Dynamic bonding of playback devices

• US 10,599,385 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Triplett, Mark, Beckhardt, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): McCord, Paul C
• Application Number:
  US15/865,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20180150278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• 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 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Examples of dynamic bonding of playback devices are disclosed. A disclosed example first playback device includes a shared device identifier to determine that a second playback device is sharable between a first bonded zone and a second bonded zone, the first bonded zone comprising the first playback device, the second bonded zone comprising a second playback device; a device manager to cause the shared playback device to join the first bonded zone; and an adjuster to change a first audio parameter of the first playback device in accordance with the joining of the shared playback device in the first bonded zone, wherein at least one of the shared device identifier, the device manager, or the adjuster is implemented via a processor.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform operations, the operations comprising:

determining that a first playback device is a member of a first bonded zone such that, when the first bonded zone is playing back first audio content, the first playback device and a second playback device are configured to synchronously play back different portions of the first audio content, wherein while members of the first bonded zone, the first playback device has a first audio playback parameter having a first value and the second playback device has a second audio playback parameter having a second value;

determining that the first playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and a second bonded zone, the second bonded zone comprising a third playback device, the second bonded zone not comprising the second playback device, the first bonded zone not comprising the third playback device;

sending a message to the third playback device informing the third playback device that the first playback device has been added as a member of the second bonded zone such that, when the second bonded zone is playing back second audio content, the first playback device and the third playback device are configured to synchronously play back different portions of the second audio content, wherein while members of the second bonded zone, the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device has a third value and the third playback device has a third audio playback parameter having a fourth value;

storing in memory an indication of a preferred one of the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone;

determining that the first bonded zone is playing back first audio content and the second bonded zone is playing back second audio content; and

based on (i) determining that the first bonded zone is playing back first audio content and the second bonded zone is playing back second audio content and (ii) the indication, playing back respective first or second audio content as a member of only the preferred one of the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone.

2. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise providing an indication on a display that the first playback device is shared between the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone.

3. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise causing at least one of the first, second, or third playback devices to store the indication of the preferred one of the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone.

4. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a first indication on a display when the first playback is active in the first bonded zone; and

providing a second indication different than the first indication on the display when the first playback device is inactive in the first bonded zone.

5. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise providing an indication on a display that the first bonded zone is not using all playback devices of the first bonded zone.

6. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the determining that the first playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone comprises querying a data structure with an identifier of the first playback device, the data structure comprising entries for different playback devices respectively indicating whether the corresponding one of the playback devices is available to be shared between bonded zones.

7. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the message causes the third playback device to add the first playback device to the second bonded zone by changing a data structure governing membership in the second bonded zone.

8. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the message causes a first change in a data structure governing membership in the second bonded zone, a second change in a first audio playback parameter of the first playback device, and a third change in a second audio playback parameter of the third playback device.

9. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the third playback device is a master device of the second bonded zone.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the first playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone, and the sending of the message to the third playback device is in response to the determining that the first playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the third value of the first audio playback parameter is different than the first value of the first audio playback parameter, and wherein the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device changes from the first value to the third value in response to the first playback device being added to the second bonded zone.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the first value of the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device is identical to the third value of the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein (i) the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device is at least one of an equalization setting of the first playback device or a volume setting of the first playback device, (ii) the second audio playback parameter of the second playback device is at least one of an equalization setting of the second playback device or a volume setting of the second playback device, and (iii) the third audio playback parameter of the third playback device is at least one of an equalization setting of the third playback device or a volume setting of the third playback device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein after the first playback device is added to the second bonded zone, the second audio playback parameter of the second playback device changes from the second value to a fifth value that is different than the second value and the third audio playback parameter of the third playback device changes from a sixth value to the fourth value that is different than the sixth value.

22. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform operations, the operations comprising:

after determining that the first playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone, receiving an indication that the first playback device is to be added to the second bonded zone; and

in response to receiving the indication that the first playback device is to be added to the second bonded zone, sending a second message to the first playback device to change the first audio playback parameter from the first value to the third value.

11. A method, comprising:

determining, via a processor, that a first playback device is a member of a first bonded zone such that, when the first bonded zone is playing back first audio content, the first playback device and a second playback device are configured to synchronously play back different portions of the first audio content, wherein while members of the first bonded zone, the first playback device has a first audio playback parameter having a first value and the second playback device has a second audio playback parameter having a second value;

determining, via the processor, that the first playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and a second bonded zone, the second bonded zone comprising a third playback device, the second bonded zone not comprising the second playback device, the first bonded zone not comprising the third playback device;

sending, via the processor, a message to the third playback device informing the third playback device that the first playback device has been added as a member of the second bonded zone such that, when the second bonded zone is playing back second audio content the first playback device and the third playback device are configured to synchronously play back different portions of the second audio content, wherein while members of the second bonded zone, the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device has a third value and the third playback device has a third audio playback parameter having a fourth value;

