Immersive audio in a media playback system

• US 10,554,712 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2019
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lang, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Laekemariam, Yosef K
• Application Number:
  US16/556,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20190387038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 158 Days
• Field of Search: 381 2, 381 10, 381 17, 381 18, 381 80, 381 85, 381 947, 381300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• 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 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/027 Spatial or constructional arrangements of microphones, e.g. in dummy heads
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/01 Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/11 Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field H04S2420/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/15 Aspects of sound capture and related signal processing for recording or reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/002 Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30
• 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 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments described herein involve an auxiliary zone contributing audio to a primary zone. In an example implementation, a network media system determines that a first zone in the network media system is playing back a first type of audio content and that a second zone in the network media system is not playing back audio content. While the first zone is playing back the first type of audio content and the second zone is not playing back audio content, the network media system forms a temporarily playback configuration. In the temporary playback configuration, the first zone plays back primary audio content including full frequency range audio content and the second playback device of the second zone plays back auxiliary audio content including low frequency range audio content.

Claims

1. A method to be performed by a network media system, the method comprising:

the network media system determining that a first zone in the network media system is playing back a first type of audio content, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices;

the network media system determining that a second zone in the network media system is not playing back audio content, wherein the second zone comprises a second playback device; and

while (i) the first zone is playing back the first type of audio content and (ii) the second zone is not playing back audio content, the network media system forming a temporarily playback configuration in which the first zone plays back primary audio content comprising full frequency range audio content and the second playback device of the second zone plays back auxiliary audio content comprising low frequency range audio content, wherein the first zone and the second zone are each configured to play back audio content individually before forming the temporarily playback configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the network media system detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content, and

in response to detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content, the network media system forming the second playback device into the second zone, wherein forming the second playback device into the second zone de-forms the temporarily playback configuration.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content comprises detecting that the first zone is instructed to play back a second type of content, and wherein the second type of content is an audio track streamed via a network interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the network media system detecting that the second zone is instructed to play back audio content, and

in response to detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content, the network media system forming the second playback device into the second zone, wherein forming the second playback device into the second zone de-forms the temporarily playback configuration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of audio content is an audio track of a video, and wherein determining that the first zone in the network media system is playing back the first type of audio content comprises determining that the first zone is receiving the audio track of the video via (a) an output port of a display device or (b) an output port of a media player device that outputs audio and video.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second playback device is a subwoofer, and wherein the second zone consists of the subwoofer and one or more full-range playback devices, and wherein forming the temporary playback configuration comprises temporarily forming a bonded zone that includes the one or more playback devices of the first zone and the subwoofer of the second zone, wherein the second zone consists of the one or more full-range playback devices while the temporary playback configuration is formed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second zone consists of a subwoofer and one or more full-range playback devices, wherein the first type of audio content is a multi-channel audio track, and wherein the full frequency range audio content comprises a center channel audio track and wherein the auxiliary audio content comprises one or more surround audio tracks.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via a network interface from a control device, instructions designating the second zone as part of the temporarily playback configuration.

9. A network media system comprising:

one or more processors; and

data storage storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the network media system to perform functions comprising;

determining that a first zone in the network media system is playing back a first type of audio content, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices;

determining that a second zone in the network media system is not playing back audio content, wherein the second zone comprises a second playback device; and

while (i) the first zone is playing back the first type of audio content and (ii) the second zone is not playing back audio content, forming a temporarily playback configuration in which the first zone plays back primary audio content comprising full frequency range audio content and the second playback device of the second zone plays back auxiliary audio content comprising low frequency range audio content, wherein the first zone and the second zone are each configured to play back audio content individually before forming the temporarily playback configuration.

10. The network media system of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content, and

in response to detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content, forming the second playback device into the second zone, wherein forming the second playback device into the second zone de-forms the temporarily playback configuration.

11. The network media system of claim 10, wherein detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content comprises detecting that the first zone is instructed to play back a second type of content, and wherein the second type of content is an audio track streamed via a network interface.

12. The network media system of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

detecting that the second zone is instructed to play back audio content, and

in response to detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content, forming the second playback device into the second zone, wherein forming the second playback device into the second zone de-forms the temporarily playback configuration.

13. The network media system of claim 9, wherein the first type of audio content is an audio track of a video, and wherein determining that the first zone in the network media system is playing back the first type of audio content comprises determining that the first zone is receiving the audio track of the video via (a) an output port of a display device or (b) an output port of a media player device that outputs audio and video.

14. The network media system of claim 9, wherein the second playback device is a subwoofer, and wherein the second zone consists of the subwoofer and one or more full-range playback devices, and wherein forming the temporary playback configuration comprises temporarily forming a bonded zone that includes the one or more playback devices of the first zone and the subwoofer of the second zone, wherein the second zone consists of the one or more full-range playback devices while the temporary playback configuration is formed.

15. The network media system of claim 9, wherein the second zone consists of a subwoofer and one or more full-range playback devices, wherein the first type of audio content is a multi-channel audio track, and wherein the full frequency range audio content comprises a center channel audio track and wherein the auxiliary audio content comprises one or more surround audio tracks.

16. The network media system of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving, via a network interface from a control device, instructions designating the second zone as part of the temporarily playback configuration.

17. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by at least one processor cause a network media system to perform functions comprising:

determining that a first zone in the network media system is playing back a first type of audio content, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices;

determining that a second zone in the network media system is not playing back audio content, wherein the second zone comprises a second playback device; and

while (i) the first zone is playing back the first type of audio content and (ii) the second zone is not playing back audio content, forming a temporarily playback configuration in which the first zone plays back primary audio content comprising full frequency range audio content and the second playback device of the second zone plays back auxiliary audio content comprising low frequency range audio content, wherein the first zone and the second zone are each configured to play back audio content individually before forming the temporarily playback configuration.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content, and

in response to detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content, forming the second playback device into the second zone, wherein forming the second playback device into the second zone de-forms the temporarily playback configuration.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content comprises detecting that the first zone is instructed to play back a second type of content, and wherein the second type of content is an audio track streamed via a network interface.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

detecting that the second zone is instructed to play back audio content, and

in response to detecting that the first zone is no longer playing back the first type of audio content, forming the second playback device into the second zone, wherein forming the second playback device into the second zone de-forms the temporarily playback configuration.