Seamless playback and switching for wireless communications devices
Systems, methods, and devices seamlessly playback data files using one or more wireless connections. Methods include establishing a first wireless connection and a second wireless connection between a first device and a second device, the first wireless connection using a first communication protocol. Methods further include transmitting audio data via the first wireless connection and determining a switch should be initiated based on one or more signal quality metrics representing an estimate of a quality of the first wireless connection. Methods also include operating the second wireless connection in an active mode and switching to the second wireless connection using a second communication protocol, and the switching comprising beginning encapsulation of the audio data in Bluetooth packets for transmission in accordance with the second communication protocol, wherein the Bluetooth packets are encapsulated in one or more data packets of the second communication protocol.
1. A method comprising:
establishing a first wireless connection between a first device and a second device, the first wireless connection using a first communication protocol;
establishing a second wireless connection between the first device and the second device such that the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection have both been established;
transmitting audio data via the first wireless connection;
determining, using a processing device, a switch should be initiated based on one or more signal quality metrics representing an estimate of a quality of the first wireless connection; and
switching to the second wireless connection using a second communication protocol, the switching comprising beginning encapsulation of the audio data in Bluetooth packets, performing data packet synchronization operations, and seamlessly transmitting the audio data via the second wireless connection in accordance with the second communication protocol, wherein the Bluetooth packets are encapsulated in one or more packets of the second communication protocol, and wherein the data packet synchronization operations align audio data while simultaneous transmission is occurring on the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second communication protocol is a Wi-Fi communication protocol.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the audio data is transmitted using Bluetooth A2DP data packets, and wherein audio data transmitted on the second wireless connection comprises Bluetooth A2DP data packets encapsulated for transmission using the Wi-Fi communication protocol.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more signal quality metrics include a packet loss value associated with the first wireless connection.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more signal quality metrics include a bit error rate value associated with the first wireless connection.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising estimating the bit error rate based on at least one of an RSSI value, a bit reliability value, and a distance between the first device and the second device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is an audio streamer, wherein the second device is a wireless headset, and wherein the switching is implemented while the wireless headset is playing received audio data.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching further comprises:
transmitting the audio data on both the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection;
receiving a switch complete notification from the second device; and
disconnecting the first wireless connection.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol, and wherein the second communication protocol is a Wi-Fi communication protocol.
10. A system comprising:
a first transceiver included in a first device and configured to transmit and receive data values via a first wireless connection and in accordance with a Bluetooth communication protocol;
a second transceiver included in the first device and configured to transmit and receive data values via a second wireless connection and in accordance with a Wi-Fi communication protocol;
a first antenna coupled to the first transceiver;
a second antenna coupled to the second transceiver; and
a processing device comprising one or more processors configured to:
establish, via the first transceiver, a first wireless connection between the first device and a second device;
establish, via the second transceiver, a second wireless connection between the first device and the second device such that the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection have both been established;
transmit audio data via the first wireless connection;
determine a switch should be initiated based on one or more signal quality metrics representing an estimate of a quality of the first wireless connection; and
switch to the second wireless connection, the switching comprising beginning encapsulation of the audio data in Bluetooth packets, performing data packet synchronization operations, and seamlessly transmitting the audio data via the second wireless connection in accordance with the Wi-Fi communication protocol, wherein the Bluetooth packets are encapsulated in one or more data packets of the Wi-Fi communication protocol, and wherein the data packet synchronization operations align audio data while simultaneous transmission is occurring on the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more signal quality metrics include a packet loss value associated with the first wireless connection.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the audio data is transmitted using Bluetooth A2DP data packets, and wherein audio data transmitted on the second wireless connection comprises Bluetooth A2DP data packets encapsulated for transmission using the Wi-Fi communication protocol.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more signal quality metrics include a bit error rate value associated with the first wireless connection.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first device is an audio streamer, and wherein the second device is a wireless headset.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the switching is implemented while the wireless headset is playing received audio data.
16. A device comprising:
a first transceiver included in a first device and configured to transmit and receive data values via a first wireless connection and in accordance with a first communication protocol;
a second transceiver included in the first device and configured to transmit and receive data values via a second wireless connection and in accordance with a second communication protocol; and
a processing device comprising one or more processors configured to:
establish, via the first transceiver, a first wireless connection between the first device and a second device;
establish, via the second transceiver, a second wireless connection between the first device and the second device such that the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection have both been established;
transmit audio data via the first wireless connection;
determine a switch should be initiated based on one or more signal quality metrics representing an estimate of a quality of the first wireless connection; and
switch to the second wireless connection, the switching comprising beginning encapsulation of the audio data in Bluetooth packets, performing data packet synchronization operations, and seamlessly transmitting the audio data via the second wireless connection in accordance with the second communication protocol, wherein the Bluetooth packets are encapsulated in one or more data packets of the second communication protocol, and wherein the data packet synchronization operations align audio data while simultaneous transmission is occurring on the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection.
17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the second communication protocol is a Wi-Fi communication protocol, wherein the audio data is transmitted using Bluetooth A2DP data packets, and wherein audio data transmitted on the second wireless connection comprises Bluetooth A2DP data packets encapsulated for transmission using the Wi-Fi communication protocol.
18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the one or more signal quality metrics include a packet loss value associated with the first wireless connection.
19. The device of claim 16 , wherein the one or more signal quality metrics include a bit error rate value associated with the first wireless connection.
20. The device of claim 16 , wherein the first device is an audio streamer, and wherein the second device is a wireless headset, and wherein the switching is implemented while the wireless headset is playing received audio data.