阅读说明：本技术 基于声音连接设备 (Sound-based connection device ) 是由 J·B·林斯基 B·A·雷丁 于 2018-01-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开总体上涉及基于不同的音频信源之间的相关性来对无线设备进行连接。例如,根据各种方面,第一无线设备可以经由麦克风捕获声音,并且经由无线接收机接收来自第二无线设备的音频内容。因此,可以基于经由麦克风捕获的声音与经由无线接收机接收的音频内容之间的实质匹配,在第一无线设备与第二无线设备之间建立无线连接。例如,经由麦克风捕获的声音可以从第二无线设备上的扬声器输出。在其它示例中,所接收的音频内容可以是经由第二无线设备处的本地麦克风捕获的声音。在任一种情况中,通过麦克风接收的音频与通过无线电接收的音频内容之间的相关性可以大大地简化用于对两个具备音频能力的设备进行连接的(多个)过程。(The present disclosure relates generally to connecting wireless devices based on correlation between different audio sources. For example, according to various aspects, a first wireless device may capture sound via a microphone and receive audio content from a second wireless device via a wireless receiver. Accordingly, a wireless connection may be established between the first wireless device and the second wireless device based on a substantial match between sound captured via the microphone and audio content received via the wireless receiver. For example, sound captured via a microphone may be output from a speaker on the second wireless device. In other examples, the received audio content may be sound captured via a local microphone at the second wireless device. In either case, the correlation between audio received through the microphone and audio content received through the radio may greatly simplify the process (es) for connecting two audio-capable devices.)

1. A method for connecting a wireless device, comprising:

capturing, at a first wireless device, sound via a microphone;

Receiving, at the first wireless device, audio content from a second wireless device via a wireless receiver; and

Establishing a wireless connection with the second wireless device based on a substantial match between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the substantial match based at least in part on a substantial similarity between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a delay between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver; and

detecting the substantial match based on a substantial similarity between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver and the determined delay falling within an expected range.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sound captured at the first wireless device via the microphone is output from a speaker at the second wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio content received via the wireless receiver comprises sound captured at the second wireless device via a local microphone at the second wireless device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the substantial match between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver indicates that the first wireless device and the second wireless device are in the same proximity environment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising searching for one or more wireless audio streams at periodic intervals, wherein the audio content is received via the wireless receiver in response to detecting a wireless audio stream containing the audio content from the second wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to the sound captured via the microphone comprising an indicator sound, searching for a wireless audio stream comprising the audio content from the second wireless device.

9. the method of claim 1, further comprising:

Receiving streaming audio from the second wireless device via the established wireless connection; and

playing the received streaming audio via a local speaker.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the streaming audio received from the second wireless device comprises at least one message that is repeated one or more times.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

Receiving, from the second wireless device via the established wireless connection, a transcript corresponding to the streaming audio; and

Displaying the transcript corresponding to the streaming audio on a local display.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

A microphone configured to capture sounds in the vicinity;

a wireless receiver configured to receive audio content from a wireless device; and

At least one processor configured to establish a wireless connection with the wireless device based on a substantial match between the proximate sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: detecting the substantial match based at least in part on a substantial similarity between the proximate sounds captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

Determining a delay between the proximate sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver; and

Detecting the substantial match based on a substantial similarity between the proximate sounds captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver and the determined delay falling within an expected range.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the proximate sound captured via the microphone is output from a speaker at the wireless device.

16. the apparatus of claim 12, wherein the audio content received via the wireless receiver comprises sound captured at the wireless device via a local microphone at the wireless device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the substantial match between the proximate sounds captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver indicates that the apparatus and the wireless device are in the same proximate environment.

18. the apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to search for one or more wireless audio streams at periodic intervals, wherein the audio content is received via the wireless receiver in response to detecting a wireless audio stream containing the audio content from the wireless device.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: in response to the proximate sounds captured via the microphone including an indicator sound, searching for a wireless audio stream including the audio content from the wireless device.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

A local speaker configured to play streaming audio received from the wireless device via the established wireless connection.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the streaming audio received from the wireless device comprises at least one message that is repeated one or more times.

22. the apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

A local display configured to display a transcript corresponding to the streaming audio, wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive the transcript via the established wireless connection.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

Means for capturing a sound in proximity;

Means for receiving audio content from a wireless device; and

means for establishing a wireless connection with the wireless device based on a substantial match between the captured proximate sound and the received audio content.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for detecting the substantial match based at least in part on a substantial similarity between the captured proximate sounds and the received audio content.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

Means for determining a delay between the captured proximate sound and the received audio content; and

means for detecting the substantial match based on a substantial similarity between the captured proximate sounds and the received audio content and further based on the determined delay falling within an expected range.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the captured proximate sound is output from a speaker at the wireless device.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the received audio content comprises sound captured at the wireless device via a local microphone.

