Voice controlled media playback system

• US 10,740,065 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2018
• Issued: 08/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Jarvis, Simon, Kadri, Romi, Butts, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Faley, Katherine A
• Application Number:
  US15/973,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20180253281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 381110
• 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 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/222 Barge in, i.e. overridable guidance for interrupting prompts
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for receiving a voice command and determining an appropriate action for the media playback system to execute based on user identification. The systems and methods receive a voice command for a media playback system, and determines whether the voice command was received from a registered user of the media playback system. In response to determining that the voice command was received from a registered user, the systems and methods configure an instruction for the media playback system based on content from the voice command and information in a user profile for the registered user.

Claims

1. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing device to perform a method comprising:

storing in association with a first profile for a media playback system, (i) a first wakeup word and (ii) a first music service account;

storing in association with a second profile for the media playback system, (i) a second wakeup word and (ii) a second music service account;

receiving, via a network microphone device of the media playback system, a first voice input comprising (i) the first wakeup word and (ii) a first voice command, wherein the first wakeup word triggers a time period for the media playback system to receive additional voice commands;

after receiving the first voice input, identifying the first profile based on the first wakeup word, configuring a first instruction based on (i) the first voice command and (ii) the first music service account, and transmitting the configured first instruction to a remote computing device associated with the first music service account;

after the time period has expired, receiving, via the network microphone device, a second voice input comprising (i) the second wakeup word and (ii) a second voice command;

after receiving the second voice input, (i) identifying the second profile based on the second wakeup word and (ii) determining whether the second profile has a permission granted by the media playback system;

in response to determining that the permission is granted, configuring a second instruction based on (i) the second voice command and (ii) the second music service account; and

transmitting the configured second instruction to a remote computing device associated with the second music service account.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first voice command is a command to control the media playback system.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 2, wherein the command to control the media playback system is a command to play media content.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to obtain media content from the remote computing device associated with the first music service account.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first profile is further associated with a particular playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, wherein the first voice command does not identify a playback zone, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content in the particular playback zone of the media playback system.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first profile is further associated with one or more playback settings, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content according to the one or more playback settings associated with the first profile.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the one or more playback settings associated with the first profile comprise one or more of (i) a preferred playback volume and (ii) a preferred audio equalization setting.

8. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising;

storing in association with a first profile for a media playback system, (i) a first wakeup word and (ii) a first music service account;

storing in association with a second profile for the media playback system, (i) a second wakeup word and (ii) a second music service account;

receiving, via a network microphone device of the media playback system, a first voice input comprising (i) the first wakeup word and (ii) a first voice command, wherein the first wakeup word triggers a time period for the media playback system to receive additional voice commands;

after receiving the first voice input, identifying the first profile based on the first wakeup word, configuring a first instruction based on (i) the first voice command and (ii) the first music service account, and transmitting the configured first instruction to a remote computing device associated with the first music service account;

after the time period has expired, receiving, via the network microphone device, a second voice input comprising (i) the second wakeup word and (ii) a second voice command;

after receiving the second voice input, (i) identifying the second profile based on the second wakeup word and (ii) determining whether the second profile has a permission granted by the media playback system;

in response to determining that the permission is granted, configuring a second instruction based on (i) the second voice command and (ii) the second music service account; and

transmitting the configured second instruction to a remote computing device associated with the second music service account.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the first voice command is a command to control the media playback system.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the command to control the media playback system is a command to play media content.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to obtain media content from the remote computing device associated with the first music service account.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the first profile is further associated with a particular playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, wherein the first voice command does not identify a playback zone, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content in the particular playback zone of the media playback system.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the first profile is further associated with one or more playback settings, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content according to the one or more playback settings associated with the first profile.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the one or more playback settings associated with the first profile comprise one or more of (i) a preferred playback volume and (ii) a preferred audio equalization setting.

15. A method comprising:

a computing device storing in association with a first profile for a media playback system, (i) a first wakeup word and (ii) a first music service account;

the computing device storing in association with a second profile for the media playback system, (i) a second wakeup word and (ii) a second music service account;

receiving, via a network microphone device of the media playback system, a first voice input comprising (i) the first wakeup word and (ii) a first voice command, wherein the first wakeup word triggers a time period for the media playback system to receive additional voice commands;

after receiving the first voice input, the computing device identifying the first profile based on the first wakeup word, configuring a first instruction based on (i) the first voice command and (ii) the first music service account, and transmitting the configured first instruction to a remote computing device associated with the first music service account;

after the time period has expired, receiving, via the network microphone device, a second voice input comprising (i) the second wakeup word and (ii) a second voice command;

after receiving the second voice input, (i) the computing device identifying the second profile based on the second wakeup word and (ii) determining whether the second profile has a permission granted by the media playback system;

in response to determining that the permission is granted, the computing device configuring a second instruction based on (i) the second voice command and (ii) the second music service account; and

the computing device transmitting the configured second instruction to at least one remote computing device associated with the second music service account.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first voice command is a command to control the media playback system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the command to control the media playback system is a command to play media content.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein configuring the first instruction comprises the computing device configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to obtain media content from the at least one remote computing device associated with the first music service account.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first profile is further associated with a particular playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, wherein the first voice command does not identify a playback zone, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises the computing device configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content in the particular playback zone of the media playback system.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the computing device comprises the network microphone device.