Obtaining and Transmitting Audio

• US 20150018994A1
• Filed: 10/02/2014
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Millington, Nicholas A.J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,176,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/12 Synchronisation of different clock signals provided by a plurality of clock generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2322 using timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• 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 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 : Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10592 : specifically adapted for recording or reproducing multichannel signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/00 : Gain control in amplifiers or frequency changers
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 : Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 : Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 : Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/20 : digital audio broadcasting [DAB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0644 : External master-clock
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0664 : unidirectional timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 : Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 : Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 : Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 : Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 : for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 : for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 : for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 : Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 : Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4307 : Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 : of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different 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: H04N 5/04 : Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7904 : using intermediate digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 : Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 : Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 : one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 : Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

Examples include a method that involves (a) detecting, by a network device, a command for a playback device to play an audio program, (b) obtaining, by the network device from a wide area network (WAN), audio information corresponding to the audio program, and (c) transmitting, by the network device to the playback device via a direct communication link, (i) the audio information and (ii) control information that directs the playback device to play the audio program.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method comprising:

detecting, by a network device, a command for a playback device to play an audio program;

obtaining, by the network device from a wide area network (WAN), audio information corresponding to the audio program; and

transmitting, by the network device to the playback device via a direct communication link, (i) the audio information and (ii) control information that directs the playback device to play the audio program.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the direct communication link does not comprise the WAN or a local area network (LAN).

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the direct communication link is a point-to-point communication link between the network device and the playback device.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

before the transmitting, establishing, by the network device, the direct communication link with the playback device.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the audio program is a first audio program, and wherein control information comprises an instruction to switch from playing a second audio program to playing the first audio program.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the command is a first command and the audio program is a first audio program, the method further comprising:

detecting, by the network device, a second command to cause the playback device to play a second audio program; and

transmitting, by the network device to the playback device, a web address identifying the second audio program.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the command is a first command, the method further comprising:

detecting, by the network device, a second command to modify a volume of playback by the playback device; and

transmitting, by the network device to the playback device, control information that directs the playback device to modify the volume of playback.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the direct communication link is a first direct communication link and the playback device is a first playback device, the method further comprising:

transmitting, by the network device to the second playback device via a second direct communication link, (i) the audio information and (ii) control information that directs the second playback device to play the audio program.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the command is a first command, the direct communication link is a first direct communication link, and the playback device is a first playback device, the method further comprising:

detecting, by the network device, a second command for a second playback device to play the audio program; and

transmitting, by the network device to the second playback device via a second direct communication link, (i) the audio information and (ii) control information that directs the second playback device to play the audio program.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the command is a first command, the audio program is a first audio program, the audio information is first audio information, the direct communication link is a first direct communication link, and the playback device is a first playback device, the method further comprising:

detecting, by the network device, a second command for a second playback device to play a second audio program;

obtaining, by the network device from the WAN, second audio information corresponding to the second audio program; and

transmitting, by the network device to the second playback device via a second direct communication link, (i) the second audio information and (ii) control information that directs the second playback device to play the second audio program.

35. The method of claim 25, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the network device from the playback device via the direct communication link, control information that indicates a status of the playback device.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein the audio program is a first audio program and the audio information is first audio information, the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the network device from data storage of the network device, second audio information for a second audio program; and

transmitting, by the network device to the playback device via the direct communication link, (i) the second audio information and (ii) control information that directs the playback device to play the second audio.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein the network device comprises a portable playback device.

38. The method of claim 25, wherein the WAN comprises one of the Internet or the public switched telephone network.

39. The method of claim 25, wherein the audio information comprises one of streaming digital audio information or digital audio files.

40. A network device comprising:

a processor; and

data storage comprising program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the network device to;

detect a command for a playback device to play an audio program;

obtain, from a wide area network (WAN), audio information corresponding to the audio program; and

transmit, to the playback device via a direct communication link, (i) the audio information and (ii) control information that directs the playback device to play the audio program.

41. The network device of claim 40, wherein the direct communication link does not comprise the WAN or a local area network (LAN).

42. The network device of claim 40, wherein the direct communication link is a point-to-point communication link between the network device and the playback device.

43. The network device of claim 40, the data storage further comprising program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the network device to:

establish the direct communication link with the playback device.

44. A tangible computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

detecting a command for a playback device to play an audio program;

obtaining, from a wide area network (WAN), audio information corresponding to the audio program; and

transmitting, to the playback device via a direct communication link, (i) the audio information and (ii) control information that directs the playback device to play the audio program.