IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,395,367
Granted Patent B2
US 12,395,367 · App. 17/877,284 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

Peer-to-peer Bluetooth voice chat

Inventor: Andrew Estrada (Escondido, CA)
Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
H04L12/1813H04R1/10H04W4/80H04W76/14H04R2420/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,395,367
App. No.
17/877,284
Granted
Aug 19, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some implementations, a method includes transmitting, from a first terminal node, a first audio message to a second terminal node, where the first terminal node includes a first left ear device and a first right ear device, and where the second terminal node includes a second left ear device and a second right ear device. The method further includes transmitting, from the second terminal node, a second audio message to the first terminal node, where audio transmissions of a voice chat are transmitted directly between the first terminal node and the second terminal node.

Claims (49)

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

transmitting, in a Bluetooth broadcast, a first audio message of a group voice chat from a first terminal node to a second terminal node, wherein audio transmissions of the group voice chat are transmitted in a sequence of time intervals, wherein the time intervals include subintervals, wherein the first terminal node includes a first left ear device and a first right ear device, wherein the first terminal node is assigned to a first time interval of the time intervals, wherein the second terminal node includes a second left ear device and a second right ear device, and wherein the second terminal node is assigned to a second time interval of the time intervals, wherein the transmitting further comprises:

allocating subintervals to left ear devices of terminal nodes participating in the group voice chat;

allocating subintervals to right ear devices of terminal nodes participating in the group voice chat; and

causing transmitters of the left ear devices and the right ear devices to transmit audio messages during their respective subintervals; and

transmitting, from the second terminal node, a second audio message to the first terminal node, wherein audio transmissions of a voice chat are transmitted directly between the first terminal node and the second terminal node.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first subinterval is allocated to the node that initiates the group voice.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic when executed is further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising pairing the second left ear device and the second right ear device of the second terminal node, and wherein the second left ear device and second right ear device receive audio transmissions substantially simultaneously.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic when executed is further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

pairing the second left ear device and second right ear device of the second terminal node;

selecting one of the second left ear device and the second right ear device to function as a primary transmitter of the second terminal node; and

transmitting, from the primary transmitter, the second audio message to the first terminal node.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the first audio message from the first terminal node to the second terminal node is a Bluetooth broadcast.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic when executed is further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

establishing communication between a smartphone and the second left ear device and the second right ear device of the second terminal node;

selecting, at the smartphone, one of the second left ear device and the second right ear device to function as a primary transmitter; and

transmitting, from the primary transmitter, the audio message to the first terminal node.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions when executed by one or more processors are operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

transmitting, in a Bluetooth broadcast, a first audio message of a group voice chat from a first terminal node to a second terminal node, wherein audio transmissions of the group voice chat are transmitted in a sequence of time intervals, wherein the time intervals include subintervals, wherein the first terminal node includes a first left ear device and a first right ear device, wherein the first terminal node is assigned to a first time interval of the time intervals, wherein the second terminal node includes a second left ear device and a second right ear device, and wherein the second terminal node is assigned to a second time interval of the time intervals, wherein the transmitting further comprises:

allocating subintervals to left ear devices of terminal nodes participating in the group voice chat;

allocating subintervals to right ear devices of terminal nodes participating in the group voice chat; and

causing transmitters of the left ear devices and the right ear devices to transmit audio messages during their respective subintervals; and

transmitting, from the second terminal node, a second audio message to the first terminal node, wherein audio transmissions of a voice chat are transmitted directly between the first terminal node and the second terminal node.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the first terminal node and the second terminal node are wearable devices.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions when executed are further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising pairing the second left ear device and the second right ear device of the second terminal node, and wherein the second left ear device and second right ear device receive audio transmissions substantially simultaneously.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions when executed are further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

pairing the second left ear device and second right ear device of the second terminal node;

selecting one of the second left ear device and the second right ear device to function as a primary transmitter of the second terminal node; and

transmitting, from the primary transmitter, the second audio message to the first terminal node.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the transmitting of the first audio message from the first terminal node to the second terminal node is a Bluetooth broadcast.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions when executed are further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

establishing communication between a smartphone and the second left ear device and the second right ear device of the second terminal node;

selecting, at the smartphone, one of the second left ear device and the second right ear device to function as a primary transmitter; and

transmitting, from the primary transmitter, the audio message to the first terminal node.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting, in a Bluetooth broadcast, a first audio message of a group voice chat from a first terminal node to a second terminal node, wherein audio transmissions of the group voice chat are transmitted in a sequence of time intervals, wherein the time intervals include subintervals, wherein the first terminal node includes a first left ear device and a first right ear device, wherein the first terminal node is assigned to a first time interval of the time intervals, wherein the second terminal node includes a second left ear device and a second right ear device, and wherein the second terminal node is assigned to a second time interval of the time intervals, wherein the transmitting further comprises:

allocating subintervals to left ear devices of terminal nodes participating in the group voice chat;

allocating subintervals to right ear devices of terminal nodes participating in the group voice chat; and

causing transmitters of the left ear devices and the right ear devices to transmit audio messages during their respective subintervals; and

transmitting, from the second terminal node, a second audio message to the first terminal node, wherein audio transmissions of a voice chat are transmitted directly between the first terminal node and the second terminal node.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first terminal node and the second terminal node are wearable devices.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising pairing the second left ear device and the second right ear device of the second terminal node, wherein the second left ear device and second right ear device receive audio transmissions substantially simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

pairing the second left ear device and second right ear device of the second terminal node;

selecting one of the second left ear device and second right ear device to function as a primary transmitter of the second terminal node; and

transmitting, from the primary transmitter, the second audio message to the first terminal node.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the transmitting of the first audio message from the first terminal node to the second terminal node is a Bluetooth broadcast.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2022
From: ESTRADA, ANDREW
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060762/0263 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240039745A1 · Feb 1, 2024
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