Playback device operations based on battery level

• US 10,055,003 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Gossain, Hrishikesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Derose, Volvick
• Application Number:
  US14/940,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20160070331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 713323
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/33 using forward notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43078 for seamlessly watching content streams when changing device, e.g. when watching the same program sequentially on a TV and then on a tablet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments are described herein that allow a playback device to transition between operating modes to, among other things, conserve power. An example implementation involves a playback device receiving data from a first network device and forwarding by the playback device, the data to a second network device while a battery level of a playback device is above a predefined threshold. The example implementation also involves the playback device detecting that the battery level of the playback device is below the predefined threshold after receiving at least a portion of the data from the first network device. The example implementation further involves the playback device transmitting, to at least the first network device, a message indicating that the playback device will stop forwarding data from the first network data to the second network device based detecting that the battery level of the playback device is below the predefined threshold.

Claims

1. A first playback device comprising:

one or more batteries;

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform a method comprising;

while a battery level of the one or more batteries is above a predefined threshold, receiving data from a network device and forwarding the data to a second playback device, wherein the data includes audio content for playback by the first and second playback devices;

playing the audio content in synchrony with the playback of the audio content by the second playback device;

after receiving at least a portion of the data from the network device, detecting that the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold;

in response to detecting that the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold, transmitting to at least the network device, a message indicating that the first playback device will stop forwarding data from the network device to the second playback device; and

while the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold and after transmitting the message, (i) ceasing the forwarding of the data and (ii) continuing to play the audio content by the first playback device in synchrony with the playback of the audio content by the second playback device.

2. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

before receiving data from the network device and forwarding the data to the second playback device, determining that the battery level is above the predefined threshold; and

transmitting a message indicating that the first playback device will forward data from the network device to the second playback device.

3. The first playback device of claim 2, wherein determining that the battery level is above the predefined threshold comprises:

determining that the first playback device is receiving current from an external power source.

4. The first playback device or claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

before detecting that the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold, determining that the first playback device is not receiving current from an external power source.

5. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein transmitting the message indicating that the first playback device will stop forwarding data from the network device to the second playback device comprises transmitting a message indicating the battery level.

6. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the network device is one of (a) a controller device for controlling at least the first playback device or (b) a third playback device.

7. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein receiving data from the network device and forwarding the data to the second playback device comprises receiving data that includes a command to cause the second playback device to play back the audio content and forwarding the data that includes the command to the second playback device to cause the second playback device to play back media.

8. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a third playback device.

9. The first playback device of claim 8, further comprising:

playing the audio content in synchrony with playback of the audio content by the third playback device; and

continuing to play the audio content by the first playback device in synchrony with the playback of the audio content by the third playback device while the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a first playback device that comprises one or more batteries to perform functions comprising:

while a battery level of the one or more batteries is above a predefined threshold, receiving data from a network device and forwarding the data to a second playback device, wherein the data includes audio content for playback by the first and second playback devices;

playing the audio content in synchrony with the playback of the audio content by the second playback device;

after receiving at least a portion of the data from the network device, detecting that the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold;

in response to detecting that the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold, transmitting to at least the network device, a message indicating that the first playback device will stop forwarding data from the network device to the second playback device; and

while the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold and after transmitting the message, (i) ceasing the forwarding of the data and (ii) continuing to play the audio content by the first playback device in synchrony with the playback of the audio content by the second playback device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the functions further comprise:

before receiving data from the network device and forwarding the data to the second playback device, determining that the battery level is above the predefined threshold; and

transmitting a message indicating that the first playback device will forward data from the network device to the second playback device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining that the battery level is above the predefined threshold comprises:

determining that the first playback device is receiving current from an external power source.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

before detecting that the battery level is below the predefined threshold, determining that the first playback device is not receiving current from an external power source.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein transmitting the message indicating that the first playback device will stop forwarding data from the network device to the second playback device comprises transmitting a message indicating the battery level.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the network device comprises a third playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise:

playing the audio content in synchrony with playback of the audio content by the third playback device; and

continuing to play the audio content by the first playback device in synchrony with the playback of the audio content by the third playback device while the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold.

16. A method comprising:

while a battery level of a first playback device that comprises one or more batteries is above a predefined threshold, receiving, via the first playback device, data from a network device and forwarding by the first playback device, the data to a second playback device, wherein the data includes audio content for playback by the first and second playback devices;

playing the audio content in synchrony with the playback of the audio content by the second playback device;

after receiving at least a portion of the data from the network device, detecting, by the first playback device, that the battery level of the first playback device is below the predefined threshold;

in response to detecting that the battery level of the first playback device is below the predefined threshold, transmitting, via the first playback device to at least the network device, a message indicating that the first playback device will stop forwarding data from the network device to the second playback device; and

while the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold and after transmitting the message, (i) ceasing the forwarding of the data and (ii) continuing to play the audio content by the first playback device in synchrony with the playback of the audio content by the second playback device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

before receiving data from the network device and forwarding the data to the second playback device, determining, by the first playback device, that the battery level is above the predefined threshold; and

transmitting, via the first playback device, a message indicating that the first playback device will forward data from the network device to the second playback device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the network device is one of (a) a controller device for controlling at least the first playback device or (b) a third playback device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving data from the network device and forwarding the data to the second playback device comprises receiving data that includes a command to cause the second playback device to play back media and forwarding the data that includes the command to the second playback device to cause the second playback device to play back media.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the network device comprises a third playback device, and wherein the method further comprises:

playing the audio content in synchrony with playback of the audio content by the third playback device; and

continuing to play the audio content by the first playback device in synchrony with the playback of the audio content by the third playback device while the battery level of the one or more batteries is below the predefined threshold.