Pre-caching of audio content

• US 9,195,432 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reilly, Jonathon
• Primary Examiner(s): ELBIN, JESSE A
• Application Number:
  US13/777,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20140244013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 709/231, 709/248, 711/137, 710/18, 710/52, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0862 with prefetch
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/602 Details relating to cache prefetching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• 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 21/4392 involving audio buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for causing a playback device to pre-cache audio content in anticipation that a user will provide input to cause the playback device to render the audio content. The playback device may be configured to detect, using a proximity sensor on the playback device, movement in relation to the playback device, responsively retrieve audio content by the playback device from a networked audio source, prior to receiving a user command to play the audio content, storing the audio content in memory on the playback device, and cause the playback device to render the audio content upon receiving the user command. The audio content that may be pre-cached may be local audio content stored, on a local memory storage device, network audio content stored on a remote memory storage device, and accessed over a network, or streaming content retrieved over the Internet.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

a proximity sensor configured to detect movement in relation to the playback device;

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory comprising program code, wherein the program code, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the playback device to perform a method comprising;

detecting, by the proximity sensor, movement in relation to the playback device;

in response to detecting the movement, determining whether the playback device is currently playing back audio content;

in response to determining that the playback device is currently not playing back audio content, (i) retrieving audio content by the playback device from a networked audio source prior to receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

(ii) storing the retrieved audio content in the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of the playback device.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is a capacitive sensor.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the audio content stored in memory uses at least 128K bytes of memory.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the audio content is stored in memory until a user command is received.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the audio content is retrieved periodically based on a time interval until a user command is received.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprising:

receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

in response to receiving the user command to play the audio content, playing the audio content.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprising:

in response to determining that the playback device is currently not playing back audio content, additionally transmitting the retrieved audio content from the playback device to one or more other playback devices.

8. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to determining that the playback device is currently not playing back audio content, additionally transmitting the retrieved audio content from the playback device to one or more other playback devices;

receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

in response to receiving the user command to play the audio content, playing the audio content in synchrony with the one or more other playback devices.

9. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprising:

determining a proximity of the movement to a playback control on a playback control interface of the playback device; and

determining whether to retrieve one of first audio content or second audio content based on the proximity to the playback control.

10. The playback device of claim 9, wherein the playback control is a play button.

11. A method comprising:

detecting, by a proximity sensor on an audio playback device, movement in relation to the audio playback device;

in response to detecting the movement, the audio playback device determining whether the audio playback device is currently playing back audio content;

in response to determining that the audio playback device is currently not playing back audio content, the audio playback device retrieving audio content from a networked audio source prior to receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

storing the retrieved audio content in memory on the audio playback device.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

in response to receiving the user command to play the audio content, playing the audio content.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising:

in response to determining that the audio playback device is currently not playing back audio content, additionally transmitting the retrieved audio content from the audio playback device to one or more other audio playback devices.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a proximity of the movement to a playback control on a playback control interface of the audio playback device; and

determining whether to receive one of first audio content or second audio content based on the proximity to the playback control.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the proximity sensor is a capacitive sensor.

16. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by one or more processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause an audio playback device to execute functions comprising:

detecting, by a proximity sensor on the audio playback device, movement in relation to the audio playback device;

in response to detecting the movement, determining whether the audio playback device is currently playing back audio content;

in response to determining that the audio playback device is currently not playing back audio content, retrieving audio content by the audio playback device from a networked audio source prior to receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

storing the audio content in memory on the audio playback device.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving a user command to play the audio content; and

in response to receiving the user command to play the audio content, playing the audio content.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the functions further comprise:

in response to determining that the audio playback device is currently not playing back audio content, additionally transmitting the retrieved audio content from the audio playback device to one or more other audio playback devices.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining a proximity of the movement to a playback control on a playback control interface of the audio playback device; and

determining whether to retrieve one of first audio content or second audio content based on the proximity to the playback control.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the audio content is stored in memory until a user command is received.