Acoustic signatures

• US 9,998,841 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reimann, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US15/298,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20170041727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/181 Low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio preamplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• 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 21/44231 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 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• 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: H04R 29/007 : for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide for acoustic signatures in a playback system. An example implementation involves receiving, from a microphone of the controller device, an audio signal played by a playback device, the audio signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device. The example implementation further involves identifying the playback device based on the network information and responsively, modifying a user interface on the controller device based on the identification of the playback device.

Claims

1. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a controller device, cause the controller device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via a wireless network interface of the controller device, at least one periodic message transmitted by an unidentified multimedia unit, each periodic message indicating that the unidentified multimedia unit is available for media playback control;

in response to receiving a given periodic message transmitted by the unidentified multimedia unit, causing, via a user interface of a control application, a graphical display to display one or more icons, that when selected, select the unidentified multimedia unit for playback, wherein playback on the controller device is disabled when any multimedia unit is selected for playback;

in response to detecting selection of the one or more selectable icons, that when selected, select the unidentified multimedia unit for playback, (i) transmitting, via the wireless network interface, a request to connect to the unidentified multimedia unit for media playback control and (ii) enabling a microphone of the controller device to listen for audio signals;

thereafter, detecting via the microphone of the controller device, an audio signal emitted by a particular multimedia unit in response to the request to connect to the unidentified multimedia unit, wherein the audio signal comprises an acoustic signature component that includes a series of inaudible tones corresponding to the particular multimedia unit;

identifying the particular multimedia unit from among at least one other multimedia unit based on the series of inaudible tones included in the acoustic signature component; and

based on the identification of the particular multimedia unit, causing, via the user interface of the control application, the graphical display to display icons selectable to control, via the wireless network interface, playback of media content by the particular multimedia unit.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

identifying a zone group based on the acoustic signature component, wherein the zone group comprises the multimedia unit and one or more other multimedia units; and

based on the identification of the zone group, providing on the user interface an indication that the icons are selectable to control playback of media content by multimedia units in the zone group.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the detected audio signal further comprises an audible audio component.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

after causing the graphical display to display the icons selectable to control playback of media content by the multimedia unit, receiving, via the user interface, an input to play a particular media item; and

in response to the input, transmitting to the multimedia unit, a uniform resource identifier corresponding to the particular media item.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the multimedia unit is a particular multimedia unit that is part of a networked media system of a plurality of multimedia units, and wherein the acoustic signature component of the detected audio signal uniquely identifies the particular multimedia unit among the plurality of multimedia units.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the series of inaudible tones indicates a numeric identification of the multimedia unit.

7. A controller device comprising:

a wireless network interface;

a microphone;

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller device to perform functions comprising;

receiving via the wireless network interface, at least one periodic message transmitted by an unidentified multimedia unit, each periodic message indicating that the unidentified multimedia unit is available for media playback control;

in response to receiving a given periodic message transmitted by the unidentified multimedia unit, causing, via a user interface of a control application, a graphical display to display one or more icons, that when selected, select the unidentified multimedia unit for playback, wherein playback on the controller device is disabled when any multimedia unit is selected for playback;

in response to detecting selection of the one or more selectable icons, that when selected, select the unidentified multimedia unit for playback, (i) transmitting, via the wireless network interface, a request to connect to the unidentified multimedia unit for media playback control and (ii) enabling the microphone of the controller device to listen for audio signals;

thereafter, detecting via the microphone of the controller device, an audio signal emitted by a particular multimedia unit in response to the request to connect to the unidentified multimedia unit, wherein the audio signal comprises an acoustic signature component that includes a series of inaudible tones corresponding to the particular multimedia unit;

identifying the particular multimedia unit from among at least one other multimedia unit based on the series of inaudible tones included in the acoustic signature component; and

based on the identification of the particular multimedia unit, causing, via the user interface of the control application, the graphical display to display icons selectable to control, via the wireless network interface, playback of media content by the particular multimedia unit.

8. The controller device of claim 7, wherein the functions further comprise:

identifying a zone group based on the acoustic signature component, wherein the zone group comprises the multimedia unit and one or more other multimedia units; and

based on the identification of the zone group, providing on the user interface an indication that the icons are selectable to control playback of media content by multimedia units in the zone group.

9. The controller device of claim 7, wherein the detected audio signal further comprises an audible audio component.

10. The controller device of claim 7, wherein the functions further comprise:

after causing the graphical display to display the icons selectable to control playback of media content by the multimedia unit, receiving, via the user interface an input to play a particular media item; and

in response to the input, transmitting to the multimedia unit, a uniform resource identifier corresponding to the particular media item.

11. The controller device of claim 7, wherein the multimedia unit is a particular multimedia unit that is part of a networked media system of a plurality of multimedia units, and wherein the acoustic signature component of the detected audio signal uniquely identifies the particular multimedia unit among the plurality of multimedia units.

12. The controller device of claim 7, wherein the series of inaudible tones indicates a numeric identification of the multimedia unit.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, via a wireless network interface of a controller device, at least one periodic message transmitted by an unidentified multimedia unit, each periodic message indicating that the unidentified multimedia unit is available for media playback control;

in response to receiving a given periodic message transmitted by the unidentified multimedia unit, causing, via a user interface of a control application, a graphical display to display one or more icons, that when selected, select the unidentified multimedia unit for playback, wherein playback on the controller device is disabled when any multimedia unit is selected for playback;

in response to detecting selection of the one or more selectable icons, that when selected, select the unidentified multimedia unit for playback, (i) transmitting, via the wireless network interface, a request to connect to the unidentified multimedia unit for media playback control and (ii) enabling a microphone of the controller device to listen for audio signals;

thereafter, detecting via the microphone of the controller device, an audio signal emitted by a particular multimedia unit in response to the request to connect to the unidentified multimedia unit, wherein the audio signal comprises an acoustic signature component that includes a series of inaudible tones corresponding to the particular multimedia unit;

identifying the particular multimedia unit from among at least one other multimedia unit based on the series of inaudible tones included in the acoustic signature component; and

based on the identification of the particular multimedia unit, causing, via the user interface of the control application, the graphical display to display icons selectable to control, via the wireless network interface, playback of media content by the particular multimedia unit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying a zone group based on the acoustic signature component, wherein the zone group comprises the multimedia unit and one or more other multimedia units; and

based on the identification of the zone group, providing on the user interface an indication that the icons are selectable to control playback of media content by multimedia units in the zone group.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

after causing the graphical display to display the icons selectable to control playback of media content by the multimedia unit, receiving, via the user interface, an input to play a particular media item; and

in response to the input, transmitting to the multimedia unit, a uniform resource identifier corresponding to the particular media item.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the multimedia unit is a particular multimedia unit that is part of a networked media system of a plurality of multimedia units, and wherein the acoustic signature component of the detected audio signal uniquely identifies the particular multimedia unit among the plurality of multimedia units.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the detected audio signal further comprises an audible audio component.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the series of inaudible tones indicates a numeric identification of the multimedia unit.