Controlling and manipulating groupings in a multi-zone media system

• US 20130253679A1
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lambourne, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/02 Remote control of amplification, tone or bandwidth combined with remote tuning or selection of resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 7/00 Volume compression or expansion in amplifiers frequency dependent H03G9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• 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: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• 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 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

In general, techniques of controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, by a controller device, a plurality of zone names for user selection via a display interface, each zone name of the plurality of zone names representing a particular zone that contains at least one player configured for multimedia playback in that zone;

receiving, by the controller device, a first user input to form a zone group, wherein the zone group comprises at least two of the plurality of zones;

determining, by the controller device, whether the at least two of the plurality of zones are playing back different multimedia content;

when the at least two of the plurality of zones are playing back different multimedia content, displaying, by the controller device, a playback selection, wherein the playback selection identifies the different multimedia content being played by the at least two of the plurality of zones;

receiving, by the controller device, a second user input identifying one of the different multimedia content;

transmitting, by the controller device, a zone group configuration, wherein the zone group configuration facilitates synchronized playback by the zone group of the multimedia content identified in the second user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone group configuration is transmitted by the controller device to a first player of a zone in the zone group, wherein the first player is playing the multimedia content identified in the second user input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone group configuration is transmitted by the controller device via a network interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises one or more attributes associated with the zone group.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of (i) a volume level for audio playback for each zone in the zone group, (ii) a mute or unmute setting for audio playback, (iii) a selection and play of specific music, (iv) a play mode setting, (v) an equalization setting for audio playback, and (vi) an audio alarm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises a name associated with the zone group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the different multimedia content comprises a first multimedia content from a first multimedia source and a second multimedia content from a second multimedia source.

8. A multimedia controller including a processor, the controller configured to:

display a plurality of zone names for user selection via a display interface, each zone name of the plurality of zone names representing a particular zone that contains at least one player configured for multimedia playback in that zone;

receive a first user input to form a zone group, wherein the zone group comprises at least two of the plurality of zones;

determine whether the at least two of the plurality of zones are playing back different multimedia content;

when the at least two of the plurality of zones are playing back different multimedia content, display a playback selection, wherein the playback selection identifies the different multimedia content being played by the at least two of the plurality of zones;

receive a second user input identifying one of the different multimedia content;

transmit a zone group configuration, wherein the zone group configuration facilitates synchronized playback by the zone group of the multimedia content identified in the second user input.

9. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the multimedia controller is configured to transmit the zone group configuration to a first player of a zone in the zone group, wherein the first player is playing the multimedia content identified in the second user input.

10. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the multimedia controller is configured to transmit the zone group configuration via a network interface.

11. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises one or more attributes associated with the zone group.

12. The multimedia controller of claim 11, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of (i) a volume level for audio playback for each zone in the zone group, (ii) a mute or unmute setting for audio playback, (iii) a selection and play of specific music, (iv) a play mode setting, (v) an equalization setting for audio playback, and (vi) an audio alarm.

13. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises a name associated with the zone group.

14. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the different multimedia content comprises a first multimedia content from a first multimedia source and a second multimedia content from a second multimedia source.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed, implement a controller configured to:

display a plurality of zone names for user selection via a display interface, each zone name of the plurality of zone names representing a particular zone that contains at least one player configured for multimedia playback in that zone;

receive a first user input to form a zone group, wherein the zone group comprises at least two of the plurality of zones;

determine whether the at least two of the plurality of zones are playing back different multimedia content;

when the at least two of the plurality of zones are playing back different multimedia content, display a playback selection, wherein the playback selection identifies the different multimedia content being played by the at least two of the plurality of zones;

receive a second user input identifying one of the different multimedia content;

transmit a zone group configuration, wherein the zone group configuration facilitates synchronized playback by the zone group of the multimedia content identified in the second user input.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions that when executed cause the controller to transmit the zone group configuration to a first player of a zone in the zone group, wherein the first player is playing the multimedia content identified in the second user input.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions that when executed cause the controller to transmit the zone group configuration via a network interface.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises one or more attributes associated with the zone group.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of (i) a volume level for audio playback for each zone in the zone group, (ii) a mute or unmute setting for audio playback, (iii) a selection and play of specific music, (iv) a play mode setting, (v) an equalization setting for audio playback, and (vi) an audio alarm.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises a name associated with the zone group.