Portable playback device state variable

• US 9,898,244 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kusano, Mieko
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Sm
• Application Number:
  US14/977,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• 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 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to facilitate playback of multimedia content are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a network interface configured to receive audio content over a playback network. A processor comprising instructions which when executed, cause the processor to detect that a portable playback device has joined the playback network. The processor is to update a state variable to indicate that the portable playback device has joined the playback network. The processor is to play audio content received over the playback network based on the state variable. The processor is to detect that the portable playback device is not joined to the playback network. The processor is to, after detecting that the portable playback device is not joined to the playback network, update the state variable to indicate that the portable playback device is not joined to the playback network.

Claims

1. A first playback device comprising:

a network interface configured to receive audio content over a playback network;

a processor comprising instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to;

wirelessly receive, via the network interface, a state variable which does not identify a portable playback device as a member of the playback network and zone group;

detect that the portable playback device has joined the playback network and the zone group of the playback network;

in response to detecting that the portable playback device has joined the playback network and the zone group, update the state variable to identify the portable playback device as a member of the playback network and zone group;

play audio associated with audio content received over the playback network in synchrony with the portable playback device based on the state variable identifying the portable playback device as a member of the playback network and zone group;

detect that the portable playback device is joined to the playback network but no longer joined to the zone group; and

update the state variable based on detecting that the portable playback device is joined to the playback network but no longer joined to the zone group to identify the portable playback device as a member of the playback network but not the zone group.

2. The first playback device of claim 1, further comprising instructions for sending the state variable to another device connected to the playback network.

3. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions for updating the state variable comprises querying another device on the playback network for a system configuration and storing the system configuration in the state variable.

4. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions for playing the audio associated with the audio content received over the playback network in synchrony comprises the first playback device being stereo paired with the portable playback device and playing a portion of a full range of the audio associated with the audio content.

5. The first playback device of claim 4, further comprising instructions for playing the full range of the audio associated with the audio content when the state variable identifies the portable playback device as a member of the playback network but not the zone group.

6. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the state variable further indicates whether the portable playback device is powered on or powered off.

7. The first playback device of claim 1, further comprising instructions for stopping the playback of the audio associated with audio content received over the playback network in synchrony with the portable playback device based on the state variable identifying the portable playback device as a member of the playback network but not the zone group.

8. A method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by the first playback device, a state variable which does not identify a portable playback device as a member of a playback network and zone group;

detecting, by the first playback device, that the portable playback device has joined the playback network and the zone group of the playback network;

in response to detecting that the portable playback device has joined the playback network and the zone group, updating, by the first playback device, the state variable to identify the portable playback device as a member of the playback network and zone group;

playing, by the first playback device, audio associated with audio content received over the playback network in synchrony with the portable playback device based on the state variable identifying the portable playback device as a member of the playback network and zone group;

detecting, by the first playback device, that the portable playback device is joined to the playback network but no longer joined to the zone group; and

updating, by the first playback device, the state variable based on detecting that the portable playback device is joined to the playback network but no longer joined to the zone group to identify the portable playback device as a member of the playback network but not the zone group.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending, by the first playback device, the state variable to another device connected to the playback network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein updating the state variable comprises querying, by the first playback device, another device on the playback network for a system configuration and storing the system configuration in the state variable.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein playing, by the first playback device, the audio associated with the audio content received over the playback network in synchrony comprises the first playback device being stereo paired with the portable playback device and playing a portion of a full range of the audio associated with the audio content.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising playing, by the first playback device, the full range of the audio associated with the audio content when the state variable identifies the portable playback device as a member of the playback network but not the zone group.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the state variable further indicates whether the portable playback device is powered on or powered off.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

stopping the playback of the audio associated with audio content received over the playback network in synchrony with the portable playback device based on the state variable identifying the portable playback device as a member of the playback network but not the zone group.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions for execution by a processor, the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to implement a method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by the first playback device, a state variable which does not identify a portable playback device as a member of a playback network and zone group;

detecting, by the first playback device, that the portable playback device has joined the playback network and the zone group of the playback network;

in response to detecting that the portable playback device has joined the playback network and the zone group, updating, by the first playback device, the state variable to identify the portable playback device as a member of the playback network and zone group;

playing, by the first playback device, audio associated with audio content received over the playback network in synchrony with the portable playback device based on the state variable identifying the portable playback device as a member of the playback network and zone group;

detecting, by the first playback device, that the portable playback device is joined to the playback network but no longer joined to the zone group; and

updating, by the first playback device, the state variable based on detecting that the portable playback device is joined to the playback network but no longer joined to the zone group to identify the portable playback device as a member of the playback network but not the zone group.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the portable playback device joins the playback network when powered on and the portable playback device is not joined to the playback network when powered off.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for playing, by the first playback device, the audio content received over the playback network comprises the first playback device being stereo paired with the portable playback device and playing a portion of a full range of the audio associated with the audio content.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for playing, by the first playback device, the full range of the audio associated with the content when the state variable indicates that the portable playback device is not joined to the playback network.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for querying, by the first playback device, another device on the playback network for a system configuration and storing the system configuration in the state variable.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for stopping the playback of the audio associated with audio content received over the playback network in synchrony with the portable playback device based on the state variable identifying the portable playback device as a member of the playback network but not the zone group.