Multiple-device setup

• US 10,303,422 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Woo, Sein, van den Berg, Liesbeth, Pollock, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar R
• Application Number:
  US14/988,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• 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: H04N 21/4307 Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen
• 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 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo

Abstract

An example implementation may involve a media playback system detecting two or more playback devices of a given type. The implementation may further involve transmitting, to a particular playback device of the detected playback devices, an instruction that causes the particular playback device to emit a given sound. The implementation may also involve receiving an identification of the particular playback device and displaying, via a graphical interface, one or more prompts to join the particular playback device into the media playback system.

Claims

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

detecting two or more playback devices of a given type, wherein detecting the two or more playback devices of the given type comprises receiving, via a wireless network interface, respective beacon messages from the two or more playback devices, wherein each beacon messages indicates that a given playback device is of the given type;

after detecting the two or more playback devices, transmitting, to a particular playback device of the detected playback devices, an instruction that causes the particular playback device to emit a given sound;

displaying, via a graphical interface, a prompt to identify the particular playback device by pressing a given button on the particular playback device that is emitting the given sound;

after transmitting the instruction, receiving an identification of the particular playback device, wherein receiving the identification of the particular playback device comprises receiving a message from the particular playback device indicating that the particular playback device was identified; and

based on receiving the identification of the particular playback device, displaying, via the graphical interface, one or more prompts to join the particular playback device into a media playback system.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the media playback system comprises one or more pre-existing playback devices that have been configured into one or more zones of the media playback system, and wherein the method further comprises displaying a zones interface that includes (i) respective indications of the one or more zones, wherein each of the one or more zones comprises at least one of the one or more pre-existing playback devices, and (ii) respective indications of the detected playback devices, wherein the detected playback devices are not configured into zones of the media playback system.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises displaying, via the graphical interface, an indication that two or more playback devices were detected, and wherein receiving a message from the particular playback device indicating that the particular playback device was identified comprises receiving input indicating a selection of the indication corresponding to the particular playback device.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein receiving respective beacon messages from the two or more playback devices comprises receiving respective beacon messages that indicate respective serial numbers of the two or more playback devices, and wherein receiving the message from the particular playback device indicating that the particular playback device was identified further comprises receiving input indicating a serial number of the particular playback device.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying a selectable option, that when selected, causes display of a prompt to identify the particular playback device, wherein displaying the prompt to identify the particular playback device by pressing the given button on the particular playback device that is emitting the given sound comprises displaying the prompt to identify the particular playback device in response to detecting selection of the selectable option.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the media playback system comprises one or more pre-existing playback devices that have been configured into one or more zones of the media playback system, wherein the control device is connected with the one or more pre-existing playback devices via a particular wireless network, and wherein the method further comprises:

based on receiving the identification of the particular playback device, transmitting an instruction that causes the particular playback device to connect with the one or more pre-existing playback devices via the particular wireless network using (i) an identifier of the particular wireless network and (ii) a key of the particular wireless network.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein detecting two or more playback devices of the given type comprises detecting two or more playback devices of the same model.

8. A method comprising:

detecting, via a control device, two or more playback devices of a given type, wherein detecting the two or more playback devices of the given type comprises receiving, via a wireless network interface, respective beacon messages from the two or more playback devices, wherein each beacon messages indicates that a given playback device is of the given type;

after detecting the two or more playback devices, transmitting, to a particular playback device of the detected playback devices, an instruction that causes the particular playback device to emit a given sound;

displaying, via a graphical interface, a prompt to identify the particular playback device by pressing a given button on the particular playback device that is emitting the given sound;

after transmitting the instruction, receiving an identification of the particular playback device, wherein receiving the identification of the particular playback device comprises receiving a message from the particular playback device indicating that the particular playback device was identified; and

