WO2024214964A1 - Electronic device for providing audio service and method for operating same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment, an electronic device (101) comprises at least one communication circuit (190), at least one processor (120), and a memory (130) for storing instructions, wherein the instructions cause, when executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device to: on the basis of a configured condition, establish a common audio channel which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device (102, 104, 200, 300, 1001, 1003, 1005); share, with the at least one external electronic device (102, 104, 200, 300, 1001, 1003, 1005) via the at least one communication circuit, information on the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization of the common audio channel; and operate in a reception mode in which the electronic device may receive audio data from the at least one external electronic device on the common audio channel. Other embodiments may be possible.

Description

Electronic device providing audio service and method of operation thereof

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device providing audio service and a method of operating the same.

Recently, with the development of information and communication technology, various wireless communication technologies and various services are being developed. In particular, Bluetooth, which is one of the short-range communication methods, is actively used, and electronic devices using Bluetooth are also widely used. In particular, a pair of ear buds that can be worn on each ear of a user are widely used as an ear-wearable device. An ear-wearable device can provide various functions. For example, an ear-wearable device can input and confirm a user's voice using a microphone, transmit audio data related to the user's voice to an electronic device (e.g., a smartphone), and output audio data received from the electronic device using a speaker.

The Bluetooth mode may include the Bluetooth legacy (or Bluetooth classic) mode, and/or the Bluetooth low energy (BLE) mode. An electronic device (e.g., a smartphone) providing an audio service based on the BLE mode may independently establish a communication link (e.g., a connected isochronous stream: CIS) with each of external electronic devices (e.g., a first external electronic device and/or a second external electronic device), and transmit and receive data with the external electronic devices through the established communication link (e.g., connection-based communication). The electronic device may establish a communication link (e.g., a broadcast isochronous stream: BIS) and transmit and receive data with the external electronic devices through the established communication link (e.g., broadcast-based communication).

In this way, an audio service based on the BLE method can be provided via either a connection-based CIS or a non-connection-based BIS. When a multi-party audio service is provided via CIS, all electronic devices (e.g., the electronic device, the first external electronic device, and/or the second external electronic device) participating in the multi-party audio service establish BLE links with each other and establish CISs based on the established BLE links. When the number of electronic devices participating in the CIS-based multi-party audio service increases, the number of links that need to be established between the electronic devices participating in the CIS-based multi-party audio service may increase exponentially, and this exponential increase in the number of links may not only make it difficult to provide a CIS-based multi-party audio service, but may also make it impossible to provide a CIS-based multi-party audio service.

When a multi-party audio service is provided through a BIS connection, electronic devices participating in the multi-party audio service can transmit audio data. However, in the case of the current Bluetooth method, when a multi-party audio service is provided through a BIS connection, a method for receiving audio data through a BIS connection is not specifically defined, and therefore, it is impossible to define when and how electronic devices participating in the multi-party audio service can receive audio data, and therefore, it may make it difficult or impossible to provide the multi-party audio service.

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device for providing audio service and a method of operating the same.

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device for providing a multi-party audio service and a method of operating the same.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes at least one communication circuit, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to establish a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device, based on a set condition.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to share, through the at least one communication circuit, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel with the at least one external electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to operate in a receive mode capable of receiving audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes at least one communication circuit, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to receive, through the at least one communication circuit, from at least one external electronic device or server, information about a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to perform a synchronization operation for the common audio channel based on information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to operate in a receive mode capable of receiving audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method includes establishing a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device, based on a set condition.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includes sharing information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the at least one external electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includes operating the electronic device in a receiving mode capable of receiving audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method includes receiving, from at least one external electronic device or server, information about a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includes performing a synchronization operation for the common audio channel based on information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includes operating the electronic device in a receiving mode capable of receiving audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium storing at least one computer-readable instruction is provided.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one instruction, when executed by at least one processor of the electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation includes establishing a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device, based on a set condition.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation includes sharing information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the at least one external electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation comprises operating the electronic device in a receive mode capable of receiving audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium storing at least one computer-readable instruction may be provided.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one instruction, when executed by at least one processor of the electronic device, may cause the electronic device to perform at least one operation.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include receiving, from at least one external electronic device or server, information about a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include performing a synchronization operation for the common audio channel based on information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include operating in a receiving mode in which the electronic device can receive audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electronic device within a network environment according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating connections between electronic devices based on the Bluetooth method in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a second external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a first external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of CIG events and CIS events in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of BIG events and BIS events in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an operating method of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an operating method of a first external electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an operating method of a first external electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating connections between electronic devices based on the Bluetooth method in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically illustrating an operation of an electronic device establishing a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating the format of a BLE ADV packet in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating a UI displayed on an electronic device when the electronic device receives a BLE ADV packet in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically illustrating a common audio channel generated by an electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically illustrating an operation of sharing information about a common audio channel generated by an electronic device and time information used for common audio channel synchronization in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram schematically illustrating an operation in which multiple electronic devices are synchronized to a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram schematically illustrating an operation in which multiple electronic devices are synchronized to a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram schematically illustrating transmission and reception operations performed by an electronic device on a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically illustrating transmission and reception operations performed by a first external electronic device on a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically illustrating an audio data exchange operation between an electronic device and a first external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a diagram schematically illustrating an audio data exchange operation between a first external electronic device, a third external electronic device, and a fourth external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a diagram schematically illustrating an operation of an electronic device establishing a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a diagram schematically illustrating a receiving operation performed by an electronic device after a common audio channel is created in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a diagram schematically illustrating operations of a second external electronic device, a third external electronic device, and a fourth external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a diagram schematically illustrating operations of a second external electronic device, a third external electronic device, and a fourth external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In addition, when describing an embodiment of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the terms described below are terms defined in consideration of the functions in an embodiment of the present disclosure, and this may vary depending on the intention or custom of a user or operator. Therefore, the definitions should be made based on the contents throughout this specification.

It should be noted that the technical terms used in this specification are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. Alternatively, the technical terms used in this specification should be interpreted as having a meaning generally understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, unless specifically defined otherwise in this specification, and should not be interpreted in an excessively comprehensive or excessively narrow sense. Alternatively, when a technical term used in this specification is an incorrect technical term that does not accurately express the spirit of the present disclosure, it should be replaced with a technical term that can be correctly understood by a person skilled in the art. Alternatively, the general terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure should be interpreted as defined in the dictionary, or according to the context, and should not be interpreted in an excessively narrow sense.

Alternatively, the singular expression used herein includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms "consisting of" or "comprising" should not be construed as necessarily including all of the various components or various operations described in the specification, and should be construed as not including some of the components or some of the operations, or may include additional components or operations.

Alternatively, terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. used herein may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component.

When it is said that a component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but there may be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is said that a component is "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing symbols, identical or similar components will be given the same reference numerals and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. Alternatively, when describing an embodiment of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. Alternatively, it should be noted that the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the spirit of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the spirit of the present disclosure by the attached drawings. The spirit of the present disclosure should be construed to extend to all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes in addition to the attached drawings.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will describe an electronic device, but the electronic device may be called a terminal, a mobile station, mobile equipment (ME), user equipment (UE), a user terminal (UT), a subscriber station (SS), a wireless device, a handheld device, or an access terminal (AT). Alternatively, the electronic device in an embodiment of the present disclosure may be a device having a communication function, such as, for example, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smartphone, a wireless MODEM, or a laptop.

Alternatively, in specifically describing one embodiment of the present disclosure, reference will be made to the Bluetooth standard defined by the Bluetooth SIG (special interest group), but the main gist of the present disclosure can be applied to other communication systems having a similar technical background with slight modifications without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and this will be possible at the discretion of a person skilled in the art of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electronic device (101) within a network environment (100) according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with an electronic device (104) or a server (108) through a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) through the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may include one or more other components. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

The processor (120) may control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing, for example, software (e.g., a program (140)), and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculations, the processor (120) may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in the volatile memory (132), process the command or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in the non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a graphic processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that may operate independently or together therewith. For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and a secondary processor (123), the secondary processor (123) may be configured to use lower power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a given function. The secondary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a part of functions or states associated with at least one of the components of the electronic device (101) (e.g., the display module (160), the sensor module (176), or the communication module (190)), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing device) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, in the electronic device (101) on which artificial intelligence is performed, or may be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers. The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), deep Q-networks, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may additionally or alternatively include a software structure.

The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or nonvolatile memory (134).

The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

The audio output module (155) can output an audio signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive an incoming call. According to one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as a part thereof.

The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) can include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) can include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can obtain sound through an input module (150), or output sound through an audio output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (102)) (e.g., a speaker or a headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

The sensor module (176) can detect an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or an external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electric signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that a user can perceive through a tactile or kinesthetic sense. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The camera module (180) can capture still images and moving images. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) can include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery (189) can power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) can include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

The communication module (190) may support establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102), the electronic device (104), or the server (108)), and performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., the application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, a corresponding communication module may communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as a plurality of separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) may use subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196) to verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199).

The wireless communication module (192) can support a 5G network and next-generation communication technology after a 4G network, for example, NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), terminal power minimization and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) may support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) may support various requirements specified in an electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., a second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) may support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each, or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from the outside (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and the external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) can form a mmWave antenna module. In one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module can include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high frequency band.

At least some of the above components may be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, a general purpose input and output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

According to one embodiment, a command or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of executing the function or service by itself or in addition, request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a part of the function or service. One or more external electronic devices that have received the request may execute at least a part of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may provide the result, as is or additionally processed, as at least a part of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an IoT (Internet of Things) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and/or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199). The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

An electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may be a device of various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance device. The electronic device according to an embodiment of this document is not limited to the above-described devices.

The embodiments of this document and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., a second) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

The term "module" used in one embodiment of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be an integrally configured component or a minimum unit of the component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

An embodiment of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., the electronic device (101)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g. electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

According to one embodiment, the method according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a commodity. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store ^TM ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a part of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or an intermediary server.

According to one embodiment, each of the components (e.g., modules or programs) described above may include a single or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and arranged in other components. According to one embodiment, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, the multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into one component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component of the multiple components before the integration. According to one embodiment, the operations performed by the module, program or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating connections between electronic devices based on the Bluetooth method in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may be wirelessly connected to a first external electronic device (200) (e.g., an ear-wearable device) (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may be a smartphone. The first external electronic device (200) may include a first earbud (202) (e.g., a left ear bud) and/or a second earbud (204) (e.g., a right ear bud). The first earbud (202) may function as a first audio channel (e.g., a left audio channel), and the second earbud (204) may function as a second audio channel (e.g., a right audio channel). In one embodiment, when an electronic device (101), a left earbud (202), and a light earbud (204) connected based on a Bluetooth method provide an audio service, each of the left earbud (202) and the light earbud (204) may operate as an audio sink device, and the electronic device (101) may operate as an audio source device. In one embodiment, the Bluetooth method may include a Bluetooth legacy (or Bluetooth classic) method, and/or a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) method.

In one embodiment, it is assumed that the first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204) are included in a first external electronic device (200) (e.g., an ear wearable device); however, the first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204) may be included in any electronic device that can operate as a pair, not just the first external electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may be implemented to include identical or similar configurations.

According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) and the first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204) may establish a connection (e.g., a communication link) with each other, and may transmit and/or receive data (e.g., audio data) with each other through the established connection. For example, the electronic device (101) and the first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204) may establish a communication link based on at least one of a Wi-Fi method and a Bluetooth method, but this does not mean that the method by which the electronic device (101) and the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) establish a communication link is limited to at least one of a Wi-Fi method and a Bluetooth method. When the method of establishing a communication link between the electronic device (101) and the first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204) is a Bluetooth method, the communication link established between the electronic device (101) and the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may be a connected isochronous stream (CIS) or a broadcast isochronous stream (BIS).

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may establish a communication link with only one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), or may establish a communication link with each of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204).

In one embodiment, the first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204) can establish a communication link based on at least one of a Wi-Fi method and a Bluetooth method, but the method by which the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) establish a communication link is not limited to at least one of a Wi-Fi method and a Bluetooth method. For example, if the method of establishing a communication link between the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is a Bluetooth method, the communication link can be CIS.

In one embodiment, either the first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204) can operate as a central device (or, master device, primary device, or main device) and the other can operate as a peripheral device (or, slave device, secondary device, or sub device). The electronic device operating as the central device can transmit data to the electronic device operating as the peripheral device. For example, when the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) establish a communication link with each other, either the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204) can be selected as the central device and the other can be selected as the peripheral device.

In FIG. 2, a case where a connection is established between an electronic device (101) and a first external electronic device (200) (e.g., a first earbud (202) and/or a second earbud (204)) is described as an example, but the electronic device (101) may establish a connection not only with the first external electronic device (200) but also with another external electronic device (e.g., a second external electronic device (not shown in FIG. 2)) (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1 or a server (e.g., the server (108) of FIG. 1). The electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), and/or the second external electronic device may be electronic devices participating in a multi-party audio service. In one embodiment, the server may be connected to the electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), and other external electronic devices, and the electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), and other external electronic devices may be connected to the server. It can perform management and control operations on devices.

The first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204) may communicate directly or indirectly with an ear buds case device (206). In one embodiment, the ear buds case device (206) may be a device that stores and charges the first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the ear buds case device (206) may include at least one processor (or at least one communication chip), at least one communication circuit, and/or a display. In one embodiment, the ear buds case device (206) may include additional components in addition to the at least one processor (or at least one communication chip), at least one communication circuit, and/or the display. In one embodiment, the ear buds case device (206) may perform an action associated with a common audio channel (e.g., an action of generating a common audio channel) based on a user input via the display. The first external electronic device (200) can generate a common audio channel and share information about the generated common audio channel and information used for synchronization to the common audio channel with the electronic device (101) or other external electronic devices. In one embodiment, the earbud case device (206) can also generate a common audio channel and share information about the generated common audio channel and information used for synchronization to the common audio channel with the electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), or other external electronic devices.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a second external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3, the second external electronic device (300) (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1) may be a device implementing a Bluetooth scheme (e.g., a Bluetooth legacy scheme and/or a BLE scheme). The second external electronic device (300) may include a communication circuit (302) (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1) that transmits and receives signals using one or more antennas (301) with another electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, or the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2), for example, a peer device. In one embodiment, the other electronic device may include at least one of the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204).

The second external electronic device (300) may include a processor (304) (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1) that may be implemented as one or more single-core processors or one or more multi-core processors, and a memory (306) (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1) that stores instructions for the operation of the second external electronic device (300).

The second external electronic device (300) may include an interface module (308) (e.g., interface (177) of FIG. 1). The interface module (308) may provide a wired and/or wireless interface for communicating with components outside the network. For example, at least some of one or more antennas (301), communication circuitry (302), or interface module (308) may be implemented as at least a portion of the communication module (190) and antenna module (197) of FIG. 1.

According to one embodiment, the second external electronic device (300) may include a plurality of communication circuits. One of the plurality of communication circuits may be a communication circuit based on a Wi-Fi method, and another of the plurality of communication circuits may be a communication circuit based on a Bluetooth method, for example, a BLE method. According to one embodiment, the plurality of communication circuits may include a communication circuit (302), and the communication circuit (302) may be a communication circuit based on a Wi-Fi method or a communication circuit based on a BLE method.

According to one embodiment, the second external electronic device (300) may include one communication circuit capable of supporting both the Wi-Fi method and the BLE method, without separately including a communication circuit based on the Wi-Fi method and a communication circuit based on the BLE method. According to one embodiment, the one communication circuit capable of supporting both the Wi-Fi method and the BLE method may be the communication circuit (302).

FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a first external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2) may be wirelessly connected to a first external electronic device (200) (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1 or the first external electronic device (200)). The first external electronic device (200) may include a first earbud (202) (e.g., a left earbud) and/or a second earbud (204) (e.g., a right earbud). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may be a smart phone.

In FIG. 4, the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are each implemented as earbuds, but the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may also be implemented as one of various types of devices (e.g., a smart watch, a head-mounted display device, devices for measuring a biosignal (e.g., an electrocardiogram patch)) that may include at least one electrode and sensor device described below. According to one embodiment, the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may form a pair. According to one embodiment, the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may be implemented to include identical or substantially similar configurations.

According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) and the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may establish a connection (e.g., a communication link) with each other, and may transmit and/or receive data with each other through the established connection. For example, the electronic device (101) and the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may establish a communication link using at least one of a Wi-Fi method and a Bluetooth method, but this does not mean that the method by which the electronic device (101) and the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) establish a communication link is limited to at least one of a Wi-Fi method and a Bluetooth method.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may establish a communication link with only one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) (e.g., the central earbud), or may establish communication links with both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204).

In one embodiment, the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) can establish a communication link based on at least one of a Wi-Fi method and a Bluetooth method, but the method by which the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) establish a communication link is not limited to at least one of a Wi-Fi method and a Bluetooth method.

In one embodiment, the first earbud (202) may include components identical to or substantially similar to at least one of the components (e.g., modules) of the electronic device (101). The first earbud (202) may include a communication circuit (420) (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1), an input device (430) (e.g., the input module (150) of FIG. 1), a sensor (440) (e.g., the sensor module (176) of FIG. 1), an audio processing module (450) (e.g., the audio module (170) of FIG. 1), a memory (490) (e.g., the memory (130) of FIG. 1), a power management module (460) (e.g., the power management module (188) of FIG. 1), a battery (470) (e.g., the battery (189) of FIG. 1), an interface (480) (e.g., the interface (177) of FIG. 1), and a processor (410) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1).

According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (420) may include at least one of a wireless communication module (e.g., a Bluetooth communication module, a cellular communication module, a wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication module, a near field communication (NFC) communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication (PLC) communication module).

The communication circuit (420) can communicate directly or indirectly with at least one of the electronic device (101), the earbud case device (206), or the second earbud (204) through a first network (e.g., the first network (198) of FIG. 1) using at least one communication module included therein. The second earbud (204) can be configured as a pair with the first earbud (202). The communication circuit (420) can operate independently of the processor (410) and can include one or more communication processors that support wired or wireless communication.

According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (420) may be connected to one or more antennas capable of transmitting or receiving a signal or information to or from another electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101), the second earbud (204), the earbud case device (206), and/or a second external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1 or the second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3). According to one embodiment, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as a first network (e.g., the first network (198) of FIG. 1) or a second network (e.g., the second network (199) of FIG. 2), may be selected by the communication circuit (420) from the multiple antennas. The signal or information may be transmitted or received between the communication circuit (420) and the other electronic device via the selected at least one antenna.

According to one embodiment, the input device (430) may be configured to generate various input signals that may be used to operate the first earbud (202). The input device (430) may include at least one of a touch pad, a touch panel, or a button.

In one embodiment, the input device (430) can generate a user input related to turning the first earbud (202) on or off. In one embodiment, the input device (430) can receive a user input for establishing a communication link between the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the input device (430) can receive a user input related to audio data (or audio content). For example, the user input can relate to a function of starting playback, pausing playback, stopping playback, controlling playback speed, controlling playback volume, or muting audio data.

According to one embodiment, the sensor (440) can obtain the position or operating state of the first earbud (202). The sensor (440) can convert the obtained signal into an electrical signal. For example, the sensor (440) can include at least one of a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a proximity sensor, a gesture sensor, a grip sensor, a biometric sensor, and/or an optical sensor.

According to one embodiment, the processor (410) may obtain data (e.g., audio data) from a packet (e.g., audio packet) received from the electronic device (101), process the obtained data through the audio processing module (450), and output the processed data through the speaker (454). The audio processing module (450) may support an audio data collection function and may play the collected audio data.

According to one embodiment, the audio processing module (450) may include an audio decoder (not shown) and a D/A converter (not shown). The audio decoder may convert audio data stored in the memory (490) or received from the electronic device (101) through the communication circuit (420) into a digital audio signal. The D/A converter may convert the digital audio signal converted by the audio decoder into an analog audio signal. According to one embodiment, the audio decoder may convert audio data received from the electronic device (101) through the communication circuit (420) and stored in the memory (490) into a digital audio signal. The speaker (454) may output the analog audio signal converted by the D/A converter.

According to one embodiment, the audio processing module (450) may include an A/D converter (not shown). The A/D converter may convert an analog voice signal transmitted through a microphone (452) into a digital voice signal. The microphone (452) may include at least one air conduction microphone and/or at least one bone conduction microphone for acquiring voice and/or sound.

According to one embodiment, the audio processing module (450) can reproduce various audio data set in the operating operation of the first earbud (202). For example, the processor (410) can identify whether the first earbud (202) is coupled to or separated from the user's ear through the sensor (440), and can be designed to reproduce audio data related to sound effects or guidance sounds through the audio processing module (450). The output of the sound effects or guidance sounds can be omitted depending on the user setting or the designer's intention.

According to one embodiment, the memory (490) can store various data used by at least one component of the first earbud (202), such as the processor (410) or the sensor (440). For example, the data can include input data or output data for software and instructions related thereto. The memory (490) can include volatile memory or nonvolatile memory.

According to one embodiment, the power management module (460) can manage power supplied to the first earbud (202). According to one embodiment, the power management module (460) can be implemented as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). According to one embodiment, the power management module (460) can include a battery charging module. According to one embodiment, when another electronic device (e.g., one of the electronic device (101), the second earbud (204), the earbud case device (206), and/or the second external electronic device) is electrically connected (wirelessly or wired) to the first earbud (202), the power management module (460) can receive power from the other electronic device to charge the battery (470).

In one embodiment, the battery (470) can power at least one component of the first earbud (202). In one embodiment, the battery (470) can comprise a rechargeable battery. In one embodiment, when the first earbud (202) is mounted within the earbud case device (206), the first earbud (202) can charge the battery (470) to a designated charge level and then turn on power to the first earbud (202) or turn on at least a portion of the communication circuitry (420).

According to one embodiment, the interface (480) can support one or more designated protocols that can be used to directly (e.g., via a wire) connect the first earbud (202) to the electronic device (101), the earbud case device (206), the second earbud (204), the second external electronic device, or another electronic device. According to one embodiment, the interface (480) can include at least one of a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a USB interface, an SD card interface, a power line communication (PLC) interface, or an audio interface. According to one embodiment, the interface (480) can include at least one connection port for forming a physical connection with the earbud case device (206).

In one embodiment, the processor (410) may execute software to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the first earbud (202) coupled to the processor (410) and perform various data processing or calculations. In one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or calculations, the processor (410) may load instructions or data received from another component (e.g., a sensor (440) or a communication circuit (420)) into the volatile memory (490), process the instructions or data stored in the volatile memory (490), and store resulting data in the non-volatile memory.

According to one embodiment, the processor (410) may establish a communication link with the electronic device (101) through the communication circuit (420) and receive data (e.g., audio data) from the electronic device (101) through the established communication link. According to one embodiment, the processor (410) may transmit data received from the external electronic device (201) through the communication circuit (420) to the second earbud (204). According to one embodiment, the processor (410) may perform operations of the first earbud (202) to be described below.

According to one embodiment, the first earbud (202) may further include various modules depending on its provision form. Although the modifications are very diverse and cannot be all listed due to the convergence trend of digital devices, components equivalent to the components described above may be additionally included in the first earbud (202). In addition, according to one embodiment, the first earbud (202) may exclude certain components among the components described in FIG. 4 depending on its provision form, or certain components may be replaced with other components.

According to one embodiment, a second earbud (204) configured as a pair with the first earbud (202) may include components similar to or substantially identical to the components included in the first earbud (202) and may perform all or part of the operations of the second earbud (204) described below.

In FIG. 4, a case in which a connection is established between an electronic device (101) and a first external electronic device (200) (e.g., a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204)) is described as an example. However, the electronic device (101) may establish a connection not only with the first external electronic device (200) but also with another external electronic device (e.g., a second external electronic device (not shown in FIG. 4)) (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1 or the second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3). The electronic device (101), the first external electronic device, and/or the second external electronic device may be electronic devices participating in a multi-party audio service.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device (101) may include at least one communication circuit (190), at least one processor (120), and a memory (130) storing instructions.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to establish a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device (102; 104; 200; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005), based on a set condition.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to share, via the at least one communication circuit, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel with the at least one external electronic device (102; 104; 200; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005).

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to operate in a receive mode in which the electronic device can receive audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device, while operating in the receiving mode, to determine that there is audio data to be transmitted to the at least one external electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to switch from the receiving mode to the transmitting mode based on determining the presence of the audio data.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to transmit, in the transmit mode, the audio data on the common audio channel via the at least one communication circuit.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to switch to the receive mode for the common audio channel based on completion of transmission of the audio data.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the set condition may include at least one of: a condition of receiving a packet requesting to create the common audio channel from at least one of the at least one external electronic device, a condition of confirming a user input requesting to create the common audio channel, a condition of confirming that the set application is executed, or a condition of confirming that the electronic device enters the set area.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to broadcast, through the at least one communication circuit, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization to the common audio channel, in a periodic advertising period.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to transmit, through the at least one communication circuit, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel over a communication link established between the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to transmit, via the at least one communication circuit, to a server connected to the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to determine at least one of an audio transmission service type, a physical link type, an access address, a channel map, audio transmission service parameters, or audio data transmission/reception timing.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to generate the common audio channel based on at least one of the determined audio transmission service type, the physical link type, the access address, the channel map, the audio transmission service parameters, or the audio data transmission/reception timing.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the audio transmission service type may include at least one of a broadcast isochronous stream (BIS) type or a connected isochronous stream (CIS) type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the audio transmission service type is the BIS type, the audio transmission service parameters may include BIS attribute information corresponding to the BIS type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the audio transmission service type is the CIS type, the audio transmission service parameters may include CIS attribute information corresponding to the CIS type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device (102; 200) may include at least one communication circuit (190), at least one processor (120), and a memory (130) storing instructions.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to receive, through the at least one communication circuit, from at least one external electronic device (101; 104; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005) or a server (108), information about a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to perform a synchronization operation for the common audio channel based on information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to operate in a receive mode in which the electronic device can receive audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device, while operating in the receiving mode, to receive data from the at least one external electronic device via the at least one communication circuit.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device, while operating in the receiving mode, to determine that there is audio data to be transmitted to the at least one external electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to switch from the receiving mode to the transmitting mode based on determining the presence of the audio data.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to transmit, in the transmit mode, the audio data on the common audio channel via the at least one communication circuit.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to transmit, through the at least one communication circuit, a packet requesting creation of the common audio channel to one of the at least one external electronic device (101), based on the set condition.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the set condition may include at least one of: a condition for confirming a user input requesting to create the common audio channel, a condition for confirming that the set application is running, or a condition for confirming that the electronic device enters a set area.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to receive, from the at least one external electronic device, through the at least one communication circuit, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel, during a periodic advertising period.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to receive, through the at least one communication circuit, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel in a communication link established between the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to receive, through the at least one communication circuit, from the at least one external electronic device and a server connected to the electronic device, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the common audio channel may be generated based on at least one of: an audio transmission service type, a physical link type, an access address, a channel map, audio transmission service parameters, or audio data transmission/reception timing.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the audio transmission service type may include at least one of a broadcast isochronous stream (BIS) type or a connected isochronous stream (CIS) type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the audio transmission service type is the BIS type, the audio transmission service parameters may include BIS attribute information corresponding to the BIS type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the audio transmission service type is the CIS type, the audio transmission service parameters may include CIS attribute information corresponding to the CIS type.

The Bluetooth mode may include Bluetooth legacy (or Bluetooth classic) mode, and/or Bluetooth low energy (BLE) mode. An electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 4) (e.g., a smartphone) providing an audio service based on a BLE method can independently establish a communication link (e.g., a connected isochronous stream (CIS)) with each of external electronic devices (e.g., a first external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or a first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2 or FIG. 4) (e.g., ear buds), and/or a second external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (104) of FIG. 1 or a second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3)) and transmit and receive data with the external electronic devices through the established communication link (e.g., connection-based communication). The electronic device can establish a communication link (e.g., a broadcast isochronous stream (BIS)) and transmit and receive data with the external electronic devices through the established communication link. (e.g., broadcast-based communication).

Audio services based on the BLE method can be provided through either the connection-based CIS or the non-connection-based BIS.

First, we will explain the case where multi-party audio service is provided through CIS.

When a multi-party audio service is provided via CIS, all electronic devices participating in the multi-party audio service (e.g., the electronic device, the first external electronic device, and/or the second external electronic device) establish BLE links with each other and establish CISs based on the established BLE links.

A CIS may be an asynchronous connection-oriented (ACL)-based link. For example, in a multiparty audio service, establishment of a connection between electronic devices A and electronic devices B may mean that a first communication link is established using a first access address. When electronic device C participates in the multiparty audio service, a second communication link may need to be established between electronic devices A and electronic devices C using a second access address, and a third communication link may need to be established between electronic devices B and electronic devices C using a third access address. In this way, CISs may be generated after all communication links (e.g., the first communication link, the second communication link, and/or the third communication link) are generated between electronic devices participating in the multiparty audio service (e.g., electronic devices A, electronic devices B, and/or electronic devices C). The CISs can be generated using access addresses different from the access addresses used in the first communication link to the third communication link, and the CIS generated corresponding to the first communication link is the first CIS, the CIS generated corresponding to the second communication link is the second CIS, and the CIS generated corresponding to the third communication link is the third CIS.

When the number of electronic devices participating in a CIS-based multiparty audio service increases, the number of links that need to be established between the electronic devices participating in the CIS-based multiparty audio service may increase exponentially, and this exponential increase in the number of links may not only make it difficult to provide a CIS-based multiparty audio service, but may also make it impossible to provide a CIS-based multiparty audio service. More specifically, the number of links that need to be established between electronic devices participating in a CIS-based multiparty audio service may increase exponentially, and as the number of links that need to be established increases, not only may the link operating times for operating the links overlap, but also it may be difficult to secure the minimum unit of time required to operate the links, and thus it may be difficult to normally provide a CIS-based multiparty audio service.

Secondly, we will explain the case where multilateral audio services are provided through BIS.

When a multi-party audio service is provided through BIS, electronic devices participating in the multi-party audio service can operate as BIS source devices and thus transmit audio data.

However, in the case of the current Bluetooth method, when a multi-party audio service is provided through a BIS connection, the method of receiving audio data through a BIS connection is not specifically defined, and therefore, it is impossible to define when and how electronic devices participating in the multi-party audio service can receive audio data, and therefore, it may be difficult or impossible to provide the multi-party audio service. In this way, when a multi-party audio service is provided through BIS, since a separate standard related to receiving audio data has not been presented, service stability may not be secured.

The present disclosure can provide an electronic device for providing audio service and a method of operating the same, which reduces the number of required links.

The present disclosure can provide an electronic device for providing audio service and an operating method thereof, which ensures service stability.

The audio service provided in the BLE mode may be a next-generation Bluetooth audio service. While the Bluetooth legacy mode uses the Bluetooth basic rate/enhanced data rate (BR/EDR) mode and also uses the advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP) or hands-free profile (HFP), the BLE mode uses the multi-stream audio mode and the broadcast audio mode for audio sharing.

