Systems and methods for associating playback devices with voice assistant services

• US 10,681,460 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Woo, Sein, Tolomei, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant S
• Application Number:
  US16/022,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20200007987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 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: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Systems and methods for media playback via a media playback system include detecting a first wake word via a first network microphone device of a first playback device, detecting a second wake word via a second network microphone device of a second playback device, and forming a bonded zone that includes the first playback device and the second playback device. In response to detecting the first wake word, a first voice first voice utterance following the first wake word is transmitted a first voice assistant service. In response to detecting the second wake word, a second voice utterance following the second wake word is transmitted to a second voice assistant service. Requested media content received from the first and/or second voice assistant service is played back via the first playback device and the second playback device in synchrony with one another.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a bonded zone of a media playback system, wherein the media playback system comprises a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein forming the bonded zone comprises (i) configuring each of the first and second playback devices to have a different playback responsibility than the other and (ii) representing the bonded zone as a single user interface (UI) entity device in the media playback system, and wherein the playback responsibility of the first playback device includes playing back a left audio channel and the playback responsibility of the second playback device includes playing back a right audio channel;

detecting a first wake word via a first network microphone device of the first playback device while part of the bonded zone;

in response to detecting the first wake word via the first network microphone device;

transmitting a first voice utterance requesting playback of first media content to one or more remote computing devices associated with a first voice assistant service; and

playing back the first media content via the first and second playback devices of the bonded zone in synchrony with one another;

detecting a second wake word via a second network microphone device of the second playback device while part of the bonded zone, and

in response to detecting the second wake word via the second network microphone device;

transmitting a second voice utterance requesting playback of second media content to one or more remote computing devices associated with a second voice assistant service; and

playing back the second media content via the first and second playback devices of the bonded zone in synchrony with one another.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the bonded zone further comprises configuring a third playback system of the media playback device to form a part of the bonded zone and to have a different playback responsibility than the playback responsibilities of the first playback device and the second playback device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after forming the bonded zone, calibrating the first playback device and the second playback device concurrently.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising grouping a third playback device with the bonded zone, and wherein the playing back the first media content comprises playing back the first media content via the first, second, and third playback devices in synchrony with one another.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein representing the single UI entity device comprises displaying, via a controller device of the media playback system, a graphical representation of the single UI device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before detecting the first wake word, associating the first network microphone device with a first wake word engine, and

before detecting the second wake word, associating the second network microphone device with a second wake word engine, different from the first wake word engine.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the third playback device does not include a network microphone device.

7. A media playback system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a first network microphone device;

a second network microphone device; and

tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the media playback system to perform operations comprising;

forming a bonded zone of a media playback system, wherein the media playback system comprises a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein forming the bonded zone comprises (i) configuring each of the first and second playback devices to have a different playback responsibility than the other and (ii) representing the bonded zone as a single user interface (UI) entity device in the media playback system, and wherein the playback responsibility of the first playback device includes playing back a left audio channel and the playback responsibility of the second playback device includes playing back a right audio channel;

detecting a first wake word via a first network microphone device of the first playback device while part of the bonded zone;

in response to detecting the first wake word via the first network microphone device;

transmitting a first voice utterance requesting playback of first media content to one or more remote computing devices associated with a first voice assistant service; and

playing back the first media content via the first and second playback devices of the bonded zone in synchrony with one another;

detecting a second wake word via a second network microphone device of the second playback device while part of the bonded zone; and

in response to detecting the second wake word via the second network microphone device;

transmitting a second voice utterance requesting playback of second media content to one or more remote computing devices associated with a second voice assistant service; and

playing back the second media content via the first and second playback devices of the bonded zone in synchrony with one another.

8. The media playback system of claim 7, wherein forming the bonded zone further comprises configuring a third playback device of the media playback system to form a part of the bonded zone and to have a different playback responsibility than the playback responsibilities of the first playback device.

9. The media playback system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

after forming the bonded zone, calibrating the first playback device and the second playback device concurrently.

10. The media playback system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise grouping a third playback device with the bonded zone, and wherein the playing back the first media content comprises playing back the first media content via the first, second, and third playback devices in synchrony with one another.

11. The media playback system of claim 7, wherein representing the single UI entity device comprises displaying, via a controller device of the media playback system, a graphical representation of the single device.

12. The media playback system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

before detecting the first wake word, associating the first network microphone device with a first wake word engine, and

before detecting the second wake word, associating the second network microphone device with a second wake word engine, different from the first wake word engine.

19. The media playback system of claim 8, wherein the third playback device does not include a network microphone device.

13. Tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a media playback system to perform operations comprising:

forming a bonded zone of a media playback system, wherein the media playback system comprises a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein forming the bonded zone comprises (i) configuring each of the first and second playback devices to have a different playback responsibility than the other and (ii) representing the bonded zone as a single user interface (UI) entity device in the media playback system, and wherein the playback responsibility of the first playback device includes playing back a left audio channel and the playback responsibility of the second playback device includes playing back a right audio channel;

detecting a first wake word via a first network microphone device of the first playback device while part of the bonded zone;

in response to detecting the first wake word via the first network microphone device;

transmitting a first voice utterance requesting playback of first media content to one or more remote computing devices associated with a first voice assistant service; and

playing back the first media content via the first and second playback devices of the bonded zone in synchrony with one another;

detecting a second wake word via a second network microphone device of the second playback device while part of the bonded zone; and

in response to detecting the second wake word via the second network microphone device;

transmitting a second voice utterance requesting playback of second media content to one or more remote computing devices associated with a second voice assistant service; and

playing back the second media content via the first and second playback devices of the bonded zone in synchrony with one another.

14. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein forming the bonded zone further comprises configuring a third playback device of the media playback system to form a part of the bonded zone and to have a different playback responsibility than the playback responsibilities of the first playback device and the second playback device.

15. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

after forming the bonded zone, calibrating the first playback device and the second playback device concurrently.

16. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise grouping a third playback device with the bonded zone, and wherein the playing back the first media content comprises playing back the first media content via the first, second, and third playback devices in synchrony with one another.

17. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein representing the single UI entity device comprises displaying, via a controller device of the media playback system, a graphical representation of the single UI device.

20. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the third playback device does not include a network microphone device.