based on receiving the identification of the particular playback device, displaying, via a graphical interface, one or more prompts to join the particular playback device into a media playback system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the media playback system comprises one or more pre-existing playback devices that have been configured into one or more zones of the media playback system, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying an indication that two or more playback devices were detected, wherein displaying the indication that two or more playback devices were detected comprises displaying a zones interface that includes (i) respective indications of the one or more zones, wherein each of the one or more zones comprises at least one of the one or more pre-existing playback devices, and (ii) respective indications of the detected playback devices, wherein the detected playback devices are not configured into zones of the media playback system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises displaying, via the graphical interface, an indication that two or more playback devices were detected, and wherein receiving a message from the particular playback device indicating that the particular playback device was identified comprises receiving input indicating a selection of the indication corresponding to the particular playback device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving respective beacon messages from the two or more playback devices comprises receiving respective beacon messages that indicate respective serial numbers of the two or more playback devices, and wherein receiving the message from the particular playback device indicating that the particular playback device was identified further comprises receiving input indicating a serial number of the particular playback device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises displaying a selectable option, that when selected, causes display of a prompt to identify the particular playback device, wherein displaying the prompt to identify the particular playback device by pressing the given button on the particular playback device that is emitting the given sound comprises displaying the prompt to identify the particular playback device in response to detecting selection of the selectable option.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the media playback system comprises one or more pre-existing playback devices that have been configured into one or more zones of the media playback system, wherein the control device is connected with the one or more pre-existing playback devices via a particular wireless network, and wherein the method further comprises:

based on receiving the identification of the particular playback device, transmitting an instruction that causes the particular playback device to connect with the one or more pre-existing playback devices via the particular wireless network using (i) an identifier of the particular wireless network and (ii) a key of the particular wireless network.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting two or more playback devices of the given type comprises detecting two or more playback devices of the same model.

15. A control device comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

detecting two or more playback devices of a given type, wherein detecting the two or more playback devices of the given type comprises receiving, via a wireless network interface, respective beacon messages from the two or more playback devices, wherein each beacon messages indicates that a given playback device is of the given type;

after detecting the two or more playback devices, transmitting, to a particular playback device of the detected playback devices, an instruction that causes the particular playback device to emit a given sound;

displaying, via a graphical interface, a prompt to identify the particular playback device by pressing a given button on the particular playback device that is emitting the given sound;

after transmitting the instruction, receiving an identification of the particular playback device, wherein receiving the identification of the particular playback device comprises receiving a message from the particular playback device indicating that the particular playback device was identified; and

based on receiving the identification of the particular playback device, displaying, via a graphical interface, one or more prompts to join the particular playback device into a media playback system.

16. The control device of claim 15, wherein the media playback system comprises one or more pre-existing playback devices that have been configured into one or more zones of the media playback system, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying an indication that two or more playback devices were detected, wherein displaying the indication that two or more playback devices were detected comprises displaying a zones interface that includes (i) respective indications of the one or more zones, wherein each of the one or more zones comprises at least one of the one or more pre-existing playback devices, and (ii) respective indications of the detected playback devices, wherein the detected playback devices are not configured into zones of the media playback system.

17. The control device of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises displaying, via the graphical interface, an indication that two or more playback devices were detected, and wherein receiving a message from the particular playback device indicating that the particular playback device was identified comprises receiving input indicating a selection of the indication corresponding to the particular playback device.

18. The control device of claim 15, wherein receiving respective beacon messages from the two or more playback devices comprises receiving respective beacon messages that indicate respective serial numbers of the two or more playback devices, and wherein receiving the message from the particular playback device indicating that the particular playback device was identified further comprises receiving input indicating a serial number of the particular playback device.

19. The control device of claim 15, wherein the media playback system comprises one or more pre-existing playback devices that have been configured into one or more zones of the media playback system, wherein the control device is connected with the one or more pre-existing playback devices via a particular wireless network, and wherein the method further comprises:

based on receiving the identification of the particular playback device, transmitting an instruction that causes the particular playback device to connect with the one or more pre-existing playback devices via the particular wireless network using (i) an identifier of the particular wireless network and (ii) a key of the particular wireless network.

20. The control device of claim 15, wherein detecting two or more playback devices of the given type comprises detecting two or more playback devices of the same model.