Group volume control

• US 10,122,338 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2017
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Apodaca, Eduardo Ahumada
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Yogeshkumar
• Application Number:
  US15/481,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20170214373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 381104, 381105, 381107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

Example techniques involve controlling playback volumes of playback zone in a network media system. An example implementation includes displaying a first volume indicator along a first scale at a first position corresponding to a first volume setting of a zone, and a second volume indicator along a second scale at a second position corresponding to a second volume setting of a zone group including the zone. The implementation also includes receiving an input corresponding to the second volume indicator to adjust the first volume setting to be equal to the second volume setting, and in response, displaying the first volume indicator at a third position along the first scale that indicates the first volume setting is equal to the second volume setting, and transmitting a command to adjust a playback volume of the playback zone to a volume setting corresponding to the third position along the first scale.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

displaying, on a user interface, (i) a first volume indicator along a first volume scale, wherein the first volume indicator is at a first position corresponding to a first volume setting of a playback zone of a media playback system, and (ii) a second volume indicator along a second volume scale, wherein the second volume indicator is at a second position corresponding to a second volume setting of a zone group in the media playback system, wherein the zone group comprises the playback zone, and wherein the second volume setting is based on at least the first volume setting;

after displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, via the user interface, an input corresponding to the second volume indicator to cause the first volume setting to change to be equal to the second volume setting; and

in response to receiving the input corresponding to the second volume indicator, (i) displaying the first volume indicator at a third position along the first volume scale that indicates the first volume setting is equal to the second volume setting indicated by the second volume indicator at the second position, and (ii) transmitting, to at least one playback device in the playback zone, a command to adjust a playback volume of the playback zone to a volume setting corresponding to the third position along the first volume scale.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the input corresponding to the second volume indicator comprises one or more of:

(i) a dwell touch input on the second volume indicator, (ii) a swipe touch input originating at the second volume indicator, and (iii) a flick input originating at the second volume indicator.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first volume scale comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the second volume scale comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein the third position along the first volume scale relative to the first end and the second end of the first volume scale is substantially the same as the second position along the second volume scale relative to the first end and the second end of the second volume scale.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the playback zone is a first playback zone, and wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, via the user interface, a command to group the first playback zone and at least a second playback zone of the media playback system to form the zone group.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, displaying, on the user interface, information corresponding to media being played back in the zone group; and

while displaying the information corresponding to media being played back in the zone group, receiving a command to display volume indicators corresponding to the zone group.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the input is a second input, and wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to displaying the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, via the user interface, a first input indicating the second position;

in response to receiving the first input, causing a movement of the second volume indicator from an initial position to the second position, wherein the movement of the second volume indicator corresponds to an amount of volume setting change for the zone group; and

transmitting, to the at least one playback device in the playback zone, a command to adjust a playback volume of the at least one playback device from an initial volume setting by the amount of volume setting change to the first volume setting.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the playback zone is a first playback zone, wherein the zone group further comprises a second playback zone with at least one playback device, and wherein the at least one playback device in the first playback zone and the at least one playback device in the second playback zone are configured to playback media in synchrony when the first playback zone and the second playback zone are in the zone group.

8. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

a user interface; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

displaying, on a user interface, (i) a first volume indicator along a first volume scale, wherein the first volume indicator is at a first position corresponding to a first volume setting of a playback zone of a media playback system, and (ii) a second volume indicator along a second volume scale, wherein the second volume indicator is at a second position corresponding to a second volume setting of a zone group in the media playback system, wherein the zone group comprises the playback zone, and wherein the second volume setting is based on at least the first volume setting;

after displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, via the user interface, an input corresponding to the second volume indicator to cause the first volume setting to change to be equal to the second volume setting; and

in response to receiving the input corresponding to the second volume indicator, (i) displaying the first volume indicator at a third position along the first volume scale that indicates the first volume setting is equal to the second volume setting indicated by the second volume indicator at the second position, and (ii) transmitting, to at least one playback device in the playback zone, a command to adjust a playback volume of the playback zone to a volume setting corresponding to the third position along the first volume scale.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the input corresponding to the second volume indicator comprises one or more of:

(i) a dwell touch input on the second volume indicator, (ii) a swipe touch input originating at the second volume indicator, and (iii) a flick input originating at the second volume indicator.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the first volume scale comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the second volume scale comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein the third position along the first volume scale relative to the first end and the second end of the first volume scale is substantially the same as the second position along the second volume scale relative to the first end and the second end of the second volume scale.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the playback zone is a first playback zone, and wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, via the user interface, a command to group the first playback zone and at least a second playback zone of the media playback system to form the zone group.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, displaying, on the user interface, information corresponding to media being played back in the zone group; and

while displaying the information corresponding to media being played back in the zone group, receiving a command to display volume indicators corresponding to the zone group.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the input is a second input, and wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to displaying the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, via the user interface, a first input indicating the second position;

in response to receiving the first input, causing a movement of the second volume indicator from an initial position to the second position, wherein the movement of the second volume indicator corresponds to an amount of volume setting change for the zone group; and

transmitting to the at least one playback device in the playback zone, a command to adjust a playback volume of the at least one playback device from an initial volume setting by the amount of volume setting change to the first volume setting.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the playback zone is a first playback zone, wherein the zone group further comprises a second playback zone with at least one playback device, and wherein the at least one playback device in the first playback zone and the at least one playback device in the second playback zone are configured to playback media in synchrony when the first playback zone and the second playback zone are in the zone group.

15. A method comprising:

displaying, by a computing device on a user interface, (i) a first volume indicator along a first volume scale, wherein the first volume indicator is at a first position corresponding to a first volume setting of a playback zone of a media playback system, and (ii) a second volume indicator along a second volume scale, wherein the second volume indicator is at a second position corresponding to a second volume setting of a zone group in the media playback system, wherein the zone group comprises the playback zone, and wherein the second volume setting is based on at least the first volume setting;

after displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, by the computing device via the user interface, an input corresponding to the second volume indicator to cause the first volume setting to change to be equal to the second volume setting; and

in response to receiving the input corresponding to the second volume indicator, (i) displaying, by the computing device on the user interface, the first volume indicator at a third position along the first volume scale that indicates the first volume setting is equal to the second volume setting indicated by the second volume indicator at the second position, and (ii) transmitting, by the computing device to at least one playback device in the playback zone, a command to adjust a playback volume of the playback zone to a volume setting corresponding to the third position along the first volume scale.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the input corresponding to the second volume indicator comprises one or more of:

(i) a dwell touch input on the second volume indicator, (ii) a swipe touch input originating at the second volume indicator, and (iii) a flick input originating at the second volume indicator.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first volume scale comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the second volume scale comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein the third position along the first volume scale relative to the first end and the second end of the first volume scale is substantially the same as the second position along the second volume scale relative to the first end and the second end of the second volume scale.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the playback zone is a first playback zone, and wherein the method further comprises:

prior to displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, by the computing device via the user interface, a command to group the first playback zone and at least a second playback system of the media playback system to form the zone group.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

prior to displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, displaying by the computing device on the user interface, information corresponding to media being played back in the zone group; and

while displaying the information corresponding to media being played back in the zone group, receiving, by the computing device via the user interface, a command to display volume indicators corresponding to the zone group.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the input is a second input, and wherein the method further comprises:

prior to displaying the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, by the computing device via the user interface, a first input indicating the second position;

in response to receiving the first input, causing, by the computing device, a movement of the second volume indicator from an initial position to the second position, wherein the movement of the second volume indicator corresponds to an amount of volume setting change for the zone group; and

transmitting, by the computing device to the at least one playback device in the playback zone, a command to adjust a playback volume of the at least one playback device from an initial volume setting by the amount of volume setting change to the first volume setting.