28. the apparatus of claim 27, wherein the substantial match between the captured proximate sounds and the received audio content indicates that the apparatus and the wireless device are in the same proximate environment.

29. the apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for searching for one or more wireless audio streams at periodic intervals, wherein the audio content is received in response to detecting a wireless audio stream containing the audio content.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for searching a wireless audio stream containing the audio content from the wireless device in response to the captured proximate sounds containing an indicator sound.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

Means for receiving streaming audio from the wireless device via the established wireless connection; and

Means for playing the received streaming audio.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the streaming audio received from the wireless device comprises at least one message that is repeated one or more times.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising:

Means for receiving a transcript corresponding to the streaming audio from the wireless device via the established wireless connection; and

Means for displaying the transcript corresponding to the streaming audio.

34. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions configured to cause a first wireless device to:

Capturing sound via a microphone;

Receiving audio content from a second wireless device via a wireless receiver; and

establishing a wireless connection with the second wireless device based on a substantial match between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver.

35. the computer-readable medium of claim 34, the stored computer-executable instructions are further configured to cause the first wireless device to: detecting the substantial match based at least in part on a substantial similarity between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver.

36. the computer-readable medium of claim 34, the stored computer-executable instructions are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

Determining a delay between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver; and

Detecting the substantial match based on a substantial similarity between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver and the determined delay falling within an expected range.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the sound captured at the first wireless device via the microphone is output from a speaker at the second wireless device.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the audio content received via the wireless receiver comprises sound captured at the second wireless device via a local microphone at the second wireless device.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the substantial match between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver indicates that the first wireless device and the second wireless device are in the same proximity environment.

40. the computer readable medium of claim 34, the stored computer executable instructions are further configured to cause the first wireless device to search for one or more wireless audio streams at periodic intervals, wherein the audio content is received via the wireless receiver in response to detecting a wireless audio stream containing the audio content from the second wireless device.

41. the computer-readable medium of claim 34, the stored computer-executable instructions are further configured to cause the first wireless device to: in response to the sound captured via the microphone comprising an indicator sound, searching for a wireless audio stream comprising the audio content from the second wireless device.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, the stored computer-executable instructions are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

Receiving streaming audio from the second wireless device via the established wireless connection; and

Playing the received streaming audio via a local speaker.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the streaming audio received from the second wireless device comprises at least one message that is repeated one or more times.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, the stored computer-executable instructions further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

receiving a transcript corresponding to the streaming audio from the second wireless device via the established wireless connection; and

Displaying the transcript corresponding to the streaming audio on a local display.

Technical Field

Various aspects and embodiments described herein relate generally to connecting wireless devices based on correlation between different audio sources.

Background

Many devices that consumers wish to connect to are audio related. For example, common use cases may include a headset to phone connection, a phone to stereo speaker connection, a phone to vehicle infotainment connection, a headset to television connection, and many others. Generally, wireless devices may exchange audio data using bluetooth (classic or low energy), Wi-Fi, and/or other suitable wireless technologies. In many cases, bluetooth tends to be the preferred connection mechanism for use on portable wireless audio devices. However, connecting wireless devices is one of the most frequent user experience issues consumers tend to face. Current usage models for connecting devices typically involve navigating menus, pressing buttons, or otherwise interacting with one or more devices to be connected via a user interface. While these usage models may work literally to support current usage, they do not scale well to support always-on devices, nor do they work well for the elderly or handicapped. Furthermore, these usage models tend to be cumbersome and inefficient. Traditionally, the wireless audio market has approached a use case where the audio stream arrives at the speaker by wire or wirelessly. In particular the hearing aid industry has realized that there are many use cases where audio streams are brought to a common (wired) speaker and simultaneously broadcast over a wireless radio. A challenge in the hearing aid industry (as well as other wireless audio markets) is to detect and find such wireless broadcasts without user interaction and without compromising battery life on the receiving device.

Disclosure of Invention

the following presents a simplified summary in connection with one or more aspects and/or embodiments disclosed herein. Thus, the following summary should not be considered an extensive overview relating to all contemplated aspects and/or embodiments, nor should the following summary be considered to identify key or critical elements relating to all contemplated aspects and/or embodiments or to delineate the scope associated with any particular aspect and/or embodiment. Thus, the sole purpose of the following summary is to present some concepts relating to one or more aspects and/or embodiments related to the mechanisms disclosed herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented below.

According to various aspects, a method for connecting a wireless device may comprise: the method includes capturing sound via a microphone at a first wireless device, receiving audio content from a second wireless device via a wireless receiver, and establishing a wireless connection with the second wireless device based on a substantial match between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver. For example, according to various aspects, sound captured via a microphone at a first wireless device may include audio output from a speaker at a second wireless device. In other examples, the audio content received via the wireless receiver may include sound captured via a local microphone at the second wireless device, whereby a substantial match between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver may indicate that the first wireless device and the second wireless device are in the same proximity environment.

