IP Library Granted Patent US 12,416,963
Granted Patent B2
US 12,416,963 · App. 18/662,162 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Portable playback device power management

Inventors: Liang Chai (Acton, MA); Xiang Wang (Braintree, MA); Brenda Stefani (Andover, MA); Lyford Beverage, Jr. (Lawrence, MA); Allan Velzy (Needham, MA); Edwin Joseph Fitzpatrick, III (Boston, MA)
Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
G06F1/3228G06F1/324G06F1/3293
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,416,963
App. No.
18/662,162
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Example techniques related to portable playback device power management. An example implementation includes a main SoC comprising main processor(s), an auxiliary processor, and a kernel that executes on the one or more main processor cores. During kernel suspend of the kernel, a power management microcontroller monitors a battery for conditions corresponding to respective wake-on-battery triggers, detects that the monitored conditions correspond to a particular wake-on-battery trigger; and in response, sends, to the auxiliary processor, an interrupt corresponding to a particular wake-on-battery trigger, wherein the interrupt causes the auxiliary processor core to enable the main processor(s) and resume the kernel from kernel suspend. After resuming from kernel suspend, the kernel adds a first kernel resume source event indicating the particular wake-on-battery trigger to a power event queue. A power coordinator background process reads the power event queue and sends data indicating the particular wake-on-battery trigger to one or more client programs.

Claims (76)

1. A portable playback device comprising:

one or more speakers;

one or more amplifiers configured to drive the one or more speakers;

a battery;

a communications interface;

one or more processors; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing program instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback device to

detect one or more wake triggers from a plurality of wake triggers comprising two or more of a wake-on-button trigger, a wake-on-touch trigger, a wake-on-wireless trigger, and a wake-on-Bluetooth trigger,

resume a suspended operating system and one or more suspended programs based on detection of the one or more wake triggers, the one or more suspended programs comprising a suspended control program configured to cause the portable playback device to play back audio content, and

after resumption of the suspended operating system and the one or more suspended programs,

(i) record a resume event in a power event queue, the resume event identifying the one or more wake triggers, and

(ii) play back the audio content through one or more amplifiers and one or more speakers of the portable playback device.

2. The portable playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions to cause the portable playback device to play back the audio content comprise program instructions to cause the portable playback device to play back the audio content in synchrony with another playback device.

3. The portable playback device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a capacitive-touch sensor;

wherein to detect the one or more wake triggers, the program instructions comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback device to detect, via the capacitive-touch sensor, a capacitive touch corresponding to the wake-on-touch trigger.

4. The portable playback device of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface includes a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface; and

wherein to detect the one or more wake triggers, the program instructions comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback to detect, via the BLE interface, a successful BLE connection corresponding to the wake-on-Bluetooth trigger.

5. The portable playback device of claim 4 , wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback device to:

after resumption of the suspended operating system and the one or more suspended programs, based on detecting the successful BLE connection, select a BLE audio stream as a source of the audio content.

6. The portable playback device of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface includes a wireless interface; and

wherein to detect the one or more wake triggers, the program instructions comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback to detect, via the wireless interface, reception of a magic packet corresponding to the wake-on-wireless trigger.

7. The portable playback device of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more controllers configured to detect the one or more wake triggers.

8. The portable playback device of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions comprise program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback device to, after resumption of the suspended operating system and the one or more suspended programs, identify, based on the resume event, at least one controller of the one or more controllers that detected the one or more wake triggers.

