System for optimizing distribution of audio data

• US 10,200,724 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pogue, Michael Alan, Haight, Kyle Gordon, Dubey, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US15/701,929
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 370350, 370404, 370432, 370509, 381 58, 381150, 382190, 700 94, 718100, 703 6, 704235, 706 12, 706 46, 707706, 725116
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• 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 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages

Abstract

Described are techniques for selecting an audio device from a group of devices to function as a master device that receives data from a remote source and distributes the data to other devices within the group. Each device is used for this purpose at least once to determine at least one data throughput value attainable by the device. Based the data throughput values for the devices, signal strength data for the devices, and characteristics of the devices themselves, a master device and a length of time that the audio device is to be used as the master device is determined. Other lengths of time that other devices are to be used temporarily as master devices may also be determined. As additional data throughput values are determined from each instance that a device is used, the determined master device and the lengths of time that each device is used may change.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first audio device;

a second audio device;

one or more memories of the first audio device storing computer-executable instructions; and

one or more hardware processors of the first audio device, wherein the one or more hardware processors execute the computer-executable instructions to;

access a first data throughput value indicative of a first previous data transfer rate for transmitting first audio data from the first audio device to the second audio device;

access a second data throughput value indicative of a second previous data transfer rate for transmitting second audio data from the second audio device to the first audio device, wherein the first previous data transfer rate exceeds the second previous data transfer rate;

access a multi-armed bandit algorithm that includes the first previous data transfer rate and the second previous data transfer rate as inputs;

generate a model using the multi-armed bandit algorithm, wherein the model indicates;

a first count of subsequent commands to generate an audio output responsive to which the first device is used to transmit audio data to the second device; and

a second count of the subsequent commands responsive to which the second device is used to transmit audio data to the first device, wherein the second count is less than the first count;

receive a command to generate an audio output;

determine that a current count of subsequent commands is less than the first count; and

in response to the command, use the first device to receive audio data from a source and transmit the audio data to the second device for generation of the audio output.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third audio device; and

computer-executable instructions to;

determine that a first signal strength value associated with communication between the first audio device and an access point is greater than a threshold signal strength value that corresponds to a minimum signal strength for receiving audio data at a data rate sufficient for generation of an audio output;

determine that a second signal strength value associated with communication between the second audio device and the access point is greater than the threshold signal strength value;

determine that a third signal strength value associated with communication between the third audio device and the access point is less than the threshold signal strength value; and

in response to the third signal strength value being less than the threshold signal strength value, designate the third audio device as a slave device for receiving data from the first audio device and the second audio device.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine a current time;

determine a time at which the first previous data transfer rate was determined;

determine that the current time is between a first time and a second time, wherein the first time and the second time define a period of time that includes the time at which the first previous data throughput was received, and wherein the period of time corresponds to one or more of a time of day, a day of a week, or a particular date; and

use the first audio device to send the audio data for the first count of uses in response to the current time being between the first time and the second time.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine a first identifier associated with an access point in communication with the first audio device;

generate a second identifier using the first audio device, wherein the second identifier is associated with the first previous data transfer rate and indicates a particular access point from which the first audio device received the first audio data;

determine that the first identifier matches the second identifier; and

use the first audio device to send the audio data for the first count of uses in response to the first identifier matching the second identifier.

5. A method comprising:

accessing first communication data indicative of a first data throughput value associated with transmission of data from a first device to a second device;

determining a first communication score based at least in part on the first data throughput value;

accessing second communication data indicative of a second data throughput value associated with transmission of data from the second device to the first device;

determining a second communication score based at least in part on the second data throughput value;

determining that the first communication score is greater than the second communication score;

transmitting first data from the first device to the second device for one or more of a first count of uses or a first period of time, wherein the first count of uses or the first period of time is determined based at least in part on the first communication score; and

transmitting second data from the second device to the first device for one or more of a second count of uses or a second period of time, wherein the second count of uses or the second period of time is determined based at least in part on the second communication score, and wherein (i) the second count of uses is less than the first count of uses or (ii) the second period of time is less than the first period of time.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining first device data associated with the first device, wherein the first device data is indicative of a characteristic of a first radio or a first processor of the first device, wherein the first communication score is further determined based at least in part on the first device data; and

