PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11233836-B2
Application Number: US-201916428648-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices

Abstract:
A device providing concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices may include at least one processor configured to receive a user selection of at least two paired audio output devices. The at least one processor may be further configured to connect to each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices. The at least one processor may be further configured to synchronize at least one audio output synchronization parameter across each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices. The at least one processor may be further configured to concurrently stream a respective audio stream to each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 discovering a proximate wireless audio output device by an electronic device having a wireless connection with another wireless audio output device; 
 receiving, by the electronic device, a request to initiate concurrent audio streaming with the proximate wireless audio output device and the other wireless audio output device; 
 temporarily pairing, responsive to receiving the request, with the proximate wireless audio output device; and 
 establishing, responsive to the pairing, another wireless connection with the proximate wireless audio output device while maintaining the wireless connection with the other wireless audio output device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying an indication that the proximate wireless audio output device is available for concurrent audio streaming, wherein the request to initiate the concurrent audio streaming with the proximate wireless audio output device and the other wireless audio output device is received responsive to displaying the indication. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein establishing, responsive to the pairing, the other wireless connection to the proximate wireless audio output device comprises:
 synchronizing an audio output parameter across the proximate wireless audio output device and the other wireless audio output device. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the audio output parameter comprises a jitter buffer depth. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless connection and the other wireless connection comprise Bluetooth connections, the other wireless connection with the proximate wireless audio device utilizes a first Bluetooth profile, and the wireless connection with the other wireless audio output device utilizes a second Bluetooth profile that is separate from, and independent of, the first Bluetooth profile. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the proximate wireless audio output device is associated with a first user account, and the other wireless audio output device and the electronic device are associated with a second user account. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein an audio notification triggered by an event on the electronic device is provided to the other wireless audio output device but not to the proximate wireless audio output device. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 automatically and without user input, unpairing with the proximate wireless audio output device after termination of the other wireless connection with the proximate wireless audio output device, wherein the other wireless audio output device remains paired after a termination of the wireless connection with the other wireless audio output device. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 concurrently streaming a first audio stream to the proximate wireless audio output device and a second audio stream to the other wireless audio output device. 
 
     
     
       10. A device comprising:
 a memory; and 
 at least one processor configured to:
 receive a user selection of at least two paired audio output devices; 
 connect to each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices; 
 synchronize at least one audio output synchronization parameter across each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices by:
 requesting that each of the at least two of the paired audio devices provide a respective current parameter configuration, 
 determining the at least one audio output synchronization parameter for the at least two of the paired audio devices based on the respective current parameter configuration of the at least two of the paired audio devices, and 
 transmitting the at least one audio output synchronization parameter to each of the at least two of the paired audio devices; and 
 
 concurrently stream a respective audio stream to each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the respective current parameter configuration of the at least two of the paired audio devices comprises a jitter buffer depth for each of the at least two of the paired audio devices, and wherein the at least one audio output synchronization parameter comprises a jitter buffer depth corresponding to a larger of the jitter buffer depth for each of the at least two of the paired audio devices. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 10 , wherein each respective audio stream comprises a same audio content. 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive an incoming call, and wherein, prior to receipt of the incoming call, each respective audio stream comprises different audio content. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 independently control a respective volume level of each respective audio stream. 
 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 receive an incoming audio communication; 
 provide a respective notification of the incoming audio communication to each of the at least two of the paired audio output devices; 
 receive a request to receive the incoming audio communication from one of the at least two of the paired audio output devices; and 
 stream the incoming audio communication to the one of the at least two of the paired audio output devices in lieu of the respective audio stream for the one of the at least two of the paired audio output devices. 
 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 continue to stream each respective audio stream to each other paired audio output device of the at least two of the paired audio output devices while streaming the incoming audio communication to the one of the at least two of the paired audio output devices. 
 
     
     
       17. A system comprising:
 an electronic device wirelessly connected to a wireless audio output device, the electronic device comprising a memory and at least one processor configured to:
 discover a proximate electronic device that is wirelessly coupled to another wireless audio output device; 
 establish a peer-to-peer connection with the proximate electronic device; 
 receive, over the peer-to-peer connection, connection information for temporarily connecting to the other wireless audio output device; 
 connect to the other wireless audio output device based at least in part on the received connection information; and 
 stream a first audio stream to the wireless audio output device while concurrently streaming a second audio stream to the other wireless audio output device. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor of the electronic device is further configured to:
 synchronize audio output of the wireless audio output device and the other wireless audio output device by adjusting at least one audio output synchronization parameter of at least one of the wireless audio output device or the other wireless audio output device. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , further comprising the other wireless audio device, the other wireless audio device configured to:
 receive the connection information from the proximate electronic device, the connection information being different from another connection information used by the other wireless audio output device to connect to the proximate electronic device; 
 connect to the electronic device based at least in part on the connection information, wherein connecting to the electronic device causes a disconnection from the proximate electronic device; and 
 delete the connection information and reconnect to the proximate electronic device based at least in part on the other connection information after disconnecting from the electronic device. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor of the electronic device is further configured to:
 delete the received connection information after disconnecting from the wireless audio output device.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present description relates generally to audio streaming, including concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Users may wirelessly stream audio from an electronic device, such as a phone, to a wireless audio output device, such as a wireless headset, wireless headphones, wireless earbuds, and the like. For example, a user may stream music from their phone to their wireless audio output device, and/or a user may stream incoming audio for a communication session, such as a telephone call, to their wireless audio output device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Certain features of the subject technology are set forth in the appended claims. However, for purpose of explanation, several embodiments of the subject technology are set forth in the following figures. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an example network environment for concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices in accordance with one or more implementations. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an example peer-to-peer network environment including an example electronic device and an example wireless audio output device in accordance with one or more implementations. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a flow diagram of an example process for temporarily pairing with a proximate wireless audio output device for concurrent audio streaming in accordance with one or more implementations. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a flow diagram of an example process of concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices in accordance with one or more implementations. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a flow diagram of an example process of configuring concurrent audio streaming via a proximate electronic device that is wirelessly coupled to a proximate wireless audio output device in accordance with one or more implementations. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a flow diagram of an example process of facilitating a temporary connection between a connected wireless device and a proximate electronic device without a direct pairing of the devices in accordance with one or more implementations. 
         FIG. 7  conceptually illustrates an example electronic system with which aspects of the subject technology may be implemented in accordance with one or more implementations. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology can be practiced. The appended drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, the subject technology is not limited to the specific details set forth herein and can be practiced using one or more other implementations. In one or more implementations, structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology. 
