Method and apparatus for providing synchrony group status information

• US 9,170,600 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Millington, Nicholas A. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US13/848,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/12 Synchronisation of different clock signals provided by a plurality of clock generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2322 using timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• 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: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 : Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10592 : specifically adapted for recording or reproducing multichannel signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/00 : Gain control in amplifiers or frequency changers
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 : Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 : Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 : Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/20 : digital audio broadcasting [DAB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0644 : External master-clock
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0664 : unidirectional timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 : Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 : Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 : Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 : Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 : for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 : for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 : for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 : Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 : Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4307 : Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 : of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different 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: H04N 5/04 : Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7904 : using intermediate digital signal processing
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 : one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 : Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

An audio processing device comprising: a network interface configured to connect the audio processing device to a network; an audio information channelization device connected to the network interface and configured to receive audio via the network interface; an audio reproduction device interface configured to output audio to a playback device; a user interface module interface configured to transmit, via the network interface to a user interface module, status information pertaining to the status of a synchrony group, wherein the audio processing device is a member of the synchrony group with at least one additional audio processing device.

Claims

1. A method performed by an audio processing device, the method comprising:

receiving audio via a network interface from a wide area network (WAN) location;

receiving, via the network interface from a controller over a local area network (LAN), a command to form a synchrony group with at least one additional audio processing device; and

outputting the received audio to a playback device;

wherein after receipt of the command from the controller over the LAN, the audio processing device (i) forms the synchrony group with the at least one additional audio processing device (a) transmits status information pertaining to a status of the synchrony group to the controller over the LAN, wherein the status information indicates that the audio processing device is a member of the synchrony group with the at least one additional audio processing device, (b) streams the received audio via the network interface over the LAN to the at least one additional audio processing device, (c) transmits clock information of the audio processing device to the at least one additional audio processing device, and (d) outputs the received audio based on the clock information in synchrony with the at least one additional audio processing device, wherein the audio processing device and the at least one additional audio processing device remain independently clocked during output of the received audio in synchrony.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of the members of the synchrony group.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of a master member of the synchrony group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of audio currently being played by the members of the synchrony group.

5. An audio processing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory with instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the audio processing device to perform a method comprising;

receiving audio via a network interface from a wide area network (WAN) location;

outputting the received audio;

receiving, via the network interface from a controller over a local area network (LAN), a command to form a synchrony group with at least one additional audio processing device; and

wherein after receipt of the command, the audio processing device (i) forms the synchrony group and (ii) after the audio processing device forms the synchrony group with the at least one additional audio processing device, the audio processing device, (a) transmits status information pertaining to a status of the synchrony group over the LAN to the controller, wherein the status information indicates that the audio processing device is a member of the synchrony group with the at least one additional audio processing device, (b) streams the received audio via the network interface over the LAN to the at least one additional audio processing device, (c) transmits clock information of the audio processing device to the at least one additional audio processing device, and (d) outputs the received audio based on the clock information in synchrony with the at least one additional audio processing device, wherein the audio processing device and the at least one additional audio processing device remain independently clocked during output of the received audio in synchrony.

6. The audio processing device of claim 5, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of the members of the synchrony group.

7. The audio processing device of claim 6, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of the audio processing device as a master member of the synchrony group.

8. The audio processing device of claim 5, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of audio currently being played by the members of the synchrony group.

9. The audio processing device of claim 5, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of audio scheduled to be played by the members of the synchrony group.

10. The audio processing device of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting status information via the network interface to multiple additional controllers, wherein none of the additional controllers are zone players and none of the additional controllers are members of the synchrony group.

11. The audio processing device of claim 5, wherein the audio processing device further comprises one or more speakers, and wherein outputting the received audio comprises playing the received audio out of the one or more speakers.

12. The audio processing device of claim 5, wherein streaming the received audio via the network interface over the LAN to the at least one additional audio processing device comprises sending the received audio to a multicast network address associated with the synchrony group.

13. The audio processing device of claim 5, wherein streaming the received audio via the network interface over the LAN to the at least one additional audio processing device comprises sending a plurality of frames to the at least one additional audio processing device, wherein an individual frame comprises at least a portion of the received audio and playback timing information for the at least a portion of the received audio.

14. The audio processing device of claim 5, wherein transmitting the clock information of the audio processing device to the at least one additional audio processing device comprises sending the clock information of the audio processing device to a unicast network address associated with the at least one additional audio processing device.

15. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause an audio processing device to:

receive audio via a network interface from a wide area network (WAN) location;

receive, via the network interface from a controller over a local area network (LAN), a command to form a synchrony group with at least one additional audio processing device;

wherein after receipt of the command, the audio processing device (i) forms the synchrony group with the at least one additional audio processing device and (ii) after the audio processing device forms the synchrony group with the at least one additional audio processing device, the audio processing device (a) transmits status information pertaining to a status of the synchrony group over the LAN to the controller, wherein the status information indicates that the audio processing device is a member of the synchrony group with the at least one additional audio processing device, (b) streams the received audio via the network interface over the LAN to the at least one additional audio processing device, (c) transmits clock information of the audio processing device to the at least one additional audio processing device, and (d) outputs the received audio based on the clock information in synchrony with the at least one additional audio processing device, wherein the audio processing device and the at least one additional audio processing device remain independently clocked during output of the received audio in synchrony.

16. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of the members of the synchrony group.

17. The computer-readable memory of claim 16, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of a master member of the synchrony group.

18. The computer-readable memory of claim 16, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of one or more slave members of the synchrony group.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of audio currently being played by the members of the synchrony group.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the status information further comprises an identification of audio scheduled to be played by the members of the synchrony group.

21. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the audio processing device further comprises one or more speakers, and wherein outputting the received audio comprises playing the received audio out of the one or more speakers.

22. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein streaming the received audio via the network interface over the LAN to the at least one additional audio processing device comprises sending the audio to a multicast network address associated with the synchrony group.

23. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein streaming the received audio via the network interface over the LAN to the at least one additional audio processing device comprises sending a plurality of frames to the at least one additional audio processing device, wherein an individual frame comprises at least a portion of the received audio and playback timing information for the at least a portion of the received audio.

24. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein transmitting the clock information of the audio processing device to the at least one additional audio processing device comprises sending the clock information of the audio processing device to a unicast network address associated with the at least one additional audio processing device.