Granted Patent B2

US 12,641,369 · App. 18/519,857 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventors: Yajun Zhi (Xi'An, CN); Dong Xu (Xi'An, CN); Shaoying Zhao (Xi'An, CN); Fei Wang (Xi'An, CN); Kun Wang (Xi'An, CN)

Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

H04R3/12H04R1/1016H04R2420/07H04R2430/20

Abstract

Claims (93)

1 . A method for controlling a set of wireless earphones, the method comprising:

establishing a first Bluetooth (BT) connection between a first earphone of the set of wireless earphones and a source apparatus;

based on the source apparatus supporting Ultra Wide Band (UWB) connections:

establishing a first UWB connection between the first earphone and the source apparatus, and a second UWB connection between a second earphone of the set of wireless earphones and the source apparatus;

receiving, by the first earphone, audio data from the source apparatus using the first UWB connection, wherein the audio data is received from the source apparatus by the second earphone using the second UWB connection; and

relaying, by the first earphone, second control information corresponding to the second UWB connection from the second earphone to the source apparatus using the first BT connection.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

establishing a second BT connection between the first earphone and the second earphone;

receiving, by the first earphone, the second control information from the second earphone using the second BT connection; and

transmitting, by the first earphone, first control information corresponding to the first UWB connection and the second control information using the first BT connection.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

based on transmission of the audio data being completed using the first UWB connection and the second UWB connection:

disconnecting, by the first earphone, the first BT connection;

transmitting, by the first earphone, completion information indicating the completion of the transmission of the audio data to the second earphone using a second BT connection; and

disconnecting, by the first earphone, the first UWB connection, wherein the second earphone disconnects the second UWB connection based on the completion information.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the source apparatus not supporting the UWB connections:

establishing a third UWB connection between the first earphone and the second earphone;

receiving, by the first earphone, the audio data from the source apparatus through the first BT connection; and

transmitting, by the first earphone, the audio data to the second earphone using the third UWB connection.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

transmitting switching control information from the first earphone to the second earphone using the third UWB connection, based on an occurrence of a predetermined event;

establishing a third BT connection between the second earphone and the source apparatus based on the switching control information; and

receiving, by the first earphone through the third UWB connection, new audio data which is received from the source apparatus by the second earphone using the third BT connection.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the establishing a first UWB connection between the first earphone and the source apparatus, and a second UWB connection between the second earphone of the set of wireless earphones and the source apparatus comprises:

receiving a UWB Data Transfer Phase Control Message from the source apparatus to the first earphone and the second earphone, respectively; and

establishing the first UWB connection and the second UWB connection using the UWB Data Transfer Phase Control Message.

7 . The method according to claim 6 ,

wherein the audio data is configured to be in a UWB frame format.

8 . A wireless earphone system, comprising:

a first earphone configured to:

establish a first Bluetooth (BT) connection with a source apparatus,

based on the source apparatus supporting Ultra Wide Band (UWB) connections:

establish a first UWB connection with the source apparatus, and

receive audio data from the source apparatus using the first UWB connection; and

a second earphone configured to:

based on the source apparatus supporting the UWB connections:

establish a second UWB connection with the source apparatus, and

receive the audio data from the source apparatus using the second UWB connection,

wherein the first earphone is further configured to relay second control information corresponding to the second UWB connection from the second earphone to the source apparatus using the first BT connection.

9 . The wireless earphone system according to claim 8 ,

wherein the first earphone comprises:

a first BT module,

a first UWB module, and

a first scheduling module configured to control the first BT module to establish the first BT connection, and control the first UWB module to establish the first UWB connection and to receive the audio data from the source apparatus using the first UWB connection, and

wherein the second earphone comprises:

a second BT module,

a second UWB module, and

a second scheduling module configured to: control the second BT module to establish a second BT connection with the first BT module, and control the second UWB module to establish the second UWB connection and to receive the audio data from the source apparatus using the second UWB connection.

