IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,321,665
Granted Patent B2
US 12,321,665 · App. 18/501,629 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Volume limit

Inventors: Chris Bierbower (Santa Barbara, CA); Nicholas Maniskas (Santa Barbara, CA)
Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
G06F3/165G11B27/34H03G3/04H03G3/3026H03G7/002H03G7/005H04R2227/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,321,665
App. No.
18/501,629
Granted
Jun 3, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example first playback device includes programming to perform functions including: (1) storing an active volume state variable in memory, wherein the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume; (2) storing a volume limit state variable in memory, wherein the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the first playback device; (3) detecting a command to begin playback of media at a proposed playback volume different from the current playback volume; (4) based on comparing (i) the playback volume limit and (ii) the proposed playback volume, selecting a startup playback volume; (5) playing back media at the startup playback volume; and (6) causing at least a second playback.

Claims (51)

1. A playback device, the 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 playback device is configured to:

store an active volume state variable in memory, wherein the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume;

store a volume limit state variable in memory, wherein the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the playback device;

while the playback device is not playing back media:

receive, from a control device, a command to begin playback of media;

based on the command, determine a location of the control device relative to the playback device; and

based on determining the location of the control device relative to the playback device, select a startup playback volume to be one of the current playback volume or the playback volume limit; and

begin playback of media at the startup playback volume.

2. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the volume limit state variable is a maximum volume state variable and the playback volume limit is a maximum playback volume, and wherein the playback device further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:

determine that the active volume state variable is greater than the maximum volume state variable, wherein the selected startup playback volume is the maximum playback volume.

3. The playback device of claim 2 , wherein the playback device further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:

update the active volume state variable to correspond to the playback volume limit of the playback device.

4. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the volume limit state variable is a maximum volume state variable and the playback volume limit is a maximum playback volume, and wherein the playback device further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:

determine that the active volume state variable is not greater than the maximum volume state variable, wherein the selected startup playback volume is the current playback volume.

5. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device is located in a zone of a media playback system, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine the location of the control device relative to the playback device comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine that the control device is in the zone of the media playback system.

6. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device is located in a first zone of a media playback system, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine the location of the control device relative to the playback device comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine that the control device is in a second zone of the media playback system.

7. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device comprises the control device.

8. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device is a first playback device of a media playback system, and wherein the control device is a second playback device of the media playback system.

9. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the command to begin playback of media is a command to resume playback of previously paused media.

10. 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 playback device to:

store an active volume state variable in memory, wherein the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume;

store a volume limit state variable in memory, wherein the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the playback device;

while the playback device is not playing back media:

receive, from a control device, a command to begin playback of media;

based on the command, determine a location of the control device relative to the playback device; and

based on determining the location of the control device relative to the playback device, select a startup playback volume to be one of the current playback volume or the playback volume limit; and

begin playback of media at the startup playback volume.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the volume limit state variable is a maximum volume state variable and the playback volume limit is a maximum playback volume, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to:

determine that the active volume state variable is greater than the maximum volume state variable, wherein the selected startup playback volume is the maximum playback volume.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to:

update the active volume state variable to correspond to the playback volume limit of the playback device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the volume limit state variable is a maximum volume state variable and the playback volume limit is a maximum playback volume, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to:

determine that the active volume state variable is not greater than the maximum volume state variable, wherein the selected startup playback volume is the current playback volume.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the playback device is located in a zone of a media playback system, and wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to determine the location of the control device relative to the playback device comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to determine that the control device is in the zone of the media playback system.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the playback device is located in a first zone of a media playback system, and wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to determine the location of the control device relative to the playback device comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to determine that the control device is in a second zone of the media playback system.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the playback device comprises the control device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the playback device is a first playback device of a media playback system, and wherein the control device is a second playback device of the media playback system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the command to begin playback of media is a command to resume playback of previously paused media.

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

storing an active volume state variable in memory, wherein the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume;

storing a volume limit state variable in memory, wherein the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the playback device;

while the playback device is not playing back media:

receiving, from a control device, a command to begin playback of media;

based on the command, determining a location of the control device relative to the playback device; and

based on determining the location of the control device relative to the playback device, selecting a startup playback volume to be one of the current playback volume or the playback volume limit; and

beginning playback of media at the startup playback volume.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the volume limit state variable is a maximum volume state variable and the playback volume limit is a maximum playback volume, the method further comprising:

determining that the active volume state variable is greater than the maximum volume state variable, wherein the selected startup playback volume is the maximum playback volume.

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 Sep 5, 2024
From: BIERBOWER, CHRIS; MANISKAS, NICHOLAS
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 068499/0480 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17080640 · Oct 26, 2020
Continuation 16420541 · May 23, 2019
Continuation 15949021 · Apr 9, 2018
Continuation 15359722 · Nov 23, 2016
Continuation 14696366 · Apr 24, 2015
Related Publication 20240143273A1 · May 2, 2024
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