Modification of audio responsive to proximity detection

• US 9,225,307 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reilly, Jonathon, Griffiths, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US13/536,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20140003629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 381 58- 59, 381104-109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0471 the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/04 in untuned amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/348 Muting in response to a mechanical action or to power supply variations, e.g. during tuning; Click removal circuits
• 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: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide for detecting movement in proximity to a playback device and responsively modifying the audio that is output from one or more playback devices. According to an embodiment, a user is able to wave his or her hand over a playback device to modify the audio that is output from the playback device, one or more different playback devices, or all of the playback devices. The embodiments are particularly useful as a snooze feature, in which an alarm from a playback device (or group of playback devices) is snoozed for a time when triggered by the user'"'"'s movement.

Claims

1. A media playback device, comprising:

a network interface;

at least one proximity sensor;

a processor; and

data storage comprising program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the media playback device to;

detect, via the at least one proximity sensor, the presence of a computing device in proximity to the media playback device;

based on detecting the presence of the computing device, modify playback of media by the media playback device to begin playing a particular media item;

when the particular media item is being played by the media playback device, send, via the network interface, data associated with playback of the particular media item for display by the computing device on a graphical interface; and

after modifying playback of media by the media playback device, receive, via the network interface from the computing device, a command to further modify playback of media by the media playback device.

2. The media playback device of claim 1, wherein modifying the playback of media comprises one of pausing playback of the media or muting playback of the media.

3. The media playback device of claim 1, wherein modifying the playback of media comprises beginning play back of media.

4. The media playback device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the media playback device to resume unmodified playback of the media subsequent to an elapsed time.

5. The media playback device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the media playback device to determine whether the media is from a source that cannot be paused, and if so, then muting playback of the media.

6. The media playback device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the media playback device to determine whether the media is from a source that can be paused, and if so, then pausing playback of the media.

7. The media playback device of claim 1, wherein the media playback device is a first media playback device, further comprising program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the media playback device to:

based on detecting the presence of the computing device, cause a second media playback device to modify playback of media by the second media playback device.

8. The first media playback device of claim 7, wherein the first media playback device and the second media playback device are part of a zone group, and wherein causing the second media playback device to modify playback of media comprises causing the second media playback device to playback media in synchrony with the first media playback device.

9. The first media playback device of claim 7, wherein causing the second playback device to modify playback of media comprises causing the second playback device to stop playing back media.

10. The first media playback device of claim 9, wherein modifying the playback of media by the first media playback device comprises playing back the media that the second playback device stopped playing back.

11. The media playback device of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a portable controller device.

12. The media playback device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the media playback device to:

based on the command to further modify playback of media, execute the command to further modify playback of media by the media playback device.

13. The media playback device of claim 1, wherein sending data associated with playback of the particular media item comprises sending a state variable indicating that the particular media item is playing in a zone, wherein the zone includes the media playback device.

14. The media playback device of claim 1, wherein sending data associated with playback of the particular media item comprises sending data indicating a volume level at which the media playback device is playing the particular media item.

15. The media playback device of claim 1, wherein sending data associated with playback of the particular media item comprises sending data comprising album art associated with the particular media item.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a media playback device to cause the media playback device to perform functions comprising:

detecting, via a proximity sensor, the presence of a computing device in proximity to the media playback device;

based on detecting the presence of the computing device, modifying playback of media by the media playback device to begin playing a particular media item;

when the particular media item is being played by the media playback device, sending, via the network interface, data associated with playback of the particular media item for display by the computing device on a graphical interface

after modifying playback of media by the media playback device, receiving, via a network interface from the computing device, a command to further modify playback of media by the media playback device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein modifying the playback of media comprises one of pausing playback of the media or muting playback of the media.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein modifying the playback of media comprises beginning play back of media.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the media playback device is a first media playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise:

based on detecting the presence of the object, causing a second media playback device to modify playback of media by the second media playback device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein sending data associated with playback of the particular media item comprises sending a state variable indicating that the particular media item is playing in a zone, wherein the zone includes the media playback device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, sending data associated with playback of the particular media item comprises sending data indicating a volume level at which the media playback device is playing the particular media item.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein sending data associated with playback of the particular media item comprises sending data comprising album art associated with the particular media item.

23. A method comprising:

detecting, via a proximity sensor of a media playback device, the presence of a computing device in proximity to the media playback device;

based on detecting the presence of the computing device, modifying playback of media by the media playback device to begin playing a particular media item;

when the particular media item is being played by the media playback device, sending, via the network interface, data associated with playback of the particular media item for display by the computing device on a graphical interface; and

after modifying playback of media by the media playback device, receiving, via the network interface from the computing device, a command to further modify playback of media by the media playback device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the media playback device is a first media playback device, the method further comprising:

based on detecting the presence of the computing device, causing a second media playback device to modify playback of media by the second media playback device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein causing the second playback device to modify playback of media comprises causing the second playback device to stop playing back media.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein modifying the playback of media comprises playing back the media that the second playback device stopped playing back.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein sending data associated with playback of the particular media item comprises sending a state variable indicating that the particular media item is playing in a zone, wherein the zone includes the media playback device.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein sending data associated with playback of the particular media item comprises sending data indicating a volume level at which the media playback device is playing the particular media item.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein sending data associated with playback of the particular media item comprises sending data comprising album art associated with the particular media item.