IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,348,942
Granted Patent B2
US 12,348,942 · App. 18/209,283 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Wireless audio synchronization

Inventors: Debasmit Banerjee (Everett, MA); Michael William Elliot (Grafton, MA)
Assignee: Bose Corporation
H04R3/12H04J3/0632H04J3/0641H04J3/0667H04R5/04H04R27/00H04W56/0015H04R2227/003H04R2227/005H04R2420/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,348,942
App. No.
18/209,283
Filed
Jun 13, 2023
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2692
USPC
700/94
Abstract

Techniques for wireless audio synchronization are disclosed herein. An example system includes a plurality of audio playback devices including a first audio playback device and a second audio playback device. The first audio playback device is connected to an audio source via a Bluetooth connection to receive audio content, and the first audio playback device is configured to distribute the audio content to at least one other audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices. The second audio playback device is configured to distribute clock information via a wireless network to at least one other audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices.

Claims (24)

1. A system including a plurality of audio playback devices, the system comprising:

a first audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices, the first audio playback device connected to an audio source via a Bluetooth connection to receive audio content, the first audio playback device configured to distribute the audio content to at least one other audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices; and

a second audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices, the second audio playback device configured to distribute clock information via a wireless network to at least one other audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices;

wherein the second audio playback device is selected from among the plurality of audio playback devices by a leader selection algorithm that does not consider the first audio playback device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one other audio playback device that is configured to receive audio content from the first audio playback device includes the second audio playback device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one other audio playback device that is configured to receive clock information from the second audio playback device includes the first audio playback device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the clock information is used to help determine playback timing for the audio content.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one other audio playback device that is configured to receive audio content from the first audio playback device is in a group with the first audio playback device, and wherein the group is configured to render the audio content in synchrony based at least in part on the clock information.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one other audio playback device that is configured to receive audio content from the first audio playback device includes the second audio playback device.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one other audio playback device that is configured to receive clock information from the second audio playback device includes the first audio playback device, and wherein the second audio playback device is outside of the group.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second audio playback device is configured to distribute the clock information to the at least one other audio playback device before the first audio playback device is configured to distribute the audio content to the at least one other audio playback device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first audio playback device is further configured to distribute an identification of when the audio content should be played.

10. A method of distributing audio content for a plurality of audio playback devices, the method comprising:

distributing, by a first audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices, audio content to at least one other audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices, wherein the audio content was received from an audio source via a Bluetooth connection;

selecting a second audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices, by a leader selection algorithm that does not consider the first audio playback device; and

distributing, by the second audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices, clock information via a wireless network to at least one other audio playback device of the plurality of audio playback devices.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one other audio playback device that is configured to receive audio content from the first audio playback device includes the second audio playback device.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one other audio playback device that is configured to receive clock information from the second audio playback device includes the first audio playback device.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the clock information is used to help determine playback timing for the audio content.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one other audio playback device that is configured to receive audio content from the first audio playback device is in a group with the first audio playback device, and wherein the group is configured to render the audio content in synchrony based at least in part on the clock information.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one other audio playback device that is configured to receive audio content from the first audio playback device includes the second audio playback device.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one other audio playback device that is configured to receive clock information from the second audio playback device includes the first audio playback device, and wherein the second audio playback device is outside of the group.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second audio playback device is configured to distribute the clock information to the at least one other audio playback device before the first audio playback device is configured to distribute the audio content to the at least one other audio playback device.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising distributing, from the first audio playback device, an identification of when the audio content should be played.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2025
From: BOSE CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 070438/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2024
From: BANERJEE, DEBASMIT; ELLIOT, MICHAEL WILLIAM
To: BOSE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067030/0900 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17067145 · Oct 9, 2020
Continuation 16587957 · Sep 30, 2019
Continuation 15790465 · Oct 23, 2017
Related Publication 20230328437A1 · Oct 12, 2023
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