MANAGING AUDIO OUTPUT THROUGH AN INTERMEDIARY

• US 20130016848A1
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NICE North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, Jeffrey Glenn, Warren, Jeremy Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for managing audio output through an intermediary. In some embodiments, an audio controller emulates a direct connection between an audio source device and an audio output device. In other embodiments, audio content local to an audio controller is combined with other audio content passing through the audio controller on its way from an audio source device to an audio output device. In additional embodiments, an audio output device is locked to an audio controller. The lock survives power cycling and soft resets of the audio output device. A special hard reset can be used to release the audio output device.

Claims

1. At an audio controller including one or more processors and system memory, the audio controller having a wireless network interface for wireless communication with other devices, a method for wirelessly transferring audio content from a source device to an output device, the method comprising:

an act of the wireless network interface receiving an audio content transfer request, the audio content transfer request requesting the transfer of audio content from the source device to the audio controller;

an act of the audio controller emulating to the source device a direct connection between the source device and the output device, including;

an act of the audio controller using wireless communication to formulate end-to-end audio control characteristics , the end-to-end audio control characteristics reflecting how the audio content is sent from the source device through the audio controller to the output device for audio output, the end-to-end audio control characteristics formulated by regulating the computation of first audio control parameters used to transfer the audio content from the source device to the audio controller and by regulating the computation of second audio control parameters used to transfer the audio content from the audio controller to the output device for audio output;

an act of the wireless network interface receiving a portion of the audio content from the source device, the portion of audio content sent in accordance with the first audio control parameters and in accordance with the end-to-end audio control characteristics; and

an act of the wireless network interface sending the portion of audio content on to the output device in accordance with the second audio control parameters and in accordance with the end-to-end audio control characteristics.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of the wireless network interface receiving an audio content transfer request comprises an act of receiving an audio content transfer request from the source device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the act of receiving an audio content transfer request from the source device comprises an act of receiving an audio content transfer request from a mobile phone.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of the wireless network interface receiving an audio content transfer request comprises an act of receiving an audio content transfer request from the audio controller.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of the audio controller emulating to the source device a direct connection between the source device and the output device comprises an act of an alarm system panel emulating a direct connection between an audio source device and an audio output device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of the audio controller using wireless communication to formulate end-to-end audio control characteristics with the source device comprises an act of formulating a combined playback delay from the source device to the output device.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of the wireless network interface receiving a portion of the audio content from the source device comprises an act of receiving a portion of the audio content from the source device in accordance with the combined playback delay.

8. At an audio controller including one or more processors and system memory, the audio controller having a wireless network interface for wireless communication with other devices, the audio controller wirelessly connected to one or more audio output devices, the audio controller connected to one or more sensor devices that can indicate the occurrence of events to the audio controller, a method for modifying audio content being transferred through the audio controller, the method comprising:

an act of the audio controller wirelessly transferring the audio content from a source device to an output device for real-time output;

an act of receiving an indication of an occurrence of an external event from a sensor device included in the one or more sensor devices, the indication received at a time when the audio controller is in the process of transferring the audio content to the output device for audio output; and

in response to receiving the indication of the external event;

an act of determining that additional audio content related to the external event is to be output at the audio output device;

an act of modifying one or more of the audio content and the transfer timing of the audio content in order to accommodate the additional audio content; and

an act of combining the additional audio content with the audio content sent to the output device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the act of the audio controller wirelessly transferring the audio content from a source device to an output device for real-time output comprises an act of one of:

an alarm system control panel and a home automation system control panel wirelessly transferring the audio content from a source device to an output device.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the act of the audio controller wirelessly transferring the audio content from a source device to an output device for real-time output comprises an act of wirelessly transferring music from an audio source device to wireless speakers.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the act of receiving an indication of an occurrence of an external event from a sensor device comprises an act of receiving an alarm system event from an active or passive sensor included in an alarm system.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the act of determining that additional audio content related to the external event is to be output at the audio output device comprises an act of determining that additional audio content related to an alarm system condition is to be output at the audio output device.

13. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the act of modifying one or more of the audio content and the transfer timing of the audio content in order to accommodate the additional audio content comprises an act of lowering the volume of the audio content.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the act of combining the additional audio content with the audio content sent to the output device comprises an act of mixing the additional audio content into the audio content.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the audio controller is an alarm system control panel.

15. At an audio controller including one or more processors and system memory, the audio controller having a wireless network interface for wireless communication with other devices, a method for connecting the audio controller with an audio output device, the method comprising:

an act of the audio controller receiving a user selection of a user-interface control for pairing with one or more audio output devices;

an act of the audio controller receiving a request for communication configuration information from an audio output device included in the one or more audio output devices;

an act of the wireless network interface providing communication configuration information to the wireless audio output device, the communication configuration information for use in wireless communication with the audio controller;

an act of the wireless network interface detecting an advertisement signal from the audio output device;

an act of the audio controller sending a pairing request to the detected audio output device, the pairing request including controller pairing information; and

an act of sending a signal to the audio output device to prompt the audio output device to stop sending advertisement signals such that other devices are unable to detect the audio output device and the audio output device is essentially locked to the audio controller.

17. At an audio output device including one or more processors, system memory, and non-volatile storage, the audio output device having a wireless network interface for wireless communication with other devices, a method for connecting the audio output device to an audio controller, the method comprising:

an act of the wireless network interface sending a request for communication configuration information to any accessible wireless access points;

an act of the wireless network interface receiving communication configuration information from a wireless audio controller, the communication configuration information for use in subsequent wireless communication with the wireless audio controller;

an act of the audio output device wirelessly sending an advertisement signal advertising availability of the audio output device to wirelessly pair with audio source devices;

an act of the audio output device accepting a pairing request from the wireless audio controller based on received controller pairing information;

an act of the wireless network interface receiving a signal from the wireless audio controller, the signal prompting the audio output device to stop sending advertisement signals; and

in response to receiving the signal, an act of the audio output device locking the audio output device to the wireless audio controller, including;

an act of storing the communication configuration information and controller pairing information in the non-volatile storage;

an act of directing the audio output device to re-connect to the audio controller in response to a power cycle or soft reset of the audio output device, including;

an act of automatically re-establishing wireless communication with the wireless audio controller using the stored communication configuration information;

an act of re-advertising availability to wirelessly pair with audio source devices;

an act of accepting a pairing request from the previously wirelessly paired audio controller based on the stored controller pairing information; and

an act of rejecting or not responding to pairing requests from other devices based on the stored controller pairing information; and

an act of permitting the audio output device to connect to any wireless access point and audio source device in response to a hard reset of the audio output device, including;

an act of removing the communication configuration information and controller pairing information from non-volatile storage; and

an act of the wireless network interface sending a new request for communication configuration information to any accessible wireless access points.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising an act of the audio output device detecting selection of a user interface control at the audio output device for connecting to a wireless access point;

and

wherein the act of sending a request for communication configuration information to any accessible wireless access points comprises an act of sending a request for communication configuration information in response to selection of the user interface control.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising an act of powering on the audio output device;

and

wherein the act of sending a request for communication configuration information to any accessible audio source devices comprises an act of sending a request for communication configuration information in response to powering on the audio output device.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the audio output device is wireless speakers.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the audio output device rejects any audio pairing request that does not originate from the same device from which the audio output device received communication configuration information.