IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,844,123
Granted Patent B2
US 11,844,123 · App. 17/850,346 · Granted Dec 12, 2023

Point-to-point ad hoc voice communication

Inventors: Esge B. Andersen (Campbell, CA); Cedrik Bacon (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W76/14G06F3/0488G06F3/04817G06F3/04842G06F3/167H04W76/10H04W84/18G06F3/0482G10L2015/223
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,844,123
App. No.
17/850,346
Granted
Dec 12, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wireless communication device establishes voice communication between a supported user and a selected remote device supporting another user via a point-to-point wireless ad hoc network link. The device selects a particular remote device, establishes an ad hoc network link with the selected remote device, and communicates voice communication signals with the selected remote device. Selection can be based upon a user interaction with the device which specifies the particular remote device. The user interaction can include interaction with a graphical representation of the particular remote device presented in a graphical user interface. The user interaction can include an audio command received via an audio interface of the device. The device can include one or more headset devices, including a pair of headset devices which can be switched between providing audio signals to a single user to supporting communication between separate users via an ad hoc network link.

Claims (63)

1. A device, comprising:

a wireless interface; and

one or more processors and memory configured to:

identify, to a user of the device, an identification of one or more other devices within a communication range of the device;

receive an indication to establish a communication link with at least one other device from the one or more other devices within the communication range of the device;

establish, using the wireless interface, a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link between the device and the at least one other device; and

receive one or more audio signals from the at least one other device using the point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a wearable device, a headset, a camera, a watch, a display, or a multifunction device.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises at least one of an audio interface, a graphical user interface, or a physical interface configured to receive the indication to establish the communication link with the at least one other device.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and memory are configured to receive the indication to establish the communication link with the at least one other device from a mobile device in communication with the device.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the communication link is established over an ad hoc point-to-point network link between the device and the at least one other device that does not include any intermediary devices.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and memory are configured to identify, to the user of the device, at least one of a proximity or a direction of the one or more other devices within the communication range of the device.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and memory are configured to identify, to the user of the device, information about a user of at least one of the one or more other devices within the communication range of the device.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and memory are configured to transmit one or more audio signals to the at least one other device using the point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and memory are configured to use the point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link to cause the at least one other device to provide one or more audio signals.

10. A first device, comprising:

a wireless interface; and

one or more processors and memory configured to:

receive one or more audio signals from a second device using a first point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link between the first device and the second device;

receive an indication to establish a communication link with at least one third device within a communication range of the first device;

establish, using the wireless interface, a second point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link between the first device and the at least one third device; and

transmit at least a portion of the one or more audio signals to the at least one third device using the second point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link.

11. The first device of claim 10 , wherein the first device comprises an audio device, a wearable device, a headset, a camera, a watch, a display, or a multifunction device.

12. The first device of claim 10 , wherein the communication link between the first device and the second device comprises a communication link other than a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link.

13. The first device of claim 10 , wherein the communication range comprises a range within which the first device can establish a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link, and wherein the second device is outside the communication range of the first device.

14. The first device of claim 10 , wherein the at least the portion of the one or more audio signals comprises audio signals associated with a right audio channel or audio signals associated with a left audio channel.

15. The first device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors and memory are configured to synchronize the at least a portion of the one or more audio signals transmitted to the at least one third device.

16. A first device, comprising:

a wireless interface; and

one or more processors and memory configured to:

receive an indication to establish a communication link with at least one second device within a communication range of the first device;

establish, using the wireless interface, a first point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link between the first device and the at least one second device; and

receive one or more audio signals from the at least one second device using the first point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link,

wherein the one or more audio signals comprise at least a portion of audio signals received by the at least one second device from a third device using a second point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link between the at least one second device and the third device, wherein the second point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link is different from the first point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link between the first device and the at least one second device.

17. The first device of claim 16 , wherein the first device comprises an audio device, a wearable device, a headset, a camera, a watch, a display, or a multifunction device.

18. The first device of claim 16 , wherein the communication range comprises a range within which the first device can establish a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link, and wherein the second device is outside the communication range of the first device.

19. The first device of claim 16 , wherein the first device comprises at least one of an audio interface, a graphical user interface, or a physical interface configured to receive the indication to establish the communication link with the at least one second device.

20. The first device of claim 16 , wherein the first device comprises at least one speaker configured to output the one or more audio signals.

21. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying, to a user of a device, an identification of one or more other devices within a communication range of the device;

receiving an indication to establish a communication link with at least one other device from the one or more other devices within the communication range of the device;

establishing a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link between the device and the at least one other device; and

receiving one or more audio signals from the at least one other device using the point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link.

22. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the communication link is established over an ad hoc point-to-point network link between the device and the at least one other device that does not include any intermediary devices.

23. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying, to the user of the device, at least one of (i) a proximity or a direction of the one or more other devices within the communication range of the device, or (ii) information about a user of at least one of the one or more other devices within the communication range of the device.

24. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

transmitting one or more audio signals to the at least one other device using the point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link; or

causing the at least one other device to provide one or more audio signals using the point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link.

25. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first device, one or more audio signals from a second device using a communication link between the first device and the second device;

receiving an indication to establish a communication link with at least one third device within a communication range of the first device;

establishing a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link between the first device and the at least one third device; and

transmitting at least a portion of the one or more audio signals to the at least one third device using the point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the communication range comprises a range within which the first device can establish a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link, and wherein the second device is outside the communication range of the first device.

27. The method of claim 25 , further comprising synchronizing, by the first device, the at least a portion of the one or more audio signals transmitted to the at least one third device.

28. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first device, an indication to establish a communication link with at least one second device within a communication range of the first device;

establishing a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link between the first device and the at least one second device; and

receiving one or more audio signals from the at least one second device using the point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link,

wherein the one or more audio signals comprise at least a portion of audio signals received by the at least one second device from a third device using a communication link between the at least one second device and the third device, wherein the communication link is different from the point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link between the first device and the at least one second device.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the communication range comprises a range within which the first device can establish a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication link, and wherein the second device is outside the communication range of the first device.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein the first device comprises at least one speaker configured to output the one or more audio signals.

Continuity (5)
Continuation 16908552 · Jun 22, 2020
Continuation 16112555 · Aug 24, 2018
Continuation 15633468 · Jun 26, 2017
Continuation 14552155 · Nov 24, 2014
Related Publication 20220400526A1 · Dec 15, 2022
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