving devices assisting the master receiving device. This allows the system to maintain small isochronous intervals for low latency while compensating for limited retransmission opportunities through parallel reception capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
Slave receiving devices are pre-configured to synchronously receive audio data packets alongside the master receiving device. This preliminary preparation ensures that when retransmissions are needed, the system already has multiple reception paths ready, eliminating the need to increase isochronous interval size.
3Reliability
If existing solutions use multichannel-based multi-transmitting device technology or multi-radio frequency-based multi-receiving path technology to increase retransmissions, then transmission reliability improves, but significant modifications to transmitting device or chip design are required leading to increased development costs
Solution Approach 1:
The slave receiving devices use the same reception architecture and protocols as the master receiving device. This universal design allows multiple devices to work together without requiring specialized hardware modifications, reducing development complexity while improving transmission reliability through coordinated reception.
Solution Approach 2:
The slave receiving devices are essentially copies of the master receiving device's reception functionality. By replicating the reception capability across multiple devices rather than designing complex multi-channel transmission systems, the solution improves reliability while keeping individual device design simple and cost-effective.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a wireless audio data transmission method, a scalable controller, and a receiving device. This method is applied to a scalable controller that consists of a master controller and at least one slave controller. The method comprises: operating the scalable controller in a first working mode during isochronous stream audio transmission; receiving, by the master controller, a first audio data packet transmitted by an audio transmitting device when the master controller is enabled and obtaining, by the master controller, the reception status of the first audio data packet from at least one enabled slave controller; determining, by the master controller, a target first audio data packet based on the reception status of the first audio data packet received by the master controller and the reception status reported by the enabled slave controller; and reporting, by the master controller, the target first audio data packet to a host processor. This method increases the equivalent number of retransmissions, enhancing communication performance and improving the transmission reliability of isochronous stream audio. Additionally, it achieves these benefits without requiring significant modifications to the transmitting device or chip designs.