Granted Patent B2

US 12,219,328 · App. 17/861,882 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

Inventor: Robert A. Lambourne (Santa Barbara, CA)

Assignee: Sonos, Inc.

H04R27/00G05B15/02G06F3/0482G06F3/04842G06F3/16G06F3/165H03G1/02H03G7/00H04H60/80H04N21/43615H04R3/12H04R2227/005H04R2430/01

Abstract

Claims (53)

1. A first zone player comprising:

a wireless network interface configured to communicatively couple the first zone player to one or more wireless data networks;

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the one or more processors such that the first zone player is configured to:

receive, via the wireless network interface, an indication that the first zone player has been added to a zone scene comprising a predefined grouping of zone players including at least the first zone player and a second zone player that are to be configured for synchronous playback of media when the zone scene is invoked;

at a first time after receiving the indication that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene, operate in a standalone mode in which the first zone player is configured to play back media individually;

while operating in the standalone mode, maintain data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene;

at a second time after the first time, and while playing back a given media item individually, receive, via the wireless network interface, an instruction to operate in accordance with the zone scene comprising the predefined grouping of zone players; and

based on the instruction, transition from operating in the standalone mode to operating in accordance with the predefined grouping of zone players such that the first zone player coordinates with at least the second zone player to output the given media item in synchrony with output of the given media item by at least the second zone player.

2. The first zone player 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 zone player is configured to:

after receiving the indication that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene, transmit an indication that the first zone player is available for individual playback of media or grouped playback of media.

3. The first zone player 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 zone player is configured to:

while operating in accordance with the predefined grouping of zone players, receive, via the wireless network interface, an instruction to operate in the standalone mode in which the first zone player is configured to play back media individually;

based on the instruction, transition from operating in accordance with the predefined grouping of zone players to operating in the standalone mode such that the first zone player is (i) configured to play back media individually and (ii) no longer configured to coordinate with at least the second zone player to output media in synchrony with output of media by at least the second zone player; and

after transitioning from operating in accordance with the predefined grouping of zone players to operating in the standalone mode, maintain data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene.

4. The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the zone scene is a first zone scene and the predefined grouping of zone players is a first predefined grouping of zone players, the first zone player 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 zone player is configured to:

receive, via the wireless network interface, an indication that the first zone player has been added to a second zone scene comprising a second predefined grouping of zone players including at least the first zone player and a third zone player that are to be configured for synchronous playback of media when the second zone scene is invoked;

while operating in accordance with the first predefined grouping of zone players, receive, via the wireless network interface, an instruction to operate in accordance with the second zone scene comprising the second predefined grouping of zone players;

based on the instruction, transition from operating in accordance with the first predefined grouping of zone players to operating in accordance with the second predefined grouping of zone players such that the first zone player is (i) configured to coordinate with at least the third zone player to output media in synchrony with output of media by at least the third zone player and (ii) no longer configured to coordinate with at least the second zone player to output media in synchrony with output of media by at least the second zone player; and

while operating in accordance with the second predefined grouping of zone players, maintain data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the first zone scene.

5. The first zone player of claim 4 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to, while operating in the standalone mode, maintain data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the first zone scene comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to, while operating in the standalone mode, maintain data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the first zone scene and the second zone scene.

6. The first zone player of claim 4 , wherein the first predefined grouping of zone players does not include the third zone player.

7. The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to receive, via the wireless network interface, the indication that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to receive the indication, via a data network, from a network device based on a user request to create the zone scene.

8. The first zone player of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to receive, via the wireless network interface, the instruction to operate in accordance with the zone scene comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to receive the instruction, via the data network, from the network device.

9. The first zone player of claim 7 , wherein the network device is a first network device, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to receive, via the wireless network interface, the instruction to operate in accordance with the zone scene comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to receive, via the data network, the instruction from a second network device.

