Granted Patent B2

US 12,732,753 · App. 18/440,493 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Inventors: Jason Yore (Santa Barbara, CA); Nikolai Kutateladze (Santa Barbara, CA); Kate Wojogbe (Santa Barbara, CA); Edwin Joseph Fitzpatrick, III (Boston, MA); Allan Velzy (Mercer Island, WA)

Assignee: Sonos, Inc.

H04R5/04H03G5/165H04R27/00H04S7/302H04R2227/005

Abstract

Claims (70)

1 . A playback device comprising:

a communication interface configured to facilitate communication via one or more data networks;

at least one audio amplifier configured to drive at least one speaker;

at least one sensor configured to sense movement of the playback device;

at least one processor; and

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

reproduce one or more first audio channels of audio content in synchrony with reproduction of one or more second audio channels of the audio content by another playback device;

detect movement of the playback device by the at least one sensor;

after detection of movement of the playback device, cause the other playback device to emit a wireless signal;

detect, using the communication interface, the wireless signal; and

based on the detected wireless signal, determine whether the playback device is in proximity to the other playback device;

detect a trigger event indicating that the playback device is in proximity of the other playback device, wherein the trigger event comprises detection of a change in position of the playback device relative to the other playback device;

after detection of the trigger event, retrieve configuration information related to the playback device and the other playback device;

retrieve preference information indicating a preference of at least one user;

based on the configuration information and the preference information, cause an allocation of audio channels between the playback device and the other playback device to be updated; and

reproduce one or more third audio channels of the audio content based on the updated allocation of the audio channels.

2 . The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the audio content comprises a left channel and a right channel, wherein the one or more first audio channels comprises the left audio channel and the right audio channel, and wherein the one or more second audio channels comprises the left audio channel and the right audio channel.

3 . The playback device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more third audio channels comprises one of: the left audio channel and the right audio channel.

4 . The playback device of claim 3 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to cause the allocation of audio channels between the playback device and the other playback device to be updated comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:

determine a position of the playback device relative to the other playback device; and

based on the determined position of the playback device relative to the other playback device, assign the playback device one of the left audio channel and the right audio channel for reproduction.

5 . The playback device of claim 4 , wherein the playback device comprises a plurality of microphones and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine a position of the playback device relative to the other playback device comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:

cause the other playback device to emit a sound;

detect the sound using the plurality of microphones; and

based on the detected sound, determine a position of the playback device relative to the other playback device.

6 . The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to retrieve the preference information comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:

cause a computing device to present one or more playback options; and

receive, from the computing device, an indication of at least one selection from the one or more playback options.

7 . The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface of the playback device comprises at least one microphone;

wherein to cause the other playback device to emit a wireless signal includes to cause the other playback device to emit an acoustic signal;

wherein to detect the wireless signal includes to detect, using the at least one microphone, the acoustic signal; and

wherein determining whether the playback device is in proximity to the other playback device is based on the detected acoustic signal.

8 . The playback device of claim 7 , wherein the acoustic signal comprises an ultrasonic signal.

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

reproducing one or more first audio channels of audio content in synchrony with reproduction of one or more second audio channels of the audio content by another playback device;

detecting a trigger event indicating that the playback device is in proximity of the other playback device, wherein the trigger event comprises detection of a change in position of the playback device relative to the other playback device, and wherein detecting the trigger event includes:

detecting movement of the playback device with at least one sensor of the playback device,

after detection of movement of the playback device, causing the other playback device to emit a wireless signal,

detecting the wireless signal emitted by the other playback device, and

based on the detected wireless signal, determining whether the playback device is in proximity to the other playback device;

after detecting the trigger event, retrieving configuration information related to the playback device and the other playback device;

retrieving preference information indicating a preference of at least one user;

based on the configuration information and the preference information, causing an allocation of audio channels between the playback device and the other playback device to be updated; and

reproducing one or more third audio channels of the audio content based on the updated allocation of the audio channels.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the audio content comprises a left channel and a right channel, wherein the one or more first audio channels comprises the left audio channel and the right audio channel, and wherein the one or more second audio channels comprises the left audio channel and the right audio channel.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more third audio channels comprises one of: the left audio channel and the right audio channel.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein causing the allocation of audio channels between the playback device and the other playback device to be updated comprises:

determining a position of the playback device relative to the other playback device; and

based on the determined position of the playback device relative to the other playback device, assigning the playback device one of the left audio channel and the right audio channel for reproduction.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the position of the playback device relative to the other playback device comprises:

causing the other playback device to emit a sound;

detecting the sound using a microphone array; and

based on the detected sound, determining the position of the playback device relative to the other playback device.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein retrieving the preference information comprises:

causing a computing device to present one or more playback options; and

receiving, from the computing device, an indication of at least one selection from the one or more playback options.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the playback device includes at least one microphone;

wherein causing the other playback device to emit the wireless signal includes causing the other playback device to emit an acoustic signal;

wherein detecting the wireless signal includes detecting, using the at least one microphone, the acoustic signal; and

wherein determining whether the playback device is in proximity to the other playback device is based on the detected acoustic signal.

16 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program instructions that are executable by at least one processor such that a playback device is configured to:

reproduce one or more first audio channels of audio content in synchrony with reproduction of one or more second audio channels of the audio content by another playback device;

detect movement of the playback device with at least one sensor of the playback device,

after detection of movement of the playback device, cause the other playback device to emit a wireless signal;

detect the wireless signal;

based on the detected wireless signal, detect a trigger event indicating that the playback device is in proximity of the other playback device, wherein the trigger event comprises detection of a change in position of the playback device relative to the other playback device;

after detection of the trigger event, retrieve configuration information related to the playback device and the other playback device;

retrieve preference information indicating a preference of at least one user;

based on the configuration information and the preference information, cause an allocation of audio channels between the playback device and the other playback device to be updated; and

reproduce one or more third audio channels of the audio content based on the updated allocation of the audio channels.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (268)