System for distributing audio output using multiple devices

• US 10,341,792 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Shengwei, Guo, Jin, Feldman, Alexander, Shukla, Ashish
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sellers, Daniel R
• Application Number:
  US15/357,579
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 381 85
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

Described are techniques for distributing audio data to multiple audio devices for generation of a synchronized audio output. A master device may receive audio data from a content server or other remote data source and store the audio data in a local cache. The master device may provide the audio data to multiple slave devices using a single multicast transmission. In some cases, the master device may also provide the audio data to individual slave devices unable to receive the multicast transmission using a network connection. Each slave device may store the audio data in a local cache. To generate the audio output, each audio device may retrieve the audio data from the associated local cache, which may enable the audio data to be distributed without modifying the commands used by audio applications to generate the audio output.

Claims

1. A system comprising a master audio device and a plurality of first slave audio devices,

the master audio device including:

one or more first memories storing computer-executable instructions; and

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

receive a command to initiate an audio output using the master audio device and the plurality of first slave audio devices;

provide a request for audio data associated with the audio output;

receive the audio data;

store the audio data in a first local cache associated with the master audio device;

provide a first portion of the audio data to the plurality of first slave audio devices using a multicast transmission;

receive a confirmation of receipt from at least a first slave audio device and a second slave audio device of the plurality of first slave audio devices;

in response to receiving the confirmation of receipt, provide a second portion of the audio data to the plurality of first slave audio devices;

retrieve a portion of the audio data from the first local cache; and

output audio corresponding to the portion of the audio data; and

each respective slave audio device of the plurality of first slave audio devices including;

one or more second memories storing computer-executable instructions; and

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

receive a signal from one or more of the master audio device or a control device in communication with the master audio device and activate a multicast receiver;

receive, using the multicast receiver, the audio data from the master audio device;

store the audio data received from the master audio device in a second local cache associated with the respective slave audio device;

retrieve the portion of the audio data from the second local cache; and

output audio corresponding to the portion of the audio data.

2. The system of claim 1, further including an access point communicably connected to the master audio device and a third slave audio device, wherein the master audio device further comprises computer-executable instructions to:

receive, via the access point, a request for the audio data from the third slave audio device;

provide the audio data to the third slave audio device via the access point; and

wherein the third slave audio device includes one or more third memories storing computer-executable instructions and one or more third hardware processors to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

provide the request to the master audio device;

receive, via the access point, the audio data from the master audio device; and

output audio corresponding to the portion of the audio data.

3. The system of claim 1, including an access point communicably coupled to the master audio device and at least one slave audio device of the plurality of first slave audio devices, wherein the computer-executable instructions of the master audio device are to:

determine that one or more portions of the audio data were not received by the at least one slave audio device;

determine that an error rate associated with receipt of data by the at least one slave audio device exceeds a threshold error rate; and

provide the one or more portions of the audio data to the at least one slave audio device via the access point.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one slave audio device of the plurality of first slave audio devices further comprises computer-executable instructions to:

determine that one or more portions of the audio data were not received via the multicast transmission;

provide an indication of the one or more portions of the audio data to the master audio device;

receive, using the multicast receiver, the one or more portions of the audio data from the master audio device; and

wherein the master audio device further comprises computer-executable instructions to;

receive a first indication of the one or more portions of the audio data from the first slave audio device of the plurality of first slave audio devices;

receive a second indication of the one or more portions of the audio data from the second slave audio device of the plurality of first slave audio devices; and

provide the one or more portions of the audio data to the first slave audio device and the second slave audio device using a single multicast transmission.

5. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first audio device, a command to output audio, wherein the command is indicative of one or more of audio data or one or more audio devices;

generating, by the first audio device, a request for the audio data based on the command;

receiving, by the first audio device, the audio data;

storing, by the first audio device, the audio data in a first cache associated with the first audio device;

providing, by the first audio device, the audio data to a second audio device and a third audio device using a multicast transmission;

receiving, by the first audio device from the second audio device, a first indication of one or more portions of the audio data that were not received;

receiving, by the first audio device from the third audio device, a second indication of the one or more portions of the audio data not received; and

providing, by the first audio device, the one or more portions of the audio data to the second audio device and the third audio device using a single multicast transmission;

storing, by the second audio device, the audio data in a second cache;

configuring a first audio application associated with the first audio device to retrieve the audio data from the first cache;

