Base properties in a media playback system

• US 9,749,761 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2016
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Rappoport, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): BERNARDI, BRENDA C
• Application Number:
  US15/357,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20170134871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/18 Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems
• 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: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

An example implementation may involve a playback device assigning, to the playback device, a zone property that is assigned to a device base (e.g., a charging base) that the playback device is placed upon. For instance, a playback device may identify a particular base onto which the playback device is placed. The playback device may determine that the particular base is assigned a zone property that is associated with a first zone of a media playback system. The playback device may assign, to the playback device, the zone property that is assigned to the particular base. By acquiring the zone property, the playback device may join the first zone of the media playback system. Other example implementations may involve assigning a zone property to a device base, or modify a zone property of a device base, among other examples.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

one or more processors;

a data storage having stored therein instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the playback device to perform operations comprising;

identifying, via the playback device, a particular base onto which the playback device is placed; and

assigning, to the playback device, a zone property that is assigned to the particular base, wherein assigning the zone property comprises joining the playback device into a first zone of a media playback system.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise charging a battery of the playback device from current delivered through the particular base while the playback device is placed on the particular base.

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

detecting removal of the playback device from the particular base; and

upon detecting removal of the playback device from the particular base, unassigning the zone property that is associated with the first zone of the media playback system and assigning, to the playback device, a zone property that is associated with a second zone of the media playback system, wherein assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is associated with the second zone of the media playback system comprises joining the playback device into the second zone of the media playback system.

4. The playback device of claim 3, wherein joining the playback device into the second zone of the media playback system comprises joining a zone that consists of the playback device.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the playback device is configured to play back media items from a queue, wherein the first zone is associated with a pre-existing queue of media items, and wherein assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is assigned to the particular base further comprises adopting the pre-existing queue of media items as the queue of the playback device.

6. The playback device of claim 5, wherein the first zone comprises one or more additional playback devices that are playing back the queue of media items, and assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is assigned to the particular base further comprises playing back the adopted queue of media items in synchrony with the one or more additional playback devices.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is assigned to the particular base comprises joining the playback device into the first zone of the media playback system as a first channel of a stereo pair that includes an additional playback device as a second channel of the stereo pair.

8. The playback device of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular base onto which the playback device is placed comprises receiving, from the particular base, a signal indicating an identifier that uniquely identifies the particular base among bases of a media playback system that comprises the playback device, and wherein determining that the particular base is assigned the zone property that is associated with the first zone of a media playback system comprises receiving from another playback device within the media playback system a zone property corresponding to the identifier that uniquely identifies the particular base among bases of the media playback system.

9. A method comprising:

identifying, via a playback device, a particular base onto which the playback device is placed; and

assigning, to the playback device, a zone property that is assigned to the particular base, wherein assigning the zone property comprises joining the playback device into a first zone of a media playback system.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising charging a battery of the playback device from current delivered through the particular base while the playback device is placed on the particular base.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting removal of the playback device from the particular base; and

upon detecting removal of the playback device from the particular base, unassigning the zone property that is associated with the first zone of the media playback system and assigning, to the playback device, a zone property that is associated with a second zone of the media playback system, wherein assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is associated with the second zone of the media playback system comprises joining the playback device into the second zone of the media playback system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein joining the playback device into the second zone of the media playback system comprises joining a zone that consists of the playback device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the playback device is configured to play back media items from a queue, wherein the first zone is associated with a pre-existing queue of media items, and wherein assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is assigned to the particular base further comprises adopting the pre-existing queue of media items as the queue of the playback device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first zone comprises one or more additional playback devices that are playing back the queue of media items, and assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is assigned to the particular base further comprises playing back the adopted queue of media items in synchrony with the one or more additional playback devices.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed, cause a playback device to perform operations comprising:

detecting removal of the playback device from a particular base; and

upon detecting removal of the playback device from the particular base, unassigning a zone property that is associated with a first zone of a media playback system and assigning, to the playback device, a zone property that is associated with a second zone of the media playback system, wherein assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is associated with the second zone of the media playback system comprises joining the playback device into the second zone of a media playback system.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

charging a battery of the playback device from current delivered through the particular base while the playback device is placed on the particular base.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting removal of the playback device from the particular base; and

upon detecting removal of the playback device from the particular base, unassigning the zone property that is associated with the first zone of the media playback system and assigning, to the playback device, a zone property that is associated with a second zone of the media playback system, wherein assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is associated with the second zone of the media playback system comprises joining the playback device into the second zone of the media playback system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein joining the playback device into the second zone of the media playback system comprises joining a zone that consists of the playback device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the playback device is configured to play back media items from a queue, wherein the first zone is associated with a pre-existing queue of media items, and wherein assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is assigned to the particular base further comprises adopting the pre-existing queue of media items as the queue of the playback device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the first zone comprises one or more additional playback devices that are playing back the queue of media items, and assigning, to the playback device, the zone property that is assigned to the particular base further comprises playing back the adopted queue of media items in synchrony with the one or more additional playback devices.