According to various aspects, an apparatus may comprise: a microphone configured to capture sounds in the vicinity; a wireless receiver configured to receive audio content from a wireless device; and at least one processor configured to establish a wireless connection with a wireless device based on a substantial match between proximate sounds captured via the microphone and audio content received via the wireless receiver. For example, according to various aspects, the proximate sound captured via the microphone may include audio output from a speaker at the wireless device. In other examples, the audio content received via the wireless receiver may include sound captured at the wireless device via a local microphone, whereby a substantial match between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver may indicate that the apparatus and the wireless device are in the same proximity environment.

According to various aspects, an apparatus may comprise: the apparatus includes means for capturing proximity sounds, means for receiving audio content from a wireless device, and means for establishing a wireless connection with the wireless device based on a substantial match between the captured proximity sounds and the received audio content.

According to various aspects, a computer-readable medium may store computer-executable instructions configured to cause a first wireless device to capture sound via a microphone, receive audio content from a second wireless device via a wireless receiver, and establish a wireless connection with the second wireless device based on a substantial match between the sound captured via the microphone and the audio content received via the wireless receiver.

Other objects and advantages associated with the aspects and embodiments disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the drawings and detailed description.

drawings

A more complete appreciation of the various aspects and embodiments described herein, and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation, and wherein:

fig. 1 illustrates an example wireless communication system in which wireless devices may connect to each other based on correlation between different audio sources, according to various aspects.

Fig. 2 illustrates an example wireless communication system in which an audio sink device can automatically synchronize to a wireless audio stream from an audio source device, in accordance with various aspects.

Fig. 3 illustrates an example communication flow that may be employed in the wireless communication system illustrated in fig. 2, in accordance with various aspects.

Fig. 4 illustrates an example wireless communication system in which an audio-capable wireless device can automatically establish a wireless connection based on correlation between different audio sources, in accordance with various aspects.

Fig. 5 illustrates an example communication flow that may be employed in the wireless communication system illustrated in fig. 4, in accordance with various aspects.

Fig. 6 illustrates an exemplary wireless device in which various aspects and embodiments described herein may be suitably implemented.

Detailed Description

Various aspects and embodiments are disclosed in the following description and related drawings to illustrate specific examples related to the exemplary aspects and embodiments. Alternative aspects and embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art upon reading this disclosure, and may be constructed and practiced without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. Additionally, well-known elements will not be described in detail or may be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the aspects and embodiments disclosed herein.

The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term "embodiments" does not require that all embodiments include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.

the terminology used herein describes particular embodiments only and is not to be construed as limiting any embodiments disclosed herein. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood by those within the art that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes" and/or "including," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Further, various aspects and/or embodiments may be described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various actions described herein can be performed by specific circuits (e.g., Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. Additionally, the sequences of such acts described herein can be considered to be embodied entirely within any form of non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a corresponding set of computer instructions that upon execution would cause an associated processor to perform the functions described herein. Thus, the various aspects described herein may be embodied in a number of different forms, all of which are contemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Additionally, for each of the aspects described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect may be described herein as, for example, "logic configured as … …" and/or other structural components configured to perform the described actions.

various aspects and embodiments described herein relate generally to methods, devices, systems, etc. for enabling point-to-point and/or point-to-multipoint wireless communication between devices that have been "paired" or "coupled" to one another. In particular, pairing generally refers to the process by which devices register with each other, typically under user control. Once paired, the devices can typically communicate with each other whenever they are active and within a suitable range without having to re-perform the pairing process. Before pairing, however, the devices must first discover each other, for example, by entering a discoverable state in which the devices can exchange discovery messages for discovering each other. Upon discovery, the devices may be paired with each other. Pairing is, at least in part, a security function for restricting pairing to a particular device. For example, pairing may include a message exchange based on a cryptographic authentication scheme, where a first device must respond to a second device with a password (e.g., a four digit number, which is often fixed at the factory) to prevent unauthorized or undesired pairing. In networking protocols such as bluetooth, discovery and pairing are separate processes. However, discovery and pairing are most often performed together. For some wireless devices, this complexity (e.g., password entry) simply makes device pairing difficult and cumbersome.

Thus, as will be described in further detail herein, the various aspects and embodiments described herein may facilitate a device discovery mechanism by correlating audio received via at least two different sources (e.g., sound received via a microphone and audio data streams received via a wireless radio). Thus, based on substantial correlation between audio received from at least two different sources, two wireless devices may automatically discover each other, establish a connection, and then communicate directly with each other using Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and/or Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) radio technologies, such as technologies based on the IEEE802.11 family of standards (Wi-Fi), bluetooth, the IEEE 802.15 family of standards (ZigBee), and the like.

