Low energy audio streaming
Systems, methods, software and apparatus enable low energy communication of audio data between an end user device and an associated intermediate communication device. Audio data is transmitted between the end user source device and associated intermediate communication device by cyclical updating and low energy transmission of data values as audio data packet fragments representing the audio data, which are assembled into audio data packets by the associated intermediate communication device. Packaged audio data is transmitted from one intermediate communication device to another intermediate communication device that is associated with an end user sink device. The end user sink device's associated intermediate communication device unpacks and transmits audio data packet fragments to the end user sink device by cyclical updating of and low energy transmission of data values as audio data packet fragments representing the audio data that are converted into acoustic signals.
1. A method of transmitting audio data from a first end user device to a second end user device, the method comprising:
a first intermediate communication device receiving a first plurality of audio data packet fragments from a first end user device via Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication, wherein the first end user device generates the first plurality of audio data packet fragments, further wherein each audio data packet fragment comprises audio data collected from an audio data stream;
the first intermediate communication device assembling a plurality of audio data packets, wherein each audio data packet comprises N audio data packet fragments from the received first plurality of audio data packet fragments; and
the first intermediate communication device transmitting the plurality of audio data packets to the second end user device over a communication network.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of audio data packet fragments comprises a plurality of BLE characteristics that are cyclically updated and transmitted from the first end user device to the first intermediate communication device.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a communication link between the first end user device and the first intermediate communication device prior to the intermediate communication device receiving the first plurality of audio data packet fragments.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising encrypting the plurality of audio data packets prior to transmission over the communication network.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the plurality of audio data packets to the second end user device over a communication network comprises generating HTTP chunks comprised of portions of the plurality of audio data packets.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the first end user device updating a BLE status characteristic prior to transmitting the first plurality of audio data packet fragments.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first end user device utilizes a push-to-talk audio transmission attribute.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio data packets are Opus audio codec packets and further wherein each Opus audio codec packet includes N audio data packet fragments.
9. A method of transmitting audio data from a first communication node to a second communication node, wherein the first communication node comprises a first end user device and a first intermediate communication device linked to the first end user device, the method comprising:
the first end user device generating a first plurality of audio data packet fragments, wherein each audio data packet fragment comprises audio data obtained from an audio data stream;
the first end user device transmitting the first plurality of audio data packet fragments to the first intermediate communication device via Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication;
the first intermediate communication device assembling a plurality of audio data packets, wherein each audio data packet comprises N audio data packet fragments; and
the first intermediate communication device transmitting the plurality of audio data packets to the second communication node over a communication network.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first plurality of audio data packet fragments comprises a plurality of BLE characteristics that are cyclically updated and transmitted from the first end user device to the first intermediate communication device.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising encrypting the plurality of audio data packets prior to transmission over the communication network.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the first end user device updating a BLE push-to-talk status characteristic prior to transmitting the first plurality of audio data packet fragments.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the audio data packets are Opus audio codec packets.
14. The method of claim 9 wherein the first intermediate communication device transmitting the plurality of audio data packets to the second communication node over a communication network comprises:
the second communication node comprising a second end user device linked to a second intermediate communication device;
the second intermediate communication device receiving the plurality of audio data packets from the communication network;
the second intermediate communication device generating a second plurality of audio data packet fragments from the received plurality of audio data packets;
the second intermediate communication device transmitting the second plurality of audio data packet fragments to the second end user device via Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication; and
the second end user device generating the audio data stream, wherein generating the audio data stream comprises unpacking audio data from the second plurality of audio data packet fragments.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the second plurality of audio data packet fragments comprises a plurality of BLE characteristics that are cyclically updated and transmitted from the second intermediate communication device to the second end user device.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein transmitting the plurality of audio data packets to a second intermediate communication device over a communication network comprises generating HTTP chunks comprised of portions of the plurality of audio data packets.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the second end user device updating a BLE push-to-talk status characteristic prior to the second intermediate communication device transmitting the second plurality of audio data packet fragments to the second end user device.
18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a low energy audio streaming communication application stored thereon, the low energy audio streaming communication application including instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a first intermediate communication device, cause the first intermediate communication device to:
exchange a plurality audio data packet fragments with an end user device via Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication, wherein the plurality of audio data packet fragments comprises a plurality of BLE characteristics that are cyclically updated, further wherein each BLE characteristic comprises audio data obtained from an audio data stream; and
exchange audio data packets with a second communication device via a communication network, wherein each audio data packet comprises N audio data packet fragments from the plurality of audio data packet fragments.
19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein exchanging a plurality of audio data packet fragments with the end user device comprises the first intermediate communication device receiving the plurality of audio data packet fragments from the end user device via BLE communications; and
further wherein exchanging audio data packets with the second intermediate communication device comprises the first intermediate communication device transmitting the audio data packets to the second intermediate communication device via the communication network.
20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein exchanging a plurality of audio data packet fragments with the end user device comprises the first intermediate communication device transmitting the plurality of audio data packet fragments to the end user device via BLE communications; and
further wherein exchanging audio data packets with the second intermediate communication device comprises the first intermediate communication device receiving the audio data packets from the second intermediate communication device via the communication network.