IP Library Granted Patent US 11,451,908
Granted Patent B2
US 11,451,908 · App. 17/135,123 · Granted Sep 20, 2022

Network microphone devices with automatic do not disturb actuation capabilities

Inventors: Sein Woo (Somerville, MA); Ryan Myers (Santa Barbara, CA); Charles Freedman (Santa Barbara, CA)
Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
H04R5/04G06F3/167G06F9/542G10L21/055H04R2430/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,451,908
App. No.
17/135,123
Granted
Sep 20, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include networked microphone devices (NMD) determining whether a Do Not Disturb (DND) feature should be activated, in response to determining that the DND feature should be activated, activating the DND feature. In some embodiments, the NMD determines whether to activate the DND feature based on various configuration and operational states. And in some embodiments, activating the DND feature includes activating the DND feature includes activating the DND feature at one or more additional NMDs based on the configuration and operational state of the NMD and the one or more additional NMDs.

Claims (36)

1. A playback device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:

determining that the playback device is playing a particular type of content; and

in response to determining that the playback device is playing the particular type of content, activating a Do Not Disturb (DND) feature on the playback device and playing the particular type of content while the DND feature is activated.

2. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the particular type of content comprises media from one or more of a lullaby playlist, a sleep playlist, a relaxation playlist, a dinner playlist, a party playlist, a quiet playlist, or a focus playlist.

3. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein determining that the playback device is playing the particular type of content comprises inferring the particular type of content from one or more of a name of a playlist or metadata associated with a playlist.

4. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein determining that the playback device is playing the particular type of content comprises receiving a command to play the particular type of content from a controller device configured to control the playback device.

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

determining that the playback device is no longer playing the particular type of content; and

in response to determining that the playback device is no longer playing the particular type of content, deactivating the DND feature on the playback device.

6. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein one or more microphones of the playback device are deactivated while the DND feature is activated on the playback device.

7. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein activating the Do Not Disturb (DND) feature on the playback device comprises playing an audible notification that indicates that the DND feature has been activated on the playback device.

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

while the DND feature is activated on the playback device, (i) receiving a request to start a communication session from a computing device, and (ii) in response to receiving the request to start the communication session from the computing device, logging the request as a request received while the DND feature was activated on the playback device.

9. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions, which, when executed by a playback device, cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:

determining that the playback device is playing a particular type of content; and

in response to determining that the playback device is playing the particular type of content, activating a Do Not Disturb (DND) feature on the playback device and playing the particular type of content while the DND feature is activated.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the particular type of content comprises media from one or more of a lullaby playlist, a sleep playlist, a relaxation playlist, a dinner playlist, a party playlist, a quiet playlist, or a focus playlist.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein determining that the playback device is playing the particular type of content comprises inferring the particular type of content from one or more of a name of a playlist or metadata associated with a playlist.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein determining that the playback device is playing the particular type of content comprises receiving a command to play the particular type of content from a controller device configured to control the playback device.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the playback device is no longer playing the particular type of content; and

in response to determining that the playback device is no longer playing the particular type of content, deactivating the DND feature on the playback device.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein one or more microphones of the playback device are deactivated while the DND feature is activated on the playback device.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein activating the Do Not Disturb (DND) feature on the playback device comprises playing an audible notification that indicates that the DND feature has been activated on the playback device.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

while the DND feature is activated on the playback device, (i) receiving a request to start a communication session from a computing device, and (ii) in response to receiving the request to start the communication session from the computing device, logging the request as a request received while the DND feature was activated on the playback device.

17. A system comprising:

a first playback device; and

a second playback device comprising (i) one or more processors and (ii) tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the second playback device to perform functions comprising:

determining that the second playback device is playing a particular type of content in a group with the first playback device; and

in response to determining that the second playback device is playing the particular type of content in the group with the first playback device, (i) activating a Do Not Disturb (DND) feature on the second playback device, (ii) causing the first playback device to activate a DND feature on the first playback device, and (iii) playing the particular type of content in the group with the first playback device while the DND feature is activated on the first playback device and the second playback device.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the particular type of content comprises media from one or more of a lullaby playlist, a sleep playlist, a relaxation playlist, a dinner playlist, a party playlist, a quiet playlist, or a focus playlist.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the second playback device determining that it is playing the particular type of content comprises the second playback device inferring the particular type of content from one or more of a name of a playlist or metadata associated with a playlist.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein one or more microphones of the first playback device and the second playback device are deactivated while the DND feature is activated on the first playback device and the second playback device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 16, 2022
From: WOO, SEIN; MYERS, RYAN; FREEDMAN, CHARLES
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 061116/0338 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 15, 2021
From: SONOS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058123/0206 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16214711 · Dec 10, 2018
Provisional Application 62596902 · Dec 10, 2017
Related Publication 20210227328A1 · Jul 22, 2021