Granted Patent B2

US 11,825,289 · App. 17/543,014 · Granted Nov 21, 2023

Inventors: Jonathon Reilly (Cambridge, MA); Niels Van Erven (Agoura Hills, CA)

Assignee: Sonos, Inc.

H04S7/303G01S3/023G01S3/80G06F3/165H04R3/04H04R27/00H04R29/001H04R29/008H04S7/302H04R2227/005H04R2430/01H04S7/301

Abstract

Claims (122)

1. A system comprising a first network device, a second network device, and a third network device, the first network device comprising:

a first network interface;

at least one first processor; and

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

causing output of first media comprising first audio and video;

while playing the first media, receiving, from the third network device via the first network interface, one or more commands to play back second media comprising second audio; and

causing output of the second media after receiving the one or more commands,

wherein the second network device comprises:

a second network interface;

at least one second processor; and

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

receiving, via at least one sensor, at least one sensor signal, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the at least one sensor signal comprises a video signal from the camera;

detecting a user presence in the video signal;

sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal, wherein sending, via the second network interface, the data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal comprises:

based on detecting the user presence in the video signal, sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the video signal to the third network device, and

wherein the third network device comprises:

a third network interface;

at least one third processor; and

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

receiving, via the third network interface, the data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal;

determining the one or more commands based on the data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal; and

sending, via the third network interface, the one or more commands.

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

after detecting the user presence in the video signal, sending, via the second network interface, at least a portion of the video signal to the first network device.

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

based on detecting the user presence in the video signal, causing, via the second network interface, a group of playback devices including the first network device and a fourth network device to play back the second audio, wherein the second audio indicates the user presence, and wherein the group of playback devices is a subset of playback devices connected to a local area network.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein causing output of the second media after receiving the one or more commands comprises causing output of second media comprising second video.

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

after output of the second media, resuming output of the first media.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a microphone, and wherein the at least one sensor signal comprises an audio signal from the microphone.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second network interface comprises an 802.15-compatible network interface, and wherein sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal comprises sending, via the 802.15-compatible network interface, data corresponding to the audio signal from the microphone to the first network device.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first functions further comprise:

detecting a user-spoken signal in the audio signal; and

sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the audio signal to the third network device.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second functions further comprise:

detecting a user-spoken signal in the audio signal, wherein sending, via the second network interface, the data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal comprises:

based on detecting the user-spoken signal in the audio signal, sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the audio signal to the third network device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the third functions further comprise:

determining the one or more commands based on the data corresponding to the user-spoken signal.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional network devices configured in a group with the first network device, and wherein causing output of first media comprising first audio and video comprises:

receiving, via an input interface, audio data corresponding to the first audio; and

causing the one or more additional network devices to play back the first audio via respective speakers of the one or more additional network devices.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second network device comprises a physical control interface comprising one or more volume controls configured to control volume level of the one or more additional network devices.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first network device comprises a microphone, and wherein the first functions comprise:

while playing the first media, receiving, via the microphone of the first network device, a given user-spoken signal; and

sending, via the first network interface to the third network device, data corresponding to the given user-spoken signal;

receiving, via the first network interface from the third network device, one or more additional commands corresponding to the given user-spoken signal; and

based on the one or more additional commands, causing output of third media comprising third audio.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein causing output of the third media comprising third audio comprises causing output of the third media via a fourth network device.

