The present disclosure relates generally to the field of wireless communications. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to determination of wireless link quality.
Wearable wireless audio devices are exploding in popularity. While by far the most common wearable wireless audio device is the headset, other devices are surfacing, such as bracelets and the like. Each wearable wireless audio device receives or exchanges audio with another wireless device over a local wireless link. For example, a Bluetooth headset may exchange audio with a Bluetooth-capable smartphone over a Bluetooth link.
The quality of the audio is heavily dependent on the quality of the local wireless link. However, the only link quality indication available to a user lies in the perceivable quality of the audio, for example as revealed by audible clicks, periods of silence, and the like. Furthermore, this audible link quality is indicative of the entire end-to-end connection with another audio device. Therefore, the audio problems cannot be isolated to a particular link.
In general, in one aspect, an embodiment features computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer in a wireless device to perform functions comprising: receiving first link quality data for a wireless link from a wearable wireless audio device connected to the wireless device by the wireless link; receiving second link quality data for the wireless link from a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver of the wireless device; determining a quality of the wireless link based on the first link quality data and the second link quality data; and causing a user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link to be generated by at least one of i) the wearable wireless audio device, and ii) the wireless device.
Embodiments of the computer-readable media may include one or more of the following features. In some embodiments, the first link quality data and the second link quality data comprise at least one of: a received signal strength indication; a dropped packets indication; and a corrupted packets indication. In some embodiments, the user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link indicates a sufficiency of the wireless link to support a voice call. In some embodiments, the functions further comprise: generating a wireless link quality map based on the quality of the wireless link and a location where the quality of the wireless link was determined. In some embodiments, wherein the wearable wireless audio device is a first wearable wireless audio device, wherein the wireless link is a first wireless link, wherein the location of the wireless device is a first location, the functions further comprise: receiving third link quality data for a second wireless link from a second wearable wireless audio device connected to the wireless device by a second wireless link; receiving fourth link quality data for the second wireless link from the RF transceiver; determining a quality of the second wireless link based on the third link quality data and the fourth link quality data; and modifying the wireless link quality map based on the quality of the second wireless link and a location where the quality of the second wireless link was determined. In some embodiments, the functions further comprise: conducting a test call to another audio device; and causing a user-perceivable indication of the quality of the test call to be generated by at least one of i) the wearable wireless audio device, and ii) the wireless device.
In general, in one aspect, an embodiment features computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer in a wireless device to perform functions comprising: providing a wireless link quality map, wherein the wireless link quality map comprises a respective wireless link quality for each of a plurality of locations; and generating a predicted quality of a wireless link between the wireless device and a wearable wireless audio device based on a location of the wireless device and the wireless link quality map.
Embodiments of the computer-readable media may include one or more of the following features. In some embodiments, the functions further comprise: causing a user-perceivable indication of the predicted quality of the wireless link to be generated by at least one of i) the wearable wireless audio device, and ii) the wireless device. In some embodiments, the functions further comprise: generating user-perceivable navigation instructions based on the location of the wireless device and the wireless link quality map; and providing the user-perceivable navigation instructions to at least one of i) the wearable wireless audio device, and ii) the wireless device. In some embodiments, the functions further comprise: providing the user-perceivable navigation instructions responsive to knowledge of an imminent event. In some embodiments, the functions further comprise: receiving the wireless link quality map from a server remote from the wireless device. In some embodiments, the functions further comprise: receiving first link quality data for the wireless link from the wearable wireless audio device; receiving second link quality data for the wireless link from an RF transceiver of the wireless device; and determining a quality of the wireless link based on the first link quality data and the second link quality data. In some embodiments, the first link quality data and the second link quality data comprise at least one of: a received signal strength indication; a dropped packets indication; and a corrupted packets indication. In some embodiments, the functions further comprise: causing a user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link to be generated by at least one of i) the wearable wireless audio device, and ii) the wireless device. In some embodiments, the user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link indicates a sufficiency of the wireless link to support a voice call. In some embodiments, the functions further comprise: modifying the wireless link quality map based on the quality of the wireless link and a location where the quality of the wireless link was determined.
