Media Playback System Using Standby Mode in a Mesh Network

• US 20150095680A1
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: GOSSAIN, Hrishikesh, TOBER, Benjamin Ari
• Granted Patent: US 9,244,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Embodiments described herein involve mechanisms to wake-up a media playback device that is interconnected with other media playback devices to form a networked media system from a standby mode using a network message. In one embodiment, a media playback device receives a first wake-up packet associated with a MAC address; and in response, exits a standby mode and enters an active mode, and broadcasts a second wake-up packet associated with the MAC address. In another embodiment, a media playback device receives a first wake-up packet associated with a MAC address; and in response, determines whether the first MAC address is included in a list of MAC addresses maintained by the first media playback device; and when the first MAC address is included in the list of MAC addresses, exits a standby mode and enters an active mode, and broadcasts a second wake-up packet associated with the MAC address.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first media playback device, while the first media playback device is in a standby mode in which an audio stage of the first media playback device is disabled, a first wake-up packet that includes a first payload that is associated with a MAC broadcast address; and

in response to receiving the first wake-up packet,

(i) exiting, by the first media playback device, the standby mode, and entering an active mode, wherein entering the active mode comprises enabling the audio stage such that an amplifier component of the audio stage is configured to produce amplified audio signals, and

(ii) broadcasting, by the first media playback device, a second wake-up packet that includes a second payload that is associated with the MAC broadcast address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after broadcasting the second wake-up packet, (i) exiting, by the first media playback device, the active mode and (ii) entering, by the first media playback device, the standby mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the first wake-up packet, determining, by the first media playback device, whether the first media playback device is forwarding playback packets to a second media playback device; and

when the first media playback device is not forwarding playback packets to the second media playback device, exiting, by the first media playback device, the active mode and entering, by the first media playback device, the standby mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second payload is the same as the first payload.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the audio stage comprises enabling an audio processing component of the audio stage.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering the standby mode, wherein entering the standby mode comprises one or more of the following:

(i) enabling a processor sleep mode for a processor of the first media playback device;

or

(ii) enabling a network interface sleep mode for at least one network interface of the first media playback device, wherein the at least one network interface is configured to receive a wake-up packet while in the network interface sleep mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein entering the active mode further comprises one or more of the following:

(i) disabling a processor sleep mode for a processor of the first media playback device;

or

(ii) disabling a network interface sleep mode for at least one network interface of the first media playback device, wherein the at least one network interface is configured to receive a wake-up packet while in the network interface sleep mode.

4. The method of claim 4, wherein determining, by the first media playback device, whether the first media playback device is forwarding playback packets to a second media playback device comprises:

counting for a predetermined period of time, by the first media playback device, a number of packets received by the first media playback device; and

determining whether the number of packets received by the first media playback device exceeds a threshold number of packets.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

when the first media playback device is forwarding playback packets to the second media playback device, remaining in the active mode.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed, cause a first media playback device to:

receive, while the first media playback device is in a standby mode in which an audio stage of the first media playback device is disabled, a first wake-up packet that includes a first payload that is associated with a MAC broadcast address; and

in response to receiving the first wake-up packet,

(i) exit the standby mode, and enter an active mode, wherein entering the active mode comprises enabling the audio stage such that an amplifier component of the audio stage is configured to produce amplified audio signals, and

(ii) broadcast a second wake-up packet that includes a second payload that is associated with the MAC broadcast address.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the first media playback device to:

after broadcasting the second wake-up packet, (i) exit the active mode and (ii) enter the standby mode.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the first media playback device to:

after receiving the first wake-up packet, determine whether the first media playback device is forwarding playback packets to a second media playback device; and

when the first media playback device is not forwarding playback packets to the second media playback device, exit the active mode and enter the standby mode; and

when the first media playback device is forwarding playback packets to the second media playback device, remain in the active mode.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein to determine whether the first media playback device is forwarding playback packets to a second media playback device comprises:

counting for a predetermined period of time, by the first media playback device, a number of packets received by the first media playback device; and

determining whether the number of packets received by the first media playback device exceeds a threshold number of packets.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second payload is the same as the first payload.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein enabling the audio stage comprises enabling an audio processing component of the audio stage.

16. A media playback device, comprising:

a network interface;

a processor;

a data storage; and

a program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the processor to;

receive, while the first media playback device is in a standby mode in which an audio stage of the first media playback device is disabled, a first wake-up packet that includes a first payload that is associated with a MAC broadcast address; and

in response to receiving the first wake-up packet,

(i) exit the standby mode, and enter an active mode, wherein entering the active mode comprises enabling the audio stage such that an amplifier component of the audio stage is configured to produce amplified audio signals, and

(ii) broadcast a second wake-up packet that includes a second payload that is associated with the MAC broadcast address.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

after broadcasting the second wake-up packet, (i) exit and (ii) enter the standby mode.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

after receiving the first wake-up packet, determine whether the first media playback device is forwarding playback packets to a second media playback device;

when the first media playback device is not forwarding playback packets to the second media playback device, exit the active mode and enter the standby mode; and

when the first media playback device is forwarding playback packets to the second media playback device, remain in the active mode.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the second payload is the same as the first payload.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein enabling the audio stage comprises enabling an audio processing component of the audio stage.