Smart audio routing management

• US 9,652,196 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Davis, Darren Ray, Bellet, Vincent, Stauber, William Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Teshale, Akelaw
• Application Number:
  US14/754,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20160378426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 381334, 381107, 381120, 381123, 381150, 381 231, 381303, 381 74, 381 77, 381 91
• 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

Abstract

Examples described herein automatically route audio signals associated with applications to appropriate audio endpoints when a computing device is operating in a disjoint mode. Smart audio routing management of audio signals is based on content output destinations for applications associated with the audio signals. Smart audio routing management enables computing devices operating in a disjoint mode to receive audio signals relevant to application content rendered or displayed over multiple devices, and correctly route individual audio signals to audio endpoints that correspond to a location where associated application content is displayed.

Claims

1. A system for audio routing comprising:

a computing device configured to stream content to another device;

an audio routing component coupled to the computing device and configured to;

receive a plurality of audio signals associated with a plurality of applications implemented on the computing device;

obtain application state data for the plurality of applications;

determine a content output destination for each application of the plurality of applications based at least in part on the obtained application state data, the content output destination corresponding to at least one of the computing device or the other device;

identify an audio endpoint associated with the determined content output destination for each application; and

route a first audio signal associated with a first application of the plurality of applications to a first corresponding identified audio endpoint and route a second audio signal associated with a second application of the plurality of applications to a second corresponding identified audio endpoint, wherein the first audio signal and the second audio signal are from the received plurality of audio signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the content output destination comprises at least one of a display location or an audio output location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio routing component is further configured to:

determine a content output destination associated with another application;

identify an audio endpoint corresponding to the content output destination associated with the other application; and

route another audio signal associated with the other application to the identified audio endpoint corresponding to the content output destination associated with the other application.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a user interface component implemented on the computing device and configured to stream a user interface of the computing device to a display of the other device.

5. A mobile device for audio routing comprising:

a user interface component configured to project application-rendered content to another device; and

an audio routing component configured to;

receive a first audio signal associated with a first application and a second audio signal associated with a second application implemented on the mobile device;

obtain application state data for each of the first application and the second application;

determine a viewing location associated with application-rendered content of the first application and another viewing location associated with application-rendered content of the second application, the viewing location and the other viewing location each corresponding to a display associated with at least one of the mobile device or the other device;

identify an audio endpoint associated with the determined viewing location for the first application and another audio endpoint associated with the determined viewing location for the second application; and

route the first audio signal to the identified audio endpoint associated with the determined viewing location for the first application and route the second audio signal to the other identified audio endpoint associated with the other determined viewing location for the second application.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the audio routing component is further configured to:

receive another audio signal associated with another application implemented on the mobile device;

obtain state date for the other application;

determine another viewing location associated with the other application;

identify an audio endpoint associated with the determined other viewing location for the other application; and

route the other audio signal to the identified audio endpoint for the other application.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the audio routing component receives a plurality of audio signals concurrently.

8. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the audio routing component receives a plurality of audio signals associated with a plurality of applications implemented on the mobile device and routes the plurality of audio signals to individual audio endpoints based on viewing locations associated with application-rendered content for the plurality of applications.

9. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the mobile device is further configured to establish a connection with the other device, and wherein the user interface component is further configured to:

stream a user interface of the mobile device to a display of the other device.

10. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the audio routing component is further configured to:

receive a plurality of audio signals associated with a plurality of applications; and

determine which audio endpoints to route the plurality of audio signals to based on a policy.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the audio routing component determines the audio endpoints to route the plurality of audio signals to based on a policy, including to:

identify an audio signal from the plurality of audio signals that is associated with an individual application having a current viewing location corresponding to a display of the other device;

route the identified audio signal to an audio endpoint associated with the other device; and

route the remaining audio signals from the plurality of audio signals to the mobile device based at least in part on state data obtained for the individual application.

12. A method for audio routing comprising:

receiving, by an audio routing component, at least two audio signals associated with at least two applications executed by a first device;

obtaining application state data for the at least two applications;

identifying individual viewing locations associated with the at least two applications, at least one individual viewing location corresponding to a second device;

determining whether the second device is audio capable;

responsive to a determination that the second device is audio capable, identifying an audio endpoint associated with the second device; and

routing an audio signal to the identified audio endpoint of the second device based at least in part on the obtained application state data.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the second device is not audio capable, routing the audio signal to an audio endpoint of the first device.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving another audio signal associated with another application executed by the first device;

determining whether application-rendered content for the application associated with the viewing location corresponding to the second device is in full-screen mode;

responsive to a determination that the application-rendered content for the application is in full-screen mode, routing the other audio signal associated with the other application to an audio endpoint of the first device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the application-rendered content for the application is not in the full-screen mode, routing the other audio signal associated with the other application to the identified audio endpoint of the second device.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

establishing, by the first device, a connection with the second device; and

streaming a user interface of the first device to a display of the second device.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a plurality of audio signals associated with a plurality of applications; and

determining which audio endpoints to route the plurality of audio signals to based on a policy.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the state data obtained for the application comprises at least one of a foreground active state, a foreground non-active state, or a background state.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving an audio signal associated with an application having application-rendered content comprising a plurality of views, at least part of the application-rendered content projected on a display associated with the first device and at least another part of the application-rendered content projected on a display associated with the second device, and the received audio signal corresponding to a portion of the application-rendered content;

identifying a viewing location associated with the portion of the application-rendered content; and

routing the audio signal to an audio endpoint associated with the identified viewing location for the portion of the application-rendered content.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

receiving a next audio signal associated with a next application, the next application having a background state; and

routing the next audio signal to an audio endpoint associated with the first device.