Leaving group and smart line-in processing

• US 10,108,393 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Millington, Nicholas A. J., Cullen, Tom, Reimann, Robert, Lehman, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): McCord, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/583,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20170235545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/00 Frameworks, boards, panels, desks, casings; Details of substations or switching arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/10 having semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3026 the gain being discontinuously variable, e.g. controlled by switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

An example playback device includes a first interface for receiving a first audio signal from a first audio source; a second interface for receiving a second audio signal from a second audio source; and a processor configured to: cause the playback device to playback the second audio signal; determine that the first audio signal is present at the first interface; in response to determining that the first audio signal is present at the first interface, (i) cease playback of the second audio signal being played by the playback device and (ii) cause the playback device to playback the first audio signal; receive an instruction to stop the playback device from playing the first audio signal while the first audio signal is still present at the first interface; and arm the playback device such that a subsequent presence of the first audio signal at the first interface causes the playback device to play the first audio signal.

Claims

1. A first playback device comprising:

a first interface configured to receive a first audio signal from a first audio source, wherein the first playback device and the first audio source are within a given media playback system;

a second interface configured to receive a second audio signal from a second audio source, wherein the second audio source is outside of the given media playback system;

a processor; and

a tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising;

entering into a synchrony group with a second playback device;

while in the synchrony group with the second playback device, causing the first playback device to play back the second audio signal in synchrony with the second playback device;

while playing back the second audio signal in synchrony with the second playback device, determining that the first audio signal is present at the first interface;

in response to determining that the first audio signal is present at the first interface, (i) ceasing playback of the second audio signal being played by the first playback device, (ii) exiting the synchrony group with the second playback device, and (iii) causing the first playback device to play back the first audio signal;

receiving an instruction to stop the first playback device from playing the first audio signal while the first audio signal is still present at the first interface;

determining that the first audio signal is no longer present at the first interface; and

in response to determining that the first audio signal is no longer present at the first interface, arming the first playback device such that a subsequent presence of the first audio signal at the first interface causes the first playback device to play the first audio signal.

2. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the first interface comprises a line-in connector over which the first playback device receives the first audio signal.

3. The first playback device of claim 2, wherein the second interface comprises one of a wireless or a wired network interface over which the first playback device receives the second audio signal.

4. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the first playback device to perform further functions comprising:

while the first playback device is armed such that the subsequent presence of the first audio signal at the first interface causes the first playback device to play the first audio signal, again entering into the synchrony group with the second playback device.

5. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the second audio source is an Internet-accessible audio source.

6. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the first playback device to perform further functions comprising:

causing the first playback device to transmit at least a portion of the first audio signal to another playback device.

7. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the first playback device to perform further functions comprising:

causing the first playback device to transmit at least a portion of the second audio signal to the second playback device.

8. The first playback device of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the first playback device to perform further functions comprising:

cause the first playback device to receive a command to form a group with the second playback device.

9. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by a first playback device, cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising:

entering into a synchrony group with a second playback device;

receiving a second audio signal from a second audio source via a second interface of the first playback device;

while in the synchrony group with the second playback device, causing the first playback device to play back the second audio signal in synchrony with the second playback device;

while playing back the second audio signal in synchrony with the second playback device, determining that a first audio signal is present at a first interface of the first playback device, wherein the first audio signal is received from a first audio source;

in response to determining that the first audio signal is present at the first interface, (i) ceasing playback of the second audio signal being played by the first playback device, (ii) exiting the synchrony group with the second playback device, and (iii) causing the first playback device to play back the first audio signal;

receiving an instruction to stop the first playback device from playing the first audio signal while the first audio signal is still present at the first interface;

determining that the first audio signal is no longer present at the first interface; and

in response to determining that the first audio signal is no longer present at the first interface, arming the first playback device such that a subsequent presence of the first audio signal at the first interface causes the first playback device to play the first audio signal.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the first interface comprises a line-in connector over which the first playback device receives the first audio signal.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the second interface comprises one of a wireless or a wired network interface over which the first playback device receives the second audio signal.

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

while the first playback device is armed such that the subsequent presence of the first audio signal at the first interface causes the first playback device to play the first audio signal, again entering into the synchrony group with the second playback device.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the second audio source is an Internet-accessible audio source.

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

causing the first playback device to transmit at least a portion of the first audio signal to another playback device.

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

causing the first playback device to transmit at least a portion of the second audio signal to the second playback device.

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

entering into a synchrony group with a second playback device;

receiving a second audio signal from a second audio source via a second interface of the first playback device;

while in the synchrony group with the second playback device, causing the first playback device to play back the second audio signal in synchrony with the second playback device;

while playing back the second audio signal in synchrony with the second playback device, determining that a first audio signal is present at a first interface of the first playback device, wherein the first audio signal is received from a first audio source;

in response to determining that the first audio signal is present at the first interface, (i) ceasing playback of the second audio signal being played by the first playback device, (ii) exiting the synchrony group with the second playback device, and (iii) causing the first playback device to play back the first audio signal;

receiving an instruction to stop the first playback device from playing the first audio signal while the first audio signal is still present at the first interface;

determining that the first audio signal is no longer present at the first interface; and

in response to determining that the first audio signal is no longer present at the first interface, arming the first playback device such that a subsequent presence of the first audio signal at the first interface causes the first playback device to play the first audio signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first interface comprises a line-in connector over which the first playback device receives the first audio signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second interface comprises one of a wireless or a wired network interface over which the first playback device receives the second audio signal.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

while the first playback device is armed such that the subsequent presence of the first audio signal at the first interface causes the first playback device to play the first audio signal, again entering into the synchrony group with the second playback device.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

causing the first playback device to transmit at least a portion of the first audio signal to another playback device; and

causing the first playback device to transmit at least a portion of the second audio signal to the second playback device.