Wireless audio splitter
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsAarti Kumar, Ahmad Rahmati, Natalia A. Fornshell, Sriram Hariharan
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Abstract
A host device communicating with a plurality of accessory devices transmits audio data packets via a broadcast channel to the plurality of accessory devices. When one of the plurality of accessory devices determines an audio data packet has not been received, the accessory device sends a negative-acknowledgement signal (NACK) via a unicast channel. The NACK indicates that the at least one of the accessory devices did not receive at least one audio data packet. The host device retransmits the at least one audio data packet indicated as not being received via the broadcast channel to the plurality of accessory devices. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
Claims20
A method for a host device communicating with a plurality of accessory devices, the method comprising:
- transmitting audio data packets via a broadcast channel to the plurality of accessory devices;
- receiving a negative-acknowledgement signal (NACK) sent from at least one of the accessory devices via a unicast channel, the NACK indicating that the at least one of the accessory devices did not receive at least one audio data packet;
- and
- retransmitting the at least one audio data packet indicated as not being received via the broadcast channel to the plurality of accessory devices.
A method for an accessory device communicating with a host device, the method comprising:
- receiving audio data packets transmitted from the host device via a broadcast channel;
- determining whether one of the audio data packets has not been received;
- sending a negative-acknowledgement signal (NACK) to the host device via a unicast channel based on the determination, the NACK indicating that at least one audio data packet has not been received by the accessory device;
- and
- receiving the indicated at least one audio packet, the indicated at least one audio data packet being retransmitted from the host device via the broadcast channel.
A host device comprising:
- a wireless transmitter;
- a wireless receiver;
- and
- a processor coupled to a memory configured to control the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver;
- wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to transmit audio data packets via a broadcast channel to a plurality of accessory devices;
- the wireless receiver is configured to receive a negative-acknowledgement signal (NACK) sent from at least one of the accessory devices via a unicast channel, the NACK indicating that the at least one of the accessory devices has not received at least one audio data packet;
- and
- the wireless transmitter is further configured to retransmit the at least one audio data packet indicated as not being received via the broadcast channel to the plurality of accessory devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.