Metadata exchange involving a networked playback system and a networked microphone system

• US 10,365,889 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Plagge, Mark, Jarvis, Simon, Butts, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-See
• Application Number:
  US15/804,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20180060033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 381110, 381 92, 381 56- 59, 381314, 381300, 381 61, 381 77, 381 96, 700 94, 4554143, 715736, 715716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40052 High-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus bus transfer protocol on a daisy chain bus using an embedded synchronisation G06F13/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• 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: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for establishing a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and a networked microphone system, wherein the networked microphone system comprises a networked microphone device and a networked microphone server. After establishing the metadata exchange channel, the media playback system experiences a metadata exchange triggering event. In response to experiencing the metadata exchange triggering event, the media playback system provides metadata to the networked microphone system via the metadata exchange channel.

Claims

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

establishing a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and the networked microphone system, wherein the media playback system comprises a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein the networked microphone system comprises a network microphone device, wherein the first playback device comprises the network microphone device, and wherein the first and second playback devices and the network microphone device are on a local area network;

obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the first and second playback devices indicating that the first playback device is grouped with the second playback device for synchronous playback of audio content with the first playback device;

receiving by at least one network microphone server of the networked microphone system from the network microphone device, a voice input comprising a context-specific request; and

in response to receiving the voice input, (a) generating a response to the voice input based on (i) the context-specific request and (ii) the metadata associated with the media playback system and (b) causing at least one of the first and second playback devices to play back the audio content, wherein the causing comprises transmitting the response from the at least one network microphone server to the network microphone device.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the response further causes a third playback device to be grouped with the first and second playback devices for synchronous playback of the audio content.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the response further causes the first playback device to ungroup from the second playback device.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the response further causes the media playback system to update the metadata associated with the first and second playback devices.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the response causes the first playback device to play the audio content and further causes the second playback device to cease playback of the audio content.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the context-specific request corresponds to particular audio content for playback by the media playback system.

7. A networked microphone system comprising at least one network microphone server and a network microphone device, the at least one network microphone server comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the network microphone system to perform a method comprising;

establishing a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and the networked microphone system, wherein the media playback system comprises a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein the first playback device comprises the network microphone device, and wherein the first and second playback devices and the network microphone device are on a local area network;

obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the first and second playback devices indicating that the first playback device is grouped with the second playback device for synchronous playback of audio content with the first playback device;

receiving by the at least one network microphone server from the network microphone device, a voice input comprising a context-specific request; and

in response to receiving the voice input, (a) generating a response to the voice input based on (i) the context-specific request and (ii) the metadata associated with the media playback system and (b) causing at least one of the first and second playback devices to play back the audio content, wherein the causing comprises transmitting the response from the at least one network microphone server to the network microphone device.

8. The networked microphone system of claim 7, wherein the response further causes a third playback device to be grouped with the first and second playback devices for synchronous playback of the audio content.

9. The networked microphone system of claim 7, wherein the response further causes the first playback device to ungroup from the second playback device.

10. The networked microphone system of claim 7, wherein the response further causes the media playback system to update the metadata associated with the first and second playback devices.

11. The networked microphone system of claim 7, wherein obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the first and second playback devices comprises periodically obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the first and second playback devices.

12. The networked microphone system of claim 7, wherein the context-specific request corresponds to particular audio content for playback by the media playback system.

13. The networked microphone system of claim 7, wherein the response causes the first playback device to play the audio content and further causes the second playback device to cease playback of the audio content.

14. The networked microphone system of claim 7, wherein the metadata indicates that the first and second playback devices are bonded devices.

15. A method comprising:

establishing a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and a networked microphone system, wherein the media playback system comprises a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein the networked microphone system comprises a network microphone device, and wherein the first and second playback devices and the network microphone device are on a local area network;

obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the first and second playback devices indicating that the first playback device is grouped with the second playback device for synchronous playback of audio content with the first playback device;

receiving by at least one network microphone server of the networked microphone system from the network microphone device, a voice input comprising a context-specific request; and

in response to receiving the voice input, (a) generating a response to the voice input based on (i) the context-specific request and (ii) the metadata associated with the media playback system and (b) causing at least one of the first and second playback devices to play back the audio content, wherein the causing comprises transmitting the response from the at least one network microphone server to the network microphone device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the response further causes a third playback device to be grouped with the first and second playback devices for synchronous playback of the audio content.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the response further causes the first playback device to ungroup from the second playback device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the response further causes the media playback system to update the metadata associated with the first and second playback devices.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the response causes the first playback device to play the audio content and further causes the second playback device to cease playback of the audio content.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the context-specific request corresponds to particular audio content for playback by the media playback system.