Configuration of playback device audio settings

• US 10,271,078 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Beckhardt, Steven, Schulert, Andrew, Kuper, Ron, Lang, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Jsing Forng
• Application Number:
  US14/958,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 709220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/218 Source of audio or video content , e.g. local disk arrays details of retrieval in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/65 Transmission of management data between client and server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

Example techniques describe may facilitate a playback device joining a playback network. An example implementation involves a computing device, such as smartphone or tablet, receiving, from a playback device, a message indicating that the playback device is available to join a playback network. The computing device determines, based on a configuration table, an audio setting corresponding to the playback device and transmits, to the playback device, a message indicating (i) security parameters to be used by the playback device to join the playback network, (ii) the identified audio setting to be applied by the playback device upon joining the playback network.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a mobile computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, via a network interface from a first playback device over an unsecure network, a message indicating that the first playback device is available to join a playback network, wherein one or more second playback devices are connected to the playback network;

based on a pre-existing configuration table, determining an audio setting corresponding to a playback configuration for the first playback device, wherein the playback configuration comprises the first playback device playing back audio synchronously with at least one second playback device in the playback network, wherein the determined audio setting is stored in the pre-existing configuration table prior to the mobile computing device receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network; and

transmitting, via the network interface to the first playback device, a message instructing the first playback device to;

(i) join the playback network using security parameters of the playback network, and (ii) apply the determined audio setting that is based on the pre-existing configuration table upon joining the playback network, wherein applying the determined audio setting comprises forming the playback configuration with the at least one second playback device to play back audio synchronously.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving, from the first playback device, data identifying the first playback device, and wherein determining the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises determining the audio setting further based on the data identifying the first playback device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 2, wherein the data identifying the first playback device comprises one or more of:

(a) a serial number of the first playback device, and (b) a model name of the first playback device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises:

identifying, in the pre-existing configuration table, a zone group corresponding to the first playback device, wherein the zone group includes the at least one second playback device; and

determining, as the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device, an audio setting corresponding to a given second playback device of the zone group.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining an audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises:

identifying, in the pre-existing configuration table, a zone group corresponding to the first playback device; and

determining, as the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device, an audio setting corresponding to the zone group.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from a server, the pre-existing configuration table.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network, transmitting, to a server, a request for the pre-existing configuration table; and

before determining the audio setting, receiving, from the server, the pre-existing configuration table.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

after transmitting the message to the first playback device, transmitting to the first playback device, a command to cause the first playback device to play back audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network comprises:

receiving, from the first playback device via a network access point, the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the determined audio setting comprises at least one of:

i) an audio setting for a zone group comprising the first playback device and the at least one second playback device, ii) an audio setting for a bonded zone comprising the first playback device and the at least one second playback device, and iii) an equalization setting for the first playback device.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, via a network interface of a mobile computing device from a first playback device over an unsecure network, a message indicating that the first playback device is available to join a playback network, wherein one or more second playback devices are connected to the playback network;

based on a pre-existing configuration table, determining an audio setting corresponding to a playback configuration for the first playback device, wherein the playback configuration comprises the first playback device playing back audio synchronously with at least one second playback device in the playback network, wherein the determined audio setting is stored in the pre-existing configuration table prior to the mobile computing device receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network; and

transmitting, via the network interface to the first playback device, a message instructing the first playback device to;

(i) join the playback network using security parameters of the playback network, and (ii) apply the determined audio setting that is based on the pre-existing configuration table upon joining the playback network, wherein applying the determined audio setting comprises forming the playback configuration with the at least one second playback device to play back audio synchronously.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from the first playback device, data identifying the first playback device, and wherein determining the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises determining the audio setting further based on the data identifying the first playback device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data identifying the first playback device comprises one or more of:

(a) a serial number of the first playback device, and (b) a model name of the first playback device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first playback device is a first playback device, wherein the at least one second playback device comprises a second playback device, and wherein determining the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises:

identifying, in the pre-existing configuration table, a zone group corresponding to the first playback device, wherein the zone group includes the at least one second playback device; and

determining, as the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device, an audio setting corresponding to a given second playback device of the zone group.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises:

identifying, in the pre-existing configuration table, a zone group corresponding to the first playback device; and

determining, as the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device, an audio setting corresponding to the zone group.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein the determined audio setting comprises at least one of:

i) an audio setting for a zone group comprising the first playback device and the at least one second playback device, ii) an audio setting for a bonded zone comprising the first playback device and the at least one second playback device, and iii) an equalization setting for the first playback device.

15. A mobile computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

receiving, via a network interface from a first playback device over an unsecure network, a message indicating that the first playback device is available to join a playback network, wherein one or more second playback devices are connected to the playback network;

based on a pre-existing configuration table, determining an audio setting corresponding to a playback configuration for the first playback device, wherein the playback configuration comprises the first playback device playing back audio synchronously with at least one second playback device in the playback network, wherein the determined audio setting is stored in the pre-existing configuration table prior to the mobile computing device receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network; and

transmitting, via the network interface to the first playback device, a message instructing the first playback device to;

(i) join the playback network using security parameters of the playback network, and (ii) apply the determined audio setting that is based on the pre-existing configuration table upon joining the playback network, wherein applying the determined audio setting comprises forming the playback configuration with the at least one second playback device to play back audio synchronously.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 15, the method further comprising:

in response to receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network, transmitting, to a server, a request for the pre-existing configuration table; and

before determining the audio setting, receiving, from the server, the pre-existing configuration table.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 15, the method further comprising:

after transmitting the message to the first playback device, transmitting to the first playback device, a command to cause the first playback device to play back audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network comprises:

receiving, from the first playback device via a network access point, the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the determined audio setting comprises at least one of:

i) an audio setting for a zone group comprising the first playback device and the at least one second playback device, ii) an audio setting for a bonded zone comprising the first playback device and the at least one second playback device, and iii) an equalization setting for the first playback device.