U.S. patent application number 17/833569 was filed with the patent office on 2022-09-22 for one button wireless speaker association.
This patent application is currently assigned to WiSA Technologies Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is WiSA Technologies Inc.. Invention is credited to Kenneth A. Boehlke, Brian Keith Greeney.
Application Number | 20220303684 17/833569 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006381113 |
Filed Date | 2022-09-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220303684 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Boehlke; Kenneth A. ; et
al. |
September 22, 2022 |
ONE BUTTON WIRELESS SPEAKER ASSOCIATION
Abstract
A method of associating audio devices into a network
association, including alerting a network of the presence of a
first audio device by engaging a first button associated with the
first audio device; assigning a first role to the first audio
device; alerting the network of the presence of each subsequent
audio device by engaging a subsequent button associated with each
subsequent audio device; assigning a subsequent role to each
subsequent audio device; and alerting the network that all
subsequent audio devices have been identified by engaging the first
button associated with the first audio device.
Inventors: |
Boehlke; Kenneth A.;
(Portland, OR) ; Greeney; Brian Keith; (Portland,
OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
WiSA Technologies Inc. |
Beaverton |
OR |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
WiSA Technologies Inc.
Beaverton
OR
|
Family ID: |
1000006381113 |
Appl. No.: |
17/833569 |
Filed: |
June 6, 2022 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
16734245 |
Jan 3, 2020 |
11356776 |
|
|
17833569 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/1095 20130101;
H04W 84/12 20130101; H04R 3/12 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04R 3/12 20060101
H04R003/12; H04W 84/12 20060101 H04W084/12; H04L 67/1095 20060101
H04L067/1095 |
Claims
1. A method of associating audio devices into a network
association, the method including the steps of: a. Alerting a
network of the presence of a first audio device by engaging a first
button associated with the first audio device; b. Assigning a first
role to the first audio device; c. Alerting the network of the
presence of each subsequent audio device by engaging a subsequent
button associated with each subsequent audio device; d. Assigning a
subsequent role to each subsequent audio device; e. Alerting the
network that all subsequent audio devices have been identified by
engaging the first button associated with the first audio
device.
2. The method of claim 1, where the first role and the subsequent
roles are determinative of whether the first device and the
subsequent devices are a wireless access point (WAP) or a client,
and further where the first role and the subsequent roles are
determinative of which audio channel(s) each device will provide or
play.
3. The method of claim 1, where a network SSID and password are
generated automatically based on a media access control (MAC)
address of a network Wireless Access Point.
4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing a
prompt to a user to engage the subsequent buttons of the subsequent
devices.
5. The method of claim 4, where the prompt may be an audio prompt
or may be a visual prompt or may be a combination of audio and
visual prompts.
6. An audio network consisting of a plurality of audio devices, a
plurality of roles, and a plurality of assignments of each of one
roles to each of one audio devices, where the assignment is based
on the order in which an audio device is identified to the audio
network.
7. The network of claim 6 is a 2.1(a) type, where: a. A first audio
device identified is assigned the role of left front; b. A second
audio device identified is assigned the role of right front; c. The
first audio device is again identified to the network thereby
indicating there are no further audio devices in the network.
8. The network of claim 6 is a 2.1(b) type, where: a. A first audio
device identified is assigned the role of left front; b. A second
audio device identified is assigned the role of right front; c. A
third audio device is assigned the role of subwoofer; d. The first
audio device is again identified to the network thereby indicating
there are no further audio devices in the network.
9. The network of claim 6 is a 5.1(a) type, where: a. A first audio
device identified is assigned the role of sound bar; b. A second
audio device identified is assigned the role of left rear; c. A
third audio device identified is assigned the role of right rear;
d. A fourth audio device identified is assigned the role of
subwoofer; e. The first audio device is again identified to the
network thereby indicating there are no further audio devices in
the network.
10. The network of claim 6 is a 5.1(b) type, where: a. A first
audio device identified is assigned the role of center; b. A second
audio device identified is assigned the role of left front; c. A
third audio device identified is assigned the role of left rear; d.
A fourth audio device identified is assigned the role of right
rear; e. A fifth audio device identified is assigned the role of
right front; f. A sixth audio device identified is assigned the
role of subwoofer; g. The first audio device is again identified to
the network thereby indicating there are no further audio devices
in the network.
11. The network of claim 6 is a 7.1(a) type, where: a. A first
audio device identified is assigned the role of sound bar; b. A
second audio device identified is assigned the role of left
surround; c. A third audio device identified is assigned the role
of left rear; d. A fourth audio device identified is assigned the
role of right rear; e. A fifth audio device identified is assigned
the role of right surround; f. A sixth audio device identified is
assigned the role of subwoofer; g. The first audio device is again
identified to the network thereby indicating there are no further
audio devices in the network.
12. The network of claim 6 is a 7.1(b) type, where: a. A first
audio device identified is assigned the role of center; b. A second
audio device identified is assigned the role of left front; c. A
third audio device identified is assigned the role of left center;
d. A fourth audio device identified is assigned the role of left
rear; e. A fifth audio device identified is assigned the role of
right rear; f. A sixth audio device identified is assigned the role
of right surround g. A seventh audio device identified is assigned
the role of right front; h. A eighth audio device identified is
assigned the role of subwoofer; i. The first audio device is again
identified to the network thereby indicating there are no further
audio devices in the network.
13. The network of claim 7 where a timeout is used instead of the
first audio device again identified indicating there are no further
audio devices in the network.
