IP Library Granted Patent US 10,862,981
Granted Patent B2
US 10,862,981 · App. 15/882,764 · Granted Dec 8, 2020

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to provide automatic wireless configuration

Inventors: Niels Van Erven (Santa Barbara, CA); Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson (San Diego, CA); Steven R. Beckhardt (Boston, MA); Nicholas A. J. Millington (Santa Barbara, CA)
Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
H04L67/18H04L12/2807H04L67/34H04N21/422H04N21/43615H04N21/43637H04N21/4432H04N21/44227H04N21/6547H04N21/6582H04N21/8113H04W4/029H04L2012/2841H04L2012/2849H04N21/4307
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,862,981
App. No.
15/882,764
Granted
Dec 8, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to provide automated configuration of local playback devices and networks based on external input are disclosed. An example media playback device includes a control interface to receive and process, at the media playback device, network configuration information for a local network from an external source, the control interface to receive and process the network configuration from the external source without requiring user intervention. The example media playback device includes a wireless interface to communicate with the local network based at least in part on the network configuration information. The example media playback device includes a speaker to output audio based on audio information received via the local network.

Claims (35)

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

connecting to a wireless mesh network on which a plurality of playback devices operate, wherein the wireless mesh network is configured according to a spanning tree associated with a spanning tree protocol, and wherein the first playback device comprises network settings to be employed by the first playback device for communication over the wireless mesh network;

after connecting to the wireless mesh network, determining a geographic region in which the first playback device is located from a plurality of geographic regions, wherein determining the geographic region in which the first playback device is located comprises determining a country in which the first playback device is located, wherein each of the plurality of geographic regions has respective regulatory requirements for wireless communication, and wherein at least some of the plurality of geographic regions have respective regulatory requirements for wireless communication that are different;

receiving, from a cloud-based server via the wireless mesh network, an instruction to update network parameters based on the determined geographic region and the respective regulatory requirements for the determined geographic region, the instruction comprising (i) an instruction from the cloud-based server to set a channel for operation on the wireless mesh network, (ii) an instruction from the cloud-based server to set a transmit power for operation on the wireless mesh network, and (iii) an instruction from the cloud-based server to set a bit rate for operation on the wireless mesh network;

based on the instruction to update network parameters received from the cloud-based server, updating the network settings to be employed by the first playback device for communication over the wireless mesh network; and

after updating the network settings to be employed by the first playback device for communication over the wireless mesh network, (i) receiving, based on the updated network settings, audio content over the wireless mesh network via the spanning tree protocol and (ii) playing audio associated with the received audio content in synchrony with a second playback device of the plurality of playback devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction from the cloud-based server to set the channel for operation on the wireless mesh network comprises an instruction from the cloud-based server to initiate the channel change on the wireless mesh network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction from the cloud-based server to set the transmit power for operation on the wireless mesh network comprises an instruction from the cloud-based server to adjust the transmit power on the wireless mesh network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction from the cloud-based server to set the bit rate for operation on the wireless mesh network comprises an instruction from the cloud-based server to adjust the bit rate on the wireless mesh network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic region in which the first playback device is located is determined based on a global positioning device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the geographic region in which the first playback device is located is triggered by the connection to the wireless mesh network by the first playback device.

7. A first playback device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

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

connect to a wireless mesh network on which a plurality of playback devices operate, wherein the wireless mesh network is configured according to a spanning tree associated with a spanning tree protocol, and wherein the first playback device comprises network settings to be employed by the first playback device for communication over the wireless mesh network;

after connecting to the wireless mesh network, determining a geographic region in which the first playback device is located from a plurality of geographic regions, wherein determining the geographic region in which the first playback device is located comprises determining a country in which the first playback device is located, wherein each of the plurality of geographic regions has respective regulatory requirements for wireless communication, and wherein at least some of the plurality of geographic regions have respective regulatory requirements for wireless communication that are different;

