The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) launched a new trademark, Auracast™, in 2022. This is a brand new Bluetooth broadcast audio feature that allows audio transmitters to broadcast to an unlimited number of nearby Bluetooth audio receivers, enabling high-quality stereo audio playback directly to visitors using hearing devices in public places.
This new technology brings a new audio experience, including:
Image Source: Bluetooth Official Website
Auracast™ broadcast audio brings a new audio experience that allows users to share their audio experience with others, bringing them closer together.
Breaking the Silent World
Image Source: Bluetooth Official Website
Auracast™ broadcast audio will enable every user to fully enjoy muted television programs in public venues, providing a more complete viewing experience.
Experiencing the Best Audio
Image Source: Bluetooth Official Website
Auracast™ broadcast audio will provide users with the clearest listening experience anywhere. It is expected to become a new generation of hearing technology, helping people hear more clearly and improving their quality of life.
Auracast™ receivers will be able to join Auracast™ broadcasts (audio sharing) from nearby Auracast™ transmitters, with no limit to the number of simultaneous connections.
According to the definition of the Public Broadcast Profile by the Bluetooth Forum, devices that support Bluetooth broadcast audio are categorized into three types: Auracast™ transmitters, Auracast™ receivers, and Auracast™ auxiliary devices, as shown in the basic working structure in the image above.
Auracast™ Connection Method
Step 1: The Auracast™ transmitter initiates an Auracast™ broadcast (audio sharing) containing broadcast information to the Auracast™ auxiliary device, providing information about the broadcast (e.g., name, content, codec configuration, etc.) and one or more audio streams (such as left and right stereo audio streams).
Step 2: The Auracast™ auxiliary device scans for Auracast™ broadcasts and provides the user with a user interface (UI) to select any Auracast™ broadcast (audio sharing) connection. This UI is similar to the one commonly used when connecting to Wi-Fi in public places.
Step 3: After the user selects the Auracast™ broadcast (audio sharing) to connect, the Auracast™ auxiliary device provides the necessary information to the Auracast™ receiver (such as headphones, earbuds, hearing aids, etc.) to join the Auracast™ broadcast.
As can be seen from the above connection method, the operation is not complicated and is very similar to the daily use of Wi-Fi, making it very easy to use.
Key Use Cases in Public Places
Public places that provide silent TV screens, such as airports, stadiums, and waiting rooms, will offer a more satisfying viewing experience, allowing visitors to use their own Bluetooth earbuds or hearing devices to listen to the television broadcast audio.
Public places that offer tours, such as museums and tourist attractions, will create a more engaging tour experience by allowing visitors to use their own Bluetooth earbuds to listen to Auracast™ broadcast audio or hearing devices while participating in the tour.
Public places that support simultaneous interpretation services, such as conference centers, will provide an enhanced audio experience, allowing attendees to use their own Bluetooth earbuds to listen to the audio in their desired language via Auracast™ broadcast audio or hearing devices.
Hearing Enhancement/Hearing Aids
Locations deploying public broadcast systems, such as airports, cinemas, lecture halls, conference centers, and religious venues, will provide significantly higher quality audio experiences, allowing visitors to receive public broadcast audio directly to their own Bluetooth earbuds or hearing devices equipped with Auracast™ broadcast audio.
Bluetooth Products Using the Auracast™ Trademark
The Bluetooth Forum (SIG) launched the feature along with corresponding certification. Bluetooth members must go through the Bluetooth certification process to ensure their products meet the requirements of the Public Broadcast Profile (PBP) and comply with the usage requirements detailed in the Bluetooth Trademark Brand Guidelines. According to the specifications, certified products are categorized into three types: source, sink, and assistant, and certification must be submitted based on the actual product type. Finally, qualified products can use the Auracast™ trademark.
Introduction to Bluetooth Laboratories
The Tair Lab’s Bluetooth Laboratory has been accredited by several authoritative organizations both domestically and internationally, including the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS), the China National Certification and Accreditation Administration (CMA), the U.S. National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), and the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). It is also authorized or recognized by laboratories such as North America’s FCC/IC, EU CE, and Japan Telecom & Radio, and is the industry’s first HarmonyOS ecological certification laboratory.
The Bluetooth Laboratory is an authorized certification testing organization (BQTF) by the Bluetooth Forum (Bluetooth SIG) and is currently one of the few Bluetooth certification agencies (BQTF) that possesses certification capabilities for RF, protocol, and profile. The laboratory has its own Bluetooth certification consultants (BQC) to provide timely and effective specialized certification consulting services.
The Bluetooth Laboratory has been engaged in Bluetooth certification testing for nearly twenty years, accumulating rich experience in equipment platforms, device libraries, technical personnel, and testing experience. The current platform device library includes Bluetooth devices of various brands and models, including headphones, car devices, mobile phones, sports and health devices, home medical health devices, etc., which can be used for compatibility and interoperability testing of Bluetooth products. Through years of accumulation, it can provide customers with in-depth customized services (including testing, solutions, and standards) for various types of Bluetooth products.
Note: The above content regarding Auracast is excerpted and organized from the Bluetooth official website.
