Earbud-to-earbud communication relay
Various arrangements of wireless earbuds are presented. A first earbud, can include a first speaker, a first processing system, and a first wireless communication interface, that communicates with an audio source device using Bluetooth communications. A second earbud can include a second speaker, a second processing system, and a second wireless communication interface, that communicates with the audio source device and the first earbud using Bluetooth communications. The first earbud and the second earbud may be configured to wirelessly communicate with each other following completion of a first connected isochronous stream (CIS) event for the first earbud and second CIS event for the second earbud within a connected isochronous group (CIG) event.
1 . A short-range communication system, comprising:
a pair of wireless earbuds, comprising:
a first earbud, comprising a first speaker, a first processing system, and a first wireless communication interface, that communicates with an audio source device using Bluetooth communications; and
a second earbud, comprising a second speaker, a second processing system, and a second wireless communication interface, that communicates with the audio source device using Bluetooth communications, wherein:
the first earbud and the second earbud are not physically connected together and the pair of wireless earbuds are not physically connected with the audio source device;
the first earbud and the second earbud are configured to wirelessly communicate with each other following completion of a first connected isochronous stream (CIS) event for the first earbud and second CIS event for the second earbud within a connected isochronous group (CIG) interval; and
the first processing system of the first earbud is configured to, within the CIG interval after conclusion of the first CIS event and the second CIS event, cause a request for the audio data to be transmitted directly to the second earbud from the first earbud.
2 . The short-range communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first processing system of the first earbud is configured to:
determine that an audio packet addressed to the first earbud failed to be properly received during the first CIS event of the CIG interval.
3 . The short-range communication system of claim 2 , wherein the second processing system of the second earbud is configured to:
determine that the audio packet addressed to the first earbud has been successfully received by the second earbud; and
store audio data from the audio packet.
4 . The short-range communication system of claim 1 , wherein the second processing system of the second earbud is configured to:
in response to receiving the request for the audio data from the first earbud, cause a second audio packet comprising the audio data from the audio packet received from the audio source device to be transmitted directly to the first earbud within the CIG interval after the conclusion of the first CIS event and the second CIS event.
5 . The short-range communication system of claim 4 , wherein the first processing system of the first earbud is further configured to:
in response to receiving the second audio packet directly from the second earbud within the CIG interval, cause a second acknowledgement to be transmitted to the second earbud.
6 . The short-range communication system of claim 5 , wherein the short-range communication system further comprises the audio source device, wherein the audio source device is a smartphone.
7 . The short-range communication system of claim 5 , wherein the Bluetooth communications are in accordance with the Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) standard.
8 . A method for short-range wireless communication, comprising:
determining, by a first earbud of a pair of earbuds, that an audio packet addressed to the first earbud from an audio source was not properly received during a first connected isochronous stream (CIS) event;
determining, by a second earbud of the pair of earbuds from the audio source, that the audio packet addressed to the first earbud was properly received during the first CIS event;
following completion of the first CIS event for the first earbud and second CIS event for the second earbud within a connected isochronous group (CIG) interval, transmitting, by the second earbud directly to the first earbud, audio data from the audio packet addressed to the first earbud; and
within the CIG interval after conclusion of the first CIS event and the second CIS event, transmitting, by the first earbud, a request for the audio data directly to the second earbud.
9 . The method for short-range wireless communication of claim 8 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the request for the audio data from the first earbud, transmitting, by the second earbud, a second audio packet comprising the audio data from the audio packet directly to the first earbud within the CIG interval.
10 . The method for short-range wireless communication of claim 8 , wherein the request comprises a second set of audio data corresponding to a second audio packet addressed to the second earbud from the audio source.
11 . The method for short-range wireless communication of claim 9 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the second audio packet directly from the second earbud within the CIG interval, transmitting a second acknowledgement directly to the second earbud.
12 . The method for short-range wireless communication of claim 9 , wherein the audio source is selected from a group consisting of: a smartphone, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer.
13 . The method for short-range wireless communication of claim 12 , wherein communications between the audio source and the pair of earbuds are in accordance with the Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) standard.
14 . True wireless earbuds, comprising:
a first earbud, comprising a first speaker, a first processing system, and a first wireless communication interface, that communicates with an audio source device using Bluetooth communications; and
a second earbud, comprising a second speaker, a second processing system, and a second wireless communication interface, that communicates with the audio source device and the first earbud using Bluetooth communications, wherein:
the first earbud and the second earbud are not physically connected and the first earbud and the second earbud are not physically connected with the audio source device; and
the first earbud and the second earbud are configured to wirelessly communicate with each other following completion of a first connected isochronous stream (CIS) event for the first earbud and second CIS event for the second earbud within a connected isochronous group (CIG) interval;
wherein the first processing system of the first earbud is configured to, within the CIG interval after conclusion of the first CIS event and the second CIS event, cause a request for the audio data to be transmitted directly to the second earbud from the first earbud.
15 . The true wireless earbuds of claim 14 , wherein the first processing system of the first earbud is configured to:
determine that an audio packet addressed to the first earbud failed to be properly received during the first CIS event of the CIG interval.
16 . The true wireless earbuds of claim 15 , wherein the second processing system of the second earbud is configured to:
determine that the audio packet addressed to the first earbud has been successfully received by the second earbud; and
storing audio data from the audio packet.
17 . The true wireless earbuds of claim 14 , wherein the second processing system of the second earbud is configured to:
in response to receiving the request for the audio data from the first earbud, cause a second audio packet comprising the audio data from the audio packet received from the audio source device to be transmitted directly to the first earbud within the CIG interval after the conclusion of the first CIS event and the second CIS event.