IP Library Granted Patent US 12666217
Granted Patent B2
US 12666217 · App. 18/308,087 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Media playback based on sensor data

Inventors: Jonathon Reilly (Cambridge, MA); Niels Van Erven (Santa Barbara, CA)
Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
H04S7/303G01S3/023G01S3/80G06F3/165H04L41/22H04L67/1042H04R3/04H04R27/00H04R29/001H04R29/008H04S7/302H04R2227/005H04R2430/01H04S7/301
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12666217
App. No.
18/308,087
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Example techniques relate to playback based on acoustic signals in a system including a first network device and a second network device. A first network device may detect a presence of a user using a camera and/or infrared sensors. The first network device sends, in response to detecting the presence of the user, a particular signal via the first network interface. The second network device receives data corresponding to the particular signal and plays back an audio output corresponding to the particular signal.

Claims (57)

1 . A system comprising:

a first network device comprising a first network interface and a first audio transducer;

a second network device comprising a second network interface and a second audio transducer;

a third network device comprising a third network interface and at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor comprises one or both of (a) a radio frequency (RF) sensor configured to detect changes in a received signal strength indicative of movement and (b) an infrared sensor configured to detect movement;

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to perform functions comprising:

detecting, via the at least one sensor of the third network device, movement within a floor area indicating a human presence;

receiving, via the first network interface, a first signal corresponding to the detected movement;

playing back, based on the received first signal, a first audio output via the first audio transducer;

receiving, via the second network interface, a second signal corresponding to the detected movement; and

playing back, based on the received second signal, a second audio output via the second audio transducer.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the functions further comprise:

sending, via the first network interface of the first network device to the second network device, the second signal corresponding to the detected movement.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein receiving the first signal comprises receiving the first signal from the third network device via a first data network that uses a first communication protocol, and wherein receiving the second signal comprises receiving the second signal from the first network device via a second data network that uses a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the third network device comprises a third audio transducer, and wherein the functions further comprise playing back, a third audio output via the third audio transducer based on the detected movement.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the functions further comprise:

based on the received first signal, send, via the first network interface, a third signal to the third network device; and

receiving, via the third network interface, the third signal, wherein the third network device plays back the third audio output based on receiving the third signal.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first audio output is different from the second audio output.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth network device, the fourth network device comprising:

a fourth network interface; and

an input interface,

wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving, via the first network interface from the fourth network device, a third signal indicating user input received via the input interface; and

based on the received third signal:

ceasing playback of the first audio output; and

transmitting, via the first network interface to the second network device, a fourth signal corresponding to the received user input;

receiving, via the second network interface, the fourth signal; and

based on the received fourth signal, ceasing playback of the second audio output.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first audio output comprises audio stored in a sound file on a memory of the first network device.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first audio output comprises an alarm.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first audio output comprises a buzzer.

11 . A first network device comprising:

a first audio transducer;

a network interface;

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first network device is configured to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via the network interface, a first signal, the first signal corresponding to an acoustic signal detected by a second network device;

changing an operating state of the first network device based on receiving the first signal;

receiving, via the network interface, a second signal, the second signal corresponding to a movement within a floor area indicating a human presence detected by at least one sensor of a third network device, wherein the at least one sensor of the third network device comprises one or both of (a) a radio frequency (RF) sensor configured to detect changes in a received signal strength indicative of movement and (b) an infrared sensor configured to detect movement;

playing back, via the first audio transducer, a first audio output based on the received second signal; and

based on the received second signal, causing, the second network device to play back a second audio output via a second audio transducer, wherein causing the second network device to play back the second audio output comprises transmitting, via the network interface, a third signal to the second network device.

12 . The first network device of claim 11 , wherein receiving the first signal comprises receiving, via the network interface, the first signal from a fourth network device.

13 . The first network device of claim 11 , wherein receiving the second signal comprises receiving, via the network interface, the second signal from the third network device.

14 . The first network device of claim 12 , wherein receiving the second signal comprises receiving the second signal from the third network device via a first data network that uses a first communication protocol, and wherein transmitting the third signal to the second network device comprises transmitting the third signal to the second network device via a second data network that uses a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol.

15 . The first network device of claim 11 , wherein the first audio output comprises audio stored in a sound file on a memory of the first network device.

16 . The first network device of claim 11 , wherein the first audio output comprises an alarm.

17 . The first network device of claim 11 , wherein the first audio output comprises a buzzer.

18 . The first network device of claim 11 , wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving, via the network interface, a fourth signal corresponding to an absence of movement indicating human presence; and

after receiving the fourth signal, ceasing playback of the first audio output via the first audio transducer.

19 . The first network device of claim 18 , wherein the functions further comprise: after receiving the fourth signal, causing, via the network interface, the second network device to cease playback of the second audio output.

20 . A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by at least one processor to configure a first network device to:

receive, via a network interface, a first signal, the first signal corresponding to an acoustic signal detected by a second network device;

change an operating state of the first network device based on receiving the first signal;

receive, via the network interface, a second signal, the second signal corresponding to a movement within a floor area indicating a human presence detected by at least one sensor of a third network device, wherein the at least one sensor of the third network device comprises one or both of (a) a radio frequency (RF) sensor configured to detect changes in a received signal strength indicative of movement and (b) an infrared sensor configured to detect movement;

play back, via an audio transducer, a first audio output based on the received second signal; and based on the received second signal, causing, the second network device to play back a second audio output via a second audio transducer, wherein causing the second network device to play back the second audio output comprises transmitting, via the network interface, a third signal to the second network device.