Granted Patent B2

US 12,288,558 · App. 18/410,120 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Inventors: Ryan Richard Myers (Santa Barbara, CA); Luis R. Vega Zayas (Santa Barbara, CA); Sangah Park (Somerville, MA)

Assignee: Sonos, Inc.

G10L15/22G06F3/165G10L15/08G10L2015/088G10L2015/223

Abstract

Claims (60)

1. A playback device comprising:

one or more microphones;

a network interface;

one or more processors; and

data storage having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:

receiving an audio input via the one or more microphones;

monitoring the audio input for a first activation word associated with a first voice assistant service (VAS) and for a second activation word associated with a second VAS different from the first VAS;

detecting the first activation word in the audio input;

after detecting the first activation word, transmitting, via the network interface, a voice utterance of the audio input to one or more remote computing devices associated with the first VAS;

receiving, via the network interface and from the one or more remote computing devices associated with the first VAS, first content to be played back via the playback device;

playing back, via the playback device, the first content;

while playing back the first content, receiving, via the network interface and from one or more remote computing device associated with the second VAS, second content to be played back via the playback device;

temporarily suppressing playback of the first content;

while suppressing playback of the first content, playing back, via the playback device, the second content; and

after playing back the second content, resuming playback of the first content.

2. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein suppressing playback of the first content comprises temporarily reducing a volume of playback of the first content, and wherein resuming playback comprises restoring the volume.

3. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein suppressing playback comprises pausing playback of the first content, and wherein resuming playback comprises re-initiating playback of the first content.

4. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

after receiving the second content, arbitrating between the first content and the second content; and

based on the arbitration, temporarily suppressing playback of the first content while playing back the second content.

5. The playback device of claim 4 , wherein the arbitrating is based at least in part on a characteristic of at least one of the first content or the second content.

6. The playback device of claim 4 , wherein the arbitrating is based at least in part on the particular VAS associated with the first content and the second content, respectively.

7. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise suppressing monitoring audio input for the second activation word associated with the second VAS while a user is interacting with the first VAS.

8. A method performed by a playback device, the method comprising:

receiving an audio input via one or more microphones of the playback device;

monitoring the audio input for a first activation word associated with a first voice assistant service (VAS) and for a second activation word associated with a second VAS different from the first VAS;

detecting the first activation word in the audio input;

after detecting the first activation word, transmitting a voice utterance of the audio input to one or more remote computing devices associated with the first VAS;

receiving, from the one or more remote computing devices associated with the first VAS, first content to be played back via the playback device;

playing back the first content;

while playing back the first content, receiving second content to be played back via the playback device;

temporarily suppressing playback of the first content;

while suppressing playback of the first content, playing back, via the playback device, the second content; and

after playing back the second content, resuming playback of the first content.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein suppressing playback of the first content comprises temporarily reducing a volume of playback of the first content, and wherein resuming playback comprises restoring the volume.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein suppressing playback comprises pausing playback of the first content, and wherein resuming playback comprises re-initiating playback of the first content.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

after receiving the second content, arbitrating between the first content and the second content; and

based on the arbitration, temporarily suppressing playback of the first content while playing back the second content.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the arbitrating is based at least in part on a characteristic of at least one of the first content or the second content.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the arbitrating is based at least in part on the particular VAS associated with the first content and the second content, respectively.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising suppressing monitoring audio input for the second activation word associated with the second VAS while a user is interacting with the first VAS.

15. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a playback device, cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:

receiving an audio input via one or more microphones of the playback device;

monitoring the audio input for a first activation word associated with a first voice assistant service (VAS) and for a second activation word associated with a second VAS different from the first VAS;

detecting the first activation word in the audio input;

after detecting the first activation word, transmitting a voice utterance of the audio input to one or more remote computing devices associated with the first VAS;

receiving, from the one or more remote computing devices associated with the first VAS, first content to be played back via the playback device;

playing back the first content;

while playing back the first content, receiving second content to be played back via the playback device;

temporarily suppressing playback of the first content;

while suppressing playback of the first content, playing back, via the playback device, the second content; and

after playing back the second content, resuming playback of the first content.

16. The computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein suppressing playback of the first content comprises temporarily reducing a volume of playback of the first content, and wherein resuming playback comprises restoring the volume.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein suppressing playback comprises pausing playback of the first content, and wherein resuming playback comprises re-initiating playback of the first content.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

after receiving the second content, arbitrating between the first content and the second content; and

based on the arbitration, temporarily suppressing playback of the first content while playing back the second content.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 18 , wherein the arbitrating is based at least in part on a characteristic of at least one of the first content or the second content.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 18 , wherein the arbitrating is based at least in part on the particular VAS associated with the first content and the second content, respectively.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (400)