     A user streaming audio from an electronic device, such as a mobile phone or a television, to a wireless audio output device, such as their wireless headset, may wish to concurrently stream audio to another proximate wireless audio output device, such as a wireless headset/earbuds of a friend, family member, companion, etc. For example, a user streaming, e.g., music or a podcast on a mobile device may wish to concurrently stream the music or podcast to the wireless audio output device of another user for a shared listening experience. Similarly, a user streaming audio corresponding to a movie or other video content may wish to concurrently stream the audio or a variation thereof (e.g., a director&#39;s commentary) to the wireless audio output device of another user for a shared content viewing experience. 
     The subject system for concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices allows a user to, directly or indirectly, temporarily pair their electronic device with a wireless audio output device of another user, such as while the user&#39;s electronic device is paired and connected to their own wireless audio output device. For example, the user&#39;s electronic device may directly temporarily pair with another user&#39;s wireless audio output device. 
     In one or more implementations, when the other user&#39;s wireless audio output device is connected to the other user&#39;s electronic device, such as the other user&#39;s mobile phone, the user&#39;s electronic device may indirectly temporarily pair with the other user&#39;s wireless audio output device via the other user&#39;s electronic device. For example the other user&#39;s electronic device may perform a temporary pairing with the other user&#39;s wireless audio output device to generate pairing information to be used for the temporary connection between the user&#39;s electronic device and the other user&#39;s wireless audio output device. The other user&#39;s electronic device may provide the temporary pairing information to the user&#39;s electronic device, such as via a secure channel. 
     After directly or indirectly temporarily pairing, the user&#39;s electronic device can automatically connect to the wireless audio output device of the other user and stream audio to the wireless audio output device of the other user, e.g., while concurrently streaming audio to their own wireless audio output device. The electronic device may independently control the volume of each of the audio streams, and/or may independently control the content of each of the audio streams. In one or more implementations, the electronic device may utilize a separate profile for each of the wireless audio output devices (e.g., separate advanced audio distribution profiles (A2DP)). 
     In one or more implementations, the audio streams being concurrently streamed to the wireless audio output devices may be the same audio content, e.g., the same music, in which case the user&#39;s electronic device may synchronize one or more audio output synchronization parameters (e.g., a jitter buffer depth) across the wireless audio output devices, such that the audio output by each the wireless audio output devices is substantially synchronized. 
     The pairing of the user&#39;s device to the other user&#39;s wireless audio output device may be referred to as ‘temporary’ because after the other user&#39;s wireless audio output device disconnects from the user&#39;s electronic device, the user&#39;s electronic device automatically, and without user input, deletes the pairing information (e.g., link key) corresponding to the other user&#39;s wireless audio output device, such as after the expiration of a timeout period. In this manner, the other user&#39;s wireless audio output device cannot subsequently reconnect to the user&#39;s electronic device without again pairing. In one or more implementations, the other user&#39;s wireless audio output device also may automatically, and without user input, delete the pairing information corresponding to the user&#39;s electronic device after disconnecting, such as after the expiration of the timeout period. 
     For explanatory purposes, the temporary pairing is described with respect to wireless audio output devices. However, the temporary pairing may be used to facilitate temporary connections with any wireless devices, such as wireless styluses, wireless access control devices, wearable devices, wireless printers, wireless home devices (e.g., wireless thermostats, etc.), or generally any wireless device for which access and/or control may be temporarily shared by one user with another user. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example network environment  100  for concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices in accordance with one or more implementations. Not all of the depicted components may be used in all implementations, however, and one or more implementations may include additional or different components than those shown in the figure. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims as set forth herein. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be provided. 
     The network environment  100  includes one or more electronic devices  102 A-B, one or more wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, a network  106 , and a service provider server  108 . The network  106  may communicatively (directly or indirectly) couple, for example, any two or more of the electronic devices  102 A-B and/or the service provider server  108 . In  FIG. 1 , the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B are illustrated as not being directly coupled to the network  106 ; however, in one or more implementations, one or more of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B may be directly coupled to the network  106 . 
     The network  106  may be an interconnected network of devices that may include, or may be communicatively coupled to, the Internet. In one or more implementations, connections over the network  106 , may be referred to as wide area network connections, while connections between two or more of the electronic devices  102 A-B and/or the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, may be referred to as peer-to-peer connections. The service provider server  108  may include one or more server devices and/or network equipment that facilitates providing one or more services to the electronic devices  102 A-B over the network  106 , such as a secure cloud storage service. The service provider server  108  may be, and/or may include all or part of, the electronic system discussed below with respect to  FIG. 7 . 
     One or more of the electronic devices  102 A-B may be, for example, a portable computing device such as a laptop computer, a smartphone, a peripheral device (e.g., a digital camera, headphones), a tablet device, a smart speaker, a set-top box, a content streaming device, a wearable device such as a watch, a band, and the like, or any other appropriate device that includes one or more wireless interfaces, such as one or more near-field communication (NFC) radios, WLAN radios, Bluetooth radios, Zigbee radios, cellular radios, and/or other wireless radios. In  FIG. 1 , by way of example, the electronic devices  102 A-B are depicted as mobile phones. One or more of the electronic devices  102 A-B may be, and/or may include all or part of, the electronic device discussed below with respect to  FIG. 2 , and/or the electronic system discussed below with respect to  FIG. 7 . 
     One or more of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B may be, for example, a wireless headset device, wireless headphones, one or more wireless earbuds, a smart speaker, or generally any device that includes audio output circuitry and one or more wireless interfaces, such as near-field communication (NFC) radios, WLAN radios, Bluetooth radios, Zigbee radios, and/or other wireless radios. In  FIG. 1 , by way of example, the wireless audio output device  104 A is depicted as a wireless headset and the wireless audio output device  104 B is depicted as a set of wireless earbuds. One or more of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B may be, and/or may include all or part of, the wireless audio output device discussed below with respect to  FIG. 2 , and/or the electronic system discussed below with respect to  FIG. 7 . 
     One or more of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B may be paired, such as via Bluetooth, with one or more of the electronic devices  102 A-B. The pairing of a wireless audio output device  104 A to an electronic device  102 A may involve generating a link key that is shared between the two devices  102 A,  104 A, which is discussed further below with respect to  FIG. 2 . After the two devices  102 A,  104 A are paired together, the devices  102 A,  104 A may automatically form a secure peer-to-peer connection using the link key when located proximate to one another, such as within Bluetooth communication range of one another. For example, the devices  102 A,  104 A may use the link key to generate a session key that is used to secure the connection. However, if the devices  102 A,  104 A unpair and/or if the link key is deleted at one or more of the devices  102 A,  104 A, the devices  102 A,  104 A may no longer be able to automatically form a secure peer-to-peer connection unless the pairing process is re-performed. The electronic devices  102 A-B may stream audio, such as music, phone calls, and the like, to their respective paired and connected wireless audio output devices  104 A-B. 
