IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,977,647
Granted Patent B2
US 9,977,647 · App. 15/005,947 · Granted May 22, 2018

Audio content auditioning by playback device

Inventors: Paul Bates (Santa Barbara, CA); Abhishek Kumar (Santa Barbara, CA); Jonathan Lang (Santa Barbara, CA)
Assignee: SONOS, INC.
G06F3/165G06F3/0482G06F3/162G06F9/5038H04L67/10H04N21/4396H04N21/43615H04N21/458H04N21/47217H04N21/8106H04N21/8113H04R27/00G11B2020/10972H04R2227/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,977,647
App. No.
15/005,947
Granted
May 22, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A first playback device plays first audio content in synchrony with at least one second playback device. One or more commands is received that define a duration of time. The first playback device stops playback of the first audio content based on the received one or more commands. After stopping playback of the first audio content, second audio content is played for the duration of time defined by the one or more commands. After playing the second audio content for the duration of time, the first playback device resumes playback of the first audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device.

Claims (35)

1. A method comprising:

playing, by a first playback device, first audio content in synchrony with at least one second playback device;

receiving, by the first playback device, one or more commands that define a duration of time;

stopping, by the first playback device, playback of the first audio content based on the received one or more commands;

after stopping playback of the first audio content, playing, by the first playback device, second audio content for the duration of time defined by the one or more commands; and

after playing the second audio content for the duration of time, resuming, by the first playback device, playback of the first audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the duration of time is a predefined duration of time, and wherein playing the second audio content comprises playing the second audio content for the predefined duration of time based on the received one or more commands.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein playing the second audio content comprises playing the second audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein playing the second audio content comprises playing the second audio content in synchrony with a third playback device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second audio content is an audio track; wherein the duration of time is less than a full length of the audio track; and wherein playing the second audio content comprises playing the second audio content for the less than the full length of the audio track.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein resuming playback of the first audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device comprises resuming playback of the first audio content in synchrony with a third playback device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein resuming playback of the first audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device comprises resuming playback of the first audio content at a position within the first audio content at which the first playback device stopped playback of the first audio content.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein resuming playback of the first audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device comprises resuming playback of the first audio content at a given position within the first audio content, wherein the given position comprises a position within the first audio content that the at least one second playback device reached in playback of the first audio content as the first playback device played back the second audio content.

9. A method comprising:

playing, by a first playback device, first audio content in synchrony with at least one second playback device;

receiving, by the first playback device, one or more commands that define a duration of time;

stopping, by the first playback device, playback of the first audio content based on the received one or more commands;

after stopping playback of the first audio content, playing, by the first playback device, second audio content for the duration of time defined by the received one or more commands; and

after playing the second audio content for the duration of time defined by the one or more commands, playing, by the first playback device, the second audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the duration of time is a predefined duration of time, and wherein playing the second audio content for the duration of time defined by the received one or more commands comprises playing the second audio content for the predefined duration defined by the received one or more commands.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first audio content and the second audio content are received by the first playback device from different sources.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein playing the second audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device comprises playing the second audio content in synchrony with a third playback device.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second audio content is an audio track; wherein the duration of time is less than a full length of the audio track; and wherein playing the second audio content for the duration of time defined by the received one or more commands comprises playing the second audio content for less than the full length of the audio track.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first playback device is a control device configured to control the at least one second playback device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

playing, by a first playback device, first audio content in synchrony with at least one second playback device;

receiving, by the first playback device, one or more commands that define a duration of time;

stopping, by the first playback device, playback of the first audio content based on the received one or more commands;

after stopping playback of the first audio content, playing, by the first playback device, second audio content for the duration of time defined by the received one or more commands; and

after playing back the second audio content for the duration of time defined by the one or more commands, playing, by the first playback device, the second audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the duration of time is a predefined duration of time, and wherein playing the second audio content for the duration of time defined by the received one or more commands comprises playing the second audio content for the predefined duration defined by the received one or more commands.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first playback device is a control device configured to control the at least one second playback device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein playing the second audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device comprises playing the second audio content in synchrony with a third playback device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the second audio content is an audio track; wherein the duration of time is less than a full length of the audio track; and wherein playing the second audio content for the duration of time defined by the received one or more commands comprises playing the second audio content for less than the full length of the audio track.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first audio content and the second audio content are received by the first playback device from different sources.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 058213/0597 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 15, 2021
From: SONOS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058123/0206 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2018
From: SONOS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 046991/0433 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 25, 2018
From: GORDON BROTHERS FINANCE COMPANY
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 046625/0882 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2016
From: BATES, PAUL ANDREW; KUMAR, ABHISHEK; LANG, JONATHAN PAUL
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 039564/0407 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2016
From: SONOS, INC.
To: GORDON BROTHERS FINANCE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 038329/0253 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14506352 · Oct 3, 2014
Continuation 13478946 · May 23, 2012
Related Publication 20160139873A1 · May 19, 2016