Bluetooth Line-In Stereo
Disclosed embodiments include a first playback device operating in a first mode where the first playback device plays first audio received from a second playback device via a WLAN in a groupwise fashion. After connecting to a Bluetooth audio source, the first playback device switches from operating in the first mode to operating in a second mode where the first playback device (i) ceases playing the first audio, (ii) generates second playback timing for second audio received from the Bluetooth audio source, (iii) transmits the second audio content and the second playback timing to the second playback device via Bluetooth, and (iv) plays the second audio in a groupwise fashion with the second playback device based on the second playback timing.
1 . A first playback device comprising:
at least one processor;
a first wireless personal area network (WPAN) communications interface; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:
following a pairing of the first playback device to a second playback device to form a stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device where (i) the first playback device is configured to play a first channel of stereo audio content and not play a second channel of the stereo audio content in a groupwise fashion with the second playback device, and (ii) the second playback device is configured to play the second channel of the stereo audio content and not play the first channel of the stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the first playback device, connect the first playback device to an audio source via the first WPAN communications interface without causing an unpairing of the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device; and
following the connection of the first playback device to the audio source via the first WPAN communications interface, and further following reception of first stereo audio content from the audio source via the first WPAN communications interface, play the first stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the second playback device based on playback timing associated with the first stereo audio content and in accordance with the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device where (i) the first playback device plays a first channel of the first stereo audio content and does not play a second channel of the first stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the second playback device, and (ii) the second playback device plays the second channel of the first stereo audio content and does not play the first channel of the first stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the first playback device.
2 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:
following the reception of the first stereo audio content from the audio source via the first WPAN communications interface:
generate the playback timing associated with the first stereo audio content; and
transmit the playback timing associated with the first stereo audio content and at least the second channel of the first stereo audio content to the second playback device.
3 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first WPAN communications interface comprises a Bluetooth communications interface.
4 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first playback device is paired to the second playback device to form the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device via the first WPAN communications interface.
5 . The first playback device of claim 4 , wherein the first WPAN communications interface comprises a Bluetooth communications interface.
6 . The first playback device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first wireless local area network (WLAN) interface;
wherein the first playback device is paired to the second playback device to form the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device via the first wireless local area network (WLAN) interface.
7 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first playback device comprises a speaker.
8 . Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having program instructions stored therein, wherein the program instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a first playback device to perform functions comprising:
following a pairing of the first playback device to a second playback device to form a stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device where (i) the first playback device is configured to play a first channel of stereo audio content and not play a second channel of the stereo audio content in a groupwise fashion with the second playback device, and (ii) the second playback device is configured to play the second channel of the stereo audio content and not play the first channel of the stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the first playback device, connecting the first playback device to an audio source via a first wireless personal area network (WPAN) communications interface of the first playback device without causing an unpairing of the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device; and
following the connection of the first playback device to the audio source via the first WPAN communications interface, and further following reception of first stereo audio content from the audio source via the first WPAN communications interface, playing the first stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the second playback device based on playback timing associated with the first stereo audio content and in accordance with the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device where (i) the first playback device plays a first channel of the first stereo audio content and does not play a second channel of the first stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the second playback device, and (ii) the second playback device plays the second channel of the first stereo audio content and does not play the first channel of the first stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the first playback device.
9 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the functions further comprise:
following the reception of the first stereo audio content from the audio source via the first WPAN communications interface:
generating the playback timing associated with the first stereo audio content; and
transmitting the playback timing associated with the first stereo audio content and at least the second channel of the first stereo audio content to the second playback device.
10 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the first WPAN communications interface comprises a Bluetooth communications interface.
11 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the first playback device is paired to the second playback device to form the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device via the first WPAN communications interface.
12 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein the first WPAN communications interface comprises a Bluetooth communications interface.
13 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the first playback device is paired to the second playback device to form the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device via a first wireless local area network (WLAN) interface of the first playback device.
14 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the first playback device comprises a speaker.
15 . A method performed by a first playback device, the method comprising:
following a pairing of the first playback device to a second playback device to form a stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device where (i) the first playback device is configured to play a first channel of stereo audio content and not play a second channel of the stereo audio content in a groupwise fashion with the second playback device, and (ii) the second playback device is configured to play the second channel of the stereo audio content and not play the first channel of the stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the first playback device, connecting the first playback device to an audio source via a first wireless personal area network (WPAN) communications interface of the first playback device without causing an unpairing of the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device; and
following the connection of the first playback device to the audio source via the first WPAN communications interface, and further following reception of first stereo audio content from the audio source via the first WPAN communications interface, playing the first stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the second playback device based on playback timing associated with the first stereo audio content and in accordance with the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device where (i) the first playback device plays a first channel of the first stereo audio content and does not play a second channel of the first stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the second playback device, and (ii) the second playback device plays the second channel of the first stereo audio content and does not play the first channel of the first stereo audio content in the groupwise fashion with the first playback device.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
following the reception of the first stereo audio content from the audio source via the first WPAN communications interface:
generating the playback timing associated with the first stereo audio content; and
transmitting the playback timing associated with the first stereo audio content and at least the second channel of the first stereo audio content to the second playback device.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first WPAN communications interface comprises a Bluetooth communications interface.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first playback device is paired to the second playback device to form the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device via the first WPAN communications interface.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first playback device is paired to the second playback device to form the stereo pair configuration between the first playback device and the second playback device via a first wireless local area network (WLAN) interface of the first playback device.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first playback device comprises a speaker.