In multi-stream audio mode, independent audio streams can be transmitted to one or more electronic devices. To support multi-stream audio mode, connected isochronous group (CIG) or CIS was introduced.

A CIG may be generated by a central device and may contain two or more CISs. For example, a CIG may contain two or more CISs that have the same time interval (e.g., ISO_Interval).

CIS is a logical transport that allows connected devices to transfer isochronous data in one direction. CIS is based on point-to-point and bidirectional communication based on acknowledgment (ACK).

An isochronous connection can be used to transfer isochronous data between a central device and a peripheral device using a logical transport called CIS. A CIS can contain CIS events that occur at regular intervals (e.g., a specified ISO_Interval). A CIS event can be an opportunity for a central device and a peripheral device to exchange audio packets.

Each CIS event may contain one or more subevents. Each subevent may be used by the central device to transmit audio packets and the peripheral devices to respond to the master device. In each subevent, the central device may transmit once and the peripheral devices may respond. When the central device and the peripheral devices have completed transmitting the scheduled isochronous data in the CIS event, all remaining subevents contained in the CIS event will not have any further wireless transmissions, and thus the CIS event may be closed.

Each sub-event can use a physical channel determined using a channel selection algorithm. The physical channel used for the sub-event can be marked as ISO Ch(eventcount, subeventcount). The eventcount can represent the count value of the corresponding CIS event, and the subeventcount can represent the count value of the sub-event in the corresponding CIS event.

A CIG event may include CIS events of CISs included in the CIG. Each CIG event starts at the earliest (in terms of transmission order) anchor point of the CIS and ends at the end of the last sub-event of the latest (in terms of transmission order) CIS of the same CIS event. Two CIG events on the same CIS may not overlap. For example, the last CIS event of a given CIG event may end before the first CIS anchor point of the next CIG event.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of CIG events and CIS events in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, one CIG event (e.g., CIG event n (500)) may include two CIS events (e.g., CIS1 event n (501) and CIS2 event n (503)). For example, CIS1 event n (501) may be a CIS event corresponding to CIS1, and CIS2 event n (503) may be a CIS event corresponding to CIS2.

The CISs included in the CIG can be arranged sequentially or interleaved by appropriately adjusting the values of Sub_Interval and the spacing between the CIS anchor points, and FIG. 5 illustrates a case in which CIS1 event n (501) and CIS2 event n (503) included in CIG event n (500) are arranged sequentially. For example, the CIG event n (500) illustrated in FIG. 5 may be a CIG event including CIS1 event n (501) and CIS2 event n (503) of a sequential arrangement.

When CIS1 event n(501) and CIS2 event n(503) are arranged sequentially, CIS events of other CISs do not overlap, and therefore, subevents of CIS events may not overlap either. For example, when CIS1 event n(501) and CIS2 event n(503) are arranged sequentially, CIS1 event n(501) and CIS2 event n(503) do not overlap, and therefore, subevents included in CIS1 event n(501) (e.g., subevent 1(511), subevent 2(512), subevent 3(513), subevent 4(514)) and subevents included in CIS2 event n(503) (e.g., subevent 1(541), subevent 2(542), subevent 3(543), subevent 4(544)) may not overlap.

In Fig. 5, an example is described where, when CIS1 event n (501) and CIS2 event n (503) are arranged sequentially, CIS events of other CISs do not overlap, and therefore, sub-events of CIS events may not overlap either.

In contrast, sub-events of multiple CIS events may overlap. For example, at least one of the sub-events included in CIS1 event n (501) may overlap with at least one of the sub-events included in CIS2 event n (503). For example, assume that there are six sub-events (subevent 1 (511), subevent 2 (512), subevent 3 (513), subevent 4 (514), subevent 1 (541), subevent 2 (542)), and two of the six sub-events overlap. For example, let us assume that CIS1 event n(501) contains subevent 1(511), subevent 2(512), subevent 3(513), and subevent 4(514), and CIS2 event n(503) contains subevent 3(513), subevent 4(514), subevent 1(541), and subevent 2(542). In this case, if subevent 1(511), subevent 2(512) are used in CIS1 event n(501), subevent 3(513), subevent 4(514), subevent 1(541), subevent 2(542) can be used in CIS2 event n(503), and conversely, if subevent 1(511), subevent 2(512), subevent 3(513), subevent 4(514) are used in CIS1 event n(501), subevent 1(541), subevent 2(542) can be used in CIS2 event n(503).

For each adjacent pair of CISs, the interval between the CIS anchor points of the CISs may be at least NSE (number of subevents) Υ Sub_Interval. NSE represents the number of subevents and may represent the maximum number of subevents included in each CIS event. In Fig. 5, "C" may represent a central device, "P1" may represent a first peripheral device, and "P2" may represent a second peripheral device.

In subevent 1 (511), the central device may transmit a connection-isochronous protocol data unit (PDU) (521), in subevent 2 (512), the central device may transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (522), in subevent 3 (513), the central device may transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (523), and in subevent 4 (514), the central device may transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (524). Each of the connection-isochronous PDU (521), the connection-isochronous PDU (522), the connection-isochronous PDU (523), and the connection-isochronous PDU (524) may be a connection-isochronous PDU transmitted from the central device to a peripheral device.

In subevent 1 (511), the first peripheral device may transmit a connection isochronous PDU (531), in subevent 2 (512), the first peripheral device may transmit a connection isochronous PDU (532), in subevent 3 (513), the first peripheral device may transmit a connection isochronous PDU (533), and in subevent 4 (514), the first peripheral device may transmit a connection isochronous PDU (534). Each of the connection isochronous PDU (531), the connection isochronous PDU (532), the connection isochronous PDU (533), and the connection isochronous PDU (534) may be a connection isochronous PDU transmitted from the first peripheral device to the central device. T_IFS represents time inter frame space and may indicate a time interval between consecutive packets on the same channel index. T_MSS represents the minimum subevent space, which can be, for example, 150 μs.

In subevent 1 (541), the central device can transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (551), in subevent 2 (542), the central device can transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (552), in subevent 3 (543), the central device can transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (553), and in subevent 4 (544), the central device can transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (554). Each of the connection-isochronous PDU (551), the connection-isochronous PDU (552), the connection-isochronous PDU (553), and the connection-isochronous PDU (554) can be a connection-isochronous PDU transmitted from the central device to a peripheral device.

In subevent 1 (541), a second peripheral device may transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (561), in subevent 2 (542), a second peripheral device may transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (562), in subevent 3 (543), a second peripheral device may transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (563), and in subevent 4 (544), a second peripheral device may transmit a connection-isochronous PDU (564). Each of the connection-isochronous PDU (561), the connection-isochronous PDU (562), the connection-isochronous PDU (563), and the connection-isochronous PDU (564) may be a connection-isochronous PDU transmitted from the second peripheral device to the central device.

In an audio sharing scheme, one or more audio packets can be provided to an infinite number of audio sink devices. To support the audio sharing scheme, a broadcast isochronous group (BIG) and a broadcast isochronous stream (BIS) have been proposed. In an audio sharing scheme, an isochronous broadcaster and a synchronized receiver may be required.

A BIS may be a logical transport used to convey one or more isochronous data streams to all devices for the BIS within a range. A BIS may include one or more sub-events for transmitting isochronous data packets. A sub-event may include time durations during which at least one synchronized receiver may receive a broadcast isochronous PDU. A BIS may support transmitting a number of new isochronous data packets at each BIS event. There is no acknowledgement protocol for the BIS, and thus traffic is unidirectional from a broadcasting device.

A BIG can be generated by an isochronous broadcaster. A BIG can contain one or more BISs. The multiple BISs included in a BIG can have a common timing reference based on the broadcaster and can be synchronized in the time domain. For example, the left channel and the right channel of an audio stereo stream received by individual devices need to be rendered simultaneously. The multiple BISs included in a BIG can be scheduled sequentially or in an interleaved arrangement.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of BIG events and BIS events in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6, each of the BIG events (e.g., BIG event x(601), BIG event x+1(603), BIG event x+2(603)) may include two BIS events. For example, BIG event x(601) may include BIS1 event x(611) and BIS2 event x(613), BIG event x+1(603) may include BIS1 event x+1(621) and BIS2 event x+1(623), and BIG event x+2(605) may include BIS1 event x+2(631) and BIS2 event x+2(633).

A BIG event may contain one or more BIS PDUs. The link layer may transmit only BIS PDUs in BIG events. The link layer may transmit only BIS PDUs as part of a BIG event. Each BIG event may be split into Num_BIS BIS events and control sub-events (if any). Each BIS event may be split into NSE sub-events. Each BIS event starts at a moment referred to as the BIS anchor point and ends after the last sub-event of each BIS event. Each BIG event starts at a moment referred to as the BIG anchor point and ends after the control sub-event, if any, otherwise ends at the end of the last constituent BIS event.

BIG anchor points can be regularly spaced at ISO_Interval intervals. BIS anchor points for a BIS n of a BIG can be (n - 1) Υ BIS_Spacing after the BIG anchor points, and thus can be regularly spaced at ISO_Interval intervals. BIS_Spacing is the time between the starts of sub-events contained in adjacent BISs contained in the BIG, and can also be the time between the start of the first sub-event of the last BIS and the start of the control sub-event, if any. The sub-events of each BIS can be spaced at Sub_Interval intervals. An isochronous broadcaster shall close each BIG event at least T_IFS before the BIG anchor point of the next BIG event.

In BIS1 event x(611), broadcast isochronous PDU(641), broadcast isochronous PDU(643), and broadcast isochronous PDU(645) can be transmitted.

In BIS2 event x(613), broadcast isochronous PDU(651), broadcast isochronous PDU(653), and broadcast isochronous PDU(655) can be transmitted.

In BIS1 event x+1 (621), broadcast isochronous PDU (661), broadcast isochronous PDU (663), and broadcast isochronous PDU (665) can be transmitted.

In BIS2 event x+1 (623), broadcast isochronous PDU (671), broadcast isochronous PDU (673), and broadcast isochronous PDU (675) can be transmitted.

In BIS1 event x+2 (631), broadcast isochronous PDU (681), broadcast isochronous PDU (683), and broadcast isochronous PDU (685) can be transmitted.

In BIS2 event x+2 (633), broadcast isochronous PDU (691), broadcast isochronous PDU (693), and broadcast isochronous PDU (695) can be transmitted.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an operating method of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1) may, in operation 711, establish a common audio channel based on a set condition. In one embodiment, the common audio channel may be a low energy audio service (LE audio service) link that can be commonly used by a plurality of electronic devices (e.g., the electronic device and at least one external electronic device). The LE audio service may be an audio service based on a BLE scheme. In one embodiment, the common audio channel may be a channel that can be used for a multi-party audio service based on a BLE scheme. In one embodiment, a common audio channel can be commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device. In one embodiment, the common audio channel can be provided via a connection-based CIS or a non-connection-based BIS.

In one embodiment, the set condition is: at least one external electronic device (e.g., a first external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1 , or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2 , FIG. 4 , FIG. 10 , FIG. 11 , FIG. 16 , FIG. 17 , FIG. 19 , FIG. 20 , or FIG. 21 ), a second external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1 , or the second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3 , FIG. 4 , FIG. 16 , or FIG. 17 ), a third external electronic device (e.g., the third external electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10 , FIG. 16 , FIG. 17 , or FIG. 21 ), a fourth external electronic device (e.g., the fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 10 , FIG. 16 , or FIG. 21 ), or a fifth external electronic device (e.g., the fifth external electronic device (1001) of FIG. The electronic device (1005) may include at least one of a condition for receiving a packet requesting to create the common audio channel (e.g., a common audio channel creation request packet) from at least one of the devices (1005)), a condition for confirming a user input requesting to create the common audio channel, a condition for confirming that a set application is executed, or a condition for confirming that the electronic device enters the set area. Since the set conditions will be described below with reference to FIG. 11, a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein. In one embodiment, the electronic device may determine at least one of an audio transmission service type, a physical link type, an access address, a channel map, audio transmission service parameters, or audio data transmission/reception timing, and generate a common audio channel based on at least one of the determined audio transmission service type, the physical link type, the access address, the channel map, the audio transmission service parameters, or the audio data transmission/reception timing. Since the audio transmission service type, physical link type, access address, channel map, audio transmission service parameters, or audio data transmission/reception timing will be described with reference to FIG. 11 below, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

An electronic device that has established a common audio channel based on a set condition may, in operation 713, share information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel with at least one external electronic device through at least one communication circuit (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1). In one embodiment, as the electronic device shares the information about the common audio channel and the time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel with at least one external electronic device, the at least one external electronic device may receive BIS audio data. In one embodiment, the time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel may include link information including a BIS audio data transmission order and/or information about a timing at which BIS audio data transmission starts. In one embodiment, the electronic device can share information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel with at least one external electronic device by broadcasting information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel through at least one communication circuit during a periodic advertising period. In one embodiment, the electronic device can share information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel with at least one external electronic device by transmitting information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel through at least one communication circuit in a communication link established between the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device. In one embodiment, the electronic device can share information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel with at least one external electronic device by transmitting information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel to a server connected to the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device through at least one communication circuit. Since the operation of an electronic device sharing information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with at least one external electronic device will be described below with reference to FIG. 11, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

In one embodiment, the electronic device may share information about a common audio channel that is not generated directly by the electronic device and time information used for synchronization to the common audio channel (e.g., information about a common audio channel that is generated by a server and time information used for synchronization to the common audio channel).

In one embodiment, when the electronic device is an earbud case, the earbud case can share information about a common audio channel obtained from the electronic device connected to the earbud case and time information used for synchronization to the common audio channel.

An electronic device that shares information about a common audio channel with at least one external electronic device and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel, can operate in a receiving mode in which the electronic device can receive audio data from at least one external electronic device for the established common audio channel, in operation 715.

The receiving mode and transmitting mode according to one embodiment may be described as follows.

For an electronic device performing a low energy audio service (LE audio service), a time interval for transmitting data (e.g., audio data) or a time interval for receiving data (e.g., audio data) is determined. For example, in case of CIS, one subevent may include a time interval from a central device to a peripheral device (C->P) + T_IFS (time inter frame spacing) + a time interval from a peripheral device to a central device (P->C) + T_MSS. T_MSS may represent a minimum subevent space. In case of BIS, one subevent may include a transmission time interval during which audio data is transmitted from a BIS source device (e.g., a device performing the BIS source role) + T_MSS.

In contrast, electronic devices participating in a common audio channel are free to operate in either the transmit mode or the receive mode for respective time intervals depending on the states of the electronic devices, without a fixed time interval for transmission or reception.

In one embodiment, the transmission mode may be a mode in which an electronic device participating in a common audio channel confirms that there is data (e.g., audio data) to be transmitted to external electronic devices (e.g., external electronic devices surrounding the electronic device) and transmits the confirmed data to the external electronic devices surrounding the electronic device.

In one embodiment, the receiving mode may be a mode for receiving data (e.g., audio data) transmitted from external electronic devices around the electronic device, when there is no data to be transmitted by the electronic device participating in the common audio channel to external electronic devices (e.g., external electronic devices around the electronic device).

In one embodiment, the receiving mode may be a mode in which the electronic device can receive actual audio data from at least one external electronic device, or monitor whether audio data is being received from at least one external electronic device, or is in a sleep state.

In one embodiment, the electronic device may operate in a receive mode by default after establishing a common audio channel. In one embodiment, the electronic device may operate in a receive mode for the common audio channel after establishing the common audio channel.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 7, the electronic device can determine that there is audio data to be transmitted while operating in a receive mode for a common audio channel.