10 . The wireless earphone system according to claim 9 , wherein the first scheduling module is further configured to control the first BT module to:

receive the second control information from the second earphone using the second BT connection; and

transmit first control information corresponding to the first UWB connection and the second control information to the source apparatus using the first BT connection.

11 . The wireless earphone system according to claim 9 , wherein based on transmission of the audio data being completed through the first UWB connection and the second UWB connection, the first scheduling module is further configured to:

control the first BT module to disconnect the first BT connection,

control the first BT module to transmit information indicating the completion of the transmission of the audio data to the second earphone through the second BT connection, and

control the first UWB module to disconnect the first UWB connection, and

wherein based on the transmission of the audio data being completed through the first UWB connection and the second UWB connection, the second scheduling module is further configured to control the second UWB module to disconnect the second UWB connection.

12 . The wireless earphone system according to claim 9 , wherein based on the source apparatus not supporting the UWB connections, the first scheduling module is further configured to control the first UWB module to:

establish a third UWB connection with the second UWB module; and

transmit the audio data which is received via the first BT connection, to the second earphone through the third UWB connection.

13 . The wireless earphone system according to claim 12 , wherein based on an occurrence of a predetermined event, the first scheduling module is further configured to control the first UWB module to transmit switching control information to the second earphone using the third UWB connection, and

wherein based on the occurrence of the predetermined event, the second scheduling module is further configured to: control the second BT module to establish a third BT connection with the source apparatus based on the switching control information, and control the second UWB module to transmit the audio data which is received from the source apparatus using the third BT connection, to the first earphone using the third UWB connection.

14 . The wireless earphone system according to claim 8 ,

the first earphone is further configured to:

receive a UWB Data Transfer Phase Control Message from the source apparatus and establish the first UWB connection using the UWB Data Transfer Phase Control Message.

15 . An apparatus for controlling a set of wireless earphones, the apparatus comprising:

at least one memory storing instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:

establish a first Bluetooth (BT) connection between a first earphone of the set of wireless earphones and a source apparatus;

based on the source apparatus supporting Ultra Wide Band (UWB) connections:

establish a first UWB connection between the first earphone and the source apparatus, and a second UWB connection between a second earphone of the set of wireless earphones and the source apparatus;

receive, by the first earphone, audio data from the source apparatus using the first UWB connection, wherein the audio data is received from the source apparatus by the second earphone using the second UWB connection; and

relay, by the first earphone, second control information corresponding to the second UWB connection from the second earphone to the source apparatus using the first BT connection.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

establish a second BT connection between the first earphone and the second earphone;

receive, by the first earphone, the second control information from the second earphone using the second BT connection; and

transmit, by the first earphone, first control information corresponding to the first UWB connection and the second control information using the first BT connection.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

based on transmission of the audio data being completed using the first UWB connection and the second UWB connection:

disconnect, by the first earphone, the first BT connection;

transmit, by the first earphone, completion information indicating the completion of the transmission of the audio data to the second earphone using a second BT connection; and

disconnect, by the first earphone, the first UWB connection, wherein the second earphone disconnects the second UWB connection based on the completion information.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

based on the source apparatus not supporting the UWB connections:

establish a third UWB connection between the first earphone and the second earphone;

receive, by the first earphone, the audio data from the source apparatus through the first BT connection; and

transmit, by the first earphone, the audio data to the second earphone using the third UWB connection.

19 . The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

transmit switching control information from the first earphone to the second earphone using the third UWB connection, based on an occurrence of a predetermined event; and

receive, by the first earphone through the third UWB connection, new audio data which is received from the source apparatus by the second earphone using a third BT connection.

20 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

receive a UWB Data Transfer Phase Control Message from the source apparatus to the first earphone and the second earphone, respectively; and

establish the first UWB connection and the second UWB connection using the UWB Data Transfer Phase Control Message.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (28)