Bluetooth audio exchange with transmission diversity

An audio communication system comprising:

• a primary hearing device configured to establish a first bi-directional wireless connection with a wireless communication device over a first wireless link;
• and
• a secondary hearing device configured to:
• eavesdrop on the first wireless link, over a second wireless link between the wireless communication device and the secondary hearing device, and
• establish a second bi-directional wireless connection with the primary hearing device over a third wireless link, wherein:
• the primary hearing device and the secondary hearing device are both configured to:
• monitor a link quality of the first wireless link and/or the link quality of the second wireless link;
• assign to the secondary hearing device a role of transmitting audio-related packets towards the wireless communication device, in place of the primary hearing device, based on quality parameters of at least one of the first wireless link or the second wireless link;
• and
• return to the primary hearing device the role of transmitting audio-related packets towards the wireless communication device based on the quality parameters of at least one of the first wireless link or the second wireless link,
• wherein during audio streaming, the primary hearing device remains in the first bi-directional wireless connection with the wireless communication device and transmits to the wireless communication device packets that are not audio-related, regardless of which hearing device has the role of transmitting audio-related packets towards the wireless communication device.

A method for operating two hearing devices, the method comprising:

• establishing a first bi-directional wireless connection between a primary hearing device and a wireless communication device over a first wireless link;
• eavesdropping on the first wireless link, by a secondary hearing device, over a second wireless link between the wireless communication device and the secondary hearing device;
• establishing a second bi-directional wireless connection between the primary hearing device and the secondary hearing device over a third wireless link;
• monitoring, by the primary hearing device, a link quality of the first wireless link and/or by the secondary hearing device, the link quality of the second wireless link;
• assigning to the secondary hearing device a role of transmitting audio-related packets towards the wireless communication device, in place of the primary hearing device, based on quality parameters of at least one of the first wireless link or the second wireless link;
• and
• returning to the primary hearing device the role of transmitting audio-related packets towards the wireless communication device based on the quality parameters of at least one of the first wireless link or the second wireless link,
• wherein the wireless link quality of the first or second wireless link is measured via measuring an outgoing packet error rate for the audio-related packets transmitted by the primary hearing device or the secondary hearing device towards the wireless communication device.