US-20260129365-A1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUDIO DEVICE INTEROPERABILITY

US20260129365A1US 20260129365 A1US20260129365 A1US 20260129365A1US-20260129365-A1

Abstract

Systems and methods of the present disclosure enable heterogenous device interoperability for signaling across a network by configuring each transmitter and receiver to implement an interoperability tranche protocol. According to the interoperability tranche protocol, a transmitter generates multiple audio streams based on an original audio signal and a tranche function, where the tranche function is configured to produce the audio streams from the original audio signal at different quality levels. The transmitter transmits the audio streams across a network to each receiver on the network. According to the interoperability tranche protocol, each receiver receives the audio streams and generates an output audio signal based on an interpolator function and the audio streams. The interpolator function combines the audio streams and interpolates missing data from at least one of the audio streams using data from at least one other of the audio stream.

Inventors

Kenneth A. Boehlke

Assignees

DATAVAULT AI INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20260105

Claims (20)

1 . A transmitter, comprising: a memory storing computer code; and at least one processor configured to execute the computer code to: generate a plurality of audio tranches at different quality levels based at least in part on at least one quality metric; interleave each tranche using a respective interleaver; assign each tranche to a respective physical layer rate selected from a plurality of rates; and transmit the interleaved tranches across a wireless network using broadcast or multicast to enable at least one receiver to combines each interleaved tranche from the interleaved tranches and interpolates missing data to perform error correction.
2 . The transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to: assign each audio tranche to a transmission physical layer rate selected from the plurality of rates; and transmit each audio tranche over its assigned physical layer rate.
3 . The transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to: generate the plurality of audio tranches at fixed quality levels; and transmit the tranches irrespective of receiver capability.
4 . The transmitter of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate a lowest-quality tranche having reduced signal-to-noise ratio.
5 . A receiver, comprising: a memory storing computer code; and at least one processor configured to execute the computer code to: receive, via broadcast or multicast over a wireless network, a plurality of interleaved audio tranches transmitted at respective physical layer rates selected from a plurality of rates; de-interleave each interleaved audio tranche using a respective de-interleaver; interpolate missing data across the plurality of interleaved audio tranches to form an output audio signal; recover a sample clock from the plurality of interleaved audio tranches; synchronize a wall time with a master clock using a precision time protocol; and gate digital-to-analog conversion at timestamps determined by the synchronized wall time to align a presentation boundary.
6 . The receiver of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the plurality of interleaved audio tranches on multiple radio chains providing at least one of: frequency diversity, temporal diversity, or coding diversity.
7 . The receiver of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: ignore interleaved audio tranches whose sampling rate exceeds a maximum sampling rate supported by the receiver or whose bit depth exceeds a maximum bit depth supported by the receiver; and interpolate using received interleaved audio tranches having a sampling rate at or below the maximum sampling rate and a bit depth at or below the maximum bit depth supported by the receiver.
8 . The receiver of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: identify each interleaved audio tranche by at least one of its sampling rate or bit depth; and select de-interleaver parameters corresponding to the identified interleaved audio tranche.
9 . The receiver of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: compute per-tranche packet error rates and latency; and interpolate across the plurality of interleaved audio tranches with weights determined by the per-tranche packet error rates and latency to form the output audio signal.
10 . The receiver of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to synchronize the wall time using IEEE 802.11 timing synchronization function beacon timestamps when operating in an independent basic service set.
11 . A method, comprising: generating, by at least one processor of a transmitter, a plurality of audio tranches at different quality levels based at least in part on at least one quality metric; interleaving, by the at least one processor, each tranche using a respective interleaver; assigning, by the at least one processor, each tranche to a respective physical layer rate selected from a plurality of rates; and transmitting, by the at least one processor, the interleaved tranches across a wireless network using broadcast or multicast to enable at least one receiver to combines each interleaved tranche from the interleaved tranches and interpolates missing data to perform error correction.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising assigning, by the at least one processor, each audio tranche to a transmission physical layer rate selected from the plurality of rates and transmitting each audio tranche over its assigned physical layer rate.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating, by the at least one processor, the plurality of audio tranches at fixed quality levels and transmitting the tranches irrespective of receiver capability.
14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating, by the at least one processor, a lowest quality tranche having reduced signal to noise ratio.