9. A portable playback device comprising:

one or more speakers;

one or more amplifiers configured to drive the one or more speakers;

a battery;

a communications interface;

one or more controllers configured to detect a plurality of wake triggers comprising two or more of a wake-on-button trigger, a wake-on-touch trigger, a wake-on-wireless trigger, or a wake-on-Bluetooth trigger;

one or more processors; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium comprising an operating system, a control program, a power event queue, and program instructions;

wherein the operating system and the control program are configurable between a suspended state and an operational state;

wherein the control program is configured, in the operational state, to cause the portable playback device to play back audio content via the one or more speakers and the one or more amplifiers; and

wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback device to

transition the operating system and the control program from the suspended state into the operational state based on detection, by at least one of the one or more controllers, of the one or more wake triggers, and

after the operating system and the control program have transitioned to the operational state,

(i) record a resume event in the power event queue, the resume event identifying the one or more wake triggers, and

(ii) play back the audio content via the one or more speakers and the one or more amplifiers.

10. The portable playback device of claim 9 , wherein the control program is configured, in the operational state, to cause the portable playback device to play back the audio content in synchrony with another playback device.

11. The portable playback device of claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more controllers comprise a power management microcontroller; and

to detect the one or more wake triggers comprises to detect, via the power management microcontroller, a signal corresponding to the wake-on-button trigger.

12. The portable playback device of claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more controllers comprise a real time clock (RTC) chipset; and

to detect the one or more wake triggers comprises to determine that a monitored clock of the RTC chipset indicates a predetermined time.

13. The portable playback device of claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more controllers comprise a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface; and

to detect the one or more wake triggers comprises to detect, via the BLE interface, a successful BLE connection corresponding to the wake-on-Bluetooth trigger.

14. The portable playback device of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback device to:

after transitioning the operating system and the control program to the operational state, based on detecting the successful BLE connection, select a BLE audio stream as a source of the audio content.

15. The portable playback device of claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more controllers comprise a capacitive-touch interface coupled to transport controls; and

to detect the one or more wake triggers comprises to detect, via the capacitive-touch interface, a capacitive touch corresponding to the wake-on-touch trigger.

16. The portable playback device of claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more controllers comprise a Wi-Fi chipset; and

to detect the one or more wake triggers comprises to detect reception of a magic packet corresponding to the wake-on-wireless trigger.

17. The portable playback device of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions comprise program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback device to, after the operating system and the control program have transitioned to the operational state,

identify, based on the resume event, the at least one controller that detected the one or more wake triggers.

18. The portable playback device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more controllers comprise a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface; and

wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions that are executable by the one or more first processors such that the portable playback device is configured to, after resumption of the suspended operating system and the one or more suspended programs, based on identifying the at least one controller as the BLE interface, select a BLE audio stream as a source of the audio content.

19. A portable playback device comprising:

one or more speakers;

one or more amplifiers configured to drive the one or more speakers;

a battery;

a communications interface;

a plurality of controllers configured to detect a plurality of wake triggers comprising two or more of a wake-on-button trigger, a wake-on-touch trigger, a wake-on-wireless trigger, or a wake-on-Bluetooth trigger;

one or more processors; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing program instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback device to

detect, via at least one controller of the plurality of controllers, a respective at least one wake triggers from among the plurality of wake triggers,

resume a suspended operating system and a suspended control program based on detection of the respective at least one wake trigger, the control program configured to cause the portable playback device to play back audio content, and

after resumption of the suspended operating system and the suspended control program,

(i) record a resume event in a power event queue, the resume event identifying the respective at least one wake trigger, and

(ii) play back the audio content through one or more amplifiers and one or more speakers of the portable playback device.

20. The portable playback device of claim 19 , wherein the program instructions comprise program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the portable playback device to, after resumption of the suspended operating system and the suspended control program, identify, based on the resume event, the at least one controller that detected the respective at least one wake trigger.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 30, 2026
From: SONOS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 074533/0615 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2024
From: CHAI, LIANG; WANG, XIANG; STEFANI, BRENDA; BEVERAGE, LYFORD, JR.; VELZY, ALLAN; FITZPATRIK, EDWIN JOSEPH, III
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 067392/0494 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 18057813 · Nov 22, 2022
Continuation 17443886 · Jul 28, 2021
Continuation 16435235 · Jun 7, 2019
Related Publication 20240295914A1 · Sep 5, 2024
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