Wireless Music Playback

• US 20150324165A1
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reilly, Jonathon, Millington, Nicholas A.J., Polomski, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,778,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/18 based on priority control G06F13/1605 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/364 using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/374 using a self-select method with individual priority code comparator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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

Abstract

An example method includes detecting a connection between a dock interface of a first zone player and a portable device, the dock interface providing communication between the portable device and a second zone player, wherein the second zone player is part of a first set of zones in a playback network that does not include the first zone player; responsive to the detection, transmitting data to cause the second zone player to modify parameter(s) of the second zone player according to a zone scene; responsive to the detection, determining that the portable device was playing a media item; and causing, via the dock interface, playback of the media item from the portable device by the first zone player and the second zone player while the second zone player is in the second set of zones.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a first zone player, a connection between a dock interface of the first zone player and a portable device, the dock interface providing communication between the portable device and a second zone player, wherein the second zone player is part of a first set of zones in a playback network that does not include the first zone player;

responsive to the detection, transmitting to the second zone player, data to cause the second zone player to modify one or more parameters of the second zone player according to a zone scene, wherein the zone scene comprises a second set of zones that (i) is different from the first set of zones and (ii) comprises the second zone player and one or more other zone players in the playback network;

responsive to the detection, determining that the portable device was playing a media item; and

causing, via the dock interface, playback of the media item from the portable device by the first zone player and the second zone player while the second zone player is in the second set of zones.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein causing playback of the media item comprises, responsive to the detection, automatically causing, via the dock interface, playback of the media item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the connection between the dock interface and the portable device comprises detecting a wireless connection between the dock interface and the portable device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone scene comprises a zone group comprising the first zone player and the second zone player.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone scene comprises a zone group comprising the second zone player and not comprising the first zone player.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, to the second zone player, data indicating the media item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media item comprises a media item stored on the portable device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the media item comprises a media item streamed to the portable device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises a third zone player.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before the detection, receiving from the portable device a playback command.

11. A computer readable storage medium including instructions for execution by a processor, the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to implement a method comprising:

detecting, by a first zone player, a connection between a dock interface of the first zone player and a portable device, the dock interface providing communication between the portable device and a second zone player, wherein the second zone player is part of a first set of zones in a playback network that does not include the first zone player;

responsive to the detection, transmitting to the second zone player, data to cause the second zone player to modify one or more parameters of the second zone player according to a zone scene, wherein the zone scene comprises a second set of zones that (i) is different from the first set of zones and (ii) comprises the second zone player and one or more other zone players in the playback network;

responsive to the detection, determining that the portable device was playing a media item; and

causing, via the dock interface, playback of the media item from the portable device by the first zone player and the second zone player while the second zone player is in the second set of zones.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein causing playback of the media item comprises, responsive to the detection, automatically causing, via the dock interface, playback of the media item.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein detecting the connection between the dock interface and the portable device comprises detecting a wireless connection between the dock interface and the portable device.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the zone scene comprises a zone group comprising the first zone player and the second zone player.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the zone scene comprises a zone group comprising the second zone player and not comprising the first zone player.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, the method further comprising:

transmitting, to the second zone player, data indicating the media item.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the media item comprises a media item stored on the portable device.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the media item comprises a media item streamed to the portable device.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the portable device comprises a third zone player.

20. A first zone player comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium including instructions for execution by a processor, the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to implement a method comprising;

detecting a connection between a dock interface of the first zone player and a portable device, the dock interface providing communication between the portable device and a second zone player, wherein the second zone player is part of a first set of zones in a playback network that does not include the first zone player;

responsive to the detection, transmitting to the second zone player, data to cause the second zone player to modify one or more parameters of the second zone player according to a zone scene, wherein the zone scene comprises a second set of zones that (i) is different from the first set of zones and (ii) comprises the second zone player and one or more other zone players in the playback network;

responsive to the detection, determining that the portable device was playing a media item; and

causing, via the dock interface, playback of the media item from the portable device by the first zone player and the second zone player while the second zone player is in the second set of zones.