Granted Patent B2

US 12,279,008 · App. 17/741,083 · Granted Apr 15, 2025

Inventors: Won So (Boston, MA); Ted Lin (Ayer, MA); Derek W. Erdmann (Duvall, WA)

Assignee: Sonos, Inc.

H04N21/439G06F3/165G06F21/602G10L19/167G10L19/173H04N21/233H04W24/08G06F21/107H04W84/12

Abstract

Claims (81)

1. A first playback device comprising:

at least one processor;

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 first playback device is configured to:

obtain audio content from a cloud-based media service, wherein the audio content is encrypted according to a first encryption scheme that authorizes decryption of the audio content by a single endpoint;

communicate with a cloud-based license service to obtain information for decrypting the audio content;

while obtaining the audio content from the cloud-based media service:

use the obtained information to decrypt the audio content;

re-encrypt the decrypted audio content in accordance with a second encryption scheme;

transmit the re-encrypted audio content to at least a second playback device that is grouped with the first playback device for synchronous audio playback; and

play back the audio content in synchrony with playback of the audio content by the second playback device.

2. The first playback device 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 first playback device is configured to:

receive, from the second playback device, a request for information for decrypting the re-encrypted audio content; and

based on the request, transmit the information for decrypting the re-encrypted audio content to the second playback device.

3. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the re-encrypted audio content comprises a plurality of audio frames, the first playback device further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

generate a set of encryption keys, each encryption key corresponding to a predetermined number of audio frames of the re-encrypted audio content; and

transmit the set of encryption keys to the second playback device.

4. The first playback device of claim 3 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to re-encrypt the decrypted audio content in accordance with a second encryption scheme comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

re-encrypt the predetermined number of audio frames of the decrypted audio content using a first encryption key in the set of encryption keys; and

after re-encrypting the predetermined number of audio frames using the first encryption key, (i) discontinue using the first encryption key and (ii) begin re-encrypting a next audio frame of the decrypted audio content using a next encryption key in the set of encryption keys.

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

after discontinuing using at least the first encryption key, discard at least the first encryption key from the set of encryption keys;

generate at least one new encryption key;

add the at least one new encryption key to the set of encryption keys; and

transmit the at least one new encryption key to the second playback device.

6. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the re-encrypted audio content comprises a plurality of audio frames, wherein each frame of the re-encrypted audio content comprises (i) an audio data portion and (ii) a header portion including playback timing information for playing back the audio content in synchrony with the first playback device; and

wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to re-encrypt the decrypted audio content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to re-encrypt the audio data portion of each audio frame in the plurality of audio frames.

7. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the audio content comprises a plurality of audio channels, the first playback device further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

before re-encrypting the decrypted audio content in accordance with the second encryption scheme, determine that all channels of the audio content are to be transmitted to the second playback device; and

wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to re-encrypt the decrypted audio content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to re-encrypt the decrypted audio content based on the determination that all audio channels of the audio content are to be transmitted to the second playback device.

8. The first playback device 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 first playback device is configured to:

receive an indication of a playback command for controlling playback of the audio content;

encrypt a data packet indicative of the playback command in accordance with the second encryption scheme; and

transmit the data packet indicative of the encrypted playback command to the second playback device.

9. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first encryption scheme is an asymmetric encryption scheme, and wherein the second encryption scheme is a symmetric encryption scheme.

10. The first playback device 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 first playback device is configured to:

receive a data packet from the second playback device that is encrypted in accordance with the second encryption scheme;

decrypt the data packet from the second playback device;

determine, based on the decrypted data packet, an indication of a command for controlling playback of the audio content; and

execute the command for controlling playback of the audio content.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a first playback device to:

obtain audio content from a cloud-based media service, wherein the audio content is encrypted according to a first encryption scheme that authorizes decryption of the audio content by a single endpoint;

communicate with a cloud-based license service to obtain information for decrypting the audio content;

while obtaining the audio content from the cloud-based media service:

use the obtained information to decrypt the audio content;

re-encrypt the decrypted audio content in accordance with a second encryption scheme;

transmit the re-encrypted audio content to at least a second playback device that is grouped with the first playback device for synchronous audio playback; and

play back the audio content in synchrony with playback of the audio content by the second playback device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:

receive, from the second playback device, a request for information for decrypting the re-encrypted audio content; and

based on the request, transmit the information for decrypting the re-encrypted audio content to the second playback device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the re-encrypted audio content comprises a plurality of audio frames, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:

generate a set of encryption keys, each encryption key corresponding to a predetermined number of audio frames of the re-encrypted audio content; and

transmit the set of encryption keys to the second playback device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to re-encrypt the decrypted audio content in accordance with a second encryption scheme comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:

re-encrypt the predetermined number of audio frames of the decrypted audio content using a first encryption key in the set of encryption keys; and

after re-encrypting the predetermined number of audio frames using the first encryption key, (i) discontinue using the first encryption key and (ii) begin re-encrypting a next audio frame of the decrypted audio content using a next encryption key in the set of encryption keys.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:

after discontinuing using at least the first encryption key, discard at least the first encryption key from the set of encryption keys;

generate at least one new encryption key;

add the at least one new encryption key to the set of encryption keys; and

transmit the at least one new encryption key to the second playback device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the re-encrypted audio content comprises a plurality of audio frames, wherein each frame of the re-encrypted audio content comprises (i) an audio data portion and (ii) a header portion including playback timing information for playing back the audio content in synchrony with the first playback device; and

wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to re-encrypt the decrypted audio content comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to re-encrypt the audio data portion of each audio frame in the plurality of audio frames.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the audio content comprises a plurality of audio channels, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:

before re-encrypting the decrypted audio content in accordance with the second encryption scheme, determine that all channels of the audio content are to be transmitted to the second playback device; and

wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to re-encrypt the decrypted audio content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to re-encrypt the decrypted audio content based on the determination that all audio channels of the audio content are to be transmitted to the second playback device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the first encryption scheme is an asymmetric encryption scheme, and wherein the second encryption scheme is a symmetric encryption scheme.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:

receive a data packet from the second playback device that is encrypted in accordance with the second encryption scheme;

decrypt the data packet from the second playback device;

determine, based on the decrypted data packet, an indication of a command for controlling playback of the audio content; and

executing the command for controlling playback of the audio content.

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

obtaining audio content from a cloud-based media service, wherein the audio content is encrypted according to a first encryption scheme that authorizes decryption of the audio content by a single endpoint;

communicating with a cloud-based license service to obtain information for decrypting the audio content;

while obtaining the audio content from the cloud-based media service:

using the obtained information to decrypt the audio content;

re-encrypting the decrypted audio content in accordance with a second encryption scheme;

transmitting the re-encrypted audio content to at least a second playback device that is grouped with the first playback device for synchronous audio playback; and

playing back the audio content in synchrony with playback of the audio content by the second playback device.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (76)

Cited By (1)

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