Systems and methods for wireless music playback

• US 9,094,706 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Millington, Nicholas A. J., Polomski, Mark, Reily, Jonathon
• Primary Examiner(s): Cleary, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US13/656,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 710300-304, 700/94, 381/77, 381/79, 381/85, 709/208, 709/211, 709217-218
• 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

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to control audio playback devices via a playback network including a dock interface are disclosed. An example dock includes a docking connection to enable a portable playback device to be connected to the dock and a network communication interface to enable the portable playback device to connect to a playback network via the dock, the network communication interface to provide content from the portable playback device to at least one network playback device for playback of the content via the playback network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a computing device, a connection between a dock interface of the computing device and a first playback device, the dock interface providing communication between the first playback device and a second playback device, wherein the second playback device is part of a first set of zones in a playback network;

responsive to the detection, transmitting to the second playback device, data to cause the second playback device to modify one or more parameters of the second playback device 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 playback device and one or more other playback devices in the playback network; and

causing, via the dock interface, playback of a media item from the first playback device by the second playback device while the second playback device 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 the predetermined zone configuration is associated with the first playback device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a third playback device of the playback network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the connection between the dock interface and the first playback device comprises:

detecting a wireless connection between the dock interface and the first playback device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined zone configuration comprises a zone group comprising the first playback device and the second playback device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined zone configuration comprises a zone group comprising the second playback device and not comprising the first playback device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the detection, determining that the first playback device was playing the media item from the first playback device prior to the connection between the dock interface and the first playback device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein causing playback of the media item comprises:

causing, via the dock interface, the second playback device to continue playback of the media item.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the detection, determining that the first playback device was not playing media content prior to the connection between the dock interface and the first playback device; and

identifying the media item as a predetermined media item from the first playback device to be played by the second playback device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitted data indicates the predetermined media item.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the detection, determining that the first playback device was not playing media content prior to the connection between the dock interface and the first playback device; and

identifying the media item based on a random selection of media content from the first playback device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the media item from the first playback device comprises a media item stored on the first playback device.

14. A computing device comprising:

a processor;

a dock interface; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the computing device to at least;

detect a connection between the dock interface and a first playback device, the dock interface providing communication between the first playback device and a second playback device, wherein the second playback device is part of a first set of zones in a playback network;

responsive to the detection, transmit to the second playback device, data to cause the second playback device to modify one or more parameters of the second playback device 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 playback device and one or more other playback devices in the playback network; and

cause, via the dock interface, playback of a media item from the first playback device by the second playback device while the second playback device is in the second set of zones.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause playback of the media item further cause the computing device to:

responsive to the detection, automatically cause, via the dock interface, playback of the media item.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the computing device comprises a third playback device of the playback network.

17. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to detect the connection between the dock interface and the first playback device further cause the computing device to:

detect a wireless connection between the dock interface and the first playback device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to implement a method comprising:

detecting a connection between a dock interface of the computing device and a first playback device, the dock interface providing communication between the first playback device and a second playback device of a playback network;

responsive to the detection, transmitting to the second playback device, data to cause the second playback device to modify one or more parameters of the second playback device 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 playback device and one or more other playback devices in the playback network; and

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

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein causing playback of the media item further comprises:

responsive to the detection, automatically causing, via the dock interface, playback of the media item.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein detecting the connection between the dock interface and the first playback device further comprises:

detecting a wireless connection between the dock interface and the first playback device.