Bose Corporation

Michael William Elliot

Debasmit Banerjee

Trevor Irving Lai

Mark Corey Hatch

Gregg Michael Duthaler

Matthew Christopher Smith

Rameshwar Sundaresan

Pankaj Aggarwal

Michael Malone

Dmitrij Golubovskij

Don Lovis Drinkwater

Douglas Warren Young

Paulo Souza Mendes

Marc Nicolas Gudell

George Kontopidis

Dylan Maxwell Reilly

Liam Bowler

Mark Westerhoff

Ranjeet Thooyath Ravindran

Audio drop outs may be reduced by incorporating audio latency variability metrics in handover decision making algorithms. In aspects, predictive audio latency variability metrics, in combination with signal quality measurements, are used to determine when to handover primary earbud responsibilities between earbuds of an earbud system.

Latency-based primary bud role swap

Techniques for wireless audio synchronization are disclosed herein. An example system includes a plurality of audio playback devices including a first audio playback device and a second audio playback device. The first audio playback device is connected to an audio source via a Bluetooth connection to receive audio content, and the first audio playback device is configured to distribute the audio content to at least one other audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices. The second audio playback device is configured to distribute clock information via a wireless network to at least one other audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices.

Wireless audio synchronization

Methods, devices, and systems are provided for synchronizing a source device with a sink device. In some examples, the source device plays first audio using, e.g., an electro-acoustic transducer. The source device transmits a stream of packets to the sink device to be used by the sink device for playing second audio, where the playing of the second audio is to be synchronized within a predefined tolerance with the playing of the first audio. In response to determining there is a delay in average packet arrival times of the stream of packets at the sink device, the source device adjusts the playing of the first audio to maintain synchronization with the playing of the second audio within the predefined tolerance.

Audio synchronization in wireless systems

The present disclosure includes techniques for providing timing for outputting audio from two or more devices. An example method includes determining, at a first device, timing for outputting audio from a second device and a third device in an attempt to have the audio from the second and third devices play in a synchronized manner. The example method further includes communicating from the first device to the second device, using a first wireless communication technology (e.g., Wi-Fi), the timing for outputting the audio. The example method further includes communicating from the first device to the third device, using a second wireless communication technology (e.g., Bluetooth) that is different from the first wireless communication technology, the timing for outputting the audio.

Latency negotiation in a heterogeneous network of synchronized speakers

A method is provided that can be performed by an audio source for negotiating latency in an audio network. The audio source receives information regarding an audio processing latency associated with each of a set of two or more audio output devices connected to the audio network. The audio source determines, based at least on the received information, a maximum delay for outputting audio samples streamed by the audio source from the audio output devices in the set. The audio source determines, based on the maximum delay, timing for outputting the audio samples from the audio output devices in the set. The audio source then communicates the determined timing to the set of audio output devices for processing the audio samples in accordance with the timing.

An audio distribution system includes an audio source; and a plurality of audio playback devices in communication with each other and with the audio source. A group of the audio playback devices are arranged to render audio content provided by the audio source in synchrony. One of the audio playback devices within the group is configured as an audio master which distributes audio content from the audio source to the other audio playback devices within the group, and one of the plurality of audio playback devices, other than the audio master, is configured as a clock master, which distributes clock information that the group of audio playback devices synchronizes to.

A method is provided for synchronizing a source device with a sink device. The source device transmits a stream of packets to the sink device. The source device receives feedback from the sink device indicating packet arrival times of the packets at the sink device. Based on the feedback, in some aspects, the source device determines an average time shift in the packet arrival times at the sink device, wherein the average time shift is relative to expected packet arrival times of the packets at the sink device. In some such aspects, the source device detects that the average time shift exceeds a threshold, and in response to the detecting, adjusts a streaming time of the stream of packets to synchronize, within a predefined tolerance, the source device with the sink device.

A media system, method, and a computer program product for synchronizing device clocks including a plurality of devices having device clocks, where each device is capable of independently selecting a primary clock device from the plurality of devices to coordinate clock synchronization of the remaining devices, e.g., secondary devices. Each device can utilize the same criteria or set of rules to select the primary clock device from among the plurality of devices after an initial exchange of data during a discovery phase. The selection of the primary clock device can be based on random or arbitrary selection, or based on at least one devices characteristic exchanged within the data obtained during the discovery phase. Once selected, the primary clock device coordinates a clock synchronization sequence with each secondary device until each secondary device clock is synchronized to within a predetermined threshold with the primary clock of the primary clock device.

Systems and methods for synchronizing device clocks

A system and method for increasing reliability for media data distribution using an unreliable protocol within a network of devices is provided. A preemptive packet recovery (PPR) module is provided within a receiver to organize any correctly received payload packets and recover any missing payload packets using a plurality of forward error correction packets. The forward error correction packets include redundant payload data corresponding to the payload packets. If the PPR module is not able to recover a missing payload packet, the PPR module sends a Negative Acknowledgment (NACK) to the provider requesting that the provider resend the missing packet. The system relies on the recovery logic enabled by a packet reconstruction module to recover any missing packets and only requests the resending of missing packets when packets are not recoverable, thus maintaining the increased speed of UDP while increasing the reliability of the data being sent and received.

Systems and methods for increasing reliability for media data distribution

An audio system and method for establishing wireless data connections between a case and at least one wearable audio device is provided. The audio system can establish a first wireless data connection between the case and the wearable audio device and establish a second wireless data connection between the case and the internet. The case, in addition to electrical energy storage capacity or battery bank capabilities, can directly communicate with the internet to receive update data directly from a remote server and can pass on update data to wearable audio devices without the need for a peripheral device such as a smart phone or tablet operating an affiliated software application. The audio system provided allows for information, data, and functionality to be passed between the wearable audio devices and cloud-based services, via the case, including social networking, messaging, music services, news, entertainment, and Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP) communication services.

Methods and systems for communicating with device cases

A method includes receiving data in a first series of blocks each having a first number of audio samples and repackaging the data into a second series of blocks each having a second number of audio samples. The second number of audio samples is a non-integer fraction of the first number of audio samples. The method further includes transmitting the second series of blocks over a series of fixed duration time intervals, and adjusting the payload of adjacent time intervals to reduce jitter in the transmission of the second series of blocks.

Low latency audio distribution

A method of buffering audio data in an audio playback system that is adapted to receive and playback separate, discrete audio files from one or more audio sources, where the audio files comprise audio data, and where the audio playback system comprises a master device that receives audio files from a source, buffers the received audio data, and distributes the buffered audio data to one or more active slave audio playback devices. The master device requests a first audio file from an audio source, receives the first audio file, buffers audio data from the first audio file, and sends buffered audio data from the first audio file to one or more active slave audio playback devices. During playback of the audio data from the first audio file, the master device requests a second audio file from an audio source, receives the second audio file, buffers audio data from the second audio file, and sends buffered audio data from the second audio file to one or more active slave audio playback devices.

Audio data buffering

An audio distribution system includes a first playback device with a first clock time, and a second playback device with a second clock time. A wireless access point is wirelessly coupled to the first and second playback devices. The second playback device sends a time request to the first playback device via the wireless access point. The first playback device responds to the time request by sending a time response to the second playback device via the wireless access point. The second playback device calculates an update to the second clock time based on the time response, a first physical transmission rate between the second playback device and the wireless access point, and a second physical transmission rate between the first playback device and the wireless access point. The second playback device uses the update to the second clock time to playback audio in synchrony with the first playback device.

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Grafton, MA, United States of America

Michael William Elliot