15 . A method, comprising: receiving, by at least one processor of a receiver, via broadcast or multicast over a wireless network, a plurality of interleaved audio tranches transmitted at respective physical layer rates selected from a plurality of rates; de-interleaving, by the at least one processor, each interleaved audio tranche using a respective de-interleaver; interpolating, by the at least one processor, missing data across the plurality of interleaved audio tranches to form an output audio signal; recovering, by the at least one processor, a sample clock from the plurality of interleaved audio tranches; synchronizing, by the at least one processor, a wall time with a master clock using a precision time protocol; and gating, by the at least one processor, digital-to-analog conversion at timestamps determined by the synchronized wall time to align a presentation boundary.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving, by the at least one processor, the plurality of interleaved audio tranches on multiple radio chains providing at least one of frequency diversity, temporal diversity, or coding diversity.
17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising ignoring, by the at least one processor, interleaved audio tranches whose sampling rate exceeds a maximum sampling rate supported by the receiver or whose bit depth exceeds a maximum bit depth supported by the receiver; and interpolating, by the at least one processor, using received interleaved audio tranches having a sampling rate at or below the maximum sampling rate and a bit depth at or below the maximum bit depth supported by the receiver.
18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising identifying, by the at least one processor, each interleaved audio tranche by at least one of its sampling rate or bit depth and selecting de-interleaver parameters corresponding to the identified interleaved audio tranche.
19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising computing, by the at least one processor, per-tranche packet error rates and latency; and interpolating, by the at least one processor, across the plurality of interleaved audio tranches with weights determined by the per-tranche packet error rates and latency to form the output audio signal.
20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising synchronizing, by the at least one processor, the wall time using IEEE 802.11 timing synchronization function beacon timestamps when operating in an independent basic service set.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 19/358,207, filed Oct. 14, 2025, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/196,924, filed May 12, 2023, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,445,776, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/341,167 filed, May 12, 2022, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure is related generally to the wireless distribution of audio signals and, in particular to a system and methods of distributing audio wirelessly to a variety of devices having a variety of differing capabilities. BACKGROUND Interoperability in wireless systems is typically determined by an interrogation of capabilities of all the devices connected to a network and then a mode is selected that all devices support. This approach selects the lowest common denominator of capabilities and negates the capabilities of the best devices connected. SUMMARY The present disclosure provides for novel systems and methods of audio transmission that alleviate shortcomings in the art, and provide novel mechanisms for audio device interoperability with a network. An aspect of the present disclosure is a method of audio transmission. In some embodiments, a method of audio transmission may receive, by a transmitter, an original audio signal; generate, by the transmitter, a plurality of audio streams based at least in part on the original audio signal and a tranche function; where the tranche function is configured to produce the plurality of audio streams including the original audio signal at a plurality of quality levels; and transmit, by the transmitter, the plurality of audio streams across a network to each receiver. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, where the plurality of quality levels are defined by at least one of: bit rate, bit depth, sampling rate, or error correction. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including interleaving, by the transmitter, each audio stream of the plurality of audio streams using a respective interleaver of a plurality of interleavers. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, where the network includes a wireless network. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method including: receiving, by a receiver, a plurality of audio streams from a transmitter across a network; where the plurality of audio streams include an original audio signal at a plurality of quality levels; and generating, by the receiving, an output audio signal based at least in part on an interpolator function and the plurality of audio streams; where the interpolator function is configured to: combine the plurality of audio streams, and interpolate missing data from at least one audio stream of the plurality of audio streams using data from at least one other audio stream of the plurality of audio stream. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, where the plurality of quality levels are defined by at least one of: bit rate, bit depth, sampling rate, or error correction. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including de-interleaving, by the receiver, each audio stream of the plurality of audio streams using a respective de-interleaver of a plurality of de-interleavers. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, where the network includes a wireless network. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description of embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles of the disclosure: FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating non-limiting components of a general environment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of data transmission network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 illustrates a method for synchronizing clocks among devices in a network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 illustrates tranches of a network for parallel wireless streams with varying levels of quality according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example embodiment of a device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of non-limiting illustration, certain example embodiments. Subject matt