US 11,445,286 B1Granted

Wireless connection management

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsFnu Rohit Kumar, Snehalata Joshi

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Abstract

A system and method to manage handover between wireless audio devices (such as earbuds) of primary responsibility for communicating with a third device such as a phone or tablet. A first wireless audio output device manages communications between a third device and a second wireless audio output device. The wireless audio output devices determine the signal quality of the connection between them. If that signal quality drops below a threshold, the wireless audio output devices determine the rate of change of that signal quality. If that quality is dropping rapidly, the wireless audio output devices check to see which has the better connection to the third device. If the second wireless audio output device has a better connection to the third device than that of the first wireless audio output device, then the wireless audio output devices can trigger a handover from the first wireless audio output device to the second wireless audio output device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method comprising:

communicating, by a first wireless earbud, with a second wireless earbud over a first wireless connection, wherein the first wireless earbud and the second wireless earbud are part of an earbud pair;
communicating, by the first wireless earbud, with a mobile device over a second wireless connection, wherein the first wireless earbud acts as a primary earbud to manage communication between the mobile device and the earbud pair;
determining, by the first wireless earbud, a first value representing a first signal quality metric of the first wireless connection;
determining that the first value is less than a first threshold value;
in response to the first value being less than the first threshold value, determining a second value representing a first rate of change of the first signal quality metric for the first wireless connection;
determining that the second value is less than a second threshold value;
determining a fourth value representing a measurement of the first signal quality metric for the second wireless connection;
receiving, by the first wireless earbud and from the second wireless earbud, a fifth value representing a measurement of the first signal quality metric for a third wireless connection between the second wireless earbud and the mobile device;
determining, based on the fourth value and the fifth value, that the third wireless connection is better than the second wireless connection;
and
causing the second wireless earbud to act as the primary earbud, wherein the second wireless earbud manages communication between the mobile device and the earbud pair.

8 more elements

A system comprising:

at least one processor;
and
at least one memory including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
determine a first value of a signal quality metric of a first wireless connection between a first audio device and a second audio device;
determine that the first value satisfies a first condition;
determine a rate of change of the signal quality metric for the first wireless connection;
determine that the rate of change satisfies a second condition;
determine a second value of the signal quality metric for a second wireless connection between the first audio device and a third device;
determine a third value of the signal quality metric for a third wireless connection between the second audio device and the third device;
determine the second value and the third value to determine the third wireless connection is better than the second wireless connection;
and
cause a handover, from the first audio device to the second audio device, of responsibility for communication with the third device.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/325,733Filed 20 May 2021
Granted: 13 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H04M 1/05
Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers: specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
H04R 1/1041
Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones: mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements
H04M 1/6066
Involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone: including a wireless connection
H04M 1/72412
By interfacing with external accessories: using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Family

No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.

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