     In one or more implementations, one or more of the electronic devices  102 A-B and/or one or more of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B may be associated with and/or registered to a same (common) user account via the service provider server  108 . For example, the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output device  104 A may be associated with a first user account and the electronic device  102 B and the wireless audio output device  104 B may be associated with a second user account. The service provider server  108  may allow the electronic devices  102 A-B, such as the electronic device  102 A to securely store, via a cloud storage service, pairing information, such as link keys, corresponding to other devices associated with the same user account, such as the wireless audio output device  104 A. Other devices associated with the user account, such as a tablet device [not shown], may be able to retrieve the pairing information for the wireless audio output device  104 A from the service provider server  108  in order to establish a wireless connection with the wireless audio output device  104 A. 
     The subject technology allows an electronic device, such as the electronic device  102 A to concurrently connect to multiple of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, and concurrently stream audio to each of the connected wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, such as to provide a shared listening session. For example, the user of the electronic device  102 A may be streaming music from the electronic device  102 A to the wireless audio output device  104 A and the user may wish for the user of the electronic device  102 B to hear the streaming music on the wireless audio output device  104 B. 
     The subject technology allows the electronic device  102 A to temporarily pair with the wireless audio output device  104 B, connect to the wireless audio output device  104 B, and then concurrently stream the audio, e.g., music, to both of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B. The pairing may be considered temporary in the sense that the electronic device  102 A and/or the wireless audio output device  104 B may automatically, and without user input, delete the pairing information after the audio sharing session is complete, such when the devices  102 A,  104 B do not reconnect for a threshold amount of time. An example process of the electronic device  102 A temporarily pairing with the wireless audio output device  104 B is discussed further below with respect to  FIG. 3 . 
     The subject technology further allows the electronic device  102 A to independently control the content of the respective audio stream provided to each of multiple wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, and to independently control the volume, tone, pitch, bass, and any other audio properties of the respective audio stream provided to each of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B. An example process of concurrent audio streaming from the electronic device  102 A to multiple wireless audio output devices  104 A-B is discussed further below with respect to  FIG. 4 . 
     In one or more implementations, if the wireless audio output device  104 B is connected to the electronic device  102 B, the electronic device  102 A may indirectly pair with the wireless audio output device  104 B via the electronic device  102 B. For example, the electronic device  102 B may perform a pairing process with the wireless audio output device  104 B (e.g., on behalf of the electronic device  102 A) and the electronic device  102 B may provide the generated pairing information to the electronic device  102 A. In this manner, the electronic device  102 A can connect and stream audio to the wireless audio output device  104 B without having directly paired with the wireless audio output device  104 B. 
     An example process of the electronic device  102 A configuring concurrent audio streaming via the electronic device  102 B (that is wirelessly coupled to the wireless audio output device  104 B) is discussed further below with respect to  FIG. 5 . An example process of the electronic device  102 B generally facilitating a temporary connection between a connected wireless device, such as the wireless audio output device  104 B, and a proximate electronic device, such as the electronic device  102 A, without a direct pairing of the devices  102 A,  104 B, is discussed further below with respect to  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an example peer-to-peer network environment  200  including an example electronic device  102 A and an example wireless audio output device  104 A in accordance with one or more implementations. The electronic device  102 A is depicted in  FIG. 2  for explanatory purposes; however, one or more of the components of the electronic device  102 A may also be implemented by the other electronic device  102 B. Similarly, the wireless audio output device  104 A is depicted in  FIG. 2  for explanatory purposes; however, one or more of the components of the wireless audio output device  104 A may also be implemented by the other wireless audio output device  104 B. Not all of the depicted components may be used in all implementations, however, and one or more implementations may include additional or different components than those shown in the figure. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims as set forth herein. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be provided. 
     The electronic device  102 A may include a host processor  202 A, a memory  204 A, and radio frequency (RF) circuitry  206 A. The wireless audio output device may include a host processor  202 B, a memory  204 A, RF circuitry  206 B, and a digital signal processor (DSP)  208 . 
     The RF circuitry  206 A-B may include one or more antennas and one or more transceivers for transmitting/receiving RF communications, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular, and the like. In one or more implementations, the RF circuitry  206 A of the electronic device  102 A may include circuitry for forming wide area network connections and peer-to-peer connections, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and/or cellular circuitry, while the RF circuitry  206 B of the wireless audio output device  104 A may include Bluetooth, WiFi, and/or other circuitry for forming peer-to-peer connections. 
     The host processors  202 A-B may include suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that enable processing data and/or controlling operations of the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output device  104 A, respectively. In this regard, the host processors  202 A-B may be enabled to provide control signals to various other components of the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output device  104 A, respectively. Additionally, the host processors  202 A-B may enable implementation of an operating system or may otherwise execute code to manage operations of the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output device  104 A, respectively. The memories  204 A-B may include suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that enable storage of various types of information such as received data, generated data (such as link keys), code, and/or configuration information. The memories  204 A-B may include, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash, and/or magnetic storage. The DSP  208  of the wireless audio output device  104 A may include suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that enable particular processing. 
     In one or more implementations, the electronic device  102 A may pair with the wireless audio output device  104 A in order to generate pairing information that can be used to form a connection, such as a peer-to-peer connection between the devices  102 A,  104 A. The pairing may include, for example, exchanging communication addresses, such as classic Bluetooth addresses, and generating a link key. In one or more implementations, the link key may be a symmetric key that is used to form a secure connection between the devices  102 A,  104 A. For example, the devices  102 A,  104 A may use the link key, e.g. in conjunction with entropy produced by one or both of the devices  102 A,  104 A, to generate a symmetric session key. The session key may be used by the devices  102 A,  104 A to form the secure connection. 
     Thus, after pairing the devices  102 A,  104 A may store the generated and/or exchanged pairing information, e.g. communication addresses and/or a link key, in the respective memories  204 A-B. In this manner, the devices  102 A,  104 A may automatically, and without user input, connect to each other when in range of communication of the respective RF circuitries  206 A-B using the respective pairing information. However, if the pairing between the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output device  104 A is a temporary pairing, such as for a shared audio session, the devices  102 A,  104 A may, automatically and without user input, delete the respective pairing information from the respective memories  204 A-B after the connection is terminated and a reconnection does not occur for a threshold amount of time. In this manner, the devices  102 A,  104 A cannot re-establish a connection without first re-performing the pairing process and generating new pairing information, e.g. a new link key. 