In general, in one aspect, an embodiment features computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer to perform functions comprising: receiving a plurality of localized wireless link quality reports, wherein each of the localized wireless link quality reports includes i) a quality of a respective wireless link between a respective wearable wireless audio device and a respective wireless device, and ii) a respective location where the quality of the respective wireless link was determined; and generating a wireless link quality map based on the plurality of localized wireless link quality reports.
Embodiments of the computer-readable media may include one or more of the following features. In some embodiments, each of the localized wireless link quality reports represents at least one of: a received signal strength indication; a dropped packets indication; and a corrupted packets indication. In some embodiments, the functions further comprise: sending the wireless link quality map to one of the wireless devices. In some embodiments, generating the wireless link quality map comprises: generating a respective wireless link quality index for each of a plurality of locations based on the plurality of localized wireless link quality reports.
The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
The leading digit(s) of each reference numeral used in this specification indicates the number of the drawing in which the reference numeral first appears.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide local wireless link quality notifications for wearable wireless audio devices. That is, a notification may be provided to a wearer of a wearable wireless audio device, where the notification indicates a quality of the local wireless link with the wearable wireless audio device. The notification may include a user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link. The notification may be provided by the wearable wireless audio device, by the wireless device connected to the wearable wireless audio device by the wireless link, or by both. The quality of the wireless link may be based on the link quality data generated by the wearable wireless audio device, by the wireless device connected to the wearable wireless audio device, or both. The link quality data may include a received signal strength indication, a dropped packets indication, a corrupted packets indication, or the like, or any combination thereof. Other features are contemplated as well.
Referring to
The headset 202 and the smartphone 204 are connected by a wireless link 206. The wireless link 206 may be a Bluetooth link, a DECT link, a WiFi link, or the like. The smartphone 204 is connected to a mobile network 208 by a mobile wireless link 210. The mobile network 208 may be connected to other networks, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) 240, the Internet 242, and the like. In some embodiments, the headset 202 may include a WiFi radio-frequency (RF) transceiver (RFTXR) 236, and may connect to the Internet 242 through an access point (AP) 246 and a WiFi link 248.
The headset 202 includes an RF transceiver (RFTXR) 212, a digital signal processor (DSP) 214, a loudspeaker (SPKR) 216, and a microphone (MIC) 218. The smartphone 204 includes an RF transceiver (RFTXR) 222, a DSP 224, a loudspeaker 226, a microphone 228, a mobile RF transceiver 230, WiFi RF transceiver 236, a processor 232, and a display screen 234. In the example of
Referring to
At 310, the application 238 executing on the processor 232 determines a quality of the wireless link 206 based on the link quality data generated by the headset 202 and link quality data generated by the smartphone 204. The determination of the quality of the wireless link 206 may involve any combination of the link quality data generated by the headset 202 and the smartphone 204. For example, the determination may involve calculating averages, weighted averages, and the like. The quality of the wireless link 206 may be expressed in any form. For example, the quality may be expressed on a scale from one to four. As another example, the quality may be expressed in terms of a sufficiency of the wireless link 206 to support a voice call.
At 312, responsive to the application 238 determining a quality of the wireless link 206, the processor 232 causes the headset 202, the smartphone 204, or both to manifest a user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link 206. For example, the processor 232 may send an audio message to the headset 202 that indicates the quality of the wireless link 206 and, responsive to receiving that message, the headset 202 may play the message over its loudspeaker 216.
In some embodiments, at 314, the smartphone 204 generates a localized wireless link quality report. Each localized wireless link quality report includes a quality of the wireless link 206 between the headset 202 and the smartphone 204, and the location where the quality of the wireless link 206 was determined. In some embodiments, at 316, the smartphone 204 generates a wireless link quality map based on the localized wireless link quality report, for example as described below. In some embodiments, at 318, the smartphone 204 sends the localized wireless link quality report to the server 244, and the server 244 generates a wireless link quality map based on the reported quality.