When an electronic device, while operating in a receiving mode for a common audio channel, determines that there is audio data to be transmitted, the electronic device may switch from the receiving mode to the transmitting mode. In one embodiment, the transmitting mode may be a mode in which the electronic device participating in the common audio channel determines that there is data (e.g., audio data) to be transmitted to external electronic devices (e.g., external electronic devices surrounding the electronic device) and transmits the determined data to the external electronic devices surrounding the electronic device. In one embodiment, the transmitting mode may be a mode in which the electronic device can transmit audio data. The electronic device may transmit audio data on the common audio channel through at least one communication circuit in the transmitting mode. In one embodiment, when the electronic device generates a common audio channel and the electronic device is connected to the earbuds, the electronic device and the earbuds may transmit audio data for the same utterance simultaneously. In one embodiment, when the electronic device generates a common audio channel and the electronic device is connected to the earbuds, the electronic device may not transmit audio data for the same utterance, but may transmit only the earbuds to the audio data.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 7, an electronic device that has transmitted audio data in a transmission mode may switch back to a reception mode for a common audio channel based on completion of transmission of the audio data.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an operating method of a first external electronic device according to one embodiment.

Before describing FIG. 8, an operating method of a first external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1) illustrated in FIG. 8 may be an operating method in which the first external electronic device obtains information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization about the common audio channel from the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) without transmitting a packet requesting creation of a common audio channel (e.g., a common audio channel creation request packet).

Referring to FIG. 8, in operation 811, the first external electronic device may receive information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel from the electronic device through at least one communication circuit (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may receive information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel from the electronic device through at least one communication circuit in a periodic advertising period. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may receive information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel through at least one communication circuit in a communication link established between the electronic device and the first external electronic device. In one embodiment, the electronic device may receive information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel from a server to which the electronic device and the first external electronic device are connected through at least one communication circuit. Since the operation of sharing information about a common audio channel with the electronic device and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel will be described with reference to FIG. 11 below, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. In operation 811, a case where a common audio channel is created based on BIS is described as an example, but a common audio channel may be created based on CIS. For example, although both BIS and CIS may be the same in that a time interval for transmission is set, BIS has one transmission occasion in a subevent, while CIS may have a total of two transmission occasions including a transmission occasion from a central device to a peripheral device (C->P) and a transmission occasion from a peripheral device to a central device (P->C) in a subevent. In the case of BIS, audio data may be transmitted in the time interval set in the subevent. In the case of CIS, it can be determined which of the two transmission opportunities existing in the subevent will be applied to the common audio channel, and the transmission opportunity thus determined can be applied to the common audio channel.

In FIG. 8, a case is described as an example in which a first external electronic device receives information on a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel from an electronic device. However, the first external electronic device may receive information on a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel from at least one other external electronic device (e.g., a second external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (104) of FIG. 1, or a second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 16, or FIG. 17), a third external electronic device (e.g., a third external electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, or FIG. 21), a fourth external electronic device (e.g., a fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, or FIG. 21), a fifth external electronic device (e.g., a fifth external electronic device (1005) of FIG. 10), or a server (e.g., a server (108) of FIG. 1). Time information used for synchronization for the channel may also be received. The first external electronic device, which has received information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel from the electronic device, may, in operation 813, synchronize to the common audio channel based on the received information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel (for example, may perform a synchronization operation for the common audio channel). In one embodiment, the electronic devices that can commonly use the common audio channel may be electronic devices that have been authenticated as electronic devices that can participate in the common audio channel through a prior authentication procedure. In one embodiment, the electronic devices that can commonly use the common audio channel may be electronic devices that satisfy a set condition. In one embodiment, the set condition may include a condition of being authenticated with set authentication information, a condition of using the same user account, and/or a condition of entering the same QR code, and the set condition may be implemented in various forms in consideration of a security level for the common audio channel, and there may be no limitation on the set condition. According to one embodiment, there may be no separate limitation on the electronic devices that can commonly use the common audio channel. For example, any electronic device may use the common audio channel as long as it can perform a synchronization operation for the common audio channel based on information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel.

Based on the information about the received common audio channel and the time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel, the first external electronic device, which performs a synchronization operation for the common audio channel, may operate in a reception mode in which the first external electronic device can receive audio data from the electronic device or at least one other electronic device for the common audio channel, in operation 815. Since the transmission mode and the reception mode have been described with reference to FIG. 7, a detailed description thereof may be omitted here. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may, in the reception mode, receive actual audio data from the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device, or may monitor whether audio data is received from the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device, or may exist in a sleep state. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may operate in the reception mode by default after synchronizing to the common audio channel. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may operate in the reception mode for the common audio channel after performing the synchronization operation for the common audio channel.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 8, the first external electronic device can determine that there is audio data to be transmitted while operating in a receive mode for the common audio channel.

While operating in a receiving mode for a common audio channel, a first external electronic device that determines that there is audio data to be transmitted can switch from the receiving mode to the transmitting mode. The transmitting mode can be a mode in which the first external electronic device can transmit audio data. The first external electronic device can transmit audio data on the common audio channel through at least one communication circuit in the transmitting mode.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 8, the first external electronic device that transmitted audio data in the transmission mode may switch back to the reception mode for the common audio channel based on the completion of the transmission of the audio data.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 8, while operating in a receive mode for a common audio channel, audio data may be received from at least one of the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device on the common audio channel via at least one communication circuit.

In FIG. 8, the operation of the first external electronic device receiving audio data from at least one of the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device may be performed before the operation of the first external electronic device transmitting the audio data to at least one of the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device. Alternatively, the operation of the first external electronic device transmitting the audio data to at least one of the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device may be performed before the operation of the first external electronic device receiving audio data from at least one of the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an operating method of a first external electronic device according to one embodiment.

Before describing FIG. 9, an operating method of a first external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1) illustrated in FIG. 9 may be an operating method in which the first external electronic device transmits a packet (e.g., a common audio channel creation request packet) requesting creation of a common audio channel to an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23), and acquires information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization about the common audio channel from the electronic device.

Referring to FIG. 9, in operation 911, a first external electronic device may transmit a packet (e.g., a common audio channel creation request packet) requesting the electronic device to create a common audio channel through at least one communication circuit (e.g., a communication module (190) of FIG. 1). Although FIG. 9 illustrates an example in which a first external electronic device transmits a packet requesting the electronic device to create a common audio channel, the first external electronic device may transmit a packet requesting the creation of a common audio channel to at least one other external electronic device (e.g., a second external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1 , or the second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3 , FIG. 4 , FIG. 16 , or FIG. 17 ), a third external electronic device (e.g., the third external electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10 , FIG. 16 , FIG. 17 , or FIG. 21 ), a fourth external electronic device (e.g., the fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 10 , FIG. 16 , or FIG. 21 ), or a fifth external electronic device (e.g., the fifth external electronic device (1005) of FIG. 10 )). In this case, the operation between the first external electronic device and at least one of the at least one other external electronic device may be similar to or substantially identical to the operation between the first external electronic device and the electronic device described in FIG. 9.

In one embodiment, a connection (e.g., a communication link) may be established between the first external electronic device and the electronic device. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may transmit a packet requesting the electronic device to create a common audio channel based on a set condition. The set condition may include at least one of a condition for confirming a user input requesting to create a common audio channel, a condition for confirming that a set application is executed, or a condition for confirming that the first external electronic device enters a set area. The set condition will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 11 below, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

In FIG. 9, a case is described as an example in which a first external electronic device transmits a packet requesting the electronic device to create a common audio channel. However, if the electronic device is an earbud case, the earbud case can create a common audio channel if a set operation (or user input) (for example, an operation of opening the earbud case and touching the left earbud and the light earbud a set number of times (for example, three times)) is confirmed even if the earbud case does not receive a packet requesting the creation of a common audio channel from the first external electronic device (for example, the left earbud and the light earbud). In this case, the earbud case can share information about the created common audio channel and time information used for synchronization about the common audio channel to the left earbud and the light earbud through a PA operation (for example, PLC or wirelessly).

A first external electronic device that transmits a packet requesting to create a common audio channel to an electronic device may, in operation 913, receive, from the electronic device, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel, via at least one communication circuit. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may receive, from the electronic device, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel, via at least one communication circuit, in a periodic advertising period. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may receive, from the electronic device and the first external electronic device, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel, via at least one communication circuit, in a communication link established between the electronic device and the first external electronic device. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device may receive, from a server to which the electronic device and the first external electronic device are connected, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel, via at least one communication circuit. The operation of sharing information about a common audio channel with the electronic device and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel will be described below with reference to FIG. 11, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

A first external electronic device, which has received information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronization to the common audio channel from an electronic device, can, in operation 915, synchronize to the common audio channel based on the received information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization to the common audio channel.

Based on the information about the received common audio channel and the time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel, the first external electronic device synchronized to the common audio channel can operate in a reception mode in which the first external electronic device can receive audio data from the electronic device or at least one other electronic device for the common audio channel, in operation 917. Since the transmission mode and the reception mode have been described with reference to FIG. 7, a detailed description thereof may be omitted here. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device can receive actual audio data from the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device in the reception mode, monitor whether audio data is received from the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device, or exist in a sleep state. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device can operate in the reception mode by default after synchronizing to the common audio channel. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device can operate in the reception mode for the common audio channel after performing a synchronization operation for the common audio channel.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 9, the first external electronic device can determine that there is audio data to be transmitted while operating in a receiving mode for the common audio channel.

When the first external electronic device determines that audio data to be transmitted exists while operating in the receiving mode for a common audio channel, the first external electronic device can switch from the receiving mode to the transmitting mode. The transmitting mode can be a mode in which the first external electronic device can transmit audio data. The first external electronic device can transmit audio data on the common audio channel through at least one communication circuit in the transmitting mode.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 9, the first external electronic device that transmitted audio data in the transmission mode may switch back to the reception mode for the common audio channel based on the completion of transmission of the audio data.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 9, while operating in a receive mode for a common audio channel, audio data may be received from at least one of the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device on the common audio channel via at least one communication circuit.

In FIG. 9, the operation of the first external electronic device receiving audio data from at least one of the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device may be performed before the operation of the first external electronic device transmitting the audio data to at least one of the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device. Alternatively, the operation of the first external electronic device transmitting the audio data to at least one of the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device may be performed before the operation of the first external electronic device receiving audio data from at least one of the electronic device or at least one other external electronic device.

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating connections between electronic devices based on the Bluetooth method in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 10, multiple electronic devices may participate in a multi-party audio service. The plurality of electronic devices participating in the multi-party audio service may include an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23), a first external electronic device (200) (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21), a second external electronic device (300) (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1, or the second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 16, or FIG. 17), a third external electronic device (1001) (e.g., the third external electronic device of FIG. 16, FIG. 17, or FIG. 21). The device (1001) may include a fourth external electronic device (1003) (e.g., the fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 16 or FIG. 21), and/or a fifth external electronic device (1005).

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may be a smartphone. The first external electronic device (200) may be an ear-wearable device, and the first external electronic device (200) may include a first earbud (202) (e.g., a left earbud) and/or a second earbud (204) (e.g., a light earbud). The first earbud (202) may function as a first audio channel (e.g., a left audio channel), and the second earbud (204) may function as a second audio channel (e.g., a light audio channel). In one embodiment, at least one of the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) may be another ear-wearable device. In one embodiment, at least one of the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) can be another smartphone. In one embodiment, at least one of the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) can be a smartwatch. In one embodiment, at least one of the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) can be an earbud case.

In a multi-party audio service, at least one of the electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) may be an electronic device that performs the role of a BIS source.

In a multi-party audio service, at least one of the electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) may be an electronic device that performs the role of a BIS sink.

In a multi-party audio service, at least one of the electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) may be a device performing a BIS assistant role. In one embodiment, the BIS assistant may perform an operation of searching for a BIS source in the vicinity. In one embodiment, if the electronic device is an earbud, and the earbud directly searches for a BIS source in the vicinity and the earbud directly outputs audio data, the earbud may be an electronic device performing a BIS sink role together with a BIS assistant role.

The electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) may be electronic devices that have decided to participate in a common audio channel for a multi-party audio service. In one embodiment, a plurality of common audio channels may be generated, and the electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) may decide to participate in the plurality of common audio channels. In one embodiment, when a plurality of common audio channels are generated, each of the plurality of common audio channels may be assigned to at least one group, and electronic devices included in at least one group may participate in the multi-party audio service through the common audio channel assigned to at least one group. In one embodiment, when a plurality of common audio channels are generated, at least one of the plurality of common audio channels can be assigned to at least one group, and electronic devices included in at least one group can participate in a multi-party audio service through at least one common audio channel assigned to at least one group. In one embodiment, two or more common audio channels can be assigned to each group, and in this case, electronic devices included in a group can participate in a multi-party audio service through two or more common audio channels assigned to the group, and the two or more common audio channels can be shared by the electronic devices included in the group based on a set condition.

The electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) may be electronic devices that have been previously authenticated as electronic devices capable of participating in a common audio channel through an authentication procedure. In one embodiment, the electronic devices capable of participating in the common audio channel may share a key (e.g., a broadcast code) applied to encryption of the common audio channel when the common audio channel is encrypted, and only electronic devices that share the key applied to encryption of the common audio channel may participate in the common audio channel. In one embodiment, the electronic devices capable of commonly using the common audio channel may be electronic devices that satisfy a set condition. In one embodiment, the set condition may include a condition of being authenticated with set authentication information, a condition of using the same user account, and/or a condition of entering the same QR code, and the set condition may be implemented in various forms in consideration of a security level for the common audio channel, and there may be no limitation on the set condition. According to one embodiment, there may be no separate limitation on electronic devices that can commonly use the common audio channel. For example, any electronic device can use the common audio channel as long as it can perform a synchronization operation for the common audio channel based on information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel.

The electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) can use a common audio channel that uses the same access address. The common audio channel can be generated by any one of the electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005). When the electronic device (101) generates a common audio channel, the electronic device (101) may share information about the generated common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel with a first external electronic device (200), a second external electronic device (300), a third external electronic device (1001), a fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or a fifth external electronic device (1005). In one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) shares information about the generated common audio channel with external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) through periodic advertising, the time information used for synchronization of the common audio channel may include a time difference from a time point at which the periodic advertising operation starts to a time point at which the common audio channel starts. In one embodiment, the information about the common audio channel may include BIGInfo included in an AUX_SYNC_IND PDU transmitted via averting, and the time information used for synchronization about the common audio channel may include timing information included in an AUX_SYNC_IND PDU transmitted via periodic averting. An operation of sharing the information about the common audio channel and the time information used for synchronization about the common audio channel with the first external electronic device (200), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), the fourth external electronic device (1003), and/or the fifth external electronic device (1005) by the electronic device (101) will be described below with reference to FIG. 11, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically illustrating an operation of an electronic device establishing a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 11, the structure of the wireless communication network can be implemented similarly to the structure of the wireless communication network described in FIG. 10, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

An electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) can identify a first external electronic device (200) (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21) based on the BLE method.

A first external electronic device (200) (e.g., the first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204) of FIG. 2) may transmit a BLE advertising (BLE ADV) signal (e.g., a BLE ADV packet) in a multicast manner or a broadcast manner. According to one embodiment, the BLE ADV packet may be a packet that transmits information related to a connection or an account (e.g., pairing) to unspecified surrounding electronic devices (e.g., the electronic device (101)). For example, the first external electronic device (200) may be stored in an earbud case device (not shown in FIG. 11) (e.g., the earbud case device (206) of FIG. 2). The earbud case device may be a device that stores and charges the first external electronic device (200). In Fig. 11, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the first external electronic device (200) is stored in the earbud case.

