Method and apparatus for updating zone configurations in a multi-zone system

• US 9,344,206 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lambourne, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US14/465,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 381/120, 381/80, 715/716, 715/727
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/02 Remote control of amplification, tone or bandwidth combined with remote tuning or selection of resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 7/00 Volume compression or expansion in amplifiers frequency dependent H03G9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal 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: 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: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

In general, techniques of controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network.

Claims

1. A multimedia controller including a processor, the controller configured to:

receive, via a network interface, a zone configuration from a first independent playback device of a plurality of independent playback devices, wherein the zone configuration is configured via the controller and maintained at the first independent playback device, and wherein the zone configuration characterizes one or more zone scenes, each zone scene identifying a group configuration associated with two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices; and

cause a selectable indication of the received zone configuration to be displayed, wherein the displayed selectable indication is selectable to cause one or more of the zone scenes to be invoked by two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices.

2. The multimedia controller of claim 1, wherein causing the selectable indication of the received zone configuration to be displayed comprises causing an indication of at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be displayed.

3. The multimedia controller of claim 2, wherein causing the selectable indication of the at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be displayed comprises displaying an indication of the group configuration identified by the at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be displayed.

4. The multimedia controller of claim 3, wherein the indication of the group configuration identified by the at least one of the one or more zone scenes comprises one group of independent playback devices.

5. The multimedia controller of claim 4, further configured to:

after causing the indication of the received zone configuration to be displayed, cause one of the at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be activated.

6. The multimedia controller of claim 3, wherein the indication of the group configuration identified by the at least one of the one or more zone scenes comprises two or more groups of independent playback devices.

7. The multimedia controller claim 1, further configured to:

before receiving the zone configuration, send, to one of the plurality of independent playback devices, a command to save at least one of the one or more zone scenes.

8. The multimedia controller of claim 7, wherein the command to save at least one of the one or more zone scenes includes, for each of the at least one or more zone scenes, (a) an indication of the two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices identified by the zone scene and (b) at least one other parameter pertaining to the scene.

9. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the at least one other parameter pertaining to the scene is one or more of (i) a volume level, (ii) a specific music, (iii) a play mode, or (iv) an equalization.

10. The multimedia controller of claim 1, further configured to:

after causing the selectable indication of the received zone configuration to be displayed, cause at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be activated.

11. The multimedia controller of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more zone scenes is associated with a name.

12. In a network comprising a plurality of independent playback devices, a method comprising:

receiving, via the network by a controller device, a zone configuration from a first independent playback device of a plurality of independent playback devices, wherein the zone configuration is configured via the controller and maintained at the first independent playback device, and wherein the zone configuration characterizes one or more zone scenes, each zone scene identifying a group configuration associated with two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices; and

causing, by the controller device, a selectable indication of the received zone configuration to be displayed, wherein the displayed selectable indication is selectable to cause one or more of the zone scenes to be invoked by two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein causing the selectable indication of the received zone configuration to be displayed comprises causing an indication of at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be displayed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein causing the selectable indication of the at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be displayed comprises displaying an indication of the group configuration identified by the at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be displayed.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

before receiving the zone configuration, sending, to one of the plurality of independent playback devices, a command to save at least one of the one or more zone scenes.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

after causing the selectable indication of the received zone configuration to be displayed, causing, by the controller device, at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be activated.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed, implement a controller configured to:

receive, via a network interface, a zone configuration from a first independent playback device of a plurality of independent playback devices, wherein the zone configuration is configured via the controller and maintained at the first independent playback device, and wherein the zone configuration characterizes one or more zone scenes, each zone scene identifying a group configuration associated with two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices; and

cause a selectable indication of the received zone configuration to be displayed, wherein the displayed selectable indication is selectable to cause one or more of the zone scenes to be invoked by two or more of the plurality of independent playback devices.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein causing the selectable indication of the received zone configuration to be displayed comprises causing an indication of at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be displayed.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein causing the selectable indication of the at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be displayed comprises displaying an indication of the group configuration identified by the at least one of the one or more zone scenes to be displayed.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the indication of the group configuration identified by the at least one of the one or more zone scenes comprises two or more groups of independent playback devices.