Networked device group information in a system with multiple media playback protocols

• US 10,362,339 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Coburn, IV, Arthur L., Torgerson, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tien M
• Application Number:
  US15/714,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20190075331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 : Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• 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

Abstract

A first networked device may perform operations including receiving, from a media source device, a first media stream and a first media stream identifier. The first networked device may receive the first media stream via a wireless network connection. Operations may further include receiving, from a second networked device, a second media stream identifier that corresponds to a second media stream the second networked device is receiving from the media source device. Operations may further include determining a common stream characteristic between the first media stream and the second media stream and, in response to determining the common stream characteristic, grouping the second networked device with the first networked device. Operations may further include transmitting, to a controller device, an indication that the first networked device and second networked device are grouped.

Claims

1. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a first networked device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a media source device, a first media stream and a first media stream identifier using a first media playback protocol, wherein the first networked device and the media source device are configured to use the first media playback protocol;

receiving, from a second networked device, a second media stream identifier, wherein the second media stream identifier corresponds to a second media stream received by the second networked device from the media source device using the first media playback protocol;

determining a common stream characteristic between the first media stream and the second media stream;

in response to determining the common stream characteristic between the first media stream and the second media stream, grouping the second networked device with the first networked device using a second media playback protocol, wherein grouping the second networked device with the first networked device comprises updating a topology of a network media system associated with the second media playback protocol, wherein the topology of the network media system comprises an indication of a group status for the first networked device and second networked device, wherein the first networked device and the second networked device are configured to use the first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol, and wherein the first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol are incompatible; and

transmitting, to a controller device, an indication that the first networked device and second networked device are grouped.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein grouping the second networked device with the first networked device comprises updating a grouping state variable of the first networked device to indicate that the first networked device is grouped with the second networked device.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining a common stream characteristic between the first media stream and the second media stream comprises determining that the first media stream identifier and second media stream identifier are identical.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining a common stream characteristic between the first media stream and the second media stream comprises determining that the first media stream and second media stream originate from the media source device.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the controller device comprises the media source device.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the controller device, a command to ungroup the second networked device from the first networked device;

in response to receiving the command to ungroup the second networked device from the first networked device, ungrouping the second networked device from the first networked device;

causing the second networked device to transmit, to the media source device, a command to disconnect from the second networked device; and

transmitting, to the controller device, an indication that the first networked device and second networked device are ungrouped.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein ungrouping the second networked device with the first networked device comprises ungrouping the second networked device from the first networked device in the topology of the network media system.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein ungrouping the second networked device from the first networked device in the topology of the network media system comprises updating the group status of the first networked device and second networked device to indicate that the first networked device and second networked device are ungrouped.

9. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein ungrouping the second networked device with the first networked device comprises updating a grouping state variable of the first networked device.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the indication of the group status for the first networked device and second networked device comprises an indication of grouped, ungrouped, or group coordinator status.

11. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a first networked device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a media source device, a first media stream and a first media stream identifier using a first media playback protocol, wherein the first networked device and the media source device are configured to use the first media playback protocol;

receiving, from a second networked device, a second media stream identifier, wherein the second media stream identifier corresponds to a second media stream received by the second networked device from the media source device using the first media playback protocol;

determining a common stream characteristic between the first media stream and the second media stream;

in response to determining the common stream characteristic between the first media stream and the second media stream, grouping the second networked device to the first networked device using a second media playback protocol to form a group comprising the first networked device and the second networked device, wherein grouping the second networked device with the first networked device comprises updating a topology of a network media system associated with the second media playback protocol wherein the topology of the network media system comprises an indication of a group status for the first networked device and second networked device, wherein the first networked device and the second networked device are configured to use the first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol, and wherein the first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol are incompatible;

determining that the first networked device is a group coordinator of the group;

based on determining that the first networked device is the group coordinator, transmitting, to the media source device, a command to disconnect from the second networked device; and

based on determining that the first networked device is the group coordinator, transmitting, to a controller device, an indication that the first networked device and second networked device are grouped.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein determining a common stream characteristic between the first media stream and the second media stream comprises determining whether the first media stream identifier and second media stream identifier are identical.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein determining a common stream characteristic between the first media stream and the second media stream comprises determining that the first media stream and the second media stream originate from the media source device.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein grouping the second networked device to the first networked device comprises configuring the first networked device and the second networked device to play the first media stream in synchrony with one another.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein determining that the first networked device is a group coordinator comprises comparing a first device identifier of the first networked device with a second device identifier of the second networked device.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the controller device comprises the media source device.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein transmitting the indication that the first networked device and second networked device are grouped comprises changing a networked device identity of the first networked device to include the second networked device.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, from the controller device, a command to ungroup the second networked device from the first networked device;

in response to receiving the command to ungroup the second networked device from the first networked device, ungrouping the second networked device from the first networked device;

transmitting, to the controller device, an indication that the first networked device and second networked device are ungrouped; and

transmitting, to the media source device, a message to change the networked device identity of the first networked device to remove the second networked device.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein ungrouping the second networked device from the first networked device comprises reconfiguring the first networked device and the second networked device to stop playing the first media stream in synchrony with one another.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein ungrouping the second networked device from the first networked device comprises updating the topology of the network media system associated with the first media playback protocol to indicate that the first networked device and second networked device are ungrouped.