Audio Systems and Related Devices and Methods

• US 20140277651A1
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• 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, Sakalowsky, John Michael, Gao, Yong
• Granted Patent: US 9,607,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An audio system including an audio playback device that is 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 including a set of preset indicators. 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. A first control device is wirelessly coupled to the audio playback device via a first wireless communication interface and includes a first level of control functionality while a second control device is wirelessly coupled to the audio playback device via a second wireless communication interface and includes a second level of control functionality that is greater than the first level of control functionality.

Claims

1. An audio system comprising:

an 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

a first control device wirelessly coupled to the audio playback device via a first wireless communication interface and comprising a first level of control functionality; and

a second control device wirelessly coupled to the audio playback device via a second wireless communication interface and comprising a second level of control functionality that is greater than the first level of control functionality.

2. The audio system of claim 1, further comprising a third control device wirelessly coupled to the playback device via a third wireless communication interface and comprising a third level of control functionality that is greater than the second level of control functionality.

3. The audio system of claim 2 wherein the third control device comprises a network controller.

4. The audio system of claim 3, wherein the audio playback device further comprises an enclosure, the enclosure further comprising:

a digital-to-analog converter configured to receive a digital representation of content from the digital audio sources and convert to analog form;

an electro-acoustic transducer; and

a set of user-selectable preset indicators, wherein each indicator in the set of preset indicators is configured to have assigned to it an entity associated with the plurality of digital audio sources.

5. The audio playback device of claim 4, wherein the set of user-selectable preset indicators provide access to the respectively assigned entities in the same manner irrespective of the associated digital audio source.

6. The audio playback device of claim 4, wherein the set of user-selectable preset indicators provide for single press access to the respectively assigned entities irrespective of the digital audio source.

7. The audio system of claim 4 wherein at least one of the first level of control functionality, the second level of control functionality, and the third level of control functionality comprises a wireless control set of user-selectable preset indicators corresponding to the set of user-selectable preset indicators located on the enclosure of the audio system.

8. The audio playback device 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.

9. The audio playback device of claim 1, wherein the digital audio sources comprise at least (i) one or more libraries of user-defined playlists of digital music files and (ii) Internet radio sites.

10. The audio system of claim 1 wherein the first wireless communication interface comprises infrared, the second wireless communication interface comprises Bluetooth and the third wireless communication interface comprises Wi-Fi.

11. An audio playback device configured to operably connect to a plurality of digital audio sources, the audio playback device comprising:

a digital-to-analog converter configured to receive a digital representation of content from the digital audio sources and convert to analog form;

an electro-acoustic transducer;

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

a first control device wirelessly coupled to the audio playback device via a first wireless communication interface and comprising a first level of control functionality;

a second control device wirelessly coupled to the audio playback device via a second wireless communication interface and comprising a second level of control functionality that is greater than the first level of control functionality; and

a processor;

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

update one or more preset assignments based on user input, 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; and

to

send information regarding the update to the one or more preset assignments to a remote server.

12. The audio system of claim 11, further comprising a third control device wirelessly coupled to the playback device via a third wireless communication interface and comprising a third level of control functionality that is greater than the second level of control functionality.

13. The audio playback device of claim 12 wherein the third control device comprises a network controller.

14. The audio playback device of claim 11, wherein the digital audio sources comprise at least (i) one or more libraries of user-defined playlists of digital music files and (ii) Internet radio sites.

15. The audio playback device of claim 11, wherein the assignable entities include at least individual Internet radio stations and particular user-defined playlists of digital music files.

16. The audio playback device of claim 11, wherein the set of preset indicators comprise hardware buttons.

17. The audio playback device of claim 11, wherein the preset indicators include numerical identifiers.

18. The audio playback device of claim 11, wherein the set of user-selectable preset indicators provide for single press access to the respectively assigned entities irrespective of the digital audio source.

19. The audio system of claim 12 wherein at least one of the first level of control functionality, the second level of control functionality, and the third level of control functionality comprises a wireless control set of user-selectable preset indicators corresponding to the set of user-selectable preset indicators located on the enclosure of the audio system.

20. An audio playback device configured to operably connect to a plurality of digital audio sources, the audio playback device comprising:

a digital-to-analog converter configured to receive a digital representation of content from the digital audio sources and convert to analog form;

an electro-acoustic transducer;

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

a processor;

a first control device wirelessly coupled to the audio playback device via a first wireless communication interface and comprising a first level of control functionality; and

a second control device wirelessly coupled to the audio playback device via a second wireless communication interface and comprising a second level of control functionality that is greater than the first level of control functionality; and

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

receive notification from an other audio playback device within an audio system regarding changes to preset assignments on the other audio playback device;

and, in response to receiving the notification regarding changes to the preset assignments on the other audio playback device, to contact a remote server for the audio system to request update information; and

to

update one or more preset assignments on the audio playback device based on the update information received from the remote server such that preset assignments on the audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on the other audio playback device, each of the preset assignments representing an assignment of an entity associated with one of the digital music sources to a corresponding one of the preset indicators.