Configuring a new playback device for a bonded zone

• US 9,871,696 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2016
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Griffiths, Neil, Triplett, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Harunur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres-Diaz, Lizbeth
• Application Number:
  US15/090,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20160218923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 709219, 709224, 709231
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to facilitate configuration and naming of a multimedia playback device on a local playback network are disclosed. An example method includes identifying and analyzing local network topology to identify playback device(s) connected to the network at location(s). The example method includes analyzing a playback device to be added and comparing the playback device to be added to the playback device(s) already connected to the network. The example method includes displaying available option(s) to name the playback device to be added based on the analysis of the network, the already connected playback device(s) and the playback device to be added to the network. The example method includes naming the playback device to be added based on a selected available option.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

at least one microphone; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

receiving from a first playback device that is not configured for a multimedia playback system, a message indicating (i) the first playback device is available to join the multimedia playback system and (ii) one or more characteristics of the first playback device;

receiving information indicating (i) a playback zone in the multimedia playback system, (ii) a second playback device in the playback zone, and (iii) one or more characteristics of the second playback device;

based on the one or more characteristics of the first playback device and the one or more characteristics of the second playback device, determining that the first playback device is compatible to join the playback zone as a part of a bonded zone with the second playback device;

displaying on a user interface, a graphical representation selectable to configure the first playback device for the multimedia playback system as a part of the bonded zone with the second playback device; and

based on a selection of the graphical representation, configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone in the multimedia playback system.

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

receiving via the user interface, an input to cause the bonded zone to playback audio content; and

transmitting to at least one of the first playback device and second playback device, a message indicating a uniform resource locator corresponding to the audio content to cause the first playback device and second playback device to playback the audio content as a bonded zone.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone comprises:

configuring the first playback device to playback one of a left channel or right channel component of audio content; and

configuring the second playback device to playback the other of the left channel or right channel component of audio content.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone comprises:

configuring the first playback device to playback a first frequency range of audio content; and

configuring the second playback device to playback a second frequency range of audio content, wherein the second frequency range of audio content is different from the first frequency range of audio content.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving information indicating (i) a third playback device in the playback zone with the second playback device, and (ii) one or more characteristics of the third playback device; and

wherein determining that the first playback device is compatible to join the playback zone as a part of a bonded zone with the second playback device further comprises;

determining that the first playback device is compatible to join the playback zone as a part of a bonded zone with the second playback device and third device based on (i) the one or more characteristics of the first playback device, (ii) the one or more characteristics of the second playback device, and (iii) the one or more characteristics of the third device.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the information indicating the playback zone in the multimedia playback system further indicates a name of the playback zone, and wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone in the multimedia playback system comprises:

naming the bonded zone based on the name of the playback zone.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone in the multimedia playback system comprises:

configuring the first playback device and second playback device to adjust volume levels together in response to commands to adjust volume levels of the bonded zone.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation is a first graphical representation, and wherein the functions further comprise:

displaying on a user interface, a second graphical representation selectable to configure the first playback device for a new playback zone in the multimedia playback system.

9. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving from a first playback device that is not configured for a multimedia playback system, a message indicating (i) the first playback device is available to join the multimedia playback system and (ii) one or more characteristics of the first playback device;

receiving information indicating (i) a playback zone in the multimedia playback system, (ii) a second playback device in the playback zone, and (iii) one or more characteristics of the second playback device;

based on the one or more characteristics of the first playback device and the one or more characteristics of the second playback device, determining that the first playback device is compatible to join the playback zone as a part of a bonded zone with the second playback device;

displaying on a user interface, a graphical representation selectable to configure the first playback device for the multimedia playback system as a part of the bonded zone with the second playback device; and

based on a selection of the graphical representation, configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone in the multimedia playback system.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving via the user interface, an input to cause the bonded zone to playback audio content; and

transmitting to at least one of the first playback device and second playback device, a message indicating a uniform resource locator corresponding to the audio content to cause the first playback device and second playback device to playback the audio content as a bonded zone.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone comprises:

configuring the first playback device to playback one of a left channel or right channel component of audio content; and

configuring the second playback device to playback the other of the left channel or right channel component of audio content.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone comprises:

configuring the first playback device to playback a first frequency range of audio content; and

configuring the second playback device to playback a second frequency range of audio content, wherein the second frequency range of audio content is different from the first frequency range of audio content.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving information indicating (i) a third playback device in the playback zone with the second playback device, and (ii) one or more characteristics of the third playback device; and

wherein determining that the first playback device is compatible to join the playback zone as a part of a bonded zone with the second playback device further comprises;

determining that the first playback device is compatible to join the playback zone as a part of a bonded zone with the second playback device and third device based on (i) the one or more characteristics of the first playback device, (ii) the one or more characteristics of the second playback device, and (iii) the one or more characteristics of the third device.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the information indicating the playback zone in the multimedia playback system further indicates a name of the playback zone, and wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone in the multimedia playback system comprises:

naming the bonded zone based on the name of the playback zone.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone in the multimedia playback system comprises:

configuring the first playback device and second playback device to adjust volume levels together in response to commands to adjust volume levels of the bonded zone.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the graphical representation is a first graphical representation, and wherein the functions further comprise:

displaying on a user interface, a second graphical representation selectable to configure the first playback device for a new playback zone in the multimedia playback system.

17. A method comprising:

receiving by a computing device from a first playback device that is not configured for a multimedia playback system, a message indicating (i) the first playback device is available to join the multimedia playback system and (ii) one or more characteristics of the first playback device;

receiving by the computing device, information indicating (i) a playback zone in the multimedia playback system, (ii) a second playback device in the playback zone, and (iii) one or more characteristics of the second playback device;

based on the one or more characteristics of the first playback device and the one or more characteristics of the second playback device, determining by the computing device that the first playback device is compatible to join the playback zone as a part of a bonded zone with the second playback device;

displaying by the computing device on a user interface, a graphical representation selectable to configure the first playback device for the multimedia playback system as a part of the bonded zone with the second playback device; and

based on a selection of the graphical representation, configuring by the computing device, the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone in the multimedia playback system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone comprises:

configuring by the computing device, the first playback device to playback one of a left channel or right channel component of audio content; and

configuring by the computing device, the second playback device to playback the other of the left channel or right channel component of audio content.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone comprises:

configuring, by the computing device, the first playback device to playback a first frequency range of audio content; and

configuring, by the computing device, the second playback device to playback a second frequency range of audio content, wherein the second frequency range of audio content is different from the first frequency range of audio content.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the information indicating the playback zone in the multimedia playback system further indicates a name of the playback zone, and wherein configuring the first playback device and the second playback device as a bonded zone in the multimedia playback system comprises:

naming, by the computing device, the bonded zone based on the name of the playback zone.