Device playback failure recovery and redistribution

• US 8,903,526 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Beckhardt, Steven Robert, Lang, Jonathan Paul, Reilly, Jonathon
• Primary Examiner(s): ELBIN, JESSE A
• Application Number:
  US13/489,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20130331970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 381/58, 381/59, 381/80, 381/81, 381/84, 381/85, 381/123, 381/394
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• 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 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/05 Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• 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 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/00 Indicating arrangements; Control arrangements, e.g. balance control
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/308 Electronic adaptation dependent on speaker or headphone connection

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for audio device playback failure recovery and redistribution. The systems and methods may be configured to cause a plurality of playback devices to render audio content in a synchronized manner, detect a failure of a first playback device of the plurality of playback devices, determine a playback responsibility of the first playback device, and cause an adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least a second playback device of the plurality of playback devices. The systems and methods may further be configured to detect an addition of a new playback device to the plurality of playback devices, determine a playback responsibility of the new playback device for rendering the audio content, and cause an adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least a one playback device from the plurality of playback devices.

Claims

1. A method for automatic failover recovery comprising:

causing first and second playback devices of a plurality of playback devices to render audio content in a synchronized manner;

detecting a failure of the first playback device of the plurality of playback devices;

determining a playback responsibility of the first playback device; and

after detecting the failure of the first playback device, causing an adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least the second playback device of the plurality of playback devices, the adjustment based on the playback responsibility of the first playback device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio content comprises multiple audio channels and multiple audio frequency ranges, and wherein the playback responsibility of the first playback device comprises at least one of a playback volume, one or more audio channels, and one or more audio frequency ranges of the audio content rendered by the first playback device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein causing an adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least a second playback device comprises adding the playback responsibility of the first playback device to the rendering of the audio content by the at least second playback device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the failure of the first playback device comprises an inability of the first playback device to render at least one of the playback volume, the one or more audio channels, or one of the one or more audio frequency ranges of the playback responsibility of the first playback device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a failure of the first playback device of the plurality of playback devices comprises receiving device status information from each of the plurality of playback devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting a failure of the first playback device of the plurality of playback devices further comprises determining that device status information from the first playback device has not been received after a defined duration of time.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting a failure of the first playback device of the plurality of playback devices further comprises receiving device status information from the first playback device indicating a failure of the first playback device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving device information associated with each playback device of the plurality of playback devices; and

selecting at least the second playback device from the plurality of playback devices based on the device information associated with each playback device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting at least the second playback device from the plurality of playback devices based on the device information associated with each playback device comprises determining that at least the second playback device is capable of rendering the playback responsibility of the first playback device.

10. A method for automatic failover recovery comprising:

causing a plurality of playback devices comprising first and second playback devices to render audio content in a synchronized manner;

detecting an addition of a new playback device to the plurality of playback devices;

determining a playback responsibility of the new playback device; and

after detecting the addition of the new playback device, causing an adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least one of the first or second playback devices of the plurality of playback devices, the adjustment based on the playback responsibility of the new playback device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the new playback device was previously a failed playback device in the plurality of playback devices.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting an addition of a new playback device to the plurality of playback devices comprises receiving device status information from the new playback device.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving device capability information indicating playback capabilities of the new playback device, wherein determining the playback responsibility of the new playback device for rendering the audio content is based on the playback capabilities of the new playback device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the audio content comprises multiple audio channels and multiple audio frequency ranges, and wherein the playback responsibility of the new playback device comprises a playback volume, one or more audio channels, and one or more audio frequency ranges of the audio content to be rendered by the new playback device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein causing an adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least one of the first or second playback devices comprises removing the playback responsibility of the new playback device from the rendering of the audio content by one of the first or second playback devices.

16. A system comprising:

a processing unit configured for communication with a plurality of audio playback devices comprising a first playback device and a second playback device, the processing unit further configured to;

cause the first and second playback devices of the plurality of playback devices to render audio content in a synchronized manner;

detect a failure of the first playback device of the plurality of playback devices;

determine a playback responsibility of the first playback device; and

after detecting the failure of the first playback device, cause an adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least the second playback device of the plurality of playback devices, the adjustment based on the playback responsibility of the first playback device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least the second playback device comprises an addition of the playback responsibility of the first playback device to the rendering of the audio content by at least the second playback device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

detect an addition of a new playback device to the plurality of playback devices;

determine a playback responsibility of the new playback device for rendering the audio content; and

cause an adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least one of the first or second playback devices of the plurality of playback devices, the adjustment based on the playback responsibility of the new playback device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the new playback device is the first playback device, and wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine the playback responsibility of the new playback device for rendering the audio content based on the playback responsibility of the first playback device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least one of the first or second playback devices comprises a removal of the playback responsibility of the new playback device from the rendering of the audio content by at least one of the first or second playback devices.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the second playback device comprises the processing unit.