Audio systems and related devices and methods

• US 9,330,169 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Gomes-Casseres, Glenn, Gao, Yong, Sheehan, Conor, Sakalowsky, John Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIEGEL, DAVID F
• Application Number:
  US13/833,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• 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 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/18 Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows

Abstract

A method for managing presets in an audio system is provided. The method includes syncing preset assignments on a plurality of audio playback devices such that preset assignments on any one of the audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on each of the other audio playback devices, and, such that, if one of the preset assignments is changed on one of the audio playback devices, each of the other audio playback devices is automatically updated such that a corresponding change is made to a corresponding preset assignment on each of the other audio playback devices. Each of the preset assignments is an assignment of an entity associated with one of a plurality of digital audio sources to one of a plurality of preset indicators on the corresponding one of the audio playback devices.

Claims

1. An audio system server comprising:

a processor; and

instructions stored on a computer-readable media that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive information from a first audio playback device of an audio system regarding a change to one or more of a plurality of preset assignments, each of the preset assignments representing an assignment of an entity associated with one of a plurality of digital audio sources to a corresponding preset indicator;

update stored preset data based on the information received from the first device; and

to

provide update information to one or more other audio playback devices of the audio system such that each of the one or more other audio playback devices update their respective preset assignments to correspond to those of the first audio playback device,

wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive a copy of a token from a first audio playback device of an audio system, wherein the token is a unique identifier that a corresponding one of the digital audio sources recognizes and associates with a user account, thereby to provide access to the user account;

store the copy of the token within the audio system server; and

to

provide copies of the token to other audio playback devices of the audio system such that the corresponding one of the digital audio sources can recognize the other audio playback devices as being associated with the user account.

2. The audio system server of claim 1, wherein the audio system server is a cloud-based server.

3. The audio system server of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to provide the update information to the one or more other audio playback devices in response to communication received from the one or more other audio playback devices requesting the update information.

4. The audio system server of claim 1, wherein the update information is an updated list of preset assignments.

5. The audio system server of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

maintain a global recents list, wherein the global recents list is a list of entities that is populated from content that the user has chosen to play on one or more of the audio playback devices.

6. The audio system server of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive information from a first audio playback device of an audio system regarding selection of a first entity for providing streamed music;

update stored recent data based on the information received from the first device; and

to

provide updated recents information to one or more other audio playback devices of the audio system such that each of the one or more other audio playback devices updates a locally stored recents list to correspond to a recents list stored on the first audio playback device.

7. An audio system comprising:

i) a plurality of audio playback devices, each audio playback device being configured to operatively connect to a plurality of digital audio sources for playback of content from the digital audio sources and each of the audio playback devices comprising;

a set of preset indicators, wherein each preset indicator in the set of preset indicators is configured to have assigned to it an entity associated with one of the plurality of digital audio sources; and

ii) a software program configured to run on a separate computer, wherein the software program provides a user interface configured to present an audio playback device selection region that enables user to select one of the audio playback devices to control with the separate computer,

wherein the user interface is further configured to present a set of preset indicators that corresponds to the set of preset indicators of the selected one of the audio playback devices, and to

present a source selection region that enables a user to select an entity to assign to one of the preset indicators of the selected one of the audio playback devices,

wherein the user interface is further configured to enable a user to select whether the preset assignments are to be global or local,

wherein global preset assignments are synchronized across the plurality of audio playback devices such that preset assignments on any one of the audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on each of the other audio playback devices, and, such that, if one of the preset assignments is changed on one of the audio playback devices, each of the other audio playback devices is updated such that a corresponding change is made to a corresponding preset assignment on each of the other audio playback devices, and

wherein local preset assignments are device-specific such that each of the audio playback devices can have a unique set of preset assignments and such that the preset assignments on any one of the audio playback devices do not necessarily correspond to the preset assignments on any of the other audio playback devices.

8. The audio system of claim 7, wherein the source selection region also enables a user to select an entity to provide audio content to the selected one of the audio playback devices for playback of the audio content.

9. The audio system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured to present a global recents list, wherein the global recents list is a list of entities that is populated from audio content that the user has chosen to play on one or more of the audio playback devices.

10. The audio system of claim 7, wherein the software program includes instructions to procure a global recents list from data stored on the selected one of the audio playback devices.