In one embodiment, when the earbuds case is opened while the first external electronic device (200) is stored in the earbuds case, the first external electronic device (200) may start transmitting a BLE ADV packet. In one embodiment, when the first external electronic device (200) is stored in the earbuds case and a button provided in the earbuds case is pressed, the first external electronic device (200) may start transmitting a BLE ADV packet. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (200) may start transmitting a BLE ADV packet periodically. The period at which the BLE ADV packet is transmitted may vary as needed. The first external electronic device (200) may transmit a BLE ADV packet based on the set period. In one embodiment, a BLE ADV packet may include at least one of identification information of the first external electronic device (200), user account information of the first external electronic device (200), information about an electronic device with which the first external electronic device (200) is currently paired, information about an electronic device that has performed a pairing process with the first external electronic device (200), information about electronic devices that can be paired simultaneously, information about transmission power, a sensing area, and a remaining battery level of the first external electronic device (200), and/or audio channel role information. In one embodiment, the audio channel role may be a first audio channel (e.g., a left audio channel) role and/or a second audio channel (e.g., a right audio channel).

FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating the format of a BLE ADV packet in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 12, a BLE ADV packet (1200) may include a preamble field (1202), an advertising access address field (1204), a packet data unit (PDU) field (1206), and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) field (1208).

In FIG. 12, it is assumed that a BLE ADV packet (1200) is transmitted by a first external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21). In one embodiment, the preamble field (1202) may include information used to perform frequency synchronization and/or symbol timing estimation in an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) receiving the BLE ADV packet (1200). For example, the preamble field (1202) may be implemented as 1 byte. In one embodiment, the preamble field (1202) may include a fixed sequence of 1 byte in length, in which bit values 0 and bit values 1 are alternately configured, based on address information included in the advertising access address field (1204). For example, the preamble field (1202) may include “10101010” when the address information included in the advertising access address field (1204) starts with 1. As another example, the preamble field (1202) may include “01010101” when the address information included in the advertising access address field (1204) starts with 0.

In one embodiment, the advertising access address field (1204) may include address information related to the BLE ADV packet (1200). As an example, the advertising access address field (1204) may be implemented with 4 bytes.

In one embodiment, the PDU field (1206) may have a variable length from a minimum of 2 bytes to a maximum of 39 bytes. The PDU field (1206) may include a header field (1210) and a payload field (1212).

In one embodiment, the header field (1210) may include information indicating the type and length of data included in the payload field (1212). In one embodiment, the header field (1210) may include information indicating that the type of data included in the payload field (1212) is advertising data. As an example, the header field (1210) may be implemented with 2 bytes.

In one embodiment, the payload field (1212) may have a variable length of 37 bytes or less and may include an advertising address (AdvA) field (1214) and an advertising data (AdvData) field (1216).

In one embodiment, the AdvA field (1214) may include an address (1218) of the first external electronic device transmitting the BLE ADV packet (1200). In one embodiment, the address (1218) of the first external electronic device may be a medium access control (MAC) address of the first external electronic device. In one embodiment, the address (1218) of the first external electronic device may be a resolvable private address (RPA). The RPA may be implemented with, for example, 48 bits. For example, the RPA may be divided into a first part (e.g., a 24-bit random part called prand) and a second part (e.g., a 24-bit hash part called hash). The least significant octet of the PRA may be the least significant octet of the hash, and the most significant octet of the PRA may be the most significant octet of the prand.

In one embodiment, the AdvData field (1216) may include advertising data (1220) of up to 31 bytes. In one embodiment, the AdvData field (1216) may include at least one of identification information of the first external electronic device, user account information of the first external electronic device, information about an electronic device with which the first external electronic device is currently paired, information about an electronic device that has performed a pairing process with the first external electronic device, information about electronic devices with which the first external electronic device can be simultaneously paired, information about transmission power, a sensing area, information about a remaining battery level of the first external electronic device, or audio channel role information. In one embodiment, the audio channel role of the first external electronic device may be a first audio channel (e.g., a left audio channel) and/or a second audio channel (e.g., a right audio channel).

In one embodiment, the AdvData field (1216) may include one or more advertising data (AD) elements. The one or more AD elements may be, for example, N AD elements including an AD ₀ element (1222) through an AD _N element (1226).

In one embodiment, one or more AD elements may each include a length field, a type field, and an AD data field. FIG. 12 illustrates a length field (1228), a type field (1230), and an AD data field (1232) included in an AD ₀ element (1222). Although not illustrated in FIG. 12, an AD _N element (1226) may include a length field, a type field, and an AD data field similar to the AD ₀ element (1222).

In one embodiment, the length field (1228) may include length information of the AD data field (1232), and the type field (1230) may include type information of data included in the AD data field (1232). In one embodiment, the type field (1232) may include information indicating one of the data types as shown in Table 1 below.

<Table 1>

In one embodiment, the CRC field (1208) may include information used by the electronic device to detect errors for received BLE ADV packets. As an example, the CRC field (1208) may be implemented with 3 bytes.

Referring again to FIG. 11, the first external electronic device (200) can transmit a BLE ADV packet based on a set condition. In one embodiment, the set condition can include at least one of a condition in which power is supplied to the first external electronic device (200), a condition in which a set cycle is reached, or a user input. The electronic device (101) can perform a BLE scan operation in a set scan period.

When performing a BLE scan operation, the electronic device (101) may receive at least one BLE ADV packet among the BLE ADV packets transmitted from the first external electronic device (200). The electronic device (101) that has received the BLE ADV packet may display a user interface (UI) through a display module (e.g., the display module (160) of FIG. 1). The electronic device (101) may display the UI through the display module based on information included in the received BLE ADV packet and a set condition. In one embodiment, the UI may include an image corresponding to the first external electronic device (200). In one embodiment, the UI may include device recognition information, and the device recognition information may be information generated corresponding to a result of the electronic device (101) recognizing the first external electronic device (200). For example, the electronic device (101) may recognize that the first external electronic device (200) is Samsung Galaxy Buds, and may generate information related to the Samsung Galaxy Buds as device recognition information. The generated device recognition information may be included in the UI, and the UI including the device recognition information may be displayed through the display module. An example of the UI displayed through the display module of the electronic device (101) may be as illustrated in FIG. 13.

FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating a UI displayed on an electronic device when the electronic device receives a BLE ADV packet in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 13, when an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) receives a BLE ADV packet from a first external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21), the electronic device may display a UI through a display module (e.g., the display module (160) of FIG. 1). The electronic device may display the UI through the display module based on information included in the received BLE ADV packet and set conditions. In one embodiment, the UI includes device recognition information, and the device recognition information may be information generated in response to a result of the electronic device recognizing the first external electronic device. For example, the electronic device may recognize that the first external electronic device is Samsung Galaxy Buds, and may generate information related to the Samsung Galaxy Buds as the device recognition information. In one embodiment, the device recognition information may indicate whether the electronic device has been previously paired with the first external electronic device, or may be generated based on a user account of the first external electronic device.

For example, the electronic device may recognize the first external electronic device by receiving a BLE ADV packet from the first external electronic device, and may output a UI for notifying the user of the recognized first external electronic device through a display of the electronic device. In one embodiment, the UI may include at least one of an image (1300) representing a shape of the first external electronic device (e.g., the first earbud (202) and/or the second earbud (204) of FIG. 2) or text representing a device name of the first external electronic device (e.g., My Galaxy Buds). In one embodiment, the UI may further include an image (1310) representing a battery status of the first external electronic device.

Referring again to FIG. 11, the electronic device (101) that receives the BLE ADV packet can generate a scan request (SCAN_REQ) packet based on information included in the BLE ADV packet and transmit the generated SCAN_REQ packet to the first external electronic device (200). The first external electronic device (200) that receives the SCAN_REQ packet from the electronic device (101) can generate a scan response (SCAN_RSP) packet, which is a response packet to the SCAN_REQ packet, based on information included in the SCAN_REQ packet and transmit the generated SCAN_RSP packet to the electronic device (101).

An electronic device (101) that receives a SCAN_RSP packet from a first external electronic device (200) may determine whether it is necessary to establish a connection with the first external electronic device (200) based on information included in the SCAN_RSP packet. If it is determined that it is necessary to establish a connection with the first external electronic device (200), the electronic device (101) may transmit a connection indication (CONNECT_IND) packet requesting the establishment of a connection to the first external electronic device (200). In one embodiment, the CONNECT_IND packet may include at least one of an access address (AA) of the electronic device (101), a coding indicator (CI), a transmit window offset, and/or a transmit window size. In FIG. 11, a case is illustrated where an electronic device (101) performs a BLE scan operation based on an active scan method, and when the electronic device (101) performs a passive scan operation, the SCAN_REQ packet and SCAN_RSP packet exchange operations performed between the electronic device (101) and the first external electronic device (200) may be omitted.

A first external electronic device (200) that receives a CONNECT_IND packet from an electronic device (101) can determine whether to establish a connection with the electronic device (101) based on information included in the CONNECT_IND packet. If it is determined to establish a connection with the electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200) can establish a connection (e.g., a first communication link) with the electronic device (101) (operation 1111). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) that transmitted the CONNECT_IND packet can operate as a central, and the first external electronic device (200) that received the CONNECT_IND packet can operate as a peripheral.

In operation 1111, as a first communication link is established between the electronic device (101) and the first external electronic device (200), the electronic device (101) and the first external electronic device (200) may exchange (e.g., transmit and/or receive) data (e.g., control data and/or control messages) via the first communication link. In one embodiment, the control data and/or control messages may include data required to create a common audio channel for a multi-party audio service. In one embodiment, the multi-party audio service may include an audio service in which at least two electronic devices (e.g., the electronic device (101) and the first external electronic device (200)) participate. In one embodiment, the common audio channel used in the multi-party audio service may include a channel sharing the same access code. In one embodiment, the common audio channel will be described as an example of being implemented as BIS, but it is to be understood that the common audio channel may be implemented as CIS as well as BIS. For example, at least two electronic devices participating in a multi-party audio service through a common audio channel implemented as BIS or CIS may exchange audio data by sharing the same access code.

In operation 1113, the first external electronic device (200) may transmit a packet (e.g., a common audio channel creation request packet) requesting creation of a common audio channel to the electronic device (101) through the first communication link based on a set condition. In one embodiment, the common audio channel creation request packet may include information requesting creation of a common audio channel, and there may be no limitation on the format thereof. In one embodiment, the set condition may include a user input requesting creation of a common audio channel for a multi-party audio service, execution of a set application, and/or entry into a set area. In one embodiment, the user input may include a set physical user interface (PUI), and/or a voice command. In one embodiment, the set application may include a dedicated application for the multi-party audio service. In one embodiment, the set area may include an area set in which the multi-party audio service is to be performed. In one embodiment, the set area may include a conference room, and/or a classroom. In one embodiment, the set area may be set based on a signal or input (e.g., user input) obtained by the first external electronic device (200), and there may be no limitation on the conditions under which the area in which the multi-party audio service can be performed is set. In one embodiment, the first external electronic device (200) may determine the area in which the multi-party audio service can be performed based on conditions in which various parameters may be considered.

An electronic device (101) that receives a common audio channel creation request packet from a first external electronic device (200) can create a common audio channel in operation 1115. In one embodiment, an operation of the electronic device (101) creating a common audio channel is specifically described as follows.

(1) The electronic device (101) can determine an audio transmission service type to be applied to a common audio channel. The audio transmission service type can include a low energy (LE) audio service type, an ACL type, and/or an advertising type. In one embodiment, the LE audio service type can include a BIS type and/or a CIS type.

(2) The electronic device (101) can determine a physical link type to be applied to a common audio channel. In one embodiment, the physical link type can include a physical link type to be used when transmitting audio data in the common audio channel. In one embodiment, the physical link type can include an uncoded type, a coded type, a physical link type for high-speed transmission, and/or a physical link type capable of variable operation. The uncoded type can include 1M LE PHY and/or 2M LE PHY, and the coded type can include an S=2 coded type and/or an S=8 coded type.

(3) The electronic device (101) can determine an access address to be applied to a common audio channel. In one embodiment, a unique access address can be determined for each common audio channel. In one embodiment, the access address can be a 32-bit value, can be generated based on a set rule, and a unique corresponding access address can be determined each time a common audio channel is generated.

(4) The electronic device (101) can determine a channel map to be applied to a common audio channel. In one embodiment, when the surrounding environment of the electronic device (101) is a noisy environment, the electronic device (101) can determine a channel map so that only a minimum number of physical channels can be used. In one embodiment, the noisy environment can be an environment in which noise higher than a set noise level is measured. When the surrounding environment of the electronic device (101) is a clean environment, the channel map can be determined so that all physical channels can be used. In one embodiment, the clean environment can be an environment in which noise lower than a set noise level is measured.

(5) The electronic device (101) can determine audio transmission service parameters to be applied to the common audio channel. In one embodiment, the audio transmission service parameters can be determined based on the audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel.

First, if the audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel is a BIS type, the audio transmission service parameters may include BIS attribute information corresponding to the BIS type. In one embodiment, the BIS attribute information may include Num_BIS, ISO_Interval, BIS_Spacing, Sub_Interval, Max_PDU, Max_SDU, MPT, BN, PTO, IRC, NSE, Framed, and/or Encrypted.

- Num_BIS can represent the number of BISs included in BIG. BISs included in BIG can be uniquely assigned a total of Num_BIS BIS_Numbers from 1 to Num_BIS.

- ISO_Interval can represent a time interval in units of 1.25ms between two adjacent BIG anchor points. ISO_Interval can be set to any value between 4 and 3200. For example, if the value of ISO_Interval is set to "4", the time interval between two adjacent BIG anchor points can be 5ms, and if the value of ISO_Interval is set to "3200", the time interval between two adjacent BIG anchor points can be 4s.

- BIS_Spacing may represent the time between the start times of corresponding subevents in adjacent BISs contained in the BIG, and/or the time between the start time of the first subevent of the last BIS and the start time of the control subevent (if any).

- Sub_Interval can represent the time between the start points of two consecutive subevents of each BIS.

- Max_PDU can indicate the maximum number of data octets (excluding message integrity check (MIC)) that can be transmitted in each BIS data PDU in BIG. The value of Max_PDU can be a value between 1 and 251.

- Max_SDU can indicate the maximum size of a service data unit (SDU) on BIG. The value of Max_SDU can be between 1 and 4095 octets.

- MPT may be equal to the time taken to transmit a packet containing a BIS data PDU with a payload of Max_PDU octets on the PHY used for BIS, and S=8 coding may be assumed on LE Coded PHY.

- BN(Burst Number), PTO(Pre-Transmission Offset), and IRC(Immediate Repetition Count) can control which data is transmitted in each BIG event. The value of BN can be a value between 1 and 7, the value of PTO can be a value between 0 and 15, and the value of IRC can be a value between 1 and 15.

- NSE can represent the number of sub-events per BIS in each BIG event. The value of NSE can be between 1 and 31, and can be an integer multiple of BN.

- Framed can indicate whether BIG is transmitting framed data or unframed data.

- Encrypted can indicate whether BIG is encrypted.

Second, if the audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel is a CIS type, the audio transmission service parameters may include CIS attribute information corresponding to the CIS type. In one embodiment, the CIS attribute information may include ISO_Interval, Sub_Interval, SE_Length, Max_PDU, Max_SDU, MTP_C, MTP_P, NSE, BN, FT, Framed, and/or Encrypted.