     In one or more implementations, one or more of the host processors  202 A-B, the DSP  208 , and/or one or more portions thereof, may be implemented in software (e.g., subroutines and code), may be implemented in hardware (e.g., an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), a controller, a state machine, gated logic, discrete hardware components, or any other suitable devices) and/or a combination of both. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a flow diagram of an example process  300  for temporarily pairing with a proximate wireless audio output device for concurrent audio streaming in accordance with one or more implementations. For explanatory purposes, the process  300  is primarily described herein with reference to the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B of  FIGS. 1-2 . However, the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B are presented as exemplary devices and the operations described herein may be performed by any suitable devices. Further, for explanatory purposes, the operations of the process  300  are described herein as occurring in serial, or linearly. However, multiple operations of the process  300  may occur in parallel, such that they at least partially overlap in time. In addition, the operations of the process  300  need not be performed in the order shown and/or one or more of the operations of the process  300  need not be performed and/or can be replaced by other operations. 
     The process  300  begins when an electronic device  102 A discovers a proximate wireless audio output device  104 B while the electronic device  102 A is connected to another wireless audio output device  104 A ( 302 ). For example, the wireless audio output device  104 B (and/or the electronic device  102 A) may transmit broadcast packets that indicate a current state of the wireless audio output device  104 B, such as connected, in-ear, in-case, and the like. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output device  104 A may be associated with a first user account, such as with the service provider server  108 , and the wireless audio output device  104 B may be associated with a second, different, user account. One or more of the broadcast packets may be received by the electronic device  102 A, and, based on receipt of the broadcast packets, the electronic device  102 A may discover and/or detect that the wireless audio output device  104 B is nearby or proximate. 
     In one or more implementations, the broadcast packets may also indicate whether the proximate wireless audio output device  104 B is capable of performing a temporary pairing and/or is otherwise capable of participating in concurrent streaming. As part of the discovery process, the electronic device  102 A may also verify, e.g., based on the received broadcast packets, that the proximate wireless audio output device  104 B is capable of participating in concurrent streaming. 
     Upon discovering the proximate wireless audio output device  104 B ( 302 ), the electronic device  102 A may display an indication that the proximate wireless audio output device  104 B is available for concurrent streaming ( 304 ). For example, the electronic device  102 A may display a pop-up user-interface element (e.g., a pop-up sheet) and/or a notification indicating that the wireless audio output device  104 B is available for concurrent audio streaming. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  102 B may provide an audio notification, a haptic notification, and/or another form of notification, in lieu of and/or in addition to displaying the indication. 
     Responsive to displaying the indication ( 304 ), the electronic device  102 A may receive a request, such as from a user, to initiate concurrent audio streaming with the wireless audio output device  104 B and, e.g., the wireless audio output device  104 A that is currently connected to the electronic device  102 A ( 306 ). The electronic device  102 A may temporarily pair with the wireless audio output device  104 B to generate a link key ( 308 ). The pairing may be and/or may include, for example, a Bluetooth pairing mechanism, such as secure simple pairing, or generally any form of pairing. For example, user input with respect to the wireless audio output device  104 B, and/or a case associated with the wireless audio output device  104 B, such as pressing a button, may be included in the pairing. In one or more implementations, the pairing may also involve the exchange of additional information, such as communication addresses including Bluetooth classic addresses. 
     The electronic device  102 A may then automatically, and without user input, establish a connection with the proximate wireless audio output device  104 B using the link key, and/or based at least in part on the link key ( 310 ). In one or more implementations, when the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B are connected to the electronic device  102 A via Bluetooth connections, the Bluetooth controller of the electronic device  102 A may maintain a separate connection for each of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B. Accordingly, packets can be individually transmitted to the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, and one or more link parameters of the connections can be individually managed and/or maintained. For example, if an acknowledgment of one or more packets is not received from the wireless audio output device  104 A for a threshold amount of time, the electronic device  102 A may stop waiting for the acknowledgment and transmit packets to the wireless audio output device  104 B. In this manner, both wireless audio output devices  104 A-B are not penalized if one of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B is experiencing interference and/or otherwise has a poor connection with the electronic device  102 A. 
     Furthermore, in the example of Bluetooth connections, the electronic device  102 A may utilize separate and independent Bluetooth profiles for the connection with each of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, such as A2DP, HFP, AVCRP, and the like. In the example of concurrent streaming audio, the electronic device  102 A may utilize a first A2DP profile for the connection with the wireless audio output device  104 A and a second, separate, A2DP profile for the connection with the wireless audio output device  104 B. 
     After establishing the connection, the electronic device  102 A transmits an indication to the wireless audio output device  104 B that the pairing is temporary ( 312 ), e.g., that the wireless audio output device  104 B should perform pre-determined link key maintenance process(es) when the connection with the electronic device  102 A is terminated, as is discussed further below. Furthermore, since the pairing is temporary, the electronic device  102 A does not store the link key for the connection with the wireless audio output device  104 B in association with its user account, e.g., in a cloud storage service provided by the service provider server  108 . However, the electronic device  102 A may store the link key for the connection with the wireless audio output device  104 A in the cloud storage service provided by the service provider server  108  since both devices  102 A,  104 A are associated with the same user account. 
     The electronic device  102 A may then determine if the same audio content is being streamed to both of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B. If the same audio content is being streamed to both of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, the electronic device  102 A may synchronize one or more audio output synchronization parameters between the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B ( 314 ). For example, the electronic device  102 A may synchronize jitter buffer depth across the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, such as by setting the jitter buffer depth on both wireless audio output devices  104 A-B to match the largest jitter buffer depth between the audio output devices  104 A-B. The electronic device  102 A may also synchronize audio-video synchronization parameters, e.g., an audio delay or shift parameter, such as in the instance that the concurrently streamed audio corresponds to a video being presented on the electronic device  102 A. 
     The electronic device  102 A may concurrently stream a first audio stream to the proximate wireless audio output device  104 B and a second audio stream to the other wireless audio output device  104 A ( 316 ). Since the connections are independently maintained/managed by the electronic device  102 A, the electronic device  102 A can independently modify one or more audio properties of each stream, such as volume, bass, tone, or generally any audio property. Similarly, the electronic device  102 A can independently change the audio stream being streamed to each of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B. For example, if users wearing the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B are watching video content, such as a movie, the electronic device  102 A can stream a first audio stream to the wireless audio output device  104 A, such as an English-language audio track, and a second audio stream to the wireless audio output device  104 B, such as a secondary language audio track, a director&#39;s commentary, or the like. However, since in this instance the users are viewing the same video content, the electronic device  102 A may still synchronize one or more audio output synchronization parameters on the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, even though the audio content being streamed to each of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B differs. 
     The electronic device  102 A may disconnect from the proximate wireless audio output device  104 B ( 318 ). For example, the wireless audio output device  104 B and the electronic device  102 B may move outside of a connection range of one another, the wireless audio output device  104 B may be turned off, may run out of power, or may be placed back in its case, the electronic device  102 A may run out of power, and/or may disable its wireless functionality (e.g., supporting the connection between the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output device  104 B). 