causing the first audio device to retrieve at least a portion of the audio data from the first cache and to output audio corresponding to the at least a portion of the audio data; and

causing the second audio device to retrieve the at least a portion of the audio data from the second cache and to output audio corresponding to the at least a portion of the audio data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing, by the first audio device, the audio data to a fourth audio via an access point in communication with the first audio device and the fourth audio device; and

causing the fourth audio device to output audio.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first audio device is in communication with a fourth audio device, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the first audio device from the fourth audio device, the audio data; and

causing the fourth audio device to output audio based on the at least a portion of the audio data.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the first audio device from the second audio device, a request for one or more portions of the audio data via an access point in communication with the first audio device and the second audio device;

determining an error rate associated with receipt of data by the second audio device to exceed a threshold error rate; and

providing, by the first audio device to the second audio device, the one or more portions of the audio data via the access point.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the first audio device, a command from a control device;

providing, by the first audio device, a request for the audio data; and

causing the second audio device to activate a multicast receiver.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the first audio device, a command from a control device; and

retrieving, by the first audio device, the at least a portion of the audio data from the first cache responsive to the command.

11. The method of claim 5,

wherein the providing of the audio data to the second audio device and the third audio device includes:

providing, by the first audio device, a first portion of the audio data via the multicast transmission;

receiving, by the first audio device, a first confirmation of receipt of the first portion from the second audio device;

receiving, by the first audio device, a second confirmation of receipt of the first portion from the third audio device; and

responsive to receiving both the first confirmation and the second confirmation, providing, with the first audio device, a second portion of the audio data via the multicast transmission.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the first audio device, a first confirmation from the second audio device indicating receipt of one or more portions of the audio data;

receiving, by the first audio device, a second confirmation from the third audio device indicating receipt of the one or more portions of the audio data; and

causing the first audio device to generate a second multicast transmission for receipt by the second audio device and the third audio device.

13. A system comprising:

one or more first memories storing computer-executable instructions; and

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

cause a master device to transmit data from the master device to a plurality of first slave devices using a multicast transmission;

cause the plurality of first slave devices to receive the data via the multicast transmission;

cause each first slave device of the plurality of first slave devices to store the data in a respective cache;

determine that a particular first slave device of the plurality of first slave devices did not receive at least a subset of the data;

cause the master device to provide the at least a subset of the data to the particular first slave device via an access point in communication with the master device and the particular first slave device; and

cause each first slave device of the plurality of first slave devices to to output content corresponding to at least a portion of the data, wherein each first slave device of the plurality of first slave devices retrieves the at least a portion of the data from the respective cache and outputs the content based on the at least a portion of the data.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

access group data indicative of a relationship between the master device and the plurality of first slave devices; and

configure the master device to retrieve the data from a remote data source, store the data in a local cache, transmit the data using the multicast transmission, and retrieve the at least a portion of the data from the local cache.

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

receive a command from a control device, wherein the command indicates the master device and the plurality of first slave devices to be used to output the content; and

generate the group data responsive to the command.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

cause the master device to receive a request for the data from a second slave device via an access point in communication with the master device and the second slave device; and

cause the master device to provide the data to the second slave device via the access point.

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

configure the second slave device to provide the data to a plurality of third slave devices using a second multicast transmission; and

cause each third slave device of the plurality of third slave devices to receive the data via the second multicast transmission, store the data in a respective cache, and retrieve the data from the respective cache to output a second portion of the content.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

cause the master device to transmit a first portion of the data to the plurality of first slave devices via the multicast transmission;

cause the master device to receive respective confirmations from each first slave device of the plurality of first slave devices;

cause the master device to determine that the respective confirmation from each first slave device has been received; and

cause the master device to, responsive to the respective confirmation, transmit a second portion of the data to the plurality of first slave devices.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

cause the master device to receive a first confirmation from a first device of the plurality of first slave devices, the first confirmation indicating receipt of one or more portions of the data;

cause the master device to receive a second confirmation from a second device of the plurality of first slave devices, the second confirmation indicating receipt of the one or more portions of the data; and

cause the master device to generate a second multicast transmission for receipt by the first device and the second device.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine that an error rate associated with receipt of the at least a subset of the data by the particular first slave device exceeds a threshold error rate, wherein the master device is caused to provide the at least a subset of the data to the particular first slave device via the access point in response to the error rate exceeding the threshold error rate.