In some embodiments, at 318, the smartphone 204 conducts a test call to another audio device. At 320, the processor 232 causes the headset 202, the smartphone 204, or both to manifest a user-perceivable indication of the quality of the test call. For example, the processor 232 may send an audio message to the headset 202 that indicates the quality of the test call and, responsive to receiving that message, the headset 202 may play the message over its loudspeaker 216.
Referring to
At 404, the server 244 generates a wireless link quality map based on the localized wireless link quality report. Any technique may be used to generate the wireless link quality map. For example, the server 244 may generate a wireless link quality index for the reported location based on the reported quality of the wireless link. The wireless link quality index may be expressed on a scale from one to four, for example. The map may be a heat map. For example, the heat map may be generated by digitally filtering the array of wireless link quality indices, or the like.
At 406, the server 244 receives a further localized wireless link quality report. At 408, the server 244 modifies the wireless link quality map based on the further localized wireless link quality report. For example, if the reported location has no wireless link quality index in the map, the server 244 generates a wireless link quality index for the reported location in the map based on the reported quality of the wireless link 206. But if the reported map location has a wireless link quality index, the server 244 modifies the wireless link quality index for that map location based on existing wireless link quality index and the reported quality of the wireless link. The process 400 may resume, at 404.
In some embodiments, the wireless link quality map is used to predict the quality of a wireless link 206 based on the location of the smartphone 204.
Referring to
At 606, the smartphone 204 provides a wireless link quality map. In some embodiments, the wireless link quality map may be generated by the smartphone 204, and may be stored in the smartphone 204. In some embodiments, the wireless link quality map is generated by the server 244, and is sent to the smartphone 204 by the server 244.
At 608, the smartphone 204 generates a predicted quality of the wireless link 206 based on the location of the smartphone 204 and the wireless link quality map. For example, the predicted quality of the wireless link 206 may be the wireless link quality index associated with the location of the smartphone 204 by the wireless link quality map.
At 610, the smartphone 204, the headset 202, or both generates a user-perceivable indication of the predicted quality of the wireless link 206. For example, the processor 232 may send an audio message to the headset 202 that indicates the predicted quality of the wireless link 206 and, responsive to receiving that message, the headset 202 may play the message over its loudspeaker 216. As another example, the smartphone 204 may display the indication of the predicted quality of the wireless link 206 on its display screen 234. For example, the display screen 234 may show a heat map with the location of the smartphone 204 indicated thereon. The user-perceivable indication of the quality of the wireless link 206 may indicate a sufficiency of the wireless link 206 to support a voice call.
In some embodiments, at 612, the smartphone 204 provides user-perceivable navigation instructions based on the location of the smartphone 204 and the wireless link quality map. For example, the instructions may guide the user away from areas where the predicted quality of the wireless link 206 is low, toward areas where the predicted quality of the wireless link 206 is high, and the like.
In some embodiments, the smartphone 204 provides the user-perceivable navigation instructions responsive to knowledge of an imminent event. For example, the smartphone 204 may determine a call is scheduled to begin soon, and therefore guide the user to a location indicated by the wireless link quality map as having a high predicted quality of the wireless link 206.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations thereof. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor. The described processes may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a data storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. Each computer program may be implemented in a high-level procedural or object-oriented programming language, or in assembly or machine language if desired; and in any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language. Suitable processors include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors. Generally, processors receive instructions and data from a read-only memory and/or a random access memory. Generally, a computer includes one or more mass storage devices for storing data files. Such devices include magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical disks; optical disks, and solid-state disks. Storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM disks. Any of the foregoing may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). As used herein, the term “module” may refer to any of the above implementations.
A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.