determining second device data associated with the second device, wherein the second device data is indicative of a characteristic of a second radio or a second processor of the second device, wherein the second communication score is further determined based at least in part on the second device data.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining a first signal strength value associated with communication between the first device and an access point, wherein the first communication score is further determined based at least in part on the first signal strength value; and

determining a second signal strength value associated with communication between the second device and the access point, wherein the second communication score is further determined based at least in part on the second signal strength value.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that a first signal strength value associated with communication between the first device and an access point is greater than a threshold signal strength value; and

causing the first device to transmit the first data in response to the first signal strength value exceeding the threshold signal strength value.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining first device data associated with the first device, wherein the first device data is indicative of a characteristic of one or more of a first radio or first processor of the first device; and

determining second device data associated with the second device, wherein the second device data is indicative of a characteristic of one or more of a second radio or second processor of the second device;

accessing scoring data that associates first weights with data throughput values and second weights with characteristics of devices;

determining the first communication score based on correspondence between the scoring data, the first data throughput value, and the first device data; and

determining the second communication score based on correspondence between the scoring data, the second data throughput value, and the second device data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a first signal strength value associated with communication between the first device and an access point;

determining a second signal strength value associated with communication between the second device and the access point;

determining that the first signal strength value is greater than the second signal strength value; and

causing the first device to transmit the first data to the second device prior to causing the second device to transmit the second data to the first device.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that a first portion of the first communication data was determined at or prior to a threshold time; and

wherein the first communication score is determined based on the first portion of the first communication data.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the first communication data includes a first portion that was determined at a first time or a first date, the method further comprising:

determining that the current time is within a threshold range of the first time or the first date, wherein the threshold range corresponds to a period of time that includes the first time or the first date; and

determining, based on the first portion of the first communication data, the first communication score.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the first communication data includes a first portion associated with data throughput values determined via a first communication link with a first access point, the method further comprising:

determining that a current communication link exists between the first device and the first access point; and

determining the first communication score using the first portion of the first communication data.

14. A system comprising:

one or more memories storing computer-executable instructions; and

one or more hardware processors to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

determine first communication data indicative of one or more first signal quality values associated with a first device;

determine one or more of a first count of uses or a first period of time that corresponds to the one or more first signal quality values;

determine second communication data indicative of one or more second signal quality values associated with a second device;

determine one or more of a second count of uses or a second period of time that corresponds to the one or more second signal quality values;

determine that at least a first subset of the one or more first signal quality values is greater than at least a second subset of the one or more second signal quality values;

cause the first device to receive the first data from an access point;

cause the first device to transmit the first data to the second device for the first count of uses or the first period of time;

cause the second device to receive second data from the access point; and

cause the second device to transmit the second data to the first device for the second count of uses or the second period of time.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

access scoring data that associates weights with respective signal quality values;

determine correspondence between the one or more first signal quality values and the scoring data;

determine a first communication score for the first device based at least in part on the correspondence between the scoring data and the one or more first signal quality values;

determine correspondence between the one or more second signal quality values and the scoring data;

determine a second communication score for the second device based at least in part on the correspondence between the scoring data and the one or more second signal quality values; and

determine that the first communication score is greater than the second communication score.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine a third signal quality value associated with transmission of the first data by the first device;

determine a third communication score based on the first communication score and the third signal quality value; and

determine, based in part on the third communication score, a third count of uses or a third period of time for transmission of third data by the first device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more first signal quality values include a first value and a second value, the system further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine a third value associated with transmission of the first data by the first device;

determine that the first value is associated with a first time prior to a threshold time;

determine that the second value is associated with a second time subsequent to the threshold time; and

determine that the third value is associated with a third time subsequent to the threshold time;

wherein the first communication score is determined based in part on the second value and the third value.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine that the first communication score exceeds a threshold communication score for at least a threshold period of time; and

in response to the first communication score exceeding the threshold communication score, set the second count of uses or the second period of time to zero.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a third device and computer-executable instructions to:

determine that a signal strength value associated with communication between the third device and the access point is less than a threshold signal strength value; and

designate the third device as a slave device for receiving data from the first device and the second device in response to the signal strength value being less than the threshold signal strength value.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine an addition of a third device to a network associated with the first device and the second device;

in response to the addition of the third device, cause the third device to receive third data from the access point and transmit the third data to at least the first device and the second device;

determine one or more third signal quality values associated with the third device; and

based in part on the one or more third signal quality values, determine a third count of uses or a third period of time associated with transmission by the third device.