Acoustic signatures

• US 9,519,454 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reimann, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Creighton
• Application Number:
  US14/679,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/181 Low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio preamplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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

Embodiments described herein provide for acoustic signatures in a playback system. An example implementation involves receiving, from a microphone of the controller device, an audio signal played by a playback device, the audio signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device. The example implementation further involves identifying the playback device based on the network information and responsively, modifying a user interface on the controller device based on the identification of the playback device.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause a controller device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via a microphone of the controller device, an audio signal played by a playback device, the audio signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device;

identifying the playback device based on the network information; and

responsively, modifying a user interface on the controller device based on the identification of the playback device.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the audio signal played by the playback device comprises audio frequencies outside a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to detecting the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving from the playback device, data indicating the network information corresponding to the playback device.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the audio signal played by the playback device further indicates a zone of the playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise:

modifying the user interface on the controller device based on the zone of the playback device.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to identifying the playback device based on the network information, demodulating the audio signal to determine the network information.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the audio signal comprises one or more of (i) an amplitude modulated (AM) component indicating the network information corresponding to the playback device, and (ii) a frequency modulated (FM) component indicating the network information corresponding to the playback device.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to detecting the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving input to enable identification of the playback device based on audio signals played by the playback device; and

transmitting to the playback device, a message indicating that the controller device is enabled to identify the playback device based on the audio signal played by the playback device.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a unique network identification corresponding to the playback device.

21. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a number corresponding to the playback device.

22. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device indicates a zone corresponding to the playback device.

23. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device indicates a zone group corresponding to the playback device.

24. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to receiving, via the microphone of the controller device, the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving by the controller device, an input to control playback of audio content by the playback device.

25. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein modifying the user interface on the controller device comprises:

modifying the user interface to display an indication of the playback device.

9. A playback device comprising:

at least one speaker;

a processor; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising;

determining that an acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played; and

playing by the at least one speaker, the acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device.

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

receiving data indicating audio content to be played by the playback device; and

generating an audio output signal based on the acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device and the audio content to be played by the playback device, wherein playing by the at least one speaker, the acoustic signature signal comprises;

playing by the at least one speaker, the audio output signal.

11. The playback device of claim 9, wherein determining that an acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played comprises:

receiving a message from a controller device configured to control the playback device.

12. The playback device of claim 11, wherein the message comprises a command to play the acoustic signature signal.

13. The playback device of claim 11, wherein the message comprises a command to play audio content.

14. The playback device of claim 11, wherein the message comprises a command to transmit at least one state variable associated with the playback device.

15. The playback device of claim 9, wherein the acoustic signature signal comprises audio frequencies outside a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

16. The playback device of claim 9, wherein determining that an acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played comprises:

determining that a predetermined duration of time has expired since the acoustic signature signal was previously played.

17. The playback device of claim 9, wherein the acoustic signature signal further comprises zone configuration information for the playback device, wherein the acoustic signature signal is a first acoustic signature signal, and wherein the functions further comprise:

modifying a zone configuration of the playback device; and

playing a second acoustic signature signal indicating (i) the network information corresponding to the playback device and (ii) the modified zone configuration.

18. The playback device of claim 9, wherein the acoustic signature signal is a first acoustic signature signal, and wherein the functions further comprise:

playing a second acoustic signature signal indicating a zone configuration of the playback device.

26. The playback device of claim 9, wherein determining that the acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played comprises:

receiving an input to enable an operation mode of the playback device, wherein the operation mode of the playback device comprises playback of the acoustic signature signal.

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

prior to playing the acoustic signature signal, identifying network information corresponding to the playback device; and

generating the acoustic signature signal based on the identified network information corresponding to the playback device.

19. A controller device comprising:

a microphone;

a processor; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the controller device to perform functions comprising;

detecting, via the microphone, an audio signal played by a playback device, the audio signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device;

identifying the playback device based on the network information; and

responsively, modifying a user interface on the controller device based on the identification of the playback device.

20. The controller device of claim 19, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a unique network identification corresponding to the playback device.

28. The controller device of claim 19, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a number corresponding to the playback device.

29. The controller device of claim 19, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device indicates a zone corresponding to the playback device.

30. The controller device of claim 19, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device indicates a zone group corresponding to the playback device.

31. The controller device of claim 19, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to receiving, via the microphone of the controller device, the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving by the controller device, an input to control playback of audio content by the playback device.

32. The controller device of claim 19, wherein modifying the user interface on the controller device comprises:

modifying the user interface to display an indication of the playback device.