Granted Patent B2

US 12,587,700 · App. 18/629,549 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Inventors: Arthur L. Coburn, IV (Lexington, MA); Jeffrey Torgerson (Stanwood, WA); Robert A. Lambourne (Santa Barbara, CA)

Assignee: Sonos, Inc.

H04N21/43076G06F3/165H04L12/1822H04L12/2803H04L65/61H04L65/613H04L69/08H04L69/18H04N21/21805H04N21/2181H04N21/2381H04N21/2668H04N21/4307H04N21/43615H04N21/4363H04N21/8113H04L2012/2849H04L65/1069H04L65/65H04L67/51H04R27/00H04R2227/005

Abstract

Claims (55)

1 . A first playback device comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

join, via a first media playback protocol, a synchrony group for synchronous playback of media content, wherein the synchrony group comprises the first playback device and a second playback device, and wherein the second playback device is configured as a group coordinator of the synchrony group;

transmit, via a second media playback protocol that is incompatible with the first media playback protocol, a discovery message to a media source device;

receive, via the second media playback protocol and from the media source device, a playback control command;

based on receiving the playback control command, cause the synchrony group to be updated such that the first playback device becomes configured as the group coordinator of the synchrony group instead of the second playback device;

receive, via the second media playback protocol and from the media source device, a media stream for playback by the synchrony group;

cause, via the first media playback protocol, the synchrony group to begin synchronous playback of the received media stream;

receive, via the first media playback protocol and from the media source device, an indication of a playback command input at (i) the first playback device, (ii) the second playback device, or (iii) a control device configured to control the synchrony group;

based on the received indication of the playback command, generate a converted playback command that is compatible with the second media playback protocol; and

transmit the converted playback command to the media source device via the second media playback protocol and thereby cause the media source device to execute the converted playback command.

2 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the second playback device is not configured to operate using the second media playback protocol.

3 . The first playback device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to cause the synchrony group to be updated comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to cause the synchrony group to be updated further based on a determination that the second playback device is not configured to operate using the second media playback protocol.

4 . The first playback device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to transmit the discovery message to the media source device comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to transmit a first indication of the first playback device and a second indication of the second playback device for display by the media source device.

5 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to cause the synchrony group to begin synchronous playback of the received media stream comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to cause the synchrony group to begin synchronous playback of the received media stream based on a setting being enabled.

6 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to cause the synchrony group to be updated comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to cause the synchrony group to be updated via the first media playback protocol.

7 . The first playback device of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

while playing back the media stream in synchrony with the second playback device, receive, via the second media playback protocol and from the media source device, a second playback control command to modify playback of the media stream; and

in response to receiving the second playback control command, modify, via the first media playback protocol, playback of the media stream.

8 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the playback command comprises an indication of a pause command.

9 . 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 playback device to:

join, via a first media playback protocol, a synchrony group for synchronous playback of media content, wherein the synchrony group comprises the first playback device and a second playback device, and wherein the second playback device is configured as a group coordinator of the synchrony group;

transmit, via a second media playback protocol that is incompatible with the first media playback protocol, a discovery message to a media source device;

receive, via the second media playback protocol and from the media source device, a playback control command;

based on receiving the playback control command, cause the synchrony group to be updated such that the first playback device becomes configured as the group coordinator of the synchrony group instead of the second playback device;

receive, via the second media playback protocol and from the media source device, a media stream for playback by the synchrony group;

cause, via the first media playback protocol, the synchrony group to begin synchronous playback of the received media stream;

receive, via the first media playback protocol and from the media source device, an indication of a playback command input at (i) the first playback device, (ii) the second playback device, or (iii) a control device configured to control the synchrony group;

based on the received indication of the playback command, generate a converted playback command that is compatible with the second media playback protocol; and

transmit the converted playback command to the media source device via the second media playback protocol and thereby cause the media source device to execute the converted playback command.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the second playback device is not configured to operate using the second media playback protocol.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to cause the synchrony group to be updated comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to cause the synchrony group to be updated further based on a determination that the second playback device is not configured to operate using the second media playback protocol.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to transmit the discovery message to the media source device comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to transmit a first indication of the first playback device and a second indication of the second playback device for display by the media source device.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to cause the synchrony group to begin synchronous playback of the received media stream comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to cause the synchrony group to begin synchronous playback of the received media stream based on a setting being enabled.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to cause the synchrony group to be updated comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to cause the synchrony group to be updated via the first media playback protocol.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:

while playing back the media stream in synchrony with the second playback device, receive, via the second media playback protocol and from the media source device, a second playback control command to modify playback of the media stream; and

in response to receiving the second playback control command, modify, via the first media playback protocol, playback of the media stream.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the indication of the playback command comprises an indication of a pause command.

17 . A method implemented by a first playback device, the method comprising:

joining, via a first media playback protocol, a synchrony group for synchronous playback of media content, wherein the synchrony group comprises the first playback device and a second playback device, and wherein the second playback device is configured as a group coordinator of the synchrony group;

transmitting, via a second media playback protocol that is incompatible with the first media playback protocol, a discovery message to a media source device;

receiving, via the second media playback protocol and from the media source device, a playback control command;

based on receiving the playback control command, causing the synchrony group to be updated such that the first playback device becomes configured as the group coordinator of the synchrony group instead of the second playback device;

receiving, via the second media playback protocol and from the media source device, a media stream for playback by the synchrony group;

causing, via the first media playback protocol, the synchrony group to begin synchronous playback of the received media stream;

receiving, via the first media playback protocol and from the media source device, an indication of a playback command input at (i) the first playback device, (ii) the second playback device, or (iii) a control device configured to control the synchrony group;

based on the received indication of the playback command, generating a converted playback command that is compatible with the second media playback protocol; and

transmitting the converted playback command to the media source device via the second media playback protocol and thereby causing the media source device to execute the converted playback command.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the second playback device is not configured to operate using the second media playback protocol.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein causing the synchrony group to be updated comprises:

causing the synchrony group to be updated further based on a determination that the second playback device is not configured to operate using the second media playback protocol.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the indication of the playback command comprises an indication of a pause command.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (7)

References Cited (190)