Acoustic signatures in a playback system

• US 8,930,005 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reimann, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US13/568,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700/94, 434/10, 340/384.3, 707/758
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/181 Low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio preamplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• 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 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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 29/007 : for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide for acoustic signatures in a playback system. According to an embodiment, a playback device transmits an acoustic signature. According to another embodiment, the user interface on a controller is responsively modified based on an acoustic signature that was detected from a playback device. According to some embodiments, an acoustic signature can be transmitted simultaneously with audio by a playback device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a playback controller detecting a playback device based at least in part on an acoustic signature transmitted by the playback device, wherein the acoustic signature comprises identification information; and

in response to detecting the acoustic signature transmitted by the playback device, the playback controller modifying a user interface on the playback controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic signature identifies the playback device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising modifying the user interface on the playback controller to show information about the playback device identified by the acoustic signature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic signature identifies a zone.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising modifying the user interface on the playback controller to show information about the zone identified by the acoustic signature.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic signature transmitted by the playback device when the playback device is in a standalone configuration is different than the acoustic signature transmitted by the playback device when the playback device is one of a plurality of playback devices in a zone group configuration.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

the playback controller detecting multiple acoustic signatures, wherein each acoustic signature comprises identification information; and

in response to detecting the multiple acoustic signatures, the playback controller using a comparison algorithm to select one of the multiple acoustic signatures.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the comparison algorithm uses power detection to select the one acoustic signature.

9. A system, comprising:

a playback device configured to generate a mixed audio signal by mixing an acoustic signature with playback audio and output the mixed audio signal via one or more speakers.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the acoustic signature identifies the playback device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the acoustic signature mixed with the playback audio when the playback device is in a standalone configuration is different than the acoustic signature mixed with the audio signal when the playback device is in a zone group configuration.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the acoustic signature identifies a zone.

12. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

detecting, by the computing device, an acoustic signature transmitted by a playback device, wherein the acoustic signature comprises identification information; and

in response to detecting the acoustic signature transmitted by the playback device, modifying, by the computing device, a user interface on the computing device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, where the acoustic signature identifies the playback device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the functions further comprise:

modifying the user interface on the computing device to show information about the playback device identified by the acoustic signature.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, where the acoustic signature identifies a zone.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the functions further comprise:

modifying the user interface on the computing device to show information about the zone identified by the acoustic signature.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the acoustic signature transmitted by the playback device when the playback device is in a standalone configuration is different than the acoustic signature transmitted by the playback device when the playback device is one of a plurality of playback devices in a zone group configuration.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the functions further comprise:

detecting multiple acoustic signatures, wherein each acoustic signature comprises identification information; and

in response to detecting the multiple acoustic signatures, using a comparison algorithm to select one of the multiple acoustic signatures.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the comparison algorithm uses power detection to select the one acoustic signature.