Controlling and manipulating groupings in a multi-zone media system

• US 8,934,997 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lambourne, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US13/896,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20130251174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/02 Remote control of amplification, tone or bandwidth combined with remote tuning or selection of resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 7/00 Volume compression or expansion in amplifiers frequency dependent H03G9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal 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: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• 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

Abstract

In general, techniques of controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network.

Claims

1. In a network comprising a plurality of independent playback devices, a method comprising:

maintaining, by a first independent playback device, a zone configuration, the zone configuration characterizing one or more zone scenes each zone scene identifying a group configuration associated with two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices;

transmitting, by the first independent playback device via a network interface, the zone configuration to a controller device;

receiving, by the first independent playback device via the network interface, an instruction from the controller device to invoke a zone scene of the one or more zone scenes; and

causing, by the first independent playback device, two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices in the network to group in accordance with the received instruction to invoke the zone scene of the one or more zone scenes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more zone scenes further identify one or more attributes associated with the independent playback devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of (i) a volume level for audio playback for each independent playback device in the one or more zone scenes, (ii) a mute or unmute setting for audio playback, (iii) a selection and play of specific music, (iv) a play mode setting, (v) an equalization setting for audio playback, and (vi) an audio alarm.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the audio alarm attribute includes a duration setting.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the attributes further comprise a name associated with each of the one or more zone scenes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein causing, two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices in the network to group in accordance with the invoked zone scene comprises:

causing, by the first independent playback device, one or more independent playback device in a first zone group of a first zone scene to play a first multimedia content from a first multimedia source; and

causing, by the first independent playback device, one or more independent playback device in a second zone group of the first zone scene to play a second multimedia content from a second multimedia source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing, two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices in the network to group in accordance with the invoked zone scene comprises:

transmitting, by the first independent playback device, the updated zone configuration to the plurality of independent playback devices.

8. A first independent playback device including a processor, the first independent playback device configured to:

maintain a zone configuration, the zone configuration characterizing one or more zone scenes, each zone scene identifying a group configuration associated with two or more of a plurality of independent playback devices;

transmit, via a network interface of the first independent playback device, the zone configuration to a controller device;

receive, via the network interface, an instruction from the controller device to invoke a zone scene of the one or more zone scenes; and

cause two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices in the network to group in accordance with the received instruction to invoke the zone scene of the one or more zone scenes.

9. The first independent playback device of claim 8, wherein the one or more zone scenes further identify one or more attributes associated with the independent playback devices.

10. The first independent playback device of claim 9, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of (i) a volume level for audio playback for each independent playback device in the one or more zone scenes, (ii) a mute or unmute setting for audio playback, (iii) a selection and play of specific music, (iv) a play mode setting, (v) an equalization setting for audio playback, and (vi) an audio alarm.

11. The first independent playback device of claim 10, wherein the audio alarm attribute includes a duration setting.

12. The first independent playback device of claim 10, wherein the attributes further comprise a name associated with each of the one or more zone scenes.

13. The first independent playback device of claim 9, wherein the first independent playback device is configured to:

cause one or more independent playback devices in a first zone group of a first zone scene to play a first multimedia content from a first multimedia source; and

cause one or more independent playback devices in a second zone group of the first zone scene to play a second multimedia content from a second multimedia source.

14. The first independent playback device of claim 9, wherein the first independent playback device is configured to:

transmit an updated zone configuration to the plurality of independent playback devices.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed, implement a first independent playback device configured to:

maintain a zone configuration, the zone configuration characterizing one or more zone scenes each zone scene identifying a group configuration associated with two or more of a plurality of independent playback devices;

transmit, via a network interface of the first independent playback device, the zone configuration to a controller device;

receive, via the network interface of the first independent playback device, an instruction from the controller device to invoke a zone scene of the one or more zone scenes; and

cause two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices in the network to group in accordance with the received instruction to invoke the zone scene of the one or more zone scenes.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more zone scenes further identify one or more attributes associated with the independent playback devices.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of (i) a volume level for audio playback for each independent playback device in the one or more zone scenes, (ii) a mute or unmute setting for audio playback, (iii) a selection and play of specific music, (iv) a play mode setting, (v) an equalization setting for audio playback, and (vi) an audio alarm.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the audio alarm attribute includes a duration setting.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the attributes further comprise a name associated with each of the one or more zone scenes.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions that cause two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices in the network to group in accordance with the invoked zone scene comprise instructions that when executed:

cause one or more independent playback devices in a first zone group of a first zone scene to play a first multimedia content from a first multimedia source; and

cause one or more independent playback devices in a second zone group of the first zone scene to play a second multimedia content from a second multimedia source.