receiving, from a cloud-based server via the wireless mesh network, an instruction to update network parameters based on the determined geographic region and the respective regulatory requirements for the determined geographic region, the instruction comprising (i) an instruction from the cloud-based server to set a channel for operation on the wireless mesh network, (ii) an instruction from the cloud-based server to set a transmit power for operation on the wireless mesh network, and (iii) an instruction from the cloud-based server to set a bit rate for operation on the wireless mesh network;

based on the instruction to update network parameters received from the cloud-based server, updating the network settings to be employed by the first playback device for communication over the wireless mesh network; and

after updating the network settings to be employed by the first playback device for communication over the wireless mesh network, (i) receive, based on the updated network settings, audio content over the wireless mesh network via the spanning tree protocol and (ii) play audio associated with the received audio content in synchrony with a second playback device of the plurality of playback devices.

8. The first playback device of claim 7 , wherein the instruction from the cloud-based server to set the channel for operation on the wireless mesh network comprises an instruction from the cloud-based server to initiate the channel change on the wireless mesh network.

9. The first playback device of claim 7 , wherein the instruction from the cloud-based server to set the transmit power for operation on the wireless mesh network comprises an instruction from the cloud-based server to adjust the transmit power on the wireless mesh network.

10. The first playback device of claim 7 , wherein the instruction from the cloud-based server to set the bit rate for operation on the wireless mesh network comprises an instruction from the server to adjust the bit rate on the wireless mesh network.

11. The first playback device of claim 7 , wherein the geographic region in which the first playback device is located is determined based on a global positioning device.

12. The first playback device of claim 7 , wherein the determining the geographic region in which the first playback device is located is triggered by the connection to the wireless mesh network by the first playback device.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that are executable by one or more processors such that a first playback device is configured to:

connect to a wireless mesh network on which a plurality of playback devices operate, wherein the wireless mesh network is configured according to a spanning tree associated with a spanning tree protocol, and wherein the first playback device comprises network settings to be employed by the first playback device for communication over the wireless mesh network;

after connecting to the wireless mesh network, determining a geographic region in which the first playback device is located from a plurality of geographic regions, wherein determining the geographic region in which the first playback device is located comprises determining a country in which the first playback device is located, wherein each of the plurality of geographic regions has respective regulatory requirements for wireless communication, and wherein at least some of the plurality of geographic regions have respective regulatory requirements for wireless communication that are different;

receiving, from a cloud-based server via the wireless mesh network, an instruction to update network parameters based on the determined geographic region and the respective regulatory requirements for the determined geographic region, the instruction comprising (i) an instruction from the cloud-based server to set a channel for operation on the wireless mesh network, (ii) an instruction from the cloud-based server to set a transmit power for operation on the wireless mesh network, and (iii) an instruction from the cloud-based server to set a bit rate for operation on the wireless mesh network;

based on the instruction to update network parameters received from the cloud-based server, updating the network settings to be employed by the first playback device for communication over the wireless mesh network; and

after updating the network settings to be employed by the first playback device for communication over the wireless mesh network, (i) receive, based on the updated network settings, audio content over the wireless mesh network via the spanning tree protocol and (ii) play audio associated with the received audio content in synchrony with a second playback device of the plurality of playback devices.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instruction from the cloud-based server to set the channel for operation on the wireless mesh network comprises an instruction from the cloud-based server to initiate the channel change on the wireless mesh network.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instruction from the cloud-based server to set the transmit power for operation on the wireless mesh network comprises an instruction from the cloud-based server to adjust the transmit power on the wireless mesh network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instruction from the cloud-based server to set the bit rate for operation on the wireless mesh network comprises an instruction from the cloud-based server to adjust the bit rate on the wireless mesh network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the geographic region in which the first playback device is located is determined based on a global positioning device.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 058213/0597 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 15, 2021
From: SONOS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058123/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2018
From: ERVEN, NIELS VAN; ERICSON, MICHAEL DARRELL ANDREW; BECKHARDT, STEVEN R.; MILLINGTON, NICHOLAS A.J.
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 046855/0322 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2018
From: SONOS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 046991/0433 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 13531712 · Jun 25, 2012
Related Publication 20180316770A1 · Nov 1, 2018