Device grouping

• US 10,209,947 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Morganstern, Mark, Ferguson, Alec
• Primary Examiner(s): McCord, Paul C
• Application Number:
  US14/338,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20160026428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00

Abstract

An example method includes detecting, via a control interface of a first playback device while at least one second playback device is playing media, an input indicating a command for the first playback device to (i) form a zone with the second playback device and (ii) play back the media in synchrony, and based on the detected input, causing the first playback device to carry out the command. A second example method includes detecting, by a control device while at least one first playback device is playing media, an input indicating a command for a second playback device to (i) form a zone with the first playback device and (ii) play back the media in synchrony, wherein the control device is configured to transmit commands to the second playback device; and based on the detected input, causing the second playback device to carry out the command.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, via a control interface of a first playback device an input indicating a command for the first playback device to form a zone, wherein the control interface does not provide an indication of a second playback device that may form a potential zone for the first playback device to join;

in response to detecting the input, determining, by the first playback device, the second playback device with which to form the zone based on (i) detecting that the second playback device of a plurality of playback devices arranged to provide media content has a highest signal strength and (ii) a time when the second playback device was included in a same zone with the first playback device;

based on the determination, (i) forming, by the first playback device, the zone with the second playback device; and

(ii) configuring the first playback device to receive the media content from the second playback device; and

after forming the zone, playing, by the first playback device, the media content in synchrony with the second playback device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first playback device from the second playback device, the media content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein playing the media content in synchrony with the second playback device comprises:

sending, by the first playback device to the second playback device, an indication of the command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone is a first zone;

and wherein before detecting the input, the first playback device is within a second zone that comprises a third playback device, the method further comprising;

based on the detected input, causing the third playback device to play the media content in synchrony with the first and second playback devices.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein causing the third playback device to play the media content in synchrony with the first and second playback devices comprises:

playing, by the first playback device, a first stereo channel of the media content; and

causing the third playback device to play a second stereo channel of the media content.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein before detecting the input, the second zone is within a third zone that comprises the second zone and a fourth playback device, the method further comprising:

based on the detected input, causing the fourth playback device to play the media content in synchrony with the first, second, and third playback devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone is a first zone;

and wherein the media content is first media content and wherein before detecting the input, the first playback device is within a second zone that also comprises a third playback device, the method further comprising;

based on the detected input, causing the third playback device to play a second media content while the first and second playback devices play the first media content in synchrony.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting signal strengths corresponding to respective zones; and

determining the potential zone based on the detected signal strengths of the respective zones.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the input, determining, by the first playback device, the second playback device further based on a most recent interaction time between the first playback device and the second playback device.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a first playback device, cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising:

detecting, via a control interface of the first playback device, an input indicating a command for the first playback device to form a zone, wherein the control interface does not provide an indication of a second playback device that may form a potential zone for the first playback device to join;

in response to detecting the input, determining, by the first playback device, a second playback device with which to form the zone based on (i) detecting that the second playback device of a plurality of playback devices arranged to provide media content has a highest signal strength and (ii) a time when the second playback device was last included in a same zone with the first playback device;

based on the determination, (i) forming by the first playback device, the zone with the second playback device; and

(ii) configuring the first playback device to receive the media content from the second playback device; and

after forming the zone, playing, by the first playback device, the media content in synchrony with the second playback device.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the zone is a first zone;

and wherein before detecting the input, the first playback device is within a second zone that comprises a third playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise;

based on the detected input, causing the third playback device to play media content in synchrony with the first and second playback devices.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the zone is a first zone;

and wherein the media content is first media content, wherein before detecting the input, the first playback device is within a second zone that also comprises a third playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise;

based on the detected input, causing the third playback device to play a second media content while the first and second playback devices play the first media content in synchrony.

12. A playback device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising;

detecting, via a control interface of a first playback device, an input indicating a command for the first playback device to form a zone, wherein the control interface does not provide an indication of a second playback device that may form a potential zone for the first playback device to join;

in response to detecting the input, determining, by the first playback device, a second playback device with which to form the zone based on (i) detecting that the second playback device of a plurality of playback devices arranged to provide media content has a highest signal strength and (ii) a time when the second playback device was last included in a same zone with the first playback device;

based on the determination, (i) forming, by the first playback device, the zone with the second playback device; and

(ii) configuring the first playback device to receive the media content from the second playback device; and

after forming the zone, playing, by the first playback device, the media content in synchrony with the second playback device.