Playback expansion

• US 9,329,831 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2015
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Holmung, Ingve, Fullerton, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tan X
• Application Number:
  US14/631,713
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• 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 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00

Abstract

Examples described herein involve expanding playback of a media item from a first playback device to a second playback device. In one example, a first playback device of a first zone, identifies a second playback device within a proximity of the first playback device, determines that the second playback device is playing a media item as part of a second zone, and based on the determination, joins the second zone and begins playing the media item in synchrony with the second playback device. In another example, a first playback device, while playing a media item as part of a first zone, determines that a second playback device of a second zone has entered a proximity of the first playback device, and responsively, causes the second playback device to join the first zone and begin playing the media item in synchrony with the first playback device.

Claims

1. A first playback device comprising:

a processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising;

while the first playback device is a part of a first zone, identifying that the first playback device has moved to a location that is within a given physical proximity to a second playback device;

determining that the second playback device is playing a media item as part of a second zone; and

based on the determination, (i) joining the second zone and (ii) beginning to play the media item in synchrony with the second playback device.

2. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to identifying the second playback device, detecting a placement of the first playback device.

3. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the first playback device further comprises a battery.

4. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the second playback device is powered by an external power source.

5. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein beginning to play the media item in synchrony with the second playback device comprises:

gradually increasing a playback volume of the media item from a first playback volume to a second playback volume over a duration of time, the second playback volume corresponding to a playback volume of the second playback device.

6. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

providing an indication that the first playback device is joining the second zone, the indication comprising one or more of;

(a) a playback of an audio signal, (b) a flashing of a light source on the first playback device, and (c) a vibration of the first playback device.

7. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

while beginning to play the media item in synchrony with the second playback device, detecting movement of the first playback device; and

responsively, (i) aborting joining the second zone and (ii) ceasing beginning to play the media item in synchrony with the second playback device.

8. A first playback device comprising:

a processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising;

while the first playback device is playing a media item as a part of a first zone, determining that a second playback device has moved to a location that is within a given physical proximity to the first playback device;

determining that the second playback device is a part of a second zone; and

responsively, transmitting a command to cause the second playback device to (i) join the first zone and (ii) begin playing the media item in synchrony with the first playback device.

9. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to transmitting the command, determining that the second playback device has been placed.

10. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein determining that the second playback device is a part of a second zone comprises:

transmitting a request for information on the second playback device; and

receiving data indicating that the second playback device is a part of the second zone.

11. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the second playback device further comprises a battery.

12. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the first playback device is powered by an external power source.

13. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the command to cause the second playback device to begin to play the media item in synchrony with the first playback device comprises a command to cause the second playback device to gradually increase a playback volume of the media item by the second playback device from a first playback volume to a second playback volume over a duration of time, the second playback volume corresponding to a playback volume of the first playback device.

14. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the command to cause the second playback device to (i) join the first zone and (ii) begin to play the media item in synchrony with the first playback device comprises a command to cause the second playback device to provide an indication that the second playback device is joining the first zone, the indication comprising one or more of:

(a) a playback of an audio signal, (b) a flashing of a light source on the second playback device, and (c) a vibration of the second playback device.

15. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the functions further comprise:

within a predetermined duration of time after transmitting the command, determining that the second playback device is moving; and

responsively, transmitting a command to cause the second playback device to (i) abort joining the first zone and (i) cease beginning to play the media.

16. A method comprising:

identifying, by a first playback device that is a part of a first zone, that the first playback device has moved to a location that is within a given physical proximity to a second playback device;

determining that the second playback device is playing a media item as part of a second zone; and

based on the determination, (i) joining the second zone and (ii) beginning to play the media item in synchrony with the second playback device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

while the first playback device is playing the media item as a part of the second zone, determining by the first playback device, that a third playback device has entered within a given physical proximity of the first playback device;

determining that the third playback device is in a third zone; and

responsively, transmitting a command to cause the third playback device to (i) join the second zone and (ii) begin to play the media item in synchrony with the first playback device.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prior to identifying the second playback device, detecting by the first playback device, a placement of the first playback device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first playback device further comprises a battery.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the second playback device is powered by an external power source.