     Upon disconnecting from the wireless audio output device  104 B, the electronic device  102 A initiates a timer ( 320 ). The wireless audio output device  104 B may also initiate a timer on disconnection, in accordance with the indication of the temporary pairing previously provided by the electronic device  102 A. If the wireless audio output device  104 B requests to reconnect to the electronic device  102 A before the timer reaches a timeout value, the electronic device may automatically, and without user input: reconnect to the wireless audio output device  104 B, reset the timer, and/or resume the concurrent audio streaming. 
     However, if the electronic device  102 A does not receive a reconnection request from the wireless audio output device  104 B prior to the timer reaching the timeout value (or the expiration of the timer), the electronic device  102 A, automatically and without user input, deletes the link key and/or any other stored pairing information corresponding to the wireless audio output device  104 B ( 322 ). Since, after deleting the link key and/or any other stored pairing information, the electronic device  102 A can no longer connect to the wireless audio output device  104 B without re-pairing, the deletion of the link key may be an effective unpairing of the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output device  104 B. 
     Similarly, the wireless audio output device  104 B, automatically and without user input, deletes the link key and/or any other stored pairing information pertaining to the electronic device  102 A when its timer reaches the timeout value without having reconnected to the electronic device  102 A. The wireless audio output device  104 B may also, automatically and without user input, reconnect to the last electronic device it was connected to prior to the temporary connection with the electronic device  102 A, such as the electronic device  102 B. 
     In one or more implementations, if the other wireless audio output device  104 A disconnects from the electronic device  102 A but the wireless audio output device  104 B remains connected to the electronic device  102 A, the electronic device  102 A may continue streaming audio to only the wireless audio output device  104 B until the audio streaming is completed or stopped, and/or until a timeout period is reached. Once the streaming is completed or stopped and/or the timeout period is reached, the electronic device  102 A disconnects from the wireless audio output device  104 B, initiates the timer ( 320 ), and automatically and without user input, deletes the link key and/or any other stored pairing information corresponding to the wireless audio output device  104 B when a reconnection request is not received from the wireless audio output device  104 B prior to the timer reaching the timeout value ( 322 ). 
     In one or more implementations, when the wireless audio output device  104 B is removed from the concurrent audio streaming via a selector on the electronic device  102 A, for example if a user deselects a representation of the wireless audio output device  104 B from a user interface corresponding to the concurrent audio streaming, the electronic device  102 A may disconnect from the wireless audio output device  104 B, initiate the timer ( 320 ), and automatically and without user input, delete the link key and/or any other stored pairing information corresponding to the wireless audio output device  104 B when a reconnection request is not received from the wireless audio output device  104 B prior to the timer reaching the timeout value ( 322 ). 
     In one or more implementations, if the wireless audio output device  104 B connects to a different electronic device, such as the electronic device  102 B, if the wireless audio output device  104 B is actively unpaired from the electronic device  102 A, such as via a user interface, and/or if the electronic device  102 A changes its audio output route, such as by a user selection of a different audio output device, the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output device  104 A automatically and without user input delete their respective link keys and any corresponding pairing information without initiating the timer. However, in one or more implementations, the electronic device  102 A and/or the wireless audio output device  104 A may initiate the timer before deleting the link key and any corresponding pairing information. 
     In one or more implementations, the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B may be connected to the electronic device  102 A via different types of wireless connections. For example, the electronic device  102 A may be connected to the wireless audio output device  104 A via a Bluetooth connection, while connected to the wireless audio output device  104 B via a WiFi Direct connection, a 60 GHz connection, a Wi-Fi Aware connection, or generally any wireless connection. The electronic device  102 A may concurrently stream audio to the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B irrespective of the connection types of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a flow diagram of an example process  400  of concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices in accordance with one or more implementations. For explanatory purposes, the process  400  is primarily described herein with reference to the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B of  FIGS. 1-2 . However, the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B are presented as exemplary devices and the operations described herein may be performed by any suitable devices. Further, for explanatory purposes, the operations of the process  400  are described herein as occurring in serial, or linearly. However, multiple operations of the process  400  may occur in parallel, such that they at least partially overlap in time. In addition, the operations of the process  400  need not be performed in the order shown and/or one or more of the operations of the process  400  need not be performed and/or can be replaced by other operations. 
     The process  400  begins when the electronic device  102 A receives a user selection of at least two paired wireless audio output devices  104 A-B ( 402 ). For example, the electronic device  102 A may display a picker or selector interface that can receive user selections of multiple wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, such as in conjunction with outputting a particular audio stream. The wireless audio output devices  104 A-B may be both associated with the same user account as the electronic device  102 A, or one or more of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B may be associated with a different user account that the electronic device  102 A. The electronic device  102 A may individually connect to each of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, if not already connected, ( 404 ) and may individually configure communication profiles, such as Bluetooth profiles, with each of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B. 
     The electronic device  102 A may, optionally, synchronize audio output synchronization parameters between the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B ( 406 ). For example, the electronic device  102 A may request that each of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B provide its current parameter configuration, the electronic device  102 A may determine one or more synchronized parameters, and the electronic device  102 A may transmit the one or more synchronized parameters to each of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B. 
     The electronic device  102 A may then concurrently stream separate audio streams, e.g. with the same audio content, to the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B ( 408 ). While performing the concurrent audio streaming, the electronic device  102 A may receive an incoming audio communication session, such as a telephone call, an audio-video conference call, and the like ( 410 ). The electronic device  102 A may provide an audio (and/or haptic) notification of the incoming audio communication session to each of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B ( 412 ). For example, the electronic device  102 A may mux the audio notification into the individual audio streams being concurrent streamed to the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B. 
     The electronic device  102 A may receive a request to receive the audio communication session from one of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, such as the wireless audio output device  104 A ( 414 ). Responsive to receiving the request, the electronic device  102 A streams the audio communication session to the one of the wireless audio output devices, such as the wireless audio output device  104 A, while continuing to stream the audio stream to the other(s) of the wireless audio output devices, such as the wireless audio output device  104 B ( 416 ). Once the audio communication session is completed, the electronic device  102 A may resume streaming the audio stream to the wireless audio output device  104 A. In one or more implementations, if the electronic device  102 A receives a request from both of the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, the electronic device  102 A streams the audio communication to the wireless audio output device that transmitted to the request that was received first by the electronic device  102 A. 