More specifically, fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system 100 in which wireless devices may connect to each other based on correlation between different audio sources, according to various aspects. As will be described in further detail below, the device discovery mechanisms described herein may generally assume that many wireless audio devices are some or all of a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a microphone, and a speaker. For example, as shown in fig. 1, the wireless communication system 100 may include a first audio device 110, the first audio device 110 having a wireless transmitter 116, a wireless receiver 118, a microphone 120, a speaker 122, and a processor 112 and memory 114 that may be coupled and configured to control other components via one or more interconnects 130 (e.g., one or more buses, lines, fibers, links, etc.). In a similar regard, the second audio device 150 may have a wireless transmitter 156, a wireless receiver 158, a microphone 160, a speaker 162, and a processor 152 and memory 154 that may be coupled and configured to control other components via one or more interconnects 170.

According to various aspects, the first audio device 110 and the second audio device 150 may be any suitable audio-related devices that are capable of connecting to each other via the wireless link 180. In general, the audio devices 110, 150 may be wireless headsets, wireless telephones, stereo speakers, vehicle infotainment systems, smart televisions, hearing aids, public announcement systems, and the like. The audio device 110, 150 may automatically establish a wireless connection (e.g., to receive a wireless audio stream, receive an audio message, allow access to data or information on another device, etc.) based on a substantial correlation between audio received through the microphone and audio content received through the wireless receiver.

For example, in various embodiments, the first audio device 110 may be an audio source and the second audio device 150 is an audio sink. In an exemplary use case, the first audio device 110 may output audio content via the local speaker 122 and further broadcast or otherwise transmit the audio content via the wireless link 180 using the wireless transmitter 116, as will be described in further detail below with reference to fig. 2 and 3. The second audio device 150 may listen to sounds in the proximate environment using the microphone 160 and automatically synchronize to the wireless link 180 via the wireless receiver 158 (e.g., without user intervention) in response to detecting a substantial correlation between audio content transmitted via the wireless link 180 and sounds heard through the microphone 160. Further, in various embodiments, the first audio device 110 and/or the second audio device 150 may optionally include a local display 124, 164, and the local display 124, 164 may be used to display data that may be related to audio content transmitted via the wireless link 180. For example, when the first audio device 110 uses the wireless transmitter 116 to transmit audio content via the wireless link 180, the first audio device 110 may also transmit a corresponding audio transcript such that transcribed text corresponding to the audio content may be suitably rendered at the second audio device 150 via the display 164. Furthermore, while the foregoing description has been provided with reference to an embodiment in which the first audio device 110 transmits audio content via the wireless link 180, those skilled in the art will recognize that the example use case as described may suitably be implemented in the reverse manner, wherein the second audio device 150 plays sound via the speaker 162 and further transmits audio content via the wireless link 180 using the wireless transmitter 156 associated therewith.

In another exemplary embodiment, as will be described in further detail below with reference to fig. 4 and 5, the first audio device 110 may listen to sound in the proximate environment using the microphone 120, and further broadcast or otherwise transmit sound captured via the microphone over the wireless link 180 using the wireless transmitter 116. The second audio device 150 may likewise listen for sounds in the nearby environment using the microphone 160 and receive audio transmitted from the first audio device 110 via the wireless link 180. Thus, the second audio device 150 may allow a connection to occur, grant access, or otherwise establish a wireless connection with the first audio device 110 in response to detecting a substantial correlation between audio content sent over the wireless link 180 and sounds heard through the microphone 160. In this case, a correlation between audio transmitted via the wireless link 180 and sounds heard through the microphone 160 may indicate that the audio devices 110, 150 are in the same proximity environment based on similarities between sounds captured at the respective microphones 120, 160. Furthermore, while the foregoing description has been provided with reference to an embodiment in which the first audio device 110 transmits sound captured from the proximate environment, those skilled in the art will recognize that the example use case as described may suitably be implemented in the reverse manner, with the second audio device 150 transmitting and the first audio device 110 receiving.

According to various aspects, fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system 200 in which an audio sink device 250 can automatically synchronize to a wireless audio stream from an audio source device 250. For example, in various embodiments, the mechanisms employed in the wireless communication system 200 may be used to connect a wireless telephone to a wireless headset, stereo speakers, a vehicle infotainment system, etc., a television to a wireless headset, a wireless hearing aid, etc., or any other suitable wireless device with audio capabilities. Generally, the mechanism for connecting the audio source device 210 to the audio sink device 250 will be described herein with reference to certain components that play a major role in the connection mechanism(s). Thus, those skilled in the art will recognize that the particular configuration shown in fig. 2 is generally considered the minimum configuration required to implement the connection mechanism described herein, and that the audio source device 210 and/or the audio sink device 250 may include additional components not specifically shown in fig. 2.