- ISO_Interval can represent the time between CIS anchor points of adjacent CIS events.

- Sub_Interval can represent the time between the start times of two consecutive subevents of CIS.

- SE_Length can indicate the maximum length of a subevent.

- Max_PDU can indicate the maximum number of data bytes that can be transmitted in each CIS data PDU, and the value of Max_PDU can be different in each direction.

- Max_SDU can represent the maximum size of SDU on the corresponding CIS, and the value of Max_SDU can be different in each direction.

- MPT_C and MPT_P can be equal to the time taken to transmit a packet containing a CIS PDU with a payload of Max_PDU octet (for that direction) on the PHY used for CIS, and S=8 coding can be assumed on LE Coded PHY. The values of MPT_C and MPT_P can include MIC if there is a possibility that CIS can be encrypted.

- NSE can represent the maximum number of subevents per CIS event.

- BN and FT can control what data is transmitted in each CIS event, and the values of BN and FT can be different in each direction.

- Framed can indicate whether the CIS transmits framed data (framed), and can have the same value in both directions.

Thirdly, if the audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel is an ACL type, the audio transmission service parameters may include ACL attribute information corresponding to the ACL type. In one embodiment, the ACL attribute information may include Connection Interval, Peripheral Latency, and/or Subrate Factor.

- Connection Interval

- Peripheral Latency

- Subrate Factor

Fourth, if the audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel is an advertising type, the audio transmission service parameters may include advertising attribute information corresponding to the advertising type. In one embodiment, the advertising attribute information may include an Advertising Interval, an Advertising type, and/or an Advertising Channel.

- Advertising Interval

- Advertising type

- Advertising Channel

(6) The electronic device (101) can determine audio data transmission/reception timing to be applied to a common audio channel. In one embodiment, the audio data transmission/reception timing can include timing at which audio data can be transmitted and/or timing at which audio data can be received in the common audio channel.

The electronic device (101) may generate a common audio channel based on an audio transmission service type to be applied to the determined common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for the determined audio data transmission, an access address to be applied to the determined common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the determined common audio channel, determined audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing, in operation 1115. For example, information about a common audio channel generated by the electronic device (101) may include PHY 2M LE, Type BIS, Access Address Code 0x19790206, Channel Map 0x1088472554, Num_BIS 1, ISO_Interval 30ms, BIS_Spacing 0, Sub_Interval 594μs, Max_PDU 100byte, Max_SDU 100byte, MTP 444μs, BN 3, PTO 0, IRC 2, NSE 6, Unframed, and/or Unencrypted.

FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically illustrating a common audio channel generated by an electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 14, when an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) needs to generate a common audio channel, it may determine an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for transmitting audio data, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing. An operation of the electronic device determining an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for transmitting audio data, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing may be similar to or substantially identical to the common audio channel generating operation of operation 1115 of FIG. 11, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

The electronic device can generate the common audio channel based on the audio transmission service type to be applied to the determined common audio channel, the physical link type to be used for the determined audio data transmission, the access address to be applied to the determined common audio channel, the channel map to be applied to the determined common audio channel, the determined audio transmission service parameters, and/or the determined audio data transmission/reception timing. For example, information about the common audio channel generated by the electronic device can include PHY 2M LE, Type BIS, Access Address Code 0x19790206, Channel Map 0x1088472554, Num_BIS 1, ISO_Interval 30ms, BIS_Spacing 0, Sub_Interval 594μs, Max_PDU 100byte, Max_SDU 100byte, MTP 444μs, BN 3, PTO 0, IRC 2, NSE 6, Unframed, and/or Unencrypted.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, the electronic device may generate a common audio channel (1400) corresponding to PHY 2M LE, Type BIS, Access Address Code 0x19790206, Channel Map 0x1088472554, Num_BIS 1, ISO_Interval 30ms, BIS_Spacing 0, Sub_Interval 594μs, Max_PDU 100byte, Max_SDU 100byte, MTP 444μs, BN 3, PTO 0, IRC 2, NSE 6, Unframed, and/or Unencrypted. It can be seen that in the common audio channel (1400), the access address is 0x19790206 and the channel map is set to 0x1088472554.

In FIG. 14, the event counter may be a 39-bit counter associated with BIG, and the value of the event counter may be set to “0” for the first BIG event, and the value of the event counter may be increased by 1 as the number of BIG events increases by 1.

In Fig. 14, in the BIG corresponding to the event counter 0, channel 24, channel 15, channel 38, channel 15, channel 3, channel 11 (CH24, CH15, CH38, CH15, CH3, CH11) can be used as common audio channels, in the BIG corresponding to the event counter 1, channel 5, channel 33, channel 15, channel 20, channel 11, channel 19 (CH5, CH33, CH15, CH20, CH11, CH19) can be used as common audio channels, in the BIG corresponding to the event counter 2, channel 5, channel 33, channel 5, channel 15, channel 7, channel 38 (CH5, CH33, CH5, CH15, CH7, CH38) can be used as common audio channels, and in the BIG corresponding to the event counter 3, channels 20, ... (CH20 ... ) can be used as common audio channels. It is depicted in the picture.

Referring back to FIG. 11, at operation 1117, the electronic device (101) may share information about the generated common audio channel to a first external electronic device (200) (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21) based on one of a variety of methods. In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may share information about the generated common audio channel to external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) through periodic advertising.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can share information about a common audio channel generated with external electronic devices through a separate external electronic device (e.g., a server (e.g., server (108) of FIG. 1)). The separate external electronic device can be connected to the electronic device (101) and the external electronic devices, including the first external electronic device (200), to manage the electronic device (101) and the external electronic devices.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can share information about a common audio channel created through a direct connection (e.g., a first communication link) established between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (200).

In operation 1117, the electronic device (101) may share time information used for common audio channel synchronization with information about the generated common audio channel to the first external electronic device (200) based on one of various methods. In one embodiment, when the common audio channel is encrypted, the electronic device (101) may share an encryption key applied to the common audio channel with information about the generated common audio channel to the first external electronic device (200) based on one of various methods.

In one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) shares information about a common audio channel generated with external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) through periodic advertising, the time information used for synchronization of the common audio channel may include a time difference from the time when the periodic advertising operation starts to the time when the common audio channel starts.

FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically illustrating an operation of sharing information about a common audio channel generated by an electronic device and time information used for common audio channel synchronization in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 15, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) may generate a common audio channel based on an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for audio data transmission, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing, as described in FIG. 11 or FIG. 14. For example, information about a common audio channel generated by an electronic device may include PHY 2M LE, Type BIS, Access Address Code 0x19790206, Channel Map 0x1088472554, Num_BIS 1, ISO_Interval 30ms, BIS_Spacing 0, Sub_Interval 594μs, Max_PDU 100byte, Max_SDU 100byte, MTP 444μs, BN 3, PTO 0, IRC 2, NSE 6, Unframed, and/or Unencrypted.

As illustrated in FIG. 15, the electronic device may generate a common audio channel (1500) corresponding to PHY 2M LE, Type BIS, Access Address Code 0x19790206, Channel Map 0x1088472554, Num_BIS 1, ISO_Interval 30ms, BIS_Spacing 0, Sub_Interval 594μs, Max_PDU 100byte, Max_SDU 100byte, MTP 444μs, BN 3, PTO 0, IRC 2, NSE 6, Unframed, and/or Unencrypted. It can be seen that in the common audio channel (1500), the access address is 0x19790206 and the channel map is set to 0x1088472554.

In FIG. 15, the event counter may be a 39-bit counter associated with BIG, and the value of the event counter may be set to “0” for the first BIG event, and the value of the event counter may be increased by 1 as the number of BIG events increases by 1.

In Fig. 15, in the BIG corresponding to the event counter 0, channel 24, channel 15, channel 38, channel 15, channel 3, channel 11 (CH24, CH15, CH38, CH15, CH3, CH11) can be used as common audio channels, in the BIG corresponding to the event counter 1, channel 5, channel 33, channel 15, channel 20, channel 11, channel 19 (CH5, CH33, CH15, CH20, CH11, CH19) can be used as common audio channels, in the BIG corresponding to the event counter 2, channel 5, channel 33, channel 5, channel 15, channel 7, channel 38 (CH5, CH33, CH5, CH15, CH7, CH38) can be used as common audio channels, and in the BIG corresponding to the event counter 3, channels 20, ... (CH20 ... ) can be used as common audio channels. It is depicted in the picture.

In one embodiment, the electronic device can share information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization with external electronic devices around the electronic device through a periodic advertising (PA) operation in operation 1511. Since the electronic device shares information about the common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization in operation 1511, the external electronic devices around the electronic device can synchronize to the common audio channel based on the time information used for common audio channel synchronization in operation 1513.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an operation in which multiple electronic devices are synchronized to a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 16, an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) may generate a common audio channel based on an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for audio data transmission, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing. An operation of the electronic device (101) generating a common audio channel may be similar to or substantially the same as that described in FIG. 11 or FIG. 14, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein. The electronic device (101) may generate a common audio channel (1600) corresponding to PHY 2M LE, Type BIS, Access Address Code 0x19790206, Channel Map 0x1088472554, Num_BIS 1, ISO_Interval 30ms, BIS_Spacing 0, Sub_Interval 594μs, Max_PDU 100byte, Max_SDU 100byte, MTP 444μs, BN 3, PTO 0, IRC 2, NSE 6, Unframed, and/or Unencrypted. It can be seen that in the common audio channel (1600), the access address is 0x19790206 and the channel map is set to 0x1088472554.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may share (broadcast) information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization through periodic advertising (PA) operations in operations 1613, 1615, and 1617. Through the PA operation of such electronic device (101), external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) (e.g., a first external electronic device (200) (e.g., an electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or a first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21), a second external electronic device (300) (e.g., an electronic device (104) of FIG. 1, or a second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, or FIG. 17), a third external electronic device (1001) (e.g., a third external electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10, FIG. 17, or FIG. 21), and/or a fourth external electronic device (1003) (e.g., a fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 10) can receive information about a common audio channel and a time used for synchronization of the common audio channel. Information can be obtained. Since the electronic device (101) shares information about the common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization in operations 1613, 1615, and 1617, external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) can synchronize to the common audio channel based on the time information used for common audio channel synchronization.

In operation 1611, the electronic device (101) may receive audio packet #0, audio packet #1, audio packet #2, audio packet #0, audio packet #1, audio packet #2 through a common audio channel in a receiving mode. In one embodiment, n may represent a sequence number for an audio packet, and audio packet #n may represent an nth audio packet transmitted through the common audio channel after the common audio channel is established. In one embodiment, for the common audio channel, the same audio packets may be repeatedly transmitted m times (e.g., m = 2) based on BIS attribute information, and even if the audio packets are repeatedly transmitted m times, the electronic devices receiving the corresponding audio packets may not receive the audio packets transmitted in the remaining m-1 transmissions if they normally received the audio packets in the first transmission.

FIG. 16 illustrates an audio packet transmission operation or an audio packet reception operation of an electronic device (101), a first external electronic device (200), a second external electronic device (300), a third external electronic device (1001), or a fourth external electronic device (1003) in BIG events for a common audio channel (1600) generated by the electronic device (101). The audio packet transmission operation or the audio packet reception operation of the electronic device (101), the first external electronic device (200), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), or the fourth external electronic device (1003) may be similar to or substantially the same as the packet transmission operation or the audio packet reception operation of the electronic device (101) described below in FIG. 18, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may operate in a receive mode by default for a common audio channel and may operate in a transmit mode as needed. In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may transmit audio data in the transmit mode. In one embodiment, when a common audio channel is established, the electronic device (101) may operate in a receive mode by default for the common audio channel. When the electronic device (101) determines that audio data to be transmitted is generated while operating in the receive mode for the common audio channel (for example, when it determines that data is input to a transmission queue (Tx queue), the electronic device (101) may switch from the receive mode to the transmit mode and transmit the audio data through the common audio channel in the transmit mode.

The first external electronic device (200) may be synchronized to a common audio channel at operation 1619 according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) at operation 1613. For example, the first external electronic device (200) may be synchronized to the common audio channel according to information about the common audio channel shared according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) at operation 1613 and time information used for common audio channel synchronization, and may use the common audio channel. Accordingly, the first external electronic device (200) may be able to use the common audio channel from the second BIG event. The first external electronic device (200) may operate in a receiving mode by default in the common audio channel and may operate in a transmitting mode as needed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first external electronic device (200) may transmit audio data in the transmitting mode.

The second external electronic device (300) may be synchronized to the common audio channel in operation 1621 according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) in operation 1615. For example, the second external electronic device (300) may be synchronized to the common audio channel according to information about the common audio channel shared according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) in operation 1615 and time information used for common audio channel synchronization, and may use the common audio channel. Accordingly, the second external electronic device (300) may be able to use the common audio channel from the fourth BIG event. The second external electronic device (300) may operate in a receiving mode by default in the common audio channel and may operate in a transmitting mode as needed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second external electronic device (300) may transmit audio data in the transmitting mode.

The third external electronic device (1001) may be synchronized to the common audio channel in operation 1623 according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) in operation 1617. For example, the third external electronic device (1001) may be synchronized to the common audio channel according to information about the common audio channel shared according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) in operation 1617 and time information used for common audio channel synchronization, and may use the common audio channel. Accordingly, the third external electronic device (1001) may be able to use the common audio channel from the sixth BIG event. The third external electronic device (1001) may operate in a receiving mode by default in the common audio channel and may operate in a transmitting mode as needed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the third external electronic device (1001) may transmit audio data in the transmitting mode.

The fourth external electronic device (1003) may be synchronized to the common audio channel at operation 1625 according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) at operation 1613. For example, the fourth external electronic device (1003) may be synchronized to the common audio channel according to the information about the common audio channel shared according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) at operation 1613 and the time information used for common audio channel synchronization, and may use the common audio channel. Accordingly, the fourth external electronic device (1003) may be able to use the common audio channel from the second BIG event. The fourth external electronic device (1003) may operate in the receive mode by default in the common audio channel and may operate in the transmit mode as needed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fourth external electronic device (1003) may transmit audio data in the transmit mode.

Referring again to FIG. 11, in one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) shares information about a common audio channel created through a direct connection (e.g., a first communication link) established between the electronic device (101) and a first external electronic device (200), the time information used to synchronize to the common audio channel may include a time difference between a time when communication of the first communication link starts and a time when the common audio channel starts.

In FIG. 11, a case is illustrated where information about a common audio channel is shared with a first external electronic device (200) by transmitting information about a common audio channel to the first external electronic device (200) through a first communication link established between the electronic device (101) and the first external electronic device (200). Although FIG. 11 illustrates a case where a periodic advertising (PA) operation is performed every three time intervals (e.g., three BIG events), there may be no limitation on the cycle at which the periodic advertising operation is performed. In one embodiment, information about a location at which the next BIS audio data is to be transmitted may be provided through the PA operation, and the receiving mode and the transmitting mode have been described with reference to FIG. 7, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein. The electronic device (101) that has shared information about the common audio channel and time information used to synchronize with the common audio channel through the first communication link may perform a PA operation in operation 1119. In one embodiment, the PA operation may include an AUX_SYNC_IND PDU transmission operation. In one embodiment, the EXT_IND PDU transmission operation and/or the AUX_ADV_IND PDU transmission operation may be an extended advertising operation and may be connected to the PA operation in the form of a train. An interval (e.g., a PA period) of the PA operation may be an interval between start times of the AUX_SYNC_IND PDUs. Accordingly, the electronic device (101) may perform the PA operation in operation 1129. In one embodiment, the format of the ADV_EXT_IND PDU, the AUX_ADV_IND PDU, and/or the AUX_SYNC_IND PDU may be similar to or substantially identical to the format of the BLE ADV packet described in FIG. 12, and information about the common audio channel and time information used to synchronize to the common audio channel may be included in the advertising data (1220).

A first external electronic device (200), which receives information about a common audio channel and time information used for synchronizing to the common audio channel from an electronic device (101) through a first communication link, can be synchronized to the common audio channel according to the information about the common audio channel and the time information used for synchronizing the common audio channel, and can use the common audio channel. The first external electronic device (200) can operate in a reception mode by default in the common audio channel, and can operate in a transmission mode as needed. Accordingly, the first external electronic device (200) can operate in a reception mode by default in the common audio channel in operations 1121, 1123, 1125, and 1127.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an operation in which multiple electronic devices are synchronized to a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 17, an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) may generate a common audio channel based on an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for audio data transmission, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing. An operation of the electronic device (101) generating a common audio channel may be similar to or substantially the same as that described in FIG. 11 or FIG. 14, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein. For example, the electronic device (101) may create a common audio channel corresponding to PHY 2M LE, Type BIS, Access Address Code 0x19790206, Channel Map 0x1088472554, Num_BIS 1, ISO_Interval 30ms, BIS_Spacing 0, Sub_Interval 594μs, Max_PDU 100byte, Max_SDU 100byte, MTP 444μs, BN 3, PTO 0, IRC 2, NSE 6, Unframed, and/or Unencrypted. It can be seen that in the common audio channel, the access address is 0x19790206 and the channel map is set to 0x1088472554.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may establish a communication link (e.g., a first communication link) in advance with a first external electronic device (200) (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21) as described in FIG. 11, and may share information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization through the first communication link. In this case, the first external electronic device (200) may be synchronized to the common audio channel and may use the common audio channel according to the information about the common audio channel and the time information used for common audio channel synchronization received through the first communication link. Accordingly, the first external electronic device (200) can operate in receive mode by default on the common audio channel in operations 1711, 1713, 1715, and 1717, and can operate in transmit mode as needed.

In contrast, although not shown separately, the electronic device (101) may share information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization through the PA operation, and the first external electronic device (200) may be synchronized to the common audio channel and may use the common audio channel according to the information about the common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization received through the first communication link. In this case too, the first external electronic device (200) may operate in a reception mode by default on the common audio channel in operations 1711, 1713, 1715, and 1717, and may operate in a transmission mode as needed.

The electronic device (101) can share (broadcast) information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization through the PA operation in operation 1719 and operation 1721. In one embodiment, the PA operation may include an AUX_SYNC_IND PDU transmission operation, and the PA operation may be connected in a train form with an EA operation including an EXT_IND PDU transmission operation and/or an AUX_ADV_IND PDU transmission operation in a train form. Through the PA operation of the electronic device (101), external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) (e.g., the second external electronic device (300) (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1, or the second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, or FIG. 16) and the third external electronic device (1001) (e.g., the third external electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, or FIG. 21) can obtain information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization. Since the electronic device (101) shares information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization in operation 1719 and operation 1721, the external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) can synchronize to the common audio channel based on the time information used for common audio channel synchronization.

The second external electronic device (300) can be synchronized to the common audio channel in operation 1720 according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) in operation 1719. For example, the second external electronic device (300) can be synchronized to the common audio channel according to information about the common audio channel shared according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) in operation 1719 and time information used for common audio channel synchronization, and can use the common audio channel. Accordingly, the second external electronic device (300) can operate in a receive mode by default in the common audio channel in operations 1723, 1725, 1727, and 1729, and can operate in a transmit mode as needed.

The third external electronic device (1001) can be synchronized to the common audio channel according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) in operation 1721. For example, the third external electronic device (1001) can be synchronized to the common audio channel according to the information about the common audio channel shared according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) in operation 1721 and the time information used for common audio channel synchronization, and can use the common audio channel. The third external electronic device (1001), which performs the synchronization operation for the common audio channel according to the information about the common audio channel shared according to the PA operation of the electronic device (101) in operation 1721 and the time information used for common audio channel synchronization, can operate in the reception mode by default in the common audio channel in operation 1731 and can operate in the transmission mode as needed.

FIG. 18 is a diagram schematically illustrating transmission and reception operations performed by an electronic device on a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 18, an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) may generate a common audio channel based on an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for audio data transmission, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing. An operation of the electronic device (101) generating a common audio channel may be similar to or substantially the same as described in FIG. 11 or FIG. 14, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein. The electronic device (101) may operate in a reception mode by default for the common audio channel, and may operate in a transmission mode as needed. The reception mode and the transmission mode have been described in FIG. 7, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

In operation 1811, the electronic device (101) may receive audio packets #60, audio packets #61, audio packets #62, audio packets #60, audio packets #61, and audio packets #62 through a common audio channel in a receiving mode. In one embodiment, n may represent a sequence number for an audio packet, and audio packet #n may represent an nth audio packet transmitted through a common audio channel after the common audio channel is established. In one embodiment, for the common audio channel, the same audio packets may be repeatedly transmitted m times (e.g., m = 2) based on BIS attribute information, and even if the audio packets are repeatedly transmitted m times, the electronic devices receiving the corresponding audio packets may not receive the audio packets transmitted in the remaining m-1 transmissions if they normally received the audio packets in the first transmission.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may operate in a receive mode by default for the common audio channel after generating the common audio channel, and may share (broadcast) information about the common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization through a PA operation in operations 1813, 1815, and 1817. In FIG. 18, an example in which the electronic device (101) generates a common audio channel, operates in a receive mode after generating the common audio channel, and shares information about the common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization through a PA operation is described, but the electronic device (101) may only perform an operation of generating the common audio channel, and may not perform other remaining operations related to the common audio channel (e.g., an operation of sharing information about the common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization). In this case, as an example, information about the common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization may be shared through a server (e.g., the server (108) of FIG. 1). Through the PA operation of the electronic device (101), external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) (e.g., a first external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21), a second external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1, or the second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 16, or FIG. 17), a third external electronic device (e.g., the third external electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, or FIG. 21), a fourth external electronic device (e.g., the fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, or FIG. 21), and/or a fifth external electronic device (e.g., the The fifth external electronic device (1005) of 10) can obtain information on a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization. In one embodiment, the time information used for common audio channel synchronization can indicate a time difference between an AUX_SYNC_IND PDU and a transmission point of audio data. For example, the time information used for common audio channel synchronization can be time information indicating how soon after an AUX_SYNC_IND PDU the audio data will be transmitted. In FIG. 18, the electronic device (101) is described as an example of sharing information on a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization through a PA operation, but the electronic device (101) can also transmit information on a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization through a server (e.g., server (108) of FIG. 1) to which the electronic device (101) and external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) are connected, so that the external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) can obtain information on a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization. Since the electronic device (101) shares information about the common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization in operations 1813, 1815, and 1817, external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) can synchronize to the common audio channel based on the time information used for common audio channel synchronization.

In FIG. 18, the electronic device (101) can receive audio packet #60, audio packet #61, audio packet #62, audio packet #60, audio packet #61, audio packet #62 for the first BIG event for the common audio channel (1800), can receive audio packet #63, audio packet #64, audio packet #65, audio packet #63, audio packet #64, audio packet #65 for the second BIG event, can receive audio packet #66, audio packet #67, audio packet #68, audio packet #66, audio packet #67, audio packet #68 for the third BIG event, can receive audio packet #69, transmit audio packet #70, audio packet #71, receive audio packet #69, transmit audio packet #70, audio packet #71 for the fourth BIG event, and can receive audio packet #69 and transmit audio packet #72, audio packet #73, audio packet #71 for the fifth BIG event. #74, audio packet #72, audio packet #73, audio packet #74 can be transmitted, and in the sixth BIG event, audio packet #75, audio packet #76, audio packet #77, audio packet #75, audio packet #76, channel audio packet #77 can be received.

The electronic device (101) can only operate in receive mode during the first BIG event.

The electronic device (101) can only operate in receive mode during the second BIG event.

The electronic device (101) can only operate in receive mode during the third BIG event.

The electronic device (101) can operate in receive mode and transmit mode in the fourth BIG event.

The electronic device (101) may operate only in a transmitting mode in the fifth BIG event. In one embodiment, if the electronic device (101) is an earbud, audio data to be transmitted may include audio data input through a microphone of the earbud. The electronic device (101) may transmit audio data corresponding to the audio sound when the volume of the input audio sound exceeds a threshold volume, or transmit audio data input after a setting operation (e.g., a user input to the earbud (e.g., a user touch)) is detected.

The electronic device (101) can operate only in the receiving mode in the sixth BIG event. In FIG. 18, since the electronic device (101) operates in the transmitting mode for transmitting audio data in the case of the fifth BIG event, other external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) may not perform the transmitting mode operation. To prevent this case, the electronic device (101) may not perform the transmitting mode operation in some time intervals in the corresponding BIG event, and in this case, other external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) may perform the transmitting mode operation in the time intervals in which the electronic device (101) does not perform the transmitting mode operation.

FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically illustrating transmission and reception operations performed by a first external electronic device on a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 19, an electronic device (not shown in FIG. 19) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) may generate a common audio channel based on an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for audio data transmission, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing. An operation of the electronic device generating a common audio channel may be similar to or substantially the same as described in FIG. 11 or FIG. 14, and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted herein. The electronic device may operate in a reception mode by default in the common audio channel, and may operate in a transmission mode as needed.

In one embodiment, the electronic device may share (broadcast) information about the common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization through PA operations after creating a common audio channel as described in FIG. 18. Through the PA operation of such an electronic device, external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) (e.g., a first external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or a first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21), a second external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (104) of FIG. 1, or a second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 16, or FIG. 17), a third external electronic device (e.g., a third external electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, or FIG. 21), a fourth external electronic device (e.g., a fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, or FIG. 21), and/or a fifth external electronic device (e.g., a fifth external electronic device of FIG. 10)) The device (1005) can obtain information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization. Since the electronic device shares information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization in the PA operation, the first external electronic device (200) can synchronize to the common audio channel based on the time information used for common audio channel synchronization.

FIG. 19 illustrates an audio data packet transmission operation or an audio data packet reception operation of a first external electronic device (200) in BIG events for a common audio channel (1900) generated by an electronic device. Each number illustrated in FIG. 19 may represent a sequence number of an audio packet, and the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 19 may be similar or substantially the same as the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 18 except for the PA operation, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically illustrating an audio data exchange operation between an electronic device and a first external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 20, an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 19, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) may generate a common audio channel based on an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for audio data transmission, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing. An operation of the electronic device (101) generating a common audio channel may be similar to or substantially the same as described in FIG. 11 or FIG. 14, and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted herein. The electronic device (101) may operate in a reception mode by default in the common audio channel, and may operate in a transmission mode as needed.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may share (broadcast) information about the common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization through PA operation after creating a common audio channel as described in FIG. 18. Through the PA operation of such electronic device (101), external electronic devices around the electronic device (101) (e.g., a first external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or a first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, or FIG. 21), a second external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (104) of FIG. 1, or a second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 16, or FIG. 17), a third external electronic device (e.g., a third external electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, or FIG. 21), a fourth external electronic device (e.g., a fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, or FIG. 21), and/or a fifth external electronic device (e.g., a fifth external electronic device of FIG. 10)) The electronic device (1005) can obtain information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization. Since the electronic device shares information about a common audio channel and time information used for common audio channel synchronization in the PA operation, the first external electronic device (200) can synchronize to the common audio channel based on the time information used for common audio channel synchronization.

FIG. 20 illustrates an audio data packet transmission operation or an audio data packet reception operation of an electronic device (101) and an audio data packet transmission operation or an audio data packet reception operation of a first external electronic device (200) in BIG events for a common audio channel (2000) generated by the electronic device (101). Each number illustrated in FIG. 20 may represent a sequence number of an audio packet, and the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the electronic device (200) of FIG. 20 and the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the first external electronic device (200) may be similar or substantially the same as the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 18 except for the PA operation, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

FIG. 21 is a diagram schematically illustrating an audio data exchange operation between a first external electronic device, a third external electronic device, and a fourth external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 21, an electronic device (not shown) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 19, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) may generate a common audio channel (2100) based on an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for audio data transmission, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing. An operation by which the electronic device generates the common audio channel (2100) may be similar to or substantially the same as described in FIG. 11 or FIG. 14, and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted herein.

In FIG. 21, an audio data packet transmission operation or an audio data packet reception operation of an electronic device (101), an audio data packet transmission operation or an audio data packet reception operation of a third external electronic device (1001), and an audio data packet transmission operation or an audio data packet reception operation of a fourth external electronic device (1003) in BIG events for a common audio channel (2100) are illustrated. Each number illustrated in FIG. 21 may represent a sequence number of an audio packet, and the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 21, the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the third external electronic device (1001), and the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the fourth external electronic device (1003) may be similar or substantially the same as the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 18 except for the PA operation, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

In this way, when two or more electronic devices perform a transmission operation simultaneously (for example, when two or more electronic devices transmit audio data simultaneously) in the same BIG event (for example, at the same anchor point or the same sub-event starting point), the electronic devices operating in the receiving mode can simultaneously process the audio data for the electronic device that received the preamble signal first among the electronic devices operating in the transmitting mode.

In contrast, even if two or more electronic devices operate in a transmitting mode simultaneously (e.g., at the same anchor point or the same sub-event starting point) in the same BIG event (e.g., at the same time, when two or more electronic devices simultaneously transmit audio data), if the electronic devices operating in a receiving mode include two or more modems (e.g., Bluetooth modems), the two or more modems can be used to simultaneously process audio data transmitted from the two or more electronic devices. In one embodiment, the two or more modems can simultaneously process audio data transmitted from the two or more electronic devices without interference if the distance between their antennas is greater than or equal to a set distance (e.g., 7.5 cm, 15 cm, etc.). For example, in the case of the third external electronic device (1001), a collision may occur for audio packets that are not indicated by arrows, making normal processing difficult. However, as proposed in the present disclosure, when audio data transmitted from two or more electronic devices is simultaneously processed using two or more modems, the audio packets that are not indicated by arrows can also be normally processed.

FIG. 22 is a diagram schematically illustrating an operation of an electronic device establishing a common audio channel in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 22, the structure of the wireless communication network can be implemented similarly to the structure of the wireless communication network described in FIG. 10, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The operation of the electronic device illustrated in FIG. 22 (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or FIG. 23) may be performed by an external electronic device (e.g., a first external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102) of FIG. 1, or the first external electronic device (200) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, or FIG. 21), a second external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1, or the second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 16, or FIG. 17), a third external electronic device (e.g., the third external electronic device of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, or FIG. 21). The operation of the electronic device described in FIG. 11 may be different in that the common audio channel may be generated based on the set condition even if a packet requesting the generation of a common audio channel (e.g., a common audio channel generation request packet) is not received from the fourth external electronic device (e.g., the fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, or FIG. 21), and/or the fifth external electronic device (e.g., the fifth external electronic device (1005) of FIG. 10).

In operation 2211, the electronic device may generate a common audio channel based on a set condition. In one embodiment, the set condition may include a user input requesting to generate a common audio channel for a multi-party audio service, execution of a set application, and/or entry into a set area. In one embodiment, the user input may include a set physical user interface (PUI), and/or a voice command. In one embodiment, the set application may include a dedicated application for the multi-party audio service. In one embodiment, the set area may include an area where the multi-party audio service is set to be performed. In one embodiment, the set area may include a conference room and/or a classroom. Since the operation of the electronic device generating a common audio channel is similar to or substantially the same as described in FIGS. 11 and 14, a detailed description thereof is omitted herein.

An electronic device that creates a common audio channel based on a set condition can share the information about the common audio channel and the time information used for synchronization to the common audio channel with external electronic devices around the electronic device by broadcasting information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization to the common audio channel through a periodic advertising operation at operation 2213. The operation of sharing the information about the common audio channel and the time information used for synchronization to the common audio channel with external electronic devices around the electronic device is similar to or substantially the same as that described with reference to FIG. 11, and therefore a detailed description thereof is omitted herein.

In this way, the electronic device, which has shared information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronizing to the common audio channel, can operate in the receive mode by default in operation 2215. The electronic device can perform a periodic advertising operation corresponding to the periodic advertising cycle in operation 2221 while operating in the receive mode in operations 2217 and 2219, and then operate in the receive mode again in operation 2223.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 22, if the electronic device determines that audio data to be transmitted is generated while operating in the receive mode by default after generating a common audio channel, the electronic device can transmit audio data at the transmission timing of the common audio channel.

FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating a receiving operation performed by an electronic device after a common audio channel is created in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 23, when an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 20, or FIG. 22) needs to generate a common audio channel, it may determine an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for audio data transmission, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing. An operation of the electronic device determining an audio transmission service type to be applied to the common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for audio data transmission, an access address to be applied to the common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the common audio channel, audio transmission service parameters, and/or audio data transmission/reception timing may be similar to or substantially identical to the common audio channel generating operation of operation 1115 of FIG. 11, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

The electronic device can generate a common audio channel (2300) based on an audio transmission service type to be applied to the determined common audio channel, a physical link type to be used for transmitting the determined audio data, an access address to be applied to the determined common audio channel, a channel map to be applied to the determined common audio channel, determined audio transmission service parameters, and/or determined audio data transmission/reception timing.

In FIG. 23, an audio data packet transmission operation or an audio data packet reception operation of the electronic device (101) in BIG events for a common audio channel (2300) generated by the electronic device is illustrated. Each number illustrated in FIG. 23 may represent a sequence number of an audio packet, and the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 23 may be similar or substantially the same as the audio data packet transmission operation or the audio data packet reception operation of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 18 except for the PA operation, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein. In this way, after the electronic device generates the common audio channel (2300), it may operate in the reception mode by default. In addition, although not illustrated separately in FIG. 23, if the electronic device determines that audio data to be transmitted is generated while operating in the reception mode by default, it may switch from the reception mode to the transmission mode and transmit the audio data through the common audio channel in the transmission mode.

In the present disclosure, only the operation of transmitting audio data and receiving audio data through the common audio channel after the common audio channel is established has been described. However, when the electronic device and other external electronic devices no longer need to perform a multi-party audio service through the common audio channel, the common audio channel may be released. The condition for releasing the common audio channel may be implemented by user input or various parameters, and there may not be any restrictions on the condition for releasing the common audio channel.

FIG. 24 is a diagram schematically illustrating operations of a second external electronic device, a third external electronic device, and a fourth external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 24, in the case of BIS, each of a plurality of electronic devices (e.g., a second external electronic device (300) (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1, or the second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 16, or FIG. 17), a third external electronic device (1001) (e.g., the third external electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, or FIG. 21), and/or a fourth external electronic device (1003) (e.g., the fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, or FIG. 21)) can act as a BIS source, and thus each of the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), and/or the fourth external electronic device (1003) can generate a BIG and perform a PA operation. In the case of BIS, each of the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), and/or the fourth external electronic device (1003) acts as a BIS source and thus can perform a transmission operation at each BIG event.

FIG. 25 is a diagram schematically illustrating operations of a second external electronic device, a third external electronic device, and a fourth external electronic device in a wireless communication network according to one embodiment.

Before describing FIG. 25, as described in FIG. 24, a plurality of electronic devices (e.g., a second external electronic device (300) (e.g., the electronic device (104) of FIG. 1, or the second external electronic device (300) of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 16, or FIG. 17), a third external electronic device (1001) (e.g., the third external electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, FIG. 17, or FIG. 21), and/or a fourth external electronic device (1003) (e.g., the fourth external electronic device (1003) of FIG. 10, FIG. 16, or FIG. 21)) may exist in the wireless communication network. The second external electronic device (200), the third external electronic device (1001), and/or the fourth external electronic device (1003) may provide a set service (e.g., a multi-party audio service) through a common audio channel without generating a common audio channel. In this case, the set service may be performed in consideration of resources and timing of electronic devices that are participating or will participate in the set service (e.g., a multi-party audio service) simultaneously. For example, the second external electronic device (200) may generate a BIG through a set application (e.g., Samsung BIS) and share information about the generated BIG with other external electronic devices around the second external electronic device (300) through a PA operation. In this case, an external electronic device (e.g., a third external electronic device (1001)) performing the same application (e.g., Samsung BIS) may acquire BIG parameters and timing that the second external electronic device (300) is operating, or acquire BIG parameters and timing that the second external electronic device (300) is operating, coordinate the acquired BIG parameters and timing with the second external electronic device (300), and then generate a new BIG so as not to overlap with the transmission timing of the second external electronic device (300).

Similarly, another external electronic device (e.g., the fourth external electronic device (1003)) executing the same application (e.g., Samsung BIS) may acquire the BIG parameters and timings that the second external electronic device (300) and the third external electronic device (1001) are operating, or acquire the BIG parameters and timings that the second external electronic device (300) and the third external electronic device (1001) are operating, and coordinate the acquired BIG parameters and timings with the second external electronic device (300) and the third external electronic device (1001), and then generate a new BIG so as not to overlap with the transmission timings of the second external electronic device (300) and the third external electronic device (1001). First, the electronic devices that generate the BIG may check information of the other electronic devices executing the same application (e.g., Samsung BIS) (e.g., BIG parameters and timings that the other electronic devices are operating) and perform a synchronization operation for the transmission timings based on the checked information of the other electronic devices. Therefore, multiple electronic devices performing the same application (e.g., Samsung BIS) can transmit audio data through each BIS audio channel without collision.

For example, if the BIS is a BIS corresponding to a set service (e.g., a multi-party audio service), the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), and/or the fourth external electronic device (1003) may adjust transmission timing, reception timing, and/or transmission resources based on a set protocol that performs a negotiation operation among themselves, or an adjustment operation for a transmission time interval and/or a reception time interval.

The second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), and/or the fourth external electronic device (1003) can perform a service (e.g., a multi-party audio service) set based on the adjusted transmission timing, reception timing, and/or transmission resources. In this case, not only the transmission operation but also the reception operation can be performed via the BIS, so that the efficiency of service operation can be improved. In this way, since a plurality of electronic devices (e.g., the second external electronic device (300), the third external electronic device (1001), and/or the fourth external electronic device (1003)) perform the multi-party audio service by dividing the set (e.g., limited) transmission resources, the number of electronic devices that can participate in the multi-party audio service can be limited to less than the set number in order to maintain service quality.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of establishing a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by an electronic device (101) and at least one external electronic device (102; 104; 200; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005), based on a set condition.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of sharing information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the at least one external electronic device (102; 104; 200; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005).

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include operating in a receiving mode in which the electronic device can receive audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of determining, while operating in the receiving mode, that there is audio data to be transmitted to the at least one external electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of switching from the receiving mode to the transmitting mode based on confirming the presence of the audio data.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of transmitting, in the transmission mode, the audio data on the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include switching to the receiving mode for the common audio channel based on completion of transmission of the audio data.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the set condition may include at least one of: a condition of receiving a packet requesting to create the common audio channel from at least one of the at least one external electronic device, a condition of confirming a user input requesting to create the common audio channel, a condition of confirming that the set application is executed, or a condition of confirming that the electronic device enters the set area.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of sharing information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the at least one external electronic device may include an operation of broadcasting the information about the common audio channel and the time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel in a periodic advertising period.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of sharing information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the at least one external electronic device may include an operation of transmitting, over a communication link established between the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of sharing information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the at least one external electronic device may include an operation of transmitting, to the electronic device and a server connected to the at least one external electronic device, the information about the common audio channel and the time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an operation of establishing a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device, based on a set condition may include an operation of determining at least one of an audio transmission service type, a physical link type, an access address, a channel map, audio transmission service parameters, or audio data transmission/reception timing.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an operation of establishing a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device, based on a set condition may include an operation of generating the common audio channel based on at least one of the determined audio transmission service type, the physical link type, the access address, the channel map, the audio transmission service parameters, or the audio data transmission/reception timing.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the audio transmission service type may include at least one of a broadcast isochronous stream (BIS) type or a connected isochronous stream (CIS) type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the audio transmission service type is the BIS type, the audio transmission service parameters may include BIS attribute information corresponding to the BIS type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the audio transmission service type is the CIS type, the audio transmission service parameters may include CIS attribute information corresponding to the CIS type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include receiving, from at least one external electronic device (101; 104; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005) or a server (108), information about a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by an electronic device (102; 200) and the at least one external electronic device, and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include performing a synchronization operation for the common audio channel based on information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include operating in a receiving mode in which the electronic device can receive audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of receiving data from at least one external electronic device while operating in the receiving mode.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of determining, while operating in the receiving mode, that there is audio data to be transmitted to the at least one external electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of switching from the receiving mode to the transmitting mode based on confirming the presence of the audio data.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include, in the transmission mode, transmitting the audio data on the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of transmitting a packet requesting creation of the common audio channel to one of the at least one external electronic device (101) based on the set condition.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the set condition may include at least one of: a condition for confirming a user input requesting to create the common audio channel, a condition for confirming that the set application is running, or a condition for confirming that the electronic device enters a set area.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of receiving, from the at least one external electronic device or server, information about a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel, may include the operation of receiving, from the at least one external electronic device, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel, in a periodic advertising period.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of receiving, from the at least one external electronic device or server, information about a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel, may include an operation of receiving, in a communication link established between the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an operation of receiving, from the at least one external electronic device or server, information about a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel, may include an operation of receiving, from the at least one external electronic device and a server connected to the electronic device, information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the common audio channel may be generated based on at least one of: an audio transmission service type, a physical link type, an access address, a channel map, audio transmission service parameters, or audio data transmission/reception timing.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the audio transmission service type may include at least one of a broadcast isochronous stream (BIS) type or a connected isochronous stream (CIS) type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the audio transmission service type is the BIS type, the audio transmission service parameters may include BIS attribute information corresponding to the BIS type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the audio transmission service type is the CIS type, the audio transmission service parameters may include CIS attribute information corresponding to the CIS type.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium storing at least one computer-readable instruction may be provided.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one instruction, when executed by at least one processor (120) of the electronic device (101), may cause the electronic device to perform at least one operation.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include establishing a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device (102; 104; 200; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005), based on a set condition.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include sharing information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the at least one external electronic device (102; 104; 200; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005).

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include operating in a receiving mode in which the electronic device can receive audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium storing at least one computer-readable instruction may be provided.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one instruction, when executed by at least one processor (120) of the electronic device (102; 200), may cause the electronic device to perform at least one operation.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include receiving, from at least one external electronic device (101; 104; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005) or server (108), information about a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include performing a synchronization operation for the common audio channel based on information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include operating in a receiving mode in which the electronic device can receive audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

Claims (15)

In an electronic device (101), At least one communication circuit (190); at least one processor (120); and A memory (130) for storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Based on the set conditions, a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device (102; 104; 200; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005), is established, Sharing information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel with the at least one external electronic device (102; 104; 200; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005) through the at least one communication circuit, and An electronic device causing the electronic device to operate in a receiving mode capable of receiving audio data from at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel. In the first paragraph, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: While operating in the above receiving mode, it is confirmed that there is audio data to be transmitted to at least one external electronic device, Based on the confirmation of the existence of the above audio data, switching from the receiving mode to the transmitting mode, and An electronic device causing said audio data to be transmitted on said common audio channel through said at least one communication circuit in said transmission mode. In the second paragraph, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: The electronic device causing the common audio channel to switch to the receiving mode based on completion of transmission of the audio data. In any one of claims 1 to 3, The conditions set above are: A condition of receiving a packet requesting creation of said common audio channel from at least one of said at least one external electronic device; A condition that verifies user input requesting the creation of the above common audio channel, A condition that verifies that a configured application is running, or An electronic device comprising at least one of the conditions for determining that the electronic device has entered a set area. In any one of claims 1 to 4, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: An electronic device causing said electronic device to broadcast, through said at least one communication circuit, information about said common audio channel and time information used for synchronization to said common audio channel during a periodic advertising period. In any one of claims 1 to 4, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: In a communication link established between the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device, transmitting information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with respect to the common audio channel through the at least one communication circuit, or An electronic device that causes a server connected to the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device to transmit information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with the common audio channel through the at least one communication circuit. In any one of claims 1 to 6, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: determining at least one of an audio transmission service type, a physical link type, an access address, a channel map, audio transmission service parameters, or audio data transmission/reception timing, and The electronic device causing the common audio channel to be generated based on at least one of the determined audio transmission service type, the physical link type, the access address, the channel map, the audio transmission service parameters, or the audio data transmission/reception timing. In Article 7, The electronic device wherein the audio transmission service type includes at least one of a broadcast isochronous stream (BIS) type or a connected isochronous stream (CIS) type. In Article 8, If the above audio transmission service type is the BIS type, the audio transmission service parameters include BIS attribute information corresponding to the BIS type, or The electronic device, wherein when the audio transmission service type is the CIS type, the audio transmission service parameters include CIS attribute information corresponding to the CIS type. In an electronic device (102; 200), At least one communication circuit (190); at least one processor (120); and A memory (130) for storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Through at least one communication circuit, information about a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device (101; 104; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005) or server (108), and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel are received, Performing a synchronization operation for the common audio channel based on information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization for the common audio channel, and An electronic device causing the electronic device to operate in a receiving mode capable of receiving audio data from at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel. In Article 10, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: An electronic device which, while operating in said receiving mode, causes said electronic device to receive data from said at least one external electronic device via said at least one communication circuit. In Article 10, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: While operating in the above receiving mode, it is confirmed that there is audio data to be transmitted to at least one external electronic device, Based on the confirmation of the existence of the above audio data, switching from the receiving mode to the transmitting mode, and An electronic device causing said audio data to be transmitted on said common audio channel through said at least one communication circuit in said transmission mode. In any one of Articles 10 to 12, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Based on the above set conditions, causing a packet to be transmitted through the at least one communication circuit to one of the at least one external electronic device (101) requesting creation of the common audio channel; The conditions set above are: A condition that verifies user input requesting the creation of the above common audio channel, A condition that verifies that a configured application is running, or An electronic device comprising at least one of the conditions for determining that the electronic device has entered a set area. In any one of Articles 10 to 13, When the above instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the electronic device: An electronic device that causes said electronic device to receive, through said at least one communication circuit, information about said common audio channel and time information used for synchronization to said common audio channel from said at least one external electronic device during a periodic advertising period. In a storage medium storing at least one computer-readable instruction, The at least one instruction, when executed by at least one processor (120) of the electronic device (101), causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation, At least one of the above actions: An operation of establishing a common audio channel, which is an audio service link commonly used by the electronic device and at least one external electronic device (102; 104; 200; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005), based on a set condition. An operation of sharing information about the common audio channel and time information used for synchronization with at least one external electronic device (102; 104; 200; 300; 1001; 1003; 1005) for the common audio channel, and The storage medium including an operation for operating the electronic device in a receiving mode capable of receiving audio data from the at least one external electronic device for the common audio channel.

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