     In one or more implementations, when the wireless audio output device  104 A is associated with the same user account as the electronic device  102 A, and the wireless audio output device  104 B is associated with a different user account, the electronic device  102 A may only provide audio (and/or haptic) notifications, e.g., of incoming audio communications, to the wireless audio output device  104 A that is associated with the same user account as the electronic device  102 A. Similarly, if a user wearing the wireless audio output device  104 A initiates a voice assistant via the wireless audio output device, the voice assistant responses may only be transmitted to the wireless audio output device  104 A, e.g., and not to the wireless audio output device  104 B. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a flow diagram of an example process  500  of configuring concurrent audio streaming via a proximate electronic device that is wirelessly coupled to a proximate wireless audio output device in accordance with one or more implementations. For explanatory purposes, the process  500  is primarily described herein with reference to the electronic devices  102 A-B and the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B of  FIG. 1 . However, the electronic devices  102 A-B and the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B are presented as exemplary devices and the operations described herein may be performed by any suitable devices. Further for explanatory purposes, the operations of the process  500  are described herein as occurring in serial, or linearly. However, multiple operations of the process  500  may occur in parallel or at least partially overlap. In addition, the operations of the process  500  need not be performed in the order shown and/or one or more of the operations of the process  500  need not be performed and/or can be replaced by other operations. 
     The process  500  may begin when the electronic device  102 A discovers, while connected to the wireless audio output device  104 A, a proximate electronic device  102 B that is wirelessly connected to another wireless audio output device  104 B ( 502 ). For example, the electronic device  102 A may detect broadcast packets transmitted by the electronic device  102 B, e.g. broadcast packets that indicate that the electronic device  102 B is wirelessly connected to the wireless audio output device  104 B, and/or the electronic device  102 A may detect/discover the electronic device  102 B using ultra-wideband ranging, and/or any other discovery mechanism. Upon discovering the proximate electronic device  102 B, the electronic device  102 A may display an indication of the availability of the wireless audio output device  104 B, such as via a user interface. 
     The electronic device  102 A may establish a secure peer-to-peer connection with the proximate electronic device  102 B ( 504 ), such as upon receiving a user request to connect to the wireless audio output device  104 B. For example, the electronic device  102 A may establish a secure Bluetooth connection, a secure Wi-Fi Aware connection, a secure NFC connection, or generally any secure connection. In one or more implementations, if the electronic devices  102 A-B are not located within a threshold distance of each other, one or more of the electronic devices  102 A-B may display an indication for the electronic devices  102 A-B to be brought closer together. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  102 A may negotiate/exchange an encryption key with the electronic device  102 B via an out-of-band channel, such as a communication/messaging channel that supports end-to-end encryption. The electronic devices  102 A-B may then use the encryption key to secure the peer-to-peer connection. 
     The electronic device  102 A may transmit to the electronic device  102 B a request to connect to the other wireless audio output device  104 B ( 506 ). The request may be transmitted, for example, via the secure peer-to-peer connection. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  102 B may receive the request and may display a user interface requesting that the user of the electronic device  102 B confirms that the electronic device  102 A can access the wireless audio output device  104 B. 
     If the user confirms that the electronic device  102 A can access the wireless audio output device  104 B, the electronic device  102 B may establish connection information with the wireless audio output device  104 B, e.g., pairing information for the subsequent connection between the electronic device  102 A and the wireless audio output device  104 B. The connection information may be separate and distinct from the connection information used by the electronic device  102 B to connect to the wireless audio output device  104 B. The connection information, such as pairing information, and other exchanged parameters are discussed further below with respect to  FIG. 6 . The electronic device  102 B may transmit the connection information to the electronic device  102 A, such as via the secure peer-to-peer connection. 
     The electronic device  102 A receives, from the proximate electronic device  102 B, the connection information for connecting to the other wireless audio output device  104 B ( 508 ), such as via the secure peer-to-peer connection. In one or more implementations, the received connection information may be different from connection information used by the electronic device  102 A to connect to the wireless audio output device  104 A. The electronic device  102 A connects to the wireless audio output device  104 B using the connection information ( 510 ). The electronic device  102 A transmits a message to the wireless audio output device  104 B indicating that the connection is temporary. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  102 B may provide an indication to the wireless audio output device  104 B that the connection will be temporary, such as while establishing the pairing information. The electronic device  102 A may then concurrently stream a first audio stream to the wireless audio output device  104 A and a second audio stream to the other wireless audio output device  104 B ( 512 ). 
     The electronic device  102 A may disconnect from the other wireless audio output device  104 B ( 514 ). For example, the other wireless audio output device  104 B may and/or the electronic device  102 A may move out of range of each other. Upon the disconnect, the electronic device  102 A may initiate a timer ( 516 ) and may automatically, and without user input, delete the connection information when the other wireless audio output device  104 B does not reconnect to the electronic device  102 A prior to the timer reaching a timeout value ( 518 ). The wireless audio output device  104 B may also initiate a timer and may automatically, and without user input, delete the connection information when the wireless audio output device  104 B does not reconnect to the electronic device  102 A prior to the timer reaching the timeout value. In one or more implementations, the wireless audio output device  104 B may automatically, and without user input, reconnect to the electronic device  102 B upon disconnecting from the electronic device  102 A. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a flow diagram of an example process  600  of facilitating a temporary connection between a connected wireless device and a proximate electronic device without a direct pairing of the devices in accordance with one or more implementations. For explanatory purposes, the process  600  is primarily described herein with reference to the electronic devices  102 A-B of  FIG. 1 . However, the electronic devices  102 A-B are presented as exemplary devices and the operations described herein may be performed by any suitable devices. Further for explanatory purposes, the operations of the process  600  are described herein as occurring in serial, or linearly. However, multiple operations of the process  600  may occur in parallel or at least partially overlap. In addition, the operations of the process  600  need not be performed in the order shown and/or one or more of the operations of the process  600  need not be performed and/or can be replaced by other operations. 
     The process  600  begins when the electronic device  102 A establishes a secure connection with the electronic device  102 B, such as a secure peer-to-peer connection ( 602 ). As discussed above, the electronic device  102 A may discover or detect the proximate electronic device  102 B, e.g. when the electronic devices  102 A-B are within a threshold distance of each other, and the electronic devices  102 A-B may establish the secure connection upon discovering and/or detecting one another. 
     The electronic device  102 A may receive, from the proximate electronic device  102 B, a request to connect to a wireless device connected to the electronic device  102 A ( 604 ). For example, the proximate electronic device  102 B may request to connect to a wireless audio output device  104 A connected to the electronic device  102 A, a wireless stylus connected to the electronic device  102 A, a game controller connected to the electronic device  102 A, or generally any wireless device connected to the electronic device  102 A. In one or more implementations, the wireless device may not be connected to the electronic device  102 A at the time that the request is received; however, the wireless device may be paired with the electronic device  102 A and/or may be within a particular distance of the electronic device  102 A, although not connected to the electronic device  102 A. In one or more implementations, the wireless device may be associated with the user account that is associated with the electronic device  102 A, which may differ from the user account associated with the electronic device  102 B. 
