Controlling multi-site media playback systems

• US 10,602,286 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldstein, Seth David, Ramsperger, Greg, Agerbak, Michael, Coburn, IV, Arthur L., Mellors, Andy, Waghela, Nikit, Beckhardt, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Dady
• Application Number:
  US16/017,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20190394588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• 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 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• 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

Systems and methods for controlling multi-site media playback systems include, among other features, a computing system (i) receiving, from a first media playback device connected to a first network, a first registration message, (ii) in response to receiving the first registration message, assigning a system identifier and a first subsystem identifier to the first media playback device, (iii) receiving, from a second media playback device connected to the first network, a second registration message, (iv) in response to receiving the second registration message, assigning the system identifier and the first subsystem identifier to the second media playback device, (v) determining that the second media playback device is disconnected from the first network and connected to a second network, and (vi) in response to determining that the second media playback device is connected to the second network, assigning a second subsystem identifier to the second media playback device.

Claims

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

receiving, from a first media playback device connected to a first local area network, a first registration message, wherein the first media playback device is configured to operate as part of a media playback system, and wherein the media playback system is configured to include media playback devices connected to one or more of the first local area network and a second local area network;

in response to receiving the first registration message, assigning a media playback system identifier and a first subsystem identifier to the first media playback device, wherein the media playback system identifier is associated with the computing system, and wherein the first subsystem identifier is associated with the media playback system identifier and the first local area network;

receiving, from a second media playback device connected to the first local area network, a second registration message;

in response to receiving the second registration message, assigning the media playback system identifier and the first subsystem identifier to the second media playback device;

determining that the second media playback device is disconnected from the first local area network and connected to the second local area network;

in response to determining that the second media playback device is connected to the second local area network, assigning a second subsystem identifier to the second media playback device, wherein the second subsystem identifier is associated with the media playback system identifier and the second local area network;

transmitting, to the second media playback device, a message comprising the second subsystem identifier;

receiving a command to change a configuration setting on one or more devices associated with the second subsystem identifier; and

in response to receiving the command to change the configuration setting on the one or more devices associated with the second subsystem identifier, causing the second media playback device to change the configuration setting on the second media playback device.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining that the second media playback device is disconnected from the first local area network and connected to the second local area network comprises:

receiving, from the second media playback device on the second local area network, a third registration message.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining that the second media playback device is disconnected from the first local area network and connected to the second local area network comprises:

querying the first local area network to determine whether the second media playback device is a member of the first local area network; and

based on the determination that the second media playback device is not a member of the first local area network, querying the second local area network to determine whether the second media playback device is a member of the second local area network.

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

determining that the second media playback device is disconnected from the second local area network and connected to the first local area network; and

in response to determining the second media playback device is connected to the first local area network, assigning the first subsystem identifier to the second media playback device.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the computing system has one associated media playback system identifier for the computing system, and wherein the media playback system identifier has an associated subsystem identifier for each media playback device connected to the computing system.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein assigning the first subsystem identifier comprises:

determining whether the first media playback device has a cached subsystem identifier; and

in response to determining that the first media playback device does not have a cached subsystem identifier, assigning the first subsystem identifier to the first media playback device.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein assigning the first subsystem identifier comprises:

determining whether the first media playback device has a cached subsystem identifier; and

in response to determining that the first media playback device has a cached subsystem identifier, assigning the cached subsystem identifier as the first subsystem identifier to the first media playback device.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein causing the second media playback device to implement the configuration setting on the second media playback device comprises implementing the configuration setting on all of the devices associated with the second subsystem identifier.

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

receiving, from a third media playback device connected to the second local area network, a third registration message;

in response to receiving the third registration message, transmitting, to the third media playback device, a message comprising the second subsystem identifier; and

causing the third media playback device to implement the configuration setting.

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

connecting to a first local area network;

transmitting, to a computing system, a first registration message;

receiving, from the computing system, a media playback system identifier and a first subsystem identifier, wherein the first subsystem identifier is associated with the media playback system identifier and the first local area network;

disconnecting from the first local area network;

connecting to a second local area network;

transmitting, to the computing system, a second registration message;

receiving, from the computing system, a second subsystem identifier, wherein the second subsystem identifier is associated with the media playback system identifier and the second local area network;

configuring the first media playback device to use the second subsystem identifier; and

receiving, from the computing system, one or more commands to implement a change affecting all devices to which the first subsystem identifier has been assigned.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, further comprising:

after configuring the first media playback device to use the second subsystem identifier, transmitting, to the computing system, an advertisement message, wherein the advertisement message includes the second subsystem identifier.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from the computing system, a third subsystem identifier, wherein the third subsystem identifier is associated with the media playback system identifier.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein configuring the first media playback device to use the second subsystem identifier comprises storing the second subsystem identifier in a settings file of the first media playback device.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, further comprising:

after configuring the first media playback device to use the second subsystem identifier, transmitting, to the computing system, an advertisement message, wherein the advertisement message includes the second subsystem identifier stored in the settings file of the first media playback device.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, further comprising:

after transmitting the second registration message, waiting to receive, from the computing system, the second subsystem identifier; and

after receiving the second subsystem identifier, transmitting, to the computing system, an advertisement message, wherein the advertisement message includes the second subsystem identifier.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a location identifier of the first media playback device has changed; and

in response to determining the location identifier has changed, sending, to the computing system, a third registration message.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein determining the location identifier of the first media playback device has changed comprises determining that a GPS coordinate of the first media playback device has adjusted above a threshold value.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein determining the location identifier of the first media playback device has changed comprises determining that the first media playback device is connected to a third local area network.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein determining the location identifier of the first media playback device has changed comprises determining that the second local area network has experienced a DHCP change.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the third registration message comprises a re-registration message configured to update the computing system with respect to the DHCP change.