POWER MANAGEMENT AND DISTRIBUTED AUDIO PROCESSING TECHNIQUES FOR PLAYBACK DEVICES

1 . A media playback system comprising:

a playback device comprising

a first network interface configured to connect the playback device to at least one network and to communicate data over the at least one network,

one or more first processors having a memory management unit configured to support memory virtualization, and

at least one first non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising first program instructions that are executable by the one or more first processors such that the playback device is configured to

receive, using the first network interface, audio information comprising audio content;

generate, using the one or more first processors, metadata associated with the audio content, and

communicate, using the one or more first processors, the audio content and the metadata to a wearable device; and

the wearable device, wherein the wearable device comprises

one or more amplifiers configured to drive one or more speakers,

a second network interface configured to connect the wearable device to the at least one network and to communicate data over the at least one network,

one or more second processors having a different construction than the one or more first processors and that do not support memory virtualization, and

at least one second non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising second program instructions that are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to

receive, using the second network interface, the audio content and the metadata from the playback device, and

play back, using the one or more second processors and the one or more amplifiers, the audio content based on the metadata.

2 . The media playback system of claim 1 , wherein the metadata comprises one or more of normalization information or a codec associated with the audio content.

3 . The media playback system of claim 2 , wherein:

the metadata comprises the codec; and

the second program instructions are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to decode the audio content using the codec.

4 . The media playback system of claim 2 , wherein the metadata comprises the normalization information, and wherein the normalization information includes a volume at which the audio content is to be played back by the wearable device.

5 . The media playback system of claim 1 , wherein the metadata comprises timing information to facilitate synchronous playback of the audio content by the wearable device and at least one other playback device.

6 . The media playback system of claim 5 , wherein the timing information includes a presentation time that provides a basis for determining, by the one or more second processors, a delay time to be applied to the audio content to facilitate the synchronous playback of the audio content.

7 . The media playback system of claim 1 , wherein:

the metadata is first metadata;

the audio content comprises first audio content;

the audio information further comprises second audio content; and

the first program instructions are executable by the one or more first processors such that the playback device is configured to

generate, by the one or more first processors, second metadata associated with the second audio content,

combine the first audio content, the first metadata, the second audio content, and the second metadata into a data stream, and

transmit, using the first network interface, the data stream to the wearable device.

8 . The media playback system of claim 7 , wherein:

the data stream comprises a plurality of packets of information, each packet of the plurality of packets comprising header data and payload data;

the header data for each packet comprises one of the first metadata or the second metadata; and

the payload data of each packet comprises one of a portion of the first audio content that corresponds to the first metadata or a portion of the second audio content that corresponds to the second metadata.

9 . The media playback system of claim 8 , wherein the second program instructions are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to process, by the one or more second processors, audio content comprised within the payload data of each packet according to metadata comprised within the header data of the packet.

10 . The media playback system of claim 7 , wherein:

the second audio content comprises a response to a voice command,

the second program instructions are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to

receive, by the one or more second processors and via a microphone associated with the wearable device, third audio content associated with the voice command, and

communicate, by the one or more second processors, the third audio content to the one or more first processors; and

wherein the first program instructions are executable by the one or more first processors such that the playback device is configured to communicate, by the one or more first processors, the third audio content to a server for processing a command associated with the third audio content.

11 . The media playback system of claim 1 , wherein the second program instructions are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to adjust, by the one or more second processors, a playback rate associated with playback of the audio content based on a rate at which the audio content is communicated to the one or more second processors by the one or more first processors.

12 . The media playback system of claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is a headphone device and further comprises at least one earpiece.

13 . The media playback system of claim 12 , wherein:

the headphone device comprises at least one microphone; and

the headphone device is a hearable device configured to play back an amplified version of at least some sound detected using the at least one microphone.

14 . The media playback system of claim 1 , wherein the playback device is a screenless playback device that does not comprise a display screen.

15 . The media playback system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first processors comprise at least one application processor.

16 . The media playback system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second processors comprise processors other than an application processor.

17 . A method of playing back audio using a media playback system comprising a playback device and a wearable device distinct from the playback device, the method comprising:

receiving, using a network interface of the playback device, audio information comprising audio content;

generating, using one or more first processors of the playback device, metadata associated with the audio content, wherein the one or more first processors comprise a memory management unit configured to support memory virtualization;

communicating, using the one or more first processors, the audio content and the metadata to the wearable device over a wireless communication link between the playback device and the wearable device; and

playing back, using one or more second processors of the wearable device and one or more amplifiers of the wearable device, the audio content based on the metadata, wherein the one or more second processors do not support memory virtualization.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein:

generating the metadata comprises generating metadata comprising a codec associated with the audio content; and

playing back the audio content comprises decoding, using one or more second processors, the audio content using the codec.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the wearable device includes processor logic including a buffer filled with audio samples according to a clock rate, the method further comprising:

adjusting, by the one or more second processors, the clock rate associated with processing of the audio content based on a rate at which the audio content is communicated to the one or more second processors by the one or more first processors.

20 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a media playback system comprising a playback device and a wearable device distinct from the playback device to play back audio, the instructions comprising instructions to:

receive, using a network interface of the playback device, audio information comprising audio content;

generate, using one or more first processors of the playback device, metadata associated with the audio content, wherein the one or more first processors comprise a memory management unit configured to support memory virtualization;

communicate, using the one or more first processors, the audio content and the metadata to the wearable device over a wireless communication link between the playback device and the wearable device; and

play back, using one or more second processors of the wearable device and one or more amplifiers of the wearable device, the audio content based on the metadata, wherein the one or more second processors do not support memory virtualization.