Wireless Audio Handover Using Pilot Packages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless audio streaming systems for hearing devices face challenges in seamless handover between transmitter units, leading to signal loss and increased power consumption due to the need for data transmission between devices during handover, especially in environments where signal strength decreases.
Innovation Solution
The method involves transmitting pilot packages from multiple transmitter units, containing information on channel and timing for receiving subsequent audio blocks, allowing hearing devices to seamlessly switch to alternative transmitter units without data transmission, thereby reducing power consumption and maintaining audio stream continuity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data transmission is performed between hearing device and transmitter units during handover, then handover reliability is improved, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transmits pilot packages containing handover information (transmitter unit address, time offset, channel identifier) before the actual handover occurs. This allows the hearing device to prepare for handover in advance without needing to transmit data during the critical handover moment, thus maintaining reliability while reducing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts essential handover information into separate pilot packages that are transmitted independently from the main audio data. This allows the hearing device to receive only the necessary handover parameters without processing full audio frames, reducing computational load and power consumption during handover transitions.
2Use of energy by moving object
If data transmission is minimized from hearing device to prolong battery life, then power consumption is reduced, but handover between transmitter units becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces pilot packages as an intermediary mechanism that carries handover information from transmitter units to the hearing device. These pilot packages serve as a simplified communication protocol that enables handover without requiring complex bidirectional data transmission, thus maintaining ease of operation while minimizing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the communication parameters during handover by switching from full audio data transmission to receiving only pilot packages containing essential handover parameters (address, time offset, channel identifier). This parameter change simplifies the handover process while maintaining ease of operation.
3Reliability
If audio stream is transmitted from multiple transmitter units, then audio streaming continuity is improved, but signal synchronization becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Pilot packages are transmitted in advance to provide the hearing device with synchronization information (time offset, channel identifier) before the actual audio data arrives from alternative transmitter units. This preliminary provision of timing and frequency information simplifies the synchronization process while ensuring audio streaming continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses identical pilot package formats from all transmitter units, creating a standardized template that the hearing device can process uniformly regardless of which transmitter unit is currently active. This copying of the pilot package structure across multiple transmitters simplifies synchronization by providing a consistent reference framework.
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for transmitting wireless audio streams in an audio system comprising a first transmitter unit. The method comprising: transmitting a first audio block in a first audio frame, the first audio block comprising a first primary audio package comprising transmitter unit address of the first transmitter unit; transmitting a first primary pilot package, the first primary pilot package comprising transmitter unit address of the first transmitter unit, a first primary time offset, and channel identifier of a first primary audio package of a second audio block in a second audio frame; and transmitting a first primary audio package of the second audio block at a start time depending on the first primary time offset and the channel identifier.