according to various aspects, at a high level, the mechanism for connecting the audio source device 210 with the audio sink device 250 may involve correlation between audio received at the audio sink device 250 via the microphone 260 and audio content received via the wireless receiver (or radio) 258. For example, according to various aspects, the audio source device 210 can play sound via the local speaker 222 and broadcast or otherwise transmit the same audio content over a wireless link (or wireless channel) using the wireless transmitter 216 within a suitable delay range as the sound played via the speaker 222. Accordingly, the audio sink device 250 may synchronize over the wireless link based on a correlation between audio content received via the wireless receiver 258 and sound heard via the microphone 260 such that the audio content received via the wireless receiver 258 may be rendered or otherwise output via the local speaker 262. Further, in various embodiments, the audio source device 210 can be configured to develop an audio chirp (chirp) or other suitable audible sound via the speaker 222 to indicate the presence of a wireless broadcast or wireless transmission. In the latter case, adding an audio chirp or indicator sound to the audio being played via the speaker 222 may indicate to the audio sink device 250 that a wireless audio stream is present, which may save power the wireless receiver 258 may otherwise consume in searching for the wireless audio stream, save complexity in audio processing, and so forth.

In various embodiments, the audio sink device 250 can thus periodically search for the wireless audio stream via the wireless receiver 258 and/or initiate a search based on detecting an audio chirp or other suitable indicator sound via the microphone 260. In response to detecting the wireless audio stream via the wireless receiver 258, the audio sink device 250 can compare the audio on the wireless audio stream with the audio captured via the microphone 260. In response to a determination that the audio content is sufficiently similar and within an expected delay range, the audio sink device 250 may automatically select a wireless link or wireless channel containing the wireless audio stream. Thus, the audio sink device 250 may use the speaker 262 to render or otherwise output audio content received via the wireless receiver 258. Further, according to various aspects, the audio source device 210 may be configured to repeat the audio content transmitted via the wireless transmitter 216 one or more times in the event that the audio sink device 250 is unable to synchronize to the wireless audio stream fast enough to hear the beginning of the audio stream. In another potential variation, the audio source device 210 may be configured to include within the wireless audio stream an audio transcript corresponding to the audio content transmitted via the wireless transmitter 216 such that the transcript may be viewed at the audio sink device 250 using the optional display 264.

fig. 3 illustrates an example communication flow 300 that may be employed in the wireless communication system illustrated in fig. 2, in accordance with various aspects. For example, at 312, the audio source device 210 can optionally play or otherwise manifest an audio chirp or other suitable audible sound via a speaker to indicate that a wireless broadcast or wireless transmission is present. The audio source device 210 can also play the audio stream via a local speaker at 314 and broadcast or otherwise transmit the same audio content over a wireless link (or wireless channel) using a wireless transmitter at 316 with a suitable delay range. Thus, the audio sink device 250 may listen for sound in the vicinity environment at 352 and periodically search for a wireless audio stream at 354. Alternatively, in a use case where the audio source device 210 plays an audio chirp to indicate the presence of a wireless audio stream, the audio sink device 250 can initiate a search at 354 based on detecting an audio chirp or other suitable indicator sound via the microphone. In response to detecting the wireless audio stream via the wireless receiver at 356, the audio sink device 250 may compare the audio on the wireless audio stream with the audio captured via the microphone. At 358, in response to a determination that the audio content is sufficiently similar and within an expected delay range, the audio sink device 250 may automatically select a wireless link or wireless channel containing the wireless audio stream. Thus, at 360, the audio sink device 250 may render or otherwise output audio content broadcast, streamed, or otherwise transmitted via the wireless link using the speakers. Further, according to various aspects, the audio source device 210 may be configured to repeat the audio content transmitted in the wireless audio stream at block 316 one or more times in the event that the audio sink device 250 is unable to synchronize to the wireless audio stream fast enough to hear the beginning of the audio stream. In another potential variation, the audio source device 210 may be configured to include an audio transcript corresponding to the audio content transmitted at block 316 so that the transcript may be viewed at the audio sink device 250.

thus, the mechanisms described above may enable an audio-capable wireless device to automatically and easily connect when audio captured via a microphone is correlated with audio received over a wireless link. The connection mechanism described above will now be explained with reference to a specific example use case.

For example, in one use case, the connection mechanism described in further detail above may enable a hearing aid with wireless communication capability to automatically synchronize with a television set with wireless communication capability. In this example use case, the hearing aid may correspond to the audio sink device 250 and the television may correspond to the audio source device 210. Thus, a user wearing the hearing aid may turn on the television, which may then play a sound via the speaker in the normal manner (or the television may initially play an audio chirp or other sound signal to indicate that there is a wireless audio transmission). The television may further broadcast or otherwise transmit the same audio content via the wireless transmitter 216. A microphone 260 at the hearing aid may capture sound played by the television via the speaker 222, and a wireless receiver 258 at the hearing aid may receive audio content transmitted via the wireless transmitter 216. In response to determining that there is a substantial correlation between the sound captured via the microphone 260 and the audio content received via the wireless receiver 258, the hearing aid may automatically synchronize with the audio content transmitted between the wireless transmitter 216 and the wireless receiver 258. Thus, the user wearing the hearing aid can hear the audio playing on the television via the local speaker 262 without having to change any settings or the like on the hearing aid without having to turn up the volume on the television.

