IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,117,034
Granted Patent B2
US 10,117,034 · App. 15/489,918 · Granted Oct 30, 2018

Leaving group based on message from audio source

Inventors: Nicholas A. J. Millington (Santa Barbara, CA); Craig Wisneski (Cambridge, MA); Steven Beckhardt (Cambridge, MA); Neil Griffiths (Lexington, MA)
Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
H04R27/00G06F3/165H04R2227/003H04R2227/005H04R2420/07H04R2430/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,117,034
App. No.
15/489,918
Granted
Oct 30, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to control audio playback devices are disclosed. An example first playback device includes a speaker driver, a processor, and a computer readable medium including a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the first playback device to implement a method. The example method includes receiving, from a first audio information source, first audio information. The example method includes playing back the first audio information. The example method includes receiving, from a second audio information source, (i) a first message, and (ii) second audio information. Based on the received first message, the example method includes (i) determining that the first playback device and a second playback device are to playback the second audio information; (ii) stopping play back of the first audio information; (iii) playing back, via the speaker driver, the second audio information; and (iv) sending the second audio information to the second playback device.

Claims (47)

1. A first playback device comprising:

a speaker driver;

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to implement a method, the method including:

receiving, from a first audio information source, first audio information; sending the first audio information to a second playback device;

playing back, via the speaker driver, the first audio information in synchrony with the second playback device;

receiving, from a second audio information source, (i) a first message, and (ii) second audio information; and

in response to receiving the first message from the second audio information source:

(i) determining that the first playback device is configured to playback the second audio information; (ii) stopping play back of the first audio information in synchrony with the second playback device; and (iii) playing back, via the speaker driver, the second audio information without sending the second audio information to the second playback device.

2. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein receiving, from the first audio information source, the first audio information comprises receiving, from the first audio information source via a packet-based communication link, the first audio information.

3. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein receiving, from the second audio information source, (i) the first message and (ii) the second audio information comprises receiving, from the second audio information source via a wired communication link, (i) the first message and (ii) the second audio information.

4. The first playback device of claim 3 , wherein receiving, from the second audio information source via the wired communication link, (i) the first message and (ii) the second audio information comprises receiving, from the second audio information source via a packet-based wired communication link, (i) the first message and (ii) the second audio information.

5. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein receiving, from the first audio information source, the first audio information comprises receiving, from the first audio information source via a wireless communication link, the first audio information, and wherein receiving, from the second audio information source, (i) the first message and (ii) the second audio information comprises receiving, from the second audio information source via a wired communication link, (i) the first message and (ii) the second audio information.

6. The first playback device of claim 5 , wherein receiving, from the first audio information source via the wireless communication link, the first audio information comprises receiving, from the first audio information source via a packet-based wireless communication link, the first audio information.

7. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein determining that the first playback device is configured to play back the second audio information comprises determining that a zone scene is triggered by the received first message.

8. The first playback device of claim 7 , wherein the zone scene is saved in the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media.

9. The first playback device of claim 8 , the method further including:

receiving, from a controller device, an instruction to save the zone scene.

10. The first playback device of claim 7 , wherein the zone scene comprises the first playback device and a third playback device, the method further including:

based on the received first message, sending the second audio information to the third playback device.

11. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first message identifies the second audio information source.

12. The first playback device of claim 1 , the method further including:

receiving, from the second audio information source, a second message comprising a volume command; and

based on the received second message, changing a volume of play back of the second audio information.

13. The first playback device of claim 12 , wherein the volume command is based on a command from a device configured to communicate with the second audio information source.

14. The first playback device of claim 1 , the method further including:

based on the received first message, sending to a third playback device a second message comprising a command to playback the second audio information.

15. The first playback device of claim 14 , the method further including:

generating timing information associated with the second audio information; and

sending to the third playback device the generated timing information.

16. The first playback device of claim 1 , the method further including:

receiving, from a controller device, a command; and

sending, to the second audio information source, a second message comprising an indication of the command.

17. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first message is based on a command from a device configured to communicate with the second audio information source.

18. The first playback device of claim 17 , wherein the command is at least one of a power-on command or a volume command.

19. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a first playback device to implement a method comprising:

receiving first audio information from a first audio information source; sending the first audio information to a second playback device;

playing back, via a speaker driver of the first playback device, the first audio information in synchrony with the second playback device;

receiving both a first message and second audio information from a second audio information source; and

in response to receiving the first message from the second audio information source:

(i) determining that the first playback device is configured to playback the second audio information; (ii) stopping play back of the first audio information in synchrony with the second playback device; and (iii) playing back, via the speaker driver of the first playback device, the second audio information without sending the second audio information to the second playback device.

20. A method performed by a first playback device, the method comprising:

receiving first audio information from a first audio information source; sending the first audio information to a second playback device;

playing back, via a speaker driver of the first playback device, the first audio information in synchrony with the second playback device;

receiving both a first message and second audio information from a second audio information source; and

in response to receiving the first message from the second audio information source:

(i) determining that the first playback device is configured to playback the second audio information; (ii) stopping play back of the first audio information in synchrony with the second playback device; and (iii) playing back, via the speaker driver of the first playback device, the second audio information without sending the second audio information to the second playback device.

Assignments (4)
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2017
From: MILLINGTON, NICHOLAS A.J.; BECKHARDT, STEVEN; WISNESKI, CRAIG; GRIFFITHS, NEIL
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 043720/0317 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14570869 · Dec 15, 2014
Continuation 13274059 · Oct 14, 2011
Related Publication 20170223472A1 · Aug 3, 2017