Automatic Configuration of Household Playback Devices

• US 20140229959A1
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Andrew Schulert, Jonathan Lang, Ron Kuper, Steven Beckhardt
• Inventors: KUPER, Ron, BECKHARDT, Steven, SCHULERT, Andrew, LANG, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 9,237,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/218 Source of audio or video content , e.g. local disk arrays details of retrieval in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/65 Transmission of management data between client and server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for causing a playback device to be automatically added to a secure network for rendering media in synchrony with other devices in the secure network. The playback device may, without any input from a user, transmit a first message indicating that the playback device is available to join the network. Upon receiving the first message, a device already in the secure network may transmit to the playback device a second message indicating security parameters for joining the network. The playback device may then join the secure network accordingly. Embodiments are also provided for causing a playback device to be automatically configured, without any input from a user. Another device in the secure network may receive a configuration table indicating setup information for the playback device, and may subsequently transmit the setup information to the playback device and cause the playback device to be configured accordingly.

Claims

1. A method for automatically configuring a playback device in a playback network, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller device, a configuration table from a server over a wide area network,

determining, by the controller device, that the configuration table includes an entry corresponding to the playback device that is unconfigured for playback; and

responsively,

transmitting from the controller device to the playback device, a first message comprising setup information for the playback device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is transmitted over a wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the setup information includes a user-readable name to be assigned to the playback device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing a change to the audio equalization settings for the playback device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the setup information indicates that the playback device is a component of a bonded zone.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the setup information indicates that the playback device is one of two devices in a stereo pair.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

causing a change to the audio equalization settings for a different playback device that is also a component of the bonded zone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the setup information includes registration information for a music service to be registered to the playback system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the setup information for the playback device is provided to the server from a point-of-sale of the playback device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the setup information for the playback device is provided to the server via a web interface.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including in the first message a security parameter to be used by the playback device to connect to a secure network.

12. A controller device, comprising:

a processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to perform functions comprising;

receiving a configuration table from a server over a wide area network;

determining that the configuration table includes an entry corresponding to the playback device that is unconfigured for playback; and

responsively, transmitting to the playback device, a first message comprising setup information for the playback device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the setup information includes a user-readable name to be assigned to the playback device.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the functions further comprise:

causing a change to the audio equalization settings for the playback device.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the setup information indicates that the playback device is a component of a bonded zone.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, by a controller device, a configuration table from a server over a wide area network;

determining, by the controller device, that the configuration table includes an entry corresponding to the playback device that is unconfigured for playback; and

responsively transmitting, by the controller device to the playback device, a first message comprising setup information for the playback device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the setup information includes registration information for a music service to be registered to the playback system.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the setup information for the playback device is provided to the server from a point-of-sale of the playback device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the setup information for the playback device is provided to the server via a web interface.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the functions further comprise:

including in the first message a security parameter to be used by the playback device to connect to a secure network.