Granted Patent B2

US 12,706,975 · App. 18/497,372 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Inventors: Jeffrey M. Peters (Cambridge, MA); Nicholas A.J. Millington (Santa Barbara, CA); Jose Graziani (Shrewsbury, MA); Ted Lin (Ayer, MA)

Assignee: Sonos, Inc.

H04L67/125H04L12/2838H04L41/0816H04N21/43615H04L12/2803H04L2012/2841

Abstract

Claims (58)

1 . A computing device comprising:

a first communication interface;

a second communication interface;

at least one processor;

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

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

establish, via the first communication interface over a first network connection, a first communication path with a playback device, wherein the first network connection utilizes a first communication protocol;

transmit, to the playback device via the first communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content;

while connected to the playback device via the first communication interface over the first network connection that utilizes the first communication protocol:

detect, via the second communication interface, that a second network connection is available, wherein the second network connection utilizes a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol;

based on detecting that the second network connection is available, establish, via the second communication interface, the second network connection utilizing the second communication protocol;

after establishing the second network connection, determine that a second communication path with the playback device is available via the second network connection; and

based on determining that the second communication path with the playback device is available via the second network connection, establish the second communication path with the playback device via the second network connection; and

after establishing the second communication path with the playback device, transmit, to the playback device via the second communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content.

2 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first communication interface is a wireless communication interface, and wherein the second communication interface is a wired communication interface.

3 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first communication protocol is an IEEE 802.15 communication protocol, and wherein the second communication protocol is an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

4 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing device is configured to determine that a second communication path with the playback device is available via the second network connection comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing device is configured to:

receive, via the second network connection, a message indicating that the second communication path with the playback device is available, the message comprising identifying information for one or both of (i) the computing device or (ii) the playback device.

5 . The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the identifying information for one or both of (i) the computing device or (ii) the playback device comprises a MAC address.

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

after establishing the second communication path with the playback device, discontinue transmitting, to the playback device via the first communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content.

7 . The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing device is configured to discontinue transmitting, to the playback device via the first communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing device is configured to:

discontinue the first communication path with the playback device.

8 . 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 computing device comprising a first communication interface and a second communication interface to:

establish, via the first communication interface over a first network connection, a first communication path with a playback device, wherein the first network connection utilizes a first communication protocol;

transmit, to the playback device via the first communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content;

while connected to the playback device via the first communication interface over the first network connection that utilizes the first communication protocol:

detect, via the second communication interface, that a second network connection is available, wherein the second network connection utilizes a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol;

based on detecting that the second network connection is available, establish, via the second communication interface, the second network connection utilizing the second communication protocol;

after establishing the second network connection, determine that a second communication path with the playback device is available via the second network connection; and

based on determining that the second communication path with the playback device is available via the second network connection, establish the second communication path with the playback device via the second network connection; and

after establishing the second communication path with the playback device, transmit, to the playback device via the second communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the first communication interface is a wireless communication interface, and wherein the second communication interface is a wired communication interface.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the first communication protocol is an IEEE 802.15 communication protocol, and wherein the second communication protocol is an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing device to determine that a second communication path with the playback device is available via the second network connection comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

receive, via the second network connection, a message indicating that the second communication path with the playback device is available, the message comprising identifying information for one or both of (i) the computing device or (ii) the playback device.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the identifying information for one or both of (i) the computing device or (ii) the playback device comprises a MAC address.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

after establishing the second communication path with the playback device, discontinue transmitting, to the playback device via the first communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing device to discontinue transmitting, to the playback device via the first communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

discontinue the first communication path with the playback device.

15 . A method carried out by a computing device comprising a first communication interface and a second communication interface, the method comprising:

establishing, via the first communication interface over a first network connection, a first communication path with a playback device, wherein the first network connection utilizes a first communication protocol;

transmitting, to the playback device via the first communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content;

while connected to the playback device via the first communication interface over the first network connection that utilizes the first communication protocol:

detecting, via the second communication interface, that a second network connection is available, wherein the second network connection utilizes a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol;

based on detecting that the second network connection is available, establishing, via the second communication interface, the second network connection utilizing the second communication protocol;

after establishing the second network connection, determining that a second communication path with the playback device is available via the second network connection; and

based on determining that the second communication path with the playback device is available via the second network connection, establishing the second communication path with the playback device via the second network connection; and

after establishing the second communication path with the playback device, transmitting, to the playback device via the second communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first communication interface is a wireless communication interface, and wherein the second communication interface is a wired communication interface.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first communication protocol is an IEEE 802.15 communication protocol, and wherein the second communication protocol is an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining that a second communication path with the playback device is available via the second network connection comprises:

receiving, via the second network connection, a message indicating that the second communication path with the playback device is available, the message comprising identifying information for one or both of (i) the computing device or (ii) the playback device.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

after establishing the second communication path with the playback device, discontinuing transmitting, to the playback device via the first communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein discontinuing transmitting, to the playback device via the first communication path, one or more commands to control playback of audio content comprises:

discontinuing the first communication path with the playback device.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (115)