IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,840,995
Granted Patent B1
US 10,840,995 · App. 16/673,291 · Granted Nov 17, 2020

Diversity techniques in true wireless stereo (TWS) shadowing

Inventors: Le Nguyen Luong (San Diego, CA); Thomas Cargill (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04B7/0888H04B7/0632H04B7/0802H04B17/318H04L43/106H04R3/12H04W4/80
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,840,995
App. No.
16/673,291
Granted
Nov 17, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for improved antenna selection diversity and audio quality. In one aspect, wireless audio devices, such as wireless earbuds, may provide link quality information and timestamps to a source device, which may use such information to select which antenna to use for a subsequent transmission.

Claims (54)

1. An apparatus for wireless communication at a source device, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

transmit, at a first antenna of the source device, a first packet to a first wireless audio device;

receive a second packet from the first wireless audio device in response to the transmission of the first packet, the second packet including a link quality indicator and a timestamp associated with a second wireless audio device, wherein the link quality indicator is indicative of a signal quality of a signal containing the first packet sniffed by the second wireless audio device; and

transmit, at the first antenna or a second antenna of the source device, a third packet to the first wireless audio device based on the link quality indicator in the second packet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

select the first antenna or the second antenna for transmission of the third packet based on the link quality indicator in the second packet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the timestamp identifies a time that the signal quality, represented by the link quality indicator, was measured at the second wireless audio device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the link quality indicator comprises a received signal strength indicator at the second wireless audio device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the link quality indicator comprises a signal-to-noise-ratio at the second wireless audio device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the link quality indicator comprises a packet error rate at the second wireless audio device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

determine the link quality indicator in the second packet is indicative of a signal quality of a signal from the first antenna based on the timestamp in the second packet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

compare the link quality indicator to a predetermined threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

select the second antenna for transmission of the third packet if the link quality indicator is less than the predetermined threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second packet further includes a link quality indicator and a timestamp associated with a reception of the first packet at the first wireless audio device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

compare the link quality indicator associated with the first wireless audio device to a first predetermined threshold; and

compare the link quality indicator associated with the second wireless audio device to a second predetermined threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are different.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are equal.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

select the second antenna for transmission of the third packet if at least one of: the link quality indicator associated with the first wireless audio device is less than the first predetermined threshold, or the link quality indicator associated with the second wireless audio device is less than the second predetermined threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

select the first antenna for transmission of the third packet if: the link quality indicator associated with the first wireless audio device is greater than the first predetermined threshold, and the link quality indicator associated with the second wireless audio device is greater than the second predetermined threshold.

16. An apparatus for wireless communication at a first wireless audio device, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

receive a first packet from a source device;

receive a second packet from a second wireless audio device, the second packet including a link quality indicator and a timestamp associated with the second wireless audio device, the link quality indicator being indicative of a signal quality of a signal containing the first packet sniffed by the second wireless audio device; and

transmit a third packet to the source device, the third packet including the link quality indicator and the timestamp associated with the second wireless audio device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the timestamp identifies a time that the signal quality, represented by the link quality indicator, was measured at the second wireless audio device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the link quality indicator comprises a received signal strength indicator at the second wireless audio device.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the link quality indicator comprises a signal-to-noise-ratio at the second wireless audio device.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the link quality indicator comprises a packet error rate at the second wireless audio device.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the third packet further includes a link quality indicator and a timestamp associated with the reception of the first packet at the first wireless device.

22. A system for wireless communication, comprising:

a first wireless audio device; and

a second wireless audio device in wireless communication with the first wireless audio device, the second wireless audio device configured to:

sniff a signal containing a first packet transmitted from a source device to the first wireless audio device, and

transmit a second packet to the first wireless audio device, the second packet including a link quality indicator and a timestamp associated with the sniffing of the signal at the second wireless audio device;

wherein the first wireless audio device is configured to transmit a third packet to the source device in response to receiving the second packet from the second wireless audio device, the third packet including the link quality indicator and the timestamp associated with the sniffing of the signal at the second wireless audio device.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the second wireless audio device is further configured to measure a signal quality of the sniffed signal.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the link quality indicator is indicative of the measured signal quality of the sniffed signal.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the timestamp identifies a time the signal quality was measured at the second wireless audio device.

26. The system of claim 22 , wherein the link quality indicator comprises a received signal strength indicator at the second wireless audio device.

27. The system of claim 22 , wherein the link quality indicator comprises a signal-to-noise-ratio at the second wireless audio device.

28. The system of claim 22 , wherein the link quality indicator comprises a packet error rate at the second wireless audio device.

29. The system of claim 22 , wherein the third packet further includes a link quality indicator and a timestamp associated with a reception of the first packet at the first wireless device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2020
From: LUONG, LE NGUYEN; CARGILL, THOMAS
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 051468/0842 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 2, 2020
From: LUONG, LE NGUYEN; CARGILL, THOMAS
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 051405/0664 →
Cited By (3)
US 12,207,071 US 12,294,457 US 12,513,447