Audio notifications

• US 10,797,667 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2018
• Issued: 10/06/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Fish, Nathan, Casimiro, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wathen, Brian W
• Application Number:
  US16/148,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20200073731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/548 Queue
• 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: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3026 the gain being discontinuously variable, e.g. controlled by switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 7/002 in untuned or low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G7/007, H03G7/001, H03G7/008, H03G7/02, H03G7/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for a playback device outputting an audio alert from a network-enabled device include (i) while the playback device is playing back audio content, receiving an alert communication from the network-enabled device, the alert communication including (a) an audio notification identifier that identifies an audio notification and (b) a priority identifier that identifies a priority level of the audio notification; (ii) responsive to receiving the alert communication, adding the audio notification to a notification queue at a particular queue position, where the particular queue position of the audio notification in the notification queue is based on the priority level of the audio notification relative to other audio content in the notification queue; (iii) adjusting playback of the audio content for playing back the audio notification; and (iv) the playback device playing back the audio notification.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

a network interface;

an audio stage comprising an amplifier;

one or more speaker drivers;

one or more processors; and

a housing, the housing carrying at least the network interface, the audio stage, the one or more speaker drivers, the one or more processors, and tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the playback device to perform operations comprising;

while playing back a first audio notification via the audio stage and the one or more speaker drivers, receiving, via the network interface, an alert communication from a network-enabled device connected to the playback device via a local area network, the alert communication comprising (i) an audio notification identifier that identifies a second audio notification and (ii) a priority identifier that identifies a priority level of the second audio notification;

responsive to receiving the alert communication, adding the second audio notification to a notification queue at a particular queue position, wherein the particular queue position of the second audio notification in the notification queue is based on the priority level of the second audio notification relative to other audio content in the notification queue;

determining, based on the particular queue position of the second audio notification, that the second audio notification is ready for playback;

determining that the playback device has been playing back the first audio notification for a threshold amount of time corresponding to a partially-played back notification and

based on both (i) the second audio notification being ready for playback and (ii) the playback device having played back the first audio notification for the threshold amount of time corresponding to a partially-played back notification, stopping playback of the first audio notification and starting playback of the second audio notification via the audio stage and the one or more speaker drivers.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the notification queue comprises a third audio notification, and wherein adding the second audio notification to the notification queue comprises adding the second audio notification to the notification queue ahead of the third audio notification based on the priority level of the second audio notification being a higher priority than ,a priority level of the third audio notification.

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

playing back audio content that excludes audio notifications, wