Audio Systems and Related Devices and Methods

• US 20140277639A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Gomes-Casseres, Glenn, Gao, Yong, Sheehan, Conor, Sakalowsky, John Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,330,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/18 Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• 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 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows

Abstract

A method for managing presets in an audio system is provided. The method includes syncing preset assignments on a plurality of audio playback devices such that preset assignments on any one of the audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on each of the other audio playback devices, and, such that, if one of the preset assignments is changed on one of the audio playback devices, each of the other audio playback devices is automatically updated such that a corresponding change is made to a corresponding preset assignment on each of the other audio playback devices. Each of the preset assignments is an assignment of an entity associated with one of a plurality of digital audio sources to one of a plurality of preset indicators on the corresponding one of the audio playback devices.

Claims

1. A method for managing presets in an audio system, the method comprising:

syncing preset assignments on a plurality of audio playback devices such that preset assignments on any one of the audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on each of the other audio playback devices, and, such that, if one of the preset assignments is changed on one of the audio playback devices, each of the other audio playback devices is automatically updated such that a corresponding change is made to a corresponding preset assignment on each of the other audio playback devices,

wherein each of the preset assignments is an assignment of an entity associated with one of a plurality of digital audio sources to one of a plurality of preset indicators on the corresponding one of the audio playback devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of syncing preset assignments on a plurality of audio playback devices comprises:

receiving information from a first audio playback device of the audio system regarding a change to one or more of a plurality of preset assignments;

updating stored preset data based on the information received from the first audio playback device; and

providing update information to one or more other audio playback devices of the audio system such that the one or more other audio playback devices update their respective preset assignments to correspond to those of the first audio playback device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of updating stored preset data comprises updating preset data stored on a remote server.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of updating stored preset data comprises replacing a first set of preset assignments with a second, updated set of preset assignments.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input regarding the assignment of an entity associated with one of the digital audio sources to one of the preset indicators on a first one of the audio playback devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user input corresponds to actuation of a hardware button on a first one of the audio playback devices.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the user input is received via a controller connected to the first one of the audio playback devices via a network connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the assignable entities include at least (i) user-defined playlists of digital music and (ii) Internet radio stations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital audio sources include a plurality of Internet radio sites, and the entities include individual radio stations provided by the Internet radio sites.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the preset indicators provide access to their respectively assigned entities in the same manner irrespective of the associated digital audio source.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the preset indicators provide for single press access to the respectively assigned entities, irrespective of the digital audio source.

12. An audio system server comprising:

a processor; and

instructions stored on a computer-readable media that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive information from a first audio playback device of an audio system regarding a change to one or more of a plurality of preset assignments, each of the preset assignments representing an assignment of an entity associated with one of a plurality of digital audio sources to a corresponding preset indicator;

update stored preset data based on the information received from the first device; and

to

provide update information to one or more other audio playback devices of the audio system such that each of the one or more other audio playback devices update their respective preset assignments to correspond to those of the first audio playback device.

13. The audio system server of claim 12, wherein the audio system server is a cloud-based server.

14. The audio system server of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to provide the update information to the one or more other audio playback devices in response to communication received from the one or more other audio playback devices requesting the update information.

15. The audio system server of claim 12, wherein the update information is an updated list of preset assignments.

16. The audio system server of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

maintain a global recents list, wherein the global recents list is a list of entities that is populated from content that the user has chosen to play on one or more of the audio playback devices.

17. The audio system server of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive information from a first audio playback device of an audio system regarding selection of a first entity for providing streamed music;

update stored recent data based on the information received from the first device; and

to

provide updated recents information to one or more other audio playback devices of the audio system such that each of the one or more other audio playback devices updates a locally stored recents list to correspond to a recents list stored on the first audio playback device.

18. The audio system server of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive a copy of a token from a first audio playback device of an audio system, wherein the token is a unique identifier that a corresponding one of the digital audio sources recognizes and associates with a user account, thereby to provide access to the user account;

store the copy of the token within the audio system server; and

to

provide copies of the token other audio playback devices of the audio system such that the corresponding one of the digital audio sources can recognize the other audio playback devices as being associated with the user account.

19. An audio system comprising:

i) a plurality of audio playback devices, each audio playback device being configured to operatively connect to a plurality of digital audio sources for playback of content from the digital audio sources and each of the audio playback devices comprising;

a set of preset indicators, wherein each preset indicator in the set of preset indicators is configured to have assigned to it an entity associated with one of the plurality of digital audio sources; and

ii) a remote server configured to;

receive information from one of the audio playback devices regarding changes to preset assignments, each of the preset assignments representing an assignment of an entity associated with one of the digital audio sources to a corresponding one of the preset indicators;

update a stored set of global preset assignments based on the information received; and

to

distribute update information to the other ones of the audio playback devices regarding changes to the global preset assignments,

wherein the other ones of the audio playback devices are configured to update their respective preset assignments based on the update information distributed from the remote server such that, following the update, all of the audio playback devices of the plurality of audio playback devices have the same preset assignments.

20. The audio system of claim 19, wherein the information received from the one of the audio playback devices is an updated set of global preset assignments.

21. The audio system of claim 19, wherein the remote server is configured to update the stored set of global preset assignments by replacing the stored set of global preset assignments with the updated set of global preset assignments.

22. The audio system of claim 19, wherein the remote server is configured to distribute the update information to the other ones of the audio playback devices in response to requests for update information received from the other ones of the audio playback devices.

23. The audio system of claim 19, wherein the assignable entities include at least individual Internet radio stations and particular user-defined playlists of digital music files.

24. The audio system of claim 19, wherein the set of preset indicators comprise hardware buttons.

25. The audio system of claim 19, wherein the preset indicators include numerical identifiers.

26. The audio system of claim 19, wherein the digital audio sources include a plurality of Internet radio sites, and the entities include individual radio stations provided by the Internet radio sites.

27. The audio system of claim 19, wherein the preset indicators provide access to their respectively assigned entities in the same manner irrespective of the associated digital audio source.

28. The audio system of claim 19, wherein the preset indicators provide for single press access to the respectively assigned entities, irrespective of the digital audio source.

29-58. -58. (canceled)

59. An audio system comprising:

i) a plurality of audio playback devices, each audio playback device being configured to operatively connect to a plurality of digital audio sources for playback of content from the digital audio sources and each of the audio playback devices comprising;

a set of preset indicators, wherein each preset indicator in the set of preset indicators is configured to have assigned to it an entity associated with one of the plurality of digital audio sources; and

ii) a software program configured to run on a separate device, wherein the software program provides a user interface configured to present an audio playback device selection region that enables user to select one of the audio playback devices to control with the separate computer,

wherein the user interface is further configured to present a set of preset indicators that corresponds to the set of preset indicators of the selected one of the audio playback devices, and to

present a source selection region that enables a user to select an entity to assign to one of the preset indicators of the selected one of the audio playback devices.

60. The audio system of claim 59, wherein the source selection region also enables a user to select an entity to provide audio content to the selected one of the audio playback devices for playback of the audio content.

61. The audio system of claim 59, wherein the user interface is further configured to present a global recents list, wherein the global recents list is a list of entities that is populated from audio content that the user has chosen to play on one or more of the audio playback devices.

62. The audio system of claim 59, wherein the software program includes instructions to procure the global recents list from data stored on the selected one of the audio playback devices.

63. The audio system of claim 59, wherein the user interface is further configured to enable a user to select whether the preset assignments are to be global or local,

wherein global preset assignments are synchronized across the plurality of audio playback devices such that preset assignments on any one of the audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on each of the other audio playback devices, and, such that, if one of the preset assignments is changed on one of the audio playback devices, each of the other audio playback devices is updated such that a corresponding change is made to a corresponding preset assignment on each of the other audio playback devices, and

wherein local preset assignments are device-specific such that each of the audio playback devices can have a unique set of preset assignments and such that the preset assignments on any one of the audio playback devices do not necessarily correspond to the preset assignments on any of the other audio playback devices.

64. A computer-implemented method comprising:

storing a set of local preset assignments for each of a plurality of audio playback devices of an audio system, wherein the local preset assignments are device-specific such that the local preset assignments for any one of the audio playback devices do not necessarily correspond to the local preset assignments for any of the other audio playback devices;

receiving input regarding a change from a local setting to a global setting;

receiving input regarding selection of one of the audio playback devices to serve as a master audio playback device;

setting the set of stored local preset assignments associated with the selected, master audio playback device as a set of global preset assignments; and

providing the global preset assignments to the other playback devices of the audio system so as to synchronize the preset assignments across the audio system, such that preset assignments on any one of the audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on each of the other audio playback devices.