IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,206,002
Granted Patent B2
US 11,206,002 · App. 16/665,154 · Granted Dec 21, 2021

Media playback system with maximum volume setting

Inventors: Frank Charlton (Seattle, WA); Jodi Vautrin (Boston, MA); Robert Lambourne (Santa Barbara, CA); Nathan Fish (Ventura, CA); Daniel Casimiro (Mansfield, MA); Won So (Boston, MA)
Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
H03G3/3026G06F3/165G06F9/546H04L51/24H04N21/43615H04N21/4825H04R2430/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,206,002
App. No.
16/665,154
Filed
Oct 28, 2019
Granted
Dec 21, 2021
Kind
B2
Examiner
PAUL, DISLER
Art Unit
2654
USPC
381/109
Abstract

In one example, a zone player may include a network interface, at least one processor, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that may be executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to receive an instruction to change a volume setting of the zone player to a requested volume level; in response to receiving the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level, adjust the volume setting of the zone player to an adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level; and after adjusting the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level, send an indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level.

Claims (47)

1. A zone player comprising:

a network interface;

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to:

receive, via the network interface, an instruction to change a volume setting of the zone player to a requested volume level;

in response to receiving the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level, adjust the volume setting of the zone player to an adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level; and

after adjusting the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level, send, via the network interface, an indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level.

2. The zone player of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to adjust the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to adjust the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level based on a value of stored volume variable.

3. The zone player of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to:

receive, via the network interface, an instruction to set a value of a stored volume variable that defines a maximum volume level for the zone player.

4. The zone player of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to:

make a determination that the zone player is operating as part of a bonded zone with at least one other zone player in which the zone player and the at least one other zone player are configured for synchronous playback of separate channels of media content; and

based on the determination, cause, via the network interface, the at least one other zone player to adjust a volume level of the at least one other zone player to the adapted volume level.

5. The zone player of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to receive the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to receive, from a controller device of the zone player via the network interface, the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level.

6. The zone player of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to send the indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to send, via the network interface to a controller device of the zone player, the indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level, and wherein the indication causes the controller device to display a visual representation of the volume setting of the zone player being at the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level.

7. The zone player of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to adjust the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to:

make a determination that the zone player is configured to play back media from a specific media source that is associated with a source-specific limitation on volume level; and

in response to the determination that the zone player is configured to play back media from the specific media source, adjust the volume level of the zone player to the adapted volume level that is determined based on the source-specific limitation on volume level.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium;

and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by at least one processor such that a zone player is configured to:

receive, via a network interface, an instruction to change a volume setting of the zone player to a requested volume level;

in response to receiving the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level, adjust the volume setting of the zone player to an adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level; and

after adjusting the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level, send, via the network interface, an indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to adjust the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to adjust the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level based on a value of stored volume variable.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to:

receive, via the network interface, an instruction to set a value of a stored volume variable that defines a maximum volume level for the zone player.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to:

make a determination that the zone player is operating as part of a bonded zone with at least one other zone player in which the zone player and the at least one other zone player are configured for synchronous playback of separate channels of media content; and

based on the determination, cause, via the network interface, the at least one other zone player to adjust a volume level of the at least one other zone player to the adapted volume level.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to receive the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to receive, from a controller device of the zone player via the network interface, the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to send the indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to send, via the network interface to a controller device of the zone player, the indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level, and wherein the indication causes the controller device to display a visual representation of the volume setting of the zone player being at the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to adjust the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to:

make a determination that the zone player is configured to play back media from a specific media source that is associated with a source-specific limitation on volume level; and

in response to the determination that the zone player is configured to play back media from the specific media source, adjust the volume level of the zone player to the adapted volume level that is determined based on the source-specific limitation on volume level.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a zone player via a network interface, an instruction to change a volume setting of the zone player to a requested volume level;

in response to receiving the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level, adjusting, by the zone player, the volume setting of the zone player to an adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level; and

after adjusting the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level, sending, by the zone player via the network interface, an indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein adjusting, by the zone player, the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level comprises adjusting, by the zone player, the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level based on a value of stored volume variable.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving, by the zone player via the network interface, an instruction to set a value of a stored volume variable that defines a maximum volume level for the zone player.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

making, by the zone player, a determination that the zone player is operating as part of a bonded zone with at least one other zone player in which the zone player and the at least one other zone player are configured for synchronous playback of separate channels of media content; and

based on the determination, causing, by the zone player via the network interface, the at least one other zone player to adjust a volume level of the at least one other zone player to the adapted volume level.

19. The method of claim 15 , receiving, by the zone player, the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level comprises receiving, from a controller device of the zone player via the network interface, the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein sending, by the zone player the indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level comprises sending, by the zone player via the network interface to a controller device of the zone player, the indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level, and wherein the indication causes the controller device to display a visual representation of the volume setting of the zone player being at the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 15, 2021
From: SONOS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058123/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 21, 2019
From: CHARLTON, FRANK; VAUTRIN, JODI; LAMBOURNE, ROBERT; FISH, NATHAN; CASIMIRO, DANIEL; SO, WON
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051074/0313 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16123928 · Sep 6, 2018
Provisional Application 62723942 · Aug 28, 2018
Related Publication 20200076388A1 · Mar 5, 2020
Cited By (2)
US 12,470,188 US 12,749,486