Pre-caching of Audio Content

• US 20140244013A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: REILLY, Jonathon
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0862 with prefetch
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/602 Details relating to cache prefetching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• 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 21/4392 involving audio buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for causing a playback device to pre-cache audio content in anticipation that a user will provide input to cause the playback device to render the audio content. The playback device may be configured to detect, using a proximity sensor on the playback device, movement in relation to the playback device, responsively retrieve audio content by the playback device from a networked audio source, prior to receiving a user command to play the audio content, storing the audio content in memory on the playback device, and cause the playback device to render the audio content upon receiving the user command. The audio content that may be pre-cached may be local audio content stored, on a local memory storage device, network audio content stored on a remote memory storage device, and accessed over a network, or streaming content retrieved over the Internet.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a proximity sensor on a playback device, movement in relation to the playback device;

responsively retrieving audio content by the playback device from a networked audio source, prior to receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

storing the audio content in memory on the playback device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is a capacitive sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio content stored in memory uses at least 128K bytes of memory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio content is stored in memory indefinitely or until a user command is received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio content is retrieved periodically based on a time interval until a user command is received.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

responsively playing the audio content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current playback mode of the playback device; and

responsively determining the audio content to retrieve based on the current playback mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the current playback mode is not playing audio.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the proximity of the movement in relation to a playback control on a playback control interface of the playback device; and

responsively determining the audio content to retrieve based on the playback control.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the playback control is a play button.

11. A device comprising:

proximity sensor;

a processor;

storage memory; and

a computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the device to perform functions comprising;

detecting, by the proximity sensor, movement in relation to the device;

responsively retrieving audio content from a networked audio source prior to receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

storing the audio content in the storage memory.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

responsively playing the audio content.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining a current playback mode of the playback device; and

responsively determining the audio content to retrieve based on the current playback mode.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining the proximity of the movement in relation to a playback control on a playback control interface of the playback device; and

responsively determining the audio content to retrieve based on the playback control.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the proximity sensor is a capacitive sensor.

16. A non-transitory computer readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to execute functions comprising:

detecting, by a proximity sensor on a playback device, movement in relation to the playback device;

responsively retrieving audio content by the playback device from a networked audio source prior to receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

storing the audio content in memory on the playback device.

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

receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

responsively playing the audio content.

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

determining a current playback mode of the playback device; and

responsively determining the audio content to retrieve based on the current playback mode.

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

determining the proximity of the movement in relation to a playback control on a playback control interface of the playback device; and

responsively determining the audio content to retrieve based on the playback control.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the audio content is stored in memory indefinitely or until a user command is received.