10. 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 zone player to:

receive, via a wireless network interface configured to communicatively couple the first zone player to one or more wireless data networks, an indication that the first zone player has been added to a zone scene comprising a predefined grouping of zone players including at least the first zone player and a second zone player that are to be configured for synchronous playback of media when the zone scene is invoked;

at a first time after receiving the indication that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene, operate in a standalone mode in which the first zone player is configured to play back media individually;

while operating in the standalone mode, maintain data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene;

at a second time after the first time, and while playing back a given media item individually, receive, via the wireless network interface, an instruction to operate in accordance with the zone scene comprising the predefined grouping of zone players; and

based on the instruction, transition from operating in the standalone mode to operating in accordance with the predefined grouping of zone players such that the first zone player coordinates with at least the second zone player to output the given media item in synchrony with output of the given media item by at least the second zone player.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first zone player to:

after receiving the indication that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene, transmit an indication that the first zone player is available for individual playback of media or grouped playback of media.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first zone player to:

while operating in accordance with the predefined grouping of zone players, receive, via the wireless network interface, an instruction to operate in the standalone mode in which the first zone player is configured to play back media individually;

based on the instruction, transition from operating in accordance with the predefined grouping of zone players to operating in the standalone mode such that the first zone player is (i) configured to play back media individually and (ii) no longer configured to coordinate with at least the second zone player to output media in synchrony with output of media by at least the second zone player; and

after transitioning from operating in accordance with the predefined grouping of zone players to operating in the standalone mode, maintain data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the zone scene is a first zone scene and the predefined grouping of zone players is a first predefined grouping of zone players, 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 zone player to:

receive, via the wireless network interface, an indication that the first zone player has been added to a second zone scene comprising a second predefined grouping of zone players including at least the first zone player and a third zone player that are to be configured for synchronous playback of media when the second zone scene is invoked;

while operating in accordance with the first predefined grouping of zone players, receive, via the wireless network interface, an instruction to operate in accordance with the second zone scene comprising the second predefined grouping of zone players;

based on the instruction, transition from operating in accordance with the first predefined grouping of zone players to operating in accordance with the second predefined grouping of zone players such that the first zone player is (i) configured to coordinate with at least the third zone player to output media in synchrony with output of media by at least the third zone player and (ii) no longer configured to coordinate with at least the second zone player to output media in synchrony with output of media by at least the second zone player; and

while operating in accordance with the second predefined grouping of zone players, maintain data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the first zone scene.

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 zone player to, while operating in the standalone mode, maintain data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the first zone scene comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first zone player to, while operating in the standalone mode, maintain data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the first zone scene and the second zone scene.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first predefined grouping of zone players does not include the third zone player.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first zone player to receive, via the wireless network interface, the indication that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first zone player to receive the indication, via a data network, from a network device based on a user request to create the zone scene.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the network device is a first network device, and wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first zone player to receive, via the wireless network interface, the instruction to operate in accordance with the zone scene comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first zone player to receive, via the data network, the instruction from a second network device.

18. A method carried out by a first zone player, the method comprising:

receiving, via a wireless network interface configured to communicatively couple the first zone player to one or more wireless data networks, an indication that the first zone player has been added to a zone scene comprising a predefined grouping of zone players including at least the first zone player and a second zone player that are to be configured for synchronous playback of media when the zone scene is invoked;

at a first time after receiving the indication that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene, operating in a standalone mode in which the first zone player is configured to play back media individually;

while operating in the standalone mode, maintaining data indicating that the first zone player has been added to the zone scene;

at a second time after the first time, and while playing back a given media item individually, receiving, via the wireless network interface, an instruction to operate in accordance with the zone scene comprising the predefined grouping of zone players; and

based on the instruction, transitioning from operating in the standalone mode to operating in accordance with the predefined grouping of zone players such that the first zone player coordinates with at least the second zone player to output the given media item in synchrony with output of the given media item by at least the second zone player.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (6)

References Cited (400)