     The electronic device  102 A displays an indication of the request, such as to a user ( 606 ). For example, the electronic device  102 A may display a notification, a pop-up card, or other graphical element(s) indicating that the electronic device  102 B is requesting to access the wireless device ( 606 ). The indication may request that the user of the electronic device  102 A confirm that the electronic device  102 B can access the wireless device. The electronic device  102 A may receive user confirmation of the request ( 608 ). For example, a user of the electronic device  102 A may interact with the displayed indication to provide user confirmation. 
     The electronic device  102 A may receive a communication address from the proximate electronic device  102 B ( 610 ). The communication address may correspond to the communication address of the electronic device  102 B to be used for the connection with the wireless device, such as a Bluetooth classic address. The electronic device  102 A may generate a link key for the connection between the electronic device  102 B and the wireless device ( 612 ). The link key may be separate and distinct from the link key used by the electronic device  102 A to establish a connection with the wireless device. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  102 A may initiate the pairing process with the wireless device on behalf of, and/or as a proxy of, the electronic device  102 B. 
     The electronic device  102 A may transmit the link key, the received communication address (e.g., received from the electronic device  102 B), and an indication that the connection will be temporary, to the connected wireless device ( 614 ), e.g. over the existing connection with the connected wireless device. The electronic device  102 A may transmit the link key and the communication address of the wireless device to the proximate electronic device  102 B ( 616 ), such as over the secure connection. The communication address of the wireless device may be, for example, a classic Bluetooth address that may be locally stored by the electronic device  102 A. Thus, through the example process  600 , the electronic device  102 A is able to allow the electronic device  102 B to connect to the wireless device without having directly paired with the wireless device. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  102 B may be considered to have indirectly paired with the wireless device via the electronic device  102 A. 
     In one or more implementations, after transmitting the link key and the communication address of the wireless device to the proximate electronic device  102 B, the electronic  102 A may terminate the secure connection with the proximate electronic device  102 B. The wireless device may automatically disconnect from the electronic device  102 A upon connecting to the electronic device  102 B. The electronic device  102 A may receive a reconnection request from the wireless device ( 618 ). The electronic device  102 A may, automatically and without user input, reconnect to the wireless device using another link key ( 620 ), e.g., the link key previously used to connect to the wireless device. 
       FIG. 7  conceptually illustrates an electronic system  700  with which one or more implementations of the subject technology may be implemented. The electronic system  700  can be, and/or can be a part of, one or more of the electronic devices  102 A-B, the wireless audio output devices  104 A-B, and/or the server  108  shown in  FIG. 1 . The electronic system  700  may include various types of computer readable media and interfaces for various other types of computer readable media. The electronic system  700  includes a bus  708 , one or more processing unit(s)  712 , a system memory  704  (and/or buffer), a ROM  710 , a permanent storage device  702 , an input device interface  714 , an output device interface  706 , and one or more network interfaces  716 , or subsets and variations thereof. 
     The bus  708  collectively represents all system, peripheral, and chipset buses that communicatively connect the numerous internal devices of the electronic system  700 . In one or more implementations, the bus  708  communicatively connects the one or more processing unit(s)  712  with the ROM  710 , the system memory  704 , and the permanent storage device  702 . From these various memory units, the one or more processing unit(s)  712  retrieves instructions to execute and data to process in order to execute the processes of the subject disclosure. The one or more processing unit(s)  712  can be a single processor or a multi-core processor in different implementations. 
     The ROM  710  stores static data and instructions that are needed by the one or more processing unit(s)  712  and other modules of the electronic system  700 . The permanent storage device  702 , on the other hand, may be a read-and-write memory device. The permanent storage device  702  may be a non-volatile memory unit that stores instructions and data even when the electronic system  700  is off. In one or more implementations, a mass-storage device (such as a magnetic or optical disk and its corresponding disk drive) may be used as the permanent storage device  702 . 
     In one or more implementations, a removable storage device (such as a floppy disk, flash drive, and its corresponding disk drive) may be used as the permanent storage device  702 . Like the permanent storage device  702 , the system memory  704  may be a read-and-write memory device. However, unlike the permanent storage device  702 , the system memory  704  may be a volatile read-and-write memory, such as random access memory. The system memory  704  may store any of the instructions and data that one or more processing unit(s)  712  may need at runtime. In one or more implementations, the processes of the subject disclosure are stored in the system memory  704 , the permanent storage device  702 , and/or the ROM  710 . From these various memory units, the one or more processing unit(s)  712  retrieves instructions to execute and data to process in order to execute the processes of one or more implementations. 
     The bus  708  also connects to the input and output device interfaces  714  and  706 . The input device interface  714  enables a user to communicate information and select commands to the electronic system  700 . Input devices that may be used with the input device interface  714  may include, for example, alphanumeric keyboards and pointing devices (also called “cursor control devices”). The output device interface  706  may enable, for example, the display of images generated by electronic system  700 . Output devices that may be used with the output device interface  706  may include, for example, printers and display devices, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a flexible display, a flat panel display, a solid state display, a projector, or any other device for outputting information. One or more implementations may include devices that function as both input and output devices, such as a touchscreen. In these implementations, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. 
     Finally, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the bus  708  also couples the electronic system  700  to one or more networks and/or to one or more network nodes, through the one or more network interface(s)  716 . In this manner, the electronic system  700  can be a part of a network of computers (such as a LAN, a wide area network (“WAN”), or an Intranet, or a network of networks, such as the Internet. Any or all components of the electronic system  700  can be used in conjunction with the subject disclosure. 
     As described above, one aspect of the present technology is the gathering and use of data available from specific and legitimate sources to improve concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices. The present disclosure contemplates that in some instances, this gathered data may include personal information data that uniquely identifies or can be used to identify a specific person. Such personal information data can include demographic data, location-based data, online identifiers, telephone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, data or records relating to a user&#39;s health or level of fitness (e.g., vital signs measurements, medication information, exercise information), date of birth, or any other personal information. 
     The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information data, in the present technology, can be used to the benefit of users. For example, the personal information data can be used to select/suggest devices for pairing in accordance with a user&#39;s preferences. Accordingly, use of such personal information data enables users to have greater control of the devices selected/suggested for concurrent audio streaming. Further, other uses for personal information data that benefit the user are also contemplated by the present disclosure. For instance, health and fitness data may be used, in accordance with the user&#39;s preferences to provide insights into their general wellness, or may be used as positive feedback to individuals using technology to pursue wellness goals. 
