Smart line-in processing

• US 8,938,312 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Millington, Nicholas, Cullen, Tom, Reimann, Robert, Lehman, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US13/089,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20120263318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/00 Frameworks, boards, panels, desks, casings; Details of substations or switching arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/10 having semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3026 the gain being discontinuously variable, e.g. controlled by switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• 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 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Technology for smart line-in processing in an audio environment is disclosed. Particularly, the embodiments described herein provide automated source switching in an audio environment where a number of audio sources may exist and volume control.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

a line-in connector for receiving a first audio signal;

a network interface;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions executable by the processor to;

determine whether the first audio signal is present at the line-in connector;

in response to determining that the first audio signal is present at the line-in connector, (i) cease playback of a second audio signal being played by the playback device, wherein the second audio signal is not present at the line-in connector, and (ii) cause the playback device to play the first audio signal;

receive, via the network interface, a first instruction to stop the playback device from playing the first audio signal while the first audio signal is still present at the line-in connector;

determine that the first audio signal is no longer present at the line-in connector; and

in response to determining that the first audio signal is no longer present at the line-in connector, arm the playback device such that a subsequent presence of the first audio signal at the line-in connector causes the playback device to play the first audio signal.

2. The playback device of claim 1 wherein the network interface is configured to transmit the audio data over a network to another playback device.

3. The playback of claim 1 further comprising a network interface to facilitate communication on a network, wherein the network interface is configured to receive the instruction.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to determine that the first audio signal is present at the line-in connector for a threshold time before causing the playback device to play the first audio signal.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to determine that the first audio signal is no longer present at the line-in connector for an interval period before responsively arming.

6. The playback device of claim 1 further comprising an amplifier for powering one or more speaker drivers.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to modify a volume level of the playback device to a predetermined volume when the playback device plays the first audio signal.

8. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to modify a volume level of the playback device to a predetermined volume when the playback device plays the second audio signal.

9. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the first audio signal is received from an audio device, and wherein the audio device is controllable independent of the playback device.

10. A tangible computer-readable storage medium including instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement a method for providing audio to a playback device, the method comprising:

determining whether a first audio signal is being received via a line-in connector of a playback device;

in response to determining that the first audio signal is being received via the line-in connector, (i) ceasing playback of a second audio signal being played by the playback device, wherein the second audio signal is not being received via the line-in connector, and (ii) receiving, via a network interface of the playback device, a first instruction to stop the playback device from playing the first audio signal while the first audio signal is still being received via the line-in connector;

determining that the first audio signal is no longer being received via the line-in connector; and

in response to determining that the first audio signal is no longer present at the line-in connector, arming the playback device such that a subsequent reception of the first audio signal via the line-in connector causes the playback device to play the first audio signal.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising determining that the first audio signal has been received for a threshold time before causing the playback device to play the first audio signal.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising determining the second audio signal to be no longer present via the line-in connector for an interval period before responsively arming the playback device.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising modifying a volume level of the playback device to a predetermined volume when the playback device plays the first audio signal.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising modifying a volume level of the playback device to a predetermined volume when the playback device plays the second audio signal.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first audio signal is received from an audio device, and wherein the audio device is controlled independent of the playback device.

16. A method for providing audio to a playback device, the method comprising:

determining, using a processor, whether a first audio signal is being received via a line-in connector of a playback device;

in response to determining that the first audio signal is being received via the line-in connector, (i) ceasing playback of a second audio signal being played by the playback device, wherein the second audio signal is not being received via the line-in connector, and (ii) receiving, via a network interface of the playback device, an instruction to stop the playback device from playing the first audio signal while the first audio signal is still being received via the line-in connector;

determining, using the processor, that the first audio signal is no longer being received via the line-in connector; and

in response to determining that the first audio signal is no longer present at the line-in connector, arming the playback device such that a subsequent reception of the first audio signal via the line-in connector causes the playback device to play the first audio signal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining that the first audio signal has been received for a threshold time before causing the playback device to play the first audio signal.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining the first audio signal to be no longer present via the line-in connector for an interval period before responsively arming the playback device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising modifying a volume level of the playback device to a predetermined volume when the playback device plays the first audio signal.