14. The network of claim 8 where a timeout is used instead of the
first audio device again identified indicating there are no further
audio devices in the network.
15. The network of claim 9 where a timeout is used instead of the
first audio device again identified indicating there are no further
audio devices in the network.
16. The network of claim 10 where a timeout is used instead of the
first audio device again identified indicating there are no further
audio devices in the network.
17. The network of claim 11 where a timeout is used instead of the
first audio device again identified indicating there are no further
audio devices in the network.
18. The network of claim 12 where a timeout is used instead of the
first audio device again identified indicating there are no further
audio devices in the network.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional
application Ser. No. 16/734,245 filed on Jun. 7, 2021 and entitled
"ONE BUTTON WIRELESS SPEAKER ASSOCIATION." The complete disclosures
of the above applications are hereby incorporated by reference for
all purposes.
[0002] There are many methods to associate wireless devices into a
network. The most common is where a Client is paired with a
Wireless Access Point (WAP) by sharing an SSID and a network
password. If there are multiple clients, this process is repeated
for each client until all clients have joined the network. This
method is not suitable for wireless speakers because most speakers
do not have a user interface and because there can be tens of
speakers in a home and the resulting pairing process is very long
and cumbersome. Each Client device must be paired individually with
the WAP.
[0003] To simplify the process, method herein uses a single button
on each device and a group process for association via the
following general steps:
[0004] 1. The button located on the WAP (audio source) is tapped to
begin the association process.
[0005] 2. The SSID and network password are randomly generated
using a seed from the WAP's MAC address.
[0006] 3. Using the button located on each Client (speaker), a
specific sequence of devices are tapped to identify which Client
(speaker) will be associated with the WAP (audio source) and which
audio channel {See Table 1 for examples) is played on each
speaker.
[0007] 4. Each Client (speaker) will associate with the WAP (audio
source), that was tapped in Step 1, and will save the SSID, network
password, and audio channel information for normal operation.
[0008] 5. This process is continued until all clients have joined
the network.
[0009] 6. The button located on the WAP (audio source) is tapped to
close the association process. Alternatively, the association will
close after a timeout period has passed without a button tap.
[0010] 7. The audio network is available to play audio.
[0011] A button tap can be momentary press/hold of the button or
multiple presses/holds of the button as needed to differentiate the
button tap from other uses.
[0012] The simplest configuration to associate is the Stereo 2.0
Speaker Network. In this configuration, the first speaker tapped is
the device that will become the Left Front. This device will take
the dual role of the WAP/Client (audio source/speaker) and be
assigned the Left Front audio channel. The second device tapped
will take the role of the Client (speaker) and be assigned the
Right Front audio channel. The next configuration to associate is
the Stereo 2.1 Speaker Network. In this configuration, the first
speaker tapped is the device that will become the Left Front. This
device will take the dual role of the WAP/Client (audio
source/speaker) and be assigned the Left Front audio channel. The
second device tapped will take the role of the Client (speaker) and
be assigned the Right Front audio channel. The third device tapped
will take the role of the Client (speaker) and be assigned the
Subwoofer audio channel.
[0013] Adding a Sound Bar brings the configuration to a 5.1 Speaker
Network. In this configuration, the first speaker tapped is the
device that will become the Sound Bar. This device will take the
dual role of the WAP/Client (audio source/speaker) and be assigned
the Left Front/Center/Right Front audio channels. The second device
tapped will take the role of the Client (speaker) and be assigned
the Left Surround audio channel. The third device tapped will take
the role of the Client (speaker) and be assigned the Right Surround
audio channel. The fourth device tapped will take the role of the
Client (speaker) and be assigned the Subwoofer audio channel.
[0014] Configurations larger than a 5.1 Speaker Network are
associated like a 5.1 network with the exception that the number of
steps between the association of the Sound Bar and the Subwoofer
grow to cover the additional speakers.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Device Association Tap Sequence Speaker
Device Tap Sequence for different Speaker Configurations Type 2.0
2.1 5.1(a) 5. 1(b) 7.1(a) 7.1(b) Left Front 1, 3.sup.(1) 1,
4.sup.(1) 2 2 Right Front 2 2 5 7 Center 1, 7.sup.(1) 1, 9.sup.(1)
Sound Bar 1, 5.sup.(1) 1, 7.sup.(1) Left Surround 2 3 Right 5 6
Surround Left Rear 2 3 3 4 Right Rear 3 4 4 5 Subwoofer 3 4 6 6 8
Notes: .sup.(1)Repeated for association sequence termination
[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, there may be other configurations.
Other configurations not shown above can also be created by
inserting or removing steps. In addition, the order of the device
sequence and the beginning and ending device may be altered.
[0016] FIG. 1 shows configuration 2.0
[0017] FIG. 2 shows configuration 2.1
[0018] FIG. 3 shows configuration 5.1(a)
[0019] FIG. 4 shows configuration 5.1(b)
[0020] FIG. 5 shows configuration 7.1(a)
[0021] FIG. 6 shows configuration 7.1(b)
[0022] To aid with the user's selection of each device, voice
assist or a lighted button can be used to prompt the speaker
selection. Upon the first button tap the button will light or the
speaker will voice prompt the user to add the second speaker. When
the user taps the button at the second speaker the button will
light or the speaker prompt the user to add the third speaker. This
process is repeated until all devices have joined the network.
[0023] In addition to, or instead of, voice direction a chime or
jingle may be played to prompt the user through the association
process.
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