     The present disclosure contemplates that those entities responsible for the collection, analysis, disclosure, transfer, storage, or other use of such personal information data will comply with well-established privacy policies and/or privacy practices. In particular, such entities would be expected to implement and consistently apply privacy practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy of users. Such information regarding the use of personal data should be prominently and easily accessible by users, and should be updated as the collection and/or use of data changes. Personal information from users should be collected for legitimate uses only. Further, such collection/sharing should occur only after receiving the consent of the users or other legitimate basis specified in applicable law. Additionally, such entities should consider taking any needed steps for safeguarding and securing access to such personal information data and ensuring that others with access to the personal information data adhere to their privacy policies and procedures. Further, such entities can subject themselves to evaluation by third parties to certify their adherence to widely accepted privacy policies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should be adapted for the particular types of personal information data being collected and/or accessed and adapted to applicable laws and standards, including jurisdiction-specific considerations which may serve to impose a higher standard. For instance, in the US, collection of or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and/or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); whereas health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be handled accordingly. 
     Despite the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates embodiments in which users selectively block the use of, or access to, personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates that hardware and/or software elements can be provided to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, in the case of concurrent audio streaming to multiple devices, the present technology can be configured to allow users to select to “opt in” or “opt out” of participation in the collection of personal information data during registration for services or anytime thereafter. In addition to providing “opt in” and “opt out” options, the present disclosure contemplates providing notifications relating to the access or use of personal information. For instance, a user may be notified upon downloading an app that their personal information data will be accessed and then reminded again just before personal information data is accessed by the app. 
     Moreover, it is the intent of the present disclosure that personal information data should be managed and handled in a way to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risk can be minimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting data once it is no longer needed. In addition, and when applicable, including in certain health related applications, data de-identification can be used to protect a user&#39;s privacy. De-identification may be facilitated, when appropriate, by removing identifiers, controlling the amount or specificity of data stored (e.g., collecting location data at city level rather than at an address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users), and/or other methods such as differential privacy. 
     Therefore, although the present disclosure broadly covers use of personal information data to implement one or more various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that the various embodiments can also be implemented without the need for accessing such personal information data. That is, the various embodiments of the present technology are not rendered inoperable due to the lack of all or a portion of such personal information data. For example, concurrent audio streaming to multiple wireless audio output devices can be performed based on aggregated non-personal information data or a bare minimum amount of personal information, such as the information being handled only on the user&#39;s device or other non-personal information available. 
     Implementations within the scope of the present disclosure can be partially or entirely realized using a tangible computer-readable storage medium (or multiple tangible computer-readable storage media of one or more types) encoding one or more instructions. The tangible computer-readable storage medium also can be non-transitory in nature. 
     The computer-readable storage medium can be any storage medium that can be read, written, or otherwise accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computing device, including any processing electronics and/or processing circuitry capable of executing instructions. For example, without limitation, the computer-readable medium can include any volatile semiconductor memory, such as RAM, DRAM, SRAM, T-RAM, Z-RAM, and TTRAM. The computer-readable medium also can include any non-volatile semiconductor memory, such as ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, NVRAM, flash, nvSRAM, FeRAM, FeTRAM, MRAM, PRAM, CBRAM, SONOS, RRAM, NRAM, racetrack memory, FJG, and Millipede memory. 
     Further, the computer-readable storage medium can include any non-semiconductor memory, such as optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, magnetic tape, other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of storing one or more instructions. In one or more implementations, the tangible computer-readable storage medium can be directly coupled to a computing device, while in other implementations, the tangible computer-readable storage medium can be indirectly coupled to a computing device, e.g., via one or more wired connections, one or more wireless connections, or any combination thereof. 
     Instructions can be directly executable or can be used to develop executable instructions. For example, instructions can be realized as executable or non-executable machine code or as instructions in a high-level language that can be compiled to produce executable or non-executable machine code. Further, instructions also can be realized as or can include data. Computer-executable instructions also can be organized in any format, including routines, subroutines, programs, data structures, objects, modules, applications, applets, functions, etc. As recognized by those of skill in the art, details including, but not limited to, the number, structure, sequence, and organization of instructions can vary significantly without varying the underlying logic, function, processing, and output. 
     While the above discussion primarily refers to microprocessor or multi-core processors that execute software, one or more implementations are performed by one or more integrated circuits, such as ASICs or FPGAs. In one or more implementations, such integrated circuits execute instructions that are stored on the circuit itself. 
     Those of skill in the art would appreciate that the various illustrative blocks, modules, elements, components, methods, and algorithms described herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative blocks, modules, elements, components, methods, and algorithms have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application. 
     Various components and blocks may be arranged differently (e.g., arranged in a different order, or partitioned in a different way) all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. 
     It is understood that any specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes disclosed is an illustration of example approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes may be rearranged, or that all illustrated blocks be performed. Any of the blocks may be performed simultaneously. In one or more implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. 
     As used in this specification and any claims of this application, the terms “base station”, “receiver”, “computer”, “server”, “processor”, and “memory” all refer to electronic or other technological devices. These terms exclude people or groups of people. For the purposes of the specification, the terms “display” or “displaying” means displaying on an electronic device. 
     As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” preceding a series of items, with the term “and” or “or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase “at least one of” does not require selection of at least one of each item listed; rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C. 
     The predicate words “configured to”, “operable to”, and “programmed to” do not imply any particular tangible or intangible modification of a subject, but, rather, are intended to be used interchangeably. In one or more implementations, a processor configured to monitor and control an operation or a component may also mean the processor being programmed to monitor and control the operation or the processor being operable to monitor and control the operation. 
     Likewise, a processor configured to execute code can be construed as a processor programmed to execute code or operable to execute code. 
     Phrases such as an aspect, the aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, the implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, an embodiment, the embodiment, another embodiment, some implementations, one or more implementations, a configuration, the configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology, the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof and alike are for convenience and do not imply that a disclosure relating to such phrase(s) is essential to the subject technology or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to other foregoing phrases. 
     The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration”. Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” or as an “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “include”, “have”, or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. 
     All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for”. 
     The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more”. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his) include the feminine and neuter gender (e.g., her and its) and vice versa. Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and do not limit the subject disclosure.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20190531
Publication Date: 20220125
Grant Date: 20220125
Priority Date: 20190531
Inventors: FORNSHELL, NATALIA A.
KUMAR, AARTI
YI, ASTRID
IYER, Deepak C.
PIETSCH, Brian D.
DE CAMARGO BARSCEVICIUS, Cesar
RICHTER, ALEXANDER
ARYA, Ashraya
RANADE, SARANG S.
GILES, MICHAEL
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04L65/611", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/8106", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/439", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/4307", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W4/70", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M2250/02", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72412", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/19", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72442", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W8/005", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L7/0091", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W4/80", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/6066", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/15", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/43637", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/43615", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L7/0091", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L65/4076", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W8/005", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/15", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 70390995