Automatic configuration of household playback devices

• US 9,686,282 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Pollock, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Gee, Jason K
• Application Number:
  US15/058,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20160182513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• 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: 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 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

An example implementation involves a first playback device receiving, from a remote server over a wide area network, a configuration table corresponding to a secure network comprising the first playback device. The first playback device determines that the configuration table comprises an entry corresponding to a second playback device that is not part of the secure network. The first playback device listens, over an unsecure local area network, for transmissions from playback devices, and, while listening, receives a first message from the second playback device, the first message indicating that the second playback device is available to join the secure network. In response to receiving the first message, the first playback device transmits, to the second playback device over the unsecure local area network, a second message comprising configuration information for the second playback device to join the secure network.

Claims

1. A first playback device comprising:

a network interface;

at least one processor; and

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

receiving, via the network interface from a remote server over a wide area network, a configuration table corresponding to a secure playback network comprising the first playback device, wherein the secure playback network is a local area network;

determining that the configuration table comprises an entry corresponding to a second playback device that is not part of the secure playback network;

based on the determination, listening, via the network interface over an unsecure local area network, for transmissions from playback devices;

while listening for transmissions, receiving, via the network interface over the unsecure local area network, a first message from the second playback device, the first message indicating that the second playback device is available to join the secure playback network; and

in response to receiving the first message from the second playback device, transmitting, via the network interface to the second playback device over the unsecure local area network, a second message comprising configuration information for the second playback device to join the secure playback network.

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

after determining that the second playback device is a part of the secure playback network, playing media content in synchrony with the second playback device over the local area network.

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

prior to receiving the configuration table, transmitting, via the network interface over the wide area network to the remote server, a request for the configuration table.

4. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises a network security parameter for the secure playback network.

5. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the configuration table indicates a zone configuration of the secure playback network, and wherein the configuration information indicates a particular zone in the zone configuration that corresponds to the second playback device.

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

prior to transmitting the second message, determining the configuration information based on the configuration table.

7. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein determining that the configuration table comprises an entry corresponding to the second playback device that is not part of the secure playback network comprises:

transmitting, via the network interface over the secure playback network, a message requesting a response from each playback device listed in the configuration table; and

determining that a response from the second playback device was not received within a particular duration of time.

8. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the configuration table is a first configuration table, and wherein determining that the first configuration table comprises an entry corresponding to a second playback device that is not part of the secure playback network comprises:

comparing the first configuration table to a second configuration table previously received from the remote server to determine that the first configuration table comprises the entry corresponding to the second playback device as a new entry.

9. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the configuration information indicates that the second playback device is to join the secure playback network as part of a bonded zone with the first playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise:

modifying an audio playback equalization setting of the first playback device.

10. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the entry corresponding to the second playback device indicates one or more characteristics of the second playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise:

while listening for transmissions from playback devices, receiving, via the network interface over the unsecure local area network, respective message from one or more devices having the one or more characteristic of the second playback device.

11. The first playback device of claim 10, wherein the one or more characteristics comprises one or more of (a) a serial number corresponding to the second playback device or (b) a model name corresponding to the second playback device.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, via a network interface of a first playback device from a remote server over a wide area network, a configuration table corresponding to a secure playback network comprising the first playback device, wherein the secure playback network is a local area network;

determining, via the first playback device, that the configuration table comprises an entry corresponding to a second playback device that is not part of the secure playback network;

based on the determination, listening, via the network interface of the first playback device over an unsecure local area network, for transmissions from playback devices;

while listening for transmissions, receiving, via the network interface of the first playback device over the unsecure local area network, a first message from the second playback device, the first message indicating that the second playback device is available to join the secure playback network; and

in response to receiving the first message from the second playback device, transmitting, via the network interface of the first playback device to the second playback device over the unsecure local area network, a second message comprising configuration information for the second playback device to join the secure playback network.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

after determining that the second playback device is a part of the secure playback network, playing, via the first playback device, media content in synchrony with the second playback device over the local area network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration information comprises a network security parameter for the secure playback network.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration table indicates a zone configuration of the secure playback network, and wherein the configuration information indicates a particular zone in the zone configuration that corresponds to the second playback device.

16. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a first playback device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via a network interface from a remote server over a wide area network, a configuration table corresponding to a secure playback network comprising the first playback device, wherein the secure playback network is a local area network;

determining that the configuration table comprises an entry corresponding to a second playback device that is not part of the secure playback network;

based on the determination, listening, via the network interface over an unsecure local area network, for transmissions from playback devices;

while listening for transmissions, receiving, via the network interface over the unsecure local area network, a first message from the second playback device, the first message indicating that the second playback device is available to join the secure playback network; and

in response to receiving the first message from the second playback device, transmitting, via the network interface to the second playback device over the unsecure local area network, a second message comprising configuration information for the second playback device to join the secure playback network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining that the configuration table comprises an entry corresponding to the second playback device that is not part of the secure playback network comprises:

transmitting, via the network interface over the secure playback network, a message requesting a response from each playback device listed in the configuration table; and

determining that a response from the second playback device was not received within a particular duration of time.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the configuration table is a first configuration table, and wherein determining that the first configuration table comprises an entry corresponding to a second playback device that is not part of the secure playback network comprises:

comparing the first configuration table to a second configuration table previously received from the remote server to determine that the first configuration table comprises the entry corresponding to the second playback device as a new entry.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the configuration information indicates that the second playback device is to join the secure playback network as part of a bonded zone with the first playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise:

modifying an audio playback equalization setting of the first playback device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the entry corresponding to the second playback device indicates one or more characteristics of the second playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise:

while listening for transmissions from playback devices, receiving, via the network interface over the unsecure local area network, respective message from one or more devices having the one or more characteristic of the second playback device.