in another example use case, the connection mechanism described in further detail above may enable the hearing aid to automatically synchronize with the public announcement system (e.g., in an airport or other environment where audio messages may be broadcast). In this example use case, the hearing aid may again correspond to the audio sink device 250 and the public announcement system may correspond to the audio source device 210. Thus, the user wearing the hearing aid may be located in an environment where public announcements are made. For example, a user may be traveling and located in an area within an airport near a gate. An audio announcement may be played through speaker 222 (e.g., a walkie-talkie) announcing that the user's gate has changed. The announcement may also be broadcast or otherwise sent via the wireless transmitter 216. Thus, the microphone 260 at the hearing aid may capture the announcement played via the intercom, and the wireless receiver 258 may receive the corresponding audio announcement sent via the wireless transmitter 216. In response to determining that there is a substantial correlation between the sound captured via the microphone 260 and the audio announcement received via the wireless receiver 258, the hearing aid may automatically synchronize with the audio announcement channel on the public announcement system and play the announcement back to the user so that the announcement may be clearly heard by the user via the local speaker 262. Further, as in other use cases, an audio chirp may be played via the intercom/speaker 222 to provide a signal that the corresponding wireless transmission is present. In addition, the announcement or message communicated over the wireless channel may be repeated one or more times in the event that the receiving hearing aid cannot synchronize to the wireless channel quickly enough to hear the entire announcement. Further, the disclosed announcement system may send audio transcripts, text, and/or other suitable data via the wireless transmitter 216 so that the announcement/message may be displayed on the display 264 at the audio sink device 250.

In yet another example use case, the connection mechanism described above may be used to pair or couple a wireless headset with a mobile phone. In this example use case, the wireless headset may correspond to the audio source device 210 and the mobile phone may correspond to the audio sink device 250. However, when used in a pairing context, the roles may be reversed as appropriate, provided that both devices have speakers, microphones, and wireless transmission and reception capabilities. Typically, the pairing process may involve the user powering on the wireless headset while the mobile phone is in proximity. For a period of time after power-on, the headset may play the audio stream via the speaker 222 and send the same audio content via the wireless transmitter 216. In addition, the headset may optionally play an audio chirp via the speaker 222 at periodic intervals to indicate that the paired audio stream is being sent via the wireless transmitter 216. The mobile phone may listen via the microphone 260 in a substantially continuous manner. In response to detecting the paired audio stream via the microphone 260, the mobile phone can further search for the wireless audio stream via the wireless receiver 258 in response to detecting an audio chirp indicating that the paired audio stream is present, or the phone can simply search for the wireless audio stream at periodic intervals. In any case, the mobile phone may determine whether there is a substantial correlation between the sound captured via the microphone 260 and the audio content received via the wireless receiver 258. For example, there may be some expected delay between sound captured via microphone 260 and audio received via wireless receiver 258. Thus, the mobile phone may determine whether the sound captured via the microphone 260 is sufficiently similar to the audio received via the wireless receiver 258 and whether the delay between the two is within an expected range. In the affirmative, the mobile phone may prompt the user to pair the headset and do so in response to the user making such a request (e.g., starting an audio stream from the phone to the headset, or participating in any other function between the paired devices). Otherwise, if the sound captured via the microphone 260 is not similar to the audio received via the wireless receiver 258, and/or the delay between the two does not fall within an expected delay range, the wireless audio stream may be ignored by the mobile phone.

according to various aspects, fig. 4 illustrates an example wireless communication system 400 in which a first audio device 410 and a second audio device 450 may establish a wireless connection based on correlation between different audio sources. In general, the mechanism for connecting the audio devices 210, 250 will be described herein with reference to certain components that play a major role in the connection mechanism(s). Thus, those skilled in the art will recognize that the particular configuration shown in fig. 4 is generally considered the minimum configuration required to implement the connection mechanisms described herein, and that the audio devices 410, 450 may suitably include additional components not specifically shown in fig. 4.