storing in memory an indication of a preferred one of the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone;

determining that the first bonded zone is playing back first audio content and the second bonded zone is playing back second audio content; and

based on (i) determining that the first bonded zone is playing back first audio content and the second bonded zone is playing back second audio content and (ii) the indication, playing back respective first or second audio content as a member of only the preferred one of the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing, via the processor, at least one of the first, second, or third playback devices to store the indication of the preferred one of the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining, via the processor, that the first playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone comprises querying a data structure with an identifier of the first playback device, the data structure comprising entries for different playback devices respectively indicating whether the corresponding one of the playback devices is available to be shared between bonded zones.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the message causes a first change in a data structure governing membership in the second bonded zone, a second change in a first audio playback parameter of the first playback device, and a third change in a second audio playback parameter of the third playback device.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the third value of the first audio playback parameter is different than the first value of the first audio playback parameter, and wherein the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device changes from the first value to the third value in response to the first playback device being added to the second bonded zone.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein the first value of the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device is identical to the third value of the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device.

25. The method of claim 11, wherein (i) the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device is at least one of an equalization setting of the first playback device or a volume setting of the first playback device, (ii) the second audio playback parameter of the second playback device is at least one of an equalization setting of the second playback device or a volume setting of the second playback device, and (iii) the third audio playback parameter of the third playback device is at least one of an equalization setting of the third playback device or a volume setting of the third playback device.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein after the first playback device is added to the second bonded zone, the second audio playback parameter of the second playback device changes from the second value to a fifth value that is different than the second value and the third audio playback parameter of the third playback device changes from a sixth value to the fourth value that is different than the sixth value.

27. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

after determining that the first playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone, receiving an indication that the first playback device is to be added to the second bonded zone; and

in response to receiving the indication that the first playback device is to be added to the second bonded zone, sending a second message to the first playback device to change the first audio playback parameter from the first value to the third value.

15. A first playback device, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more transducers;

memory comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising;

determining that the first playback device is a member of a first bonded zone such that, when the first bonded zone is playing back first audio content, the first playback device and a second playback device are configured to synchronously play back different portions of the first audio content, wherein while members of the first bonded zone, the first playback device has a first audio playback parameter having a first value and the second playback device has a second audio playback parameter having a second value;

determining that the first playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and a second bonded zone, the second bonded zone comprising a third playback device, the second bonded zone not comprising the second playback device, the first bonded zone not comprising the third playback device;

sending a message to the third playback device informing the third playback device that the first playback device has been added as a member of the second bonded zone such that, when the second bonded zone is playing back second audio content, the first playback device and the third playback device are configured to synchronously play back different portions of the second audio content, wherein while members of the second bonded zone, the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device has a third value and the third playback device has a third audio playback parameter having a fourth value,

storing in memory an indication of a preferred one of the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone;

determining that the first bonded zone is playing back first audio content and the second bonded zone is playing back second audio content; and

based on (i) determining that the first bonded zone is playing back first audio content and the second bonded zone is playing back second audio content and (ii) the indication, playing back respective first or second audio content as a member of only the preferred one of the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone.

16. The playback device of claim 15, wherein the message causes the third playback device to add the playback device to the second bonded zone by changing a data structure governing membership in the second bonded zone.

17. The playback device of claim 15, wherein the determining that the playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone comprises querying a data structure with an identifier of the playback device, the data structure comprising entries for different playback devices respectively indicating whether the corresponding one of the playback devices is available to be shared between bonded zones.

28. The playback device of claim 15, wherein the third value of the first audio playback parameter is different than the first value of the first audio playback parameter, and wherein the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device changes from the first value to the third value in response to the first playback device being added to the second bonded zone.

29. The playback device of claim 15, wherein the first value of the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device is identical to the third value of the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device.

30. The playback device of claim 15, wherein (i) the first audio playback parameter of the first playback device is at least one of an equalization setting of the first playback device or a volume setting of the first playback device, (ii) the second audio playback parameter of the second playback device is at least one of an equalization setting of the second playback device or a volume setting of the second playback device, and (iii) the third audio playback parameter of the third playback device is at least one of an equalization setting of the third playback device or a volume setting of the third playback device.

31. The playback device of claim 15, wherein after the first playback device is added to the second bonded zone, the second audio playback parameter of the second playback device changes from the second value to a fifth value that is different than the second value and the third audio playback parameter of the third playback device changes from a sixth value to the fourth value that is different than the sixth value.

32. The playback device of claim 15, further comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

after determining that the first playback device is available to be shared between the first bonded zone and the second bonded zone, receiving an indication that the first playback device is to be added to the second bonded zone; and

in response to receiving the indication that the first playback device is to be added to the second bonded zone, sending a second message to the first playback device to change the first audio playback parameter from the first value to the third value.