15. A system comprising a first network device and a second network device, the first network device comprising:

a first network interface;

at least one first processor; and

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

causing output of first media comprising first audio and video;

while playing the first media, receiving, via the first network interface from a third network device, one or more commands to play back second media comprising second audio; and

causing output of the second media after receiving the one or more commands,

wherein the second network device comprises:

a second network interface;

at least one second processor; and

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

receiving, via at least one sensor, at least one sensor signal, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the at least one sensor signal comprises a video signal from the camera;

detecting a user presence in the video signal; and

sending, via the second network interface to the third network device, data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal, wherein sending, via the second network interface, the data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal comprises:

based on detecting the user presence in the video signal, sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the video signal to the third network device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the second functions further comprise:

after detecting the user presence in the video signal, sending, via the second network interface, at least a portion of the video signal to the first network device.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the second functions further comprise:

based on detecting the user presence in the video signal, causing, via the second network interface, a group of playback devices including the first network device and a fourth network device to play back the second audio, wherein the second audio indicates the user presence, and wherein the group of playback devices is a subset of playback devices connected to a local area network.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein causing output of the second media after receiving the one or more commands comprises causing output of second media comprising second video.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first functions further comprise:

after output of the second media, resuming output of the first media.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a microphone, and wherein the at least one sensor signal comprises an audio signal from the microphone.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the second network interface comprises an 802.15-compatible network interface, and wherein sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal comprises sending, via the 802.15-compatible network interface, data corresponding to the audio signal from the microphone to the first network device.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the first functions further comprise:

detecting a user-spoken signal in the audio signal; and

sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the audio signal to the third network device.

23. The system of claim 20 , wherein the second functions further comprise:

detecting a user-spoken signal in the audio signal, wherein sending, via the second network interface, the data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal comprises:

based on detecting the user-spoken signal in the audio signal, sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the audio signal to the third network device.

24. The system of claim 15 , further comprising one or more additional network devices configured in a group with the first network device, and wherein causing output of first media comprising first audio and video comprises:

receiving, via an input interface, audio data corresponding to the first audio; and

causing the one or more additional network devices to play back the first audio via respective speakers of the one or more additional network devices.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the second network device comprises a physical control interface comprising one or more volume controls configured to control volume level of the one or more additional network devices.

26. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first network device comprises a microphone, and wherein the first functions comprise:

while playing the first media, receiving, via the microphone of the first network device, a given user-spoken signal;

sending, via the first network interface to the third network device, data corresponding to the given user-spoken signal;

receiving, via the first network interface from the third network device, one or more additional commands corresponding to the given user-spoken signal; and

based on the one or more additional commands, causing output of third media comprising third audio.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein causing output of the third media comprising third audio comprising causing output of the third media on a fourth network device.

28. A system comprising a first network device, a second network device, a third network device, and a fourth network device, the first network device comprising:

a first network interface;

at least one first processor; and

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

causing output of first media comprising first audio and video;

while playing the first media, receiving, from the third network device via the first network interface, one or more commands to play back second media comprising second audio; and

causing output of the second audio on the fourth network device after receiving the one or more commands,

wherein the second network device comprises:

a second network interface;

at least one second processor; and

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

receiving, via at least one sensor, at least one sensor signal, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the at least one sensor signal comprises a video signal from the camera; and

detecting a user presence in the video signal;

sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal, wherein sending, via the second network interface, the data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal comprises:

based on detecting the user presence in the video signal, sending, via the second network interface, data corresponding to the video signal to the third network device, and

wherein the third network device comprises:

a third network interface;

at least one third processor; and

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

receiving, via the third network interface, the data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal;

determining the one or more commands based on the data corresponding to the at least one sensor signal; and

sending, via the third network interface, the one or more commands, and

wherein the fourth network device comprises:

at least one audio transducer;

a fourth network interface;

at least one fourth processor; and

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

receiving, via the fourth network interface, data representing the second audio; and

outputting, via the at least one audio transducer, the second audio.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the second functions further comprise:

after detecting the user presence in the video signal, sending, via the second network interface, at least a portion of the video signal to the first network device.

30. The system of claim 28 , wherein the second functions further comprise:

based on detecting the user presence in the video signal, causing, via the second network interface, a group of playback devices including the first network device and the fourth network device to play back the second audio, wherein the second audio indicates the user presence, and wherein the group of playback devices is a subset of playback devices connected to a local area network.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (9)