According to various aspects, at a high level, the mechanism for connecting audio devices 410, 450 may involve correlation between audio received by one audio device via microphone 460 and audio content received at such audio device via wireless receiver (or radio) 458. The system 400 shown in fig. 4 will be explained with reference to the following example implementation, where the audio devices 410, 450 automatically connect based on a correlation between audio captured by the audio device 450 via the microphone 460 and audio received by the audio device 450 via the wireless receiver 458. For example, according to various aspects, the audio device 410 may capture proximate sounds via the microphone 422 and broadcast or otherwise transmit the sounds captured via the microphone 422 using the wireless transmitter 416. The other audio device 450 may similarly capture nearby sound via a microphone 460 and receive audio content transmitted from the other audio device 410 via a wireless receiver 458. Thus, the audio device 450 may connect to another audio device 410 based on a substantial correlation between the proximate sounds heard via the microphone 460 and the audio received via the wireless receiver 458. In particular, where the proximity sounds heard via the microphone 460 are sufficiently similar to the audio received via the wireless receiver 458 and the delay between the two is within an expected range, an inference may be made that the audio devices 410, 450 are located in the same proximity environment. On the other hand, where the proximity sounds heard via the microphone 460 are not similar to the audio received via the wireless receiver 458 and/or the delay between the two is outside of an expected range, the proximity environment around the audio devices 410, 450, the audio devices 410, 450 may be different such that no connection is permitted (e.g., where the audio devices 410, 450 are in different vehicles that are also within sufficient distance to allow a wireless signal to travel from one vehicle to another).

Fig. 5 illustrates an example communication flow 500 that may be employed in the wireless communication system illustrated in fig. 4, in accordance with various aspects. For example, at 512, 552, the audio devices 410, 450 may each capture sound via a local microphone associated therewith. The audio device that initiated the connection request (audio device 410 in the illustrated example) may then transmit the captured sound via a wireless channel at 514. At 554, another device (audio device 450 in the illustrated example) may periodically search for a wireless audio stream, which may result in the audio device 450 detecting an audio stream from the other audio device 410 at block 556. Accordingly, the audio device 410, 450 may establish a wireless link or other suitable connection based on a substantial match between the sound captured via the microphone at block 552 and the audio content received in the audio stream detected at block 556. For example, in various embodiments, the audio device 450 receiving the audio stream from the other audio device 410 may be configured to detect a substantial match between the wireless audio stream and the audio captured via the microphone, where the two are sufficiently similar and within an expected delay range. The audio devices 410, 450 may then communicate with each other via the established wireless link at 560. For example, the communication at block 560 may be to stream audio, perform a file transfer, grant access, and so on. Further, as noted above, where there is a substantial match between the wireless audio stream and the audio captured via the microphone, a wireless link may be established at 558. Thus, in the event that the wireless audio stream is dissimilar to the audio captured via the microphone and/or there is a delay that is outside of an expected range, the operations performed at blocks 558, 560 may not be performed due to an inference that the audio devices 410, 450 are not located in the same proximity environment.

Thus, the mechanisms described above may enable an audio-capable wireless device to automatically and easily connect when two audio-capable wireless devices capture substantially the same proximate sounds via a local microphone, which may be confirmed by: the method includes causing one audio-capable device to transmit captured sound to another device over a wireless link, and causing a receiving device to compare the sound transmitted over the wireless link with sound captured at a local microphone. For example, in one example use case, the transmitting audio device 410 may be a mobile phone and the receiving audio device 450 may be a vehicle infotainment system. A user may wish to play a song on a mobile phone through a speaker coupled to a vehicle infotainment system. Thus, the user may press a play button on the mobile phone, which may ask the user whether he/she wishes to play a song on the vehicle infotainment system. The user may respond affirmatively and the mobile phone may transmit a wireless audio stream containing the song content to the vehicle infotainment system. Thus, the connection process may be substantially transparent to the user, as the mobile phone and the vehicle infotainment system may have authorized a wireless connection therebetween based on a determination that each device captured the same proximate sound via the local microphone. The mobile phone or vehicle infotainment system transmits the proximate sounds captured via the local microphone to the other device, which will confirm that the two devices are located in the same proximate environment based on a substantial match with the proximate sounds captured via the local microphone by the receiving device. While the foregoing description has been provided with reference to one particular use case, those skilled in the art will recognize that many other use cases may suitably implement the connection mechanism described above.

According to various aspects, fig. 6 illustrates an exemplary wireless audio device 600 that may implement the various aspects and embodiments described herein. For example, in various embodiments, the wireless audio device 600 may correspond to a source device that may broadcast the same audio content through the speaker 640 and over a wireless link, and/or a sink device that may synchronize over the wireless link based on a correlation between sound heard via the microphone 642 and audio content received over the wireless link. In another example use case, the wireless audio device 600 may correspond to a device capable of listening to proximate sounds using the microphone 642 and transmitting proximate sounds captured via the microphone 642 over a wireless link and/or to a device that may grant access, allow connection, etc., in response to determining that audio content transmitted from another device via the wireless link substantially corresponds to proximate sounds captured via the microphone 642.

according to various embodiments, the wireless audio device 600 may include a housing 610, a processor 620, a memory 622, a transmitter 632, a receiver 634, an antenna 636, a signal detector 624, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP)628, a user interface 626, and a bus 650. Alternatively, the functionality associated with the transmitter 632 and receiver 634 may be incorporated into the transceiver 630. The wireless audio device 600 may be configured to communicate in a wireless network including, for example, base stations, access points, and the like.

According to various embodiments, the processor 620 may be configured to control operations associated with the wireless audio device 600, wherein the processor 620 may also be referred to as a Central Processing Unit (CPU). A memory 622 may be coupled to the processor 620, may be in communication with the processor 620, and may provide instructions and data to the processor 620. The processor 620 may perform logical and arithmetic operations based on program instructions stored within the memory 622. The instructions in the memory 622 may be executable to perform one or more of the methods and processes described herein. Further, in various embodiments, processor 620 may include, or be a component of, a processing system implemented with one or more processors. The one or more processors may be implemented using any one or more general purpose microprocessors, microcontrollers, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware components, dedicated hardware finite state machines, combinations thereof, and/or any other suitable entity capable of executing calculations and/or manipulating information. In various embodiments, the processing system may also include a machine-readable medium configured to store software, which may be broadly interpreted to include any suitable instructions, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise. The instructions may include code in a source code format, a binary code format, an executable code format, and/or any other suitable format. The instructions, when executed on one or more processors, may cause the processing system to perform one or more of the functions described herein.

According to various embodiments, memory 622 may include Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), and/or any suitable combination thereof. The memory 622 may also include non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM).

According to various embodiments, the transmitter 632 and receiver 634 (or transceiver 630) may transmit and receive data between the wireless audio device 600 and a remote location. An antenna 636 may be attached to the housing 610 and electrically coupled to the transceiver 630. In some implementations, the wireless audio device 600 may also include multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, multiple transceivers, and/or multiple antennas (not shown). In various embodiments, signal detector 624 may be used to detect and quantify levels associated with one or more signals received at transceiver 630. Signal detector 624 may detect such signals as total energy, energy per subcarrier per symbol, power spectral density, and/or otherwise. In various embodiments, the DSP 628 may be used to process the signals, where the DSP 628 may be configured to generate packets to be transmitted via the transmitter 632 and/or the transceiver 630. In various embodiments, the packet may comprise a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU).

According to various embodiments, the user interface 626 may include, for example, a keyboard and/or any other suitable interface(s), including one or more elements or components that may convey information to and/or receive input from a user associated with the wireless audio device 600.

According to various embodiments, the wireless audio device 600 may optionally further include a local display 638, which may include any suitable video output device, such as a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a plasma display, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display, or another display device. In these or other examples, local display 638 may be an emissive display or a transmissive display. Local display 638 may also be a touch screen display or a presence-sensitive display such that local display 638 is both an input device and an output (display) device. In various embodiments, such a touch screen display may be a capacitive, resistive, and/or another suitable touch or presence-sensitive panel that allows a user to provide user input.

in various embodiments, various components associated with the wireless audio device 600 may be coupled together via a bus 650, which bus 650 may include a data bus, a power bus, a control signal bus, and/or a status signal bus in addition to the data bus. In various embodiments, the wireless audio device 600 may also include other components or elements not shown in fig. 6. One or more components associated with the wireless audio device 600 can communicate with another one or more components associated with the wireless audio device 600 via a unit that can include another communication channel (not shown), for example, to provide an input signal to the other component.

in various embodiments, although various separate components are illustrated in fig. 6, one or more of the components illustrated herein may be combined or implemented together. For example, the processor 620 and the memory 622 may be embodied on a single chip. Additionally or in the alternative, processor 620 may include memory (e.g., processor registers). Similarly, one or more of the functional blocks or portions thereof may be embodied on a single chip. Alternatively, the functionality associated with a particular block may be implemented on two or more chips. For example, the processor 620 may be used to implement not only the functions described above with respect to the processor 620, but also the functions described above with respect to the signal detector 624 and/or the DSP 628.

Those of skill in the art would recognize that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

Furthermore, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the various aspects and embodiments described herein.

the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with: a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

the methods, sequences, and/or algorithms described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of non-transitory computer-readable medium known in the art. An exemplary non-transitory computer readable medium may be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the processor. In the alternative, the non-transitory computer readable medium may also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the non-transitory computer readable medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may be located in an IoT device. In the alternative, the processor and the non-transitory computer-readable medium may be discrete components in a user terminal.

In one or more exemplary aspects, the functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media may include storage media and/or communication media, including any non-transitory media that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. In addition, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies (e.g., infrared, radio, and microwave), then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies (e.g., infrared, radio, and microwave) are included in the definition of medium. The terms disk and disc, as used interchangeably herein, include CD, laser disc, optical disc, DVD, floppy disc and blu-ray disc where data is usually reproduced magnetically and/or optically with a laser. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

While the foregoing disclosure shows illustrative aspects and embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, those of skill in the art will recognize that the functions, steps, and/or actions in any method described above and/or recited in any method claims appended hereto are not necessarily performed in any particular order according to the various illustrative aspects and embodiments described herein. Furthermore, to the extent that any element described above in the singular or recited in the appended claims is referred to in the singular, those skilled in the art will recognize that the singular also contemplates the plural unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated.