Patent ID: 7542784

Claim:
A wireless audio system comprising: an audio source for receiving audio signals and audio status information from a first external device and transmitting said audio signals and said audio status information over a wireless connection; and at least one audio sink for receiving said audio signals and said audio status information from said audio source and communicating said audio signals and said audio status information to a second external device, wherein a specified one of said at least one audio sink receives audio control information from said second external device and transmits said audio control information to said audio source via said wireless connection, wherein said wireless connection uses a specified one of a plurality of available channels, and wherein said audio source comprises: a source packet formatter and buffer communicating with said first external devices, wherein said source packet formatter creates a plurality of source transmit packets containing said audio signals and said audio status information, and wherein said source buffer stores said plurality of source transmit packets prior to transmission to said audio sink; a source transmitter communicating with said source packet formatter and buffer for receiving said plurality of source transmit packets from said source buffer and transmitting said plurality of source transmit packets to said audio sink every defined unit of time; a source audio synchronizer communicating with said source transmitter for defining said unit of time for said source transmitter; a source receiver for receiving said audio control information from said audio sink, wherein said audio control information is in the form of a plurality of sink transmit packets, and wherein said source receiver communicates with said source transmitter to coordinate said receiving and transmitting within respective ones of said defined units of time; a source packet de-formatter communicating with said source receiver for receiving said plurality of sink transmit packets and extracting said audio control information; and a source channel quality monitor communicating with said source packet de-formatter and source transmitter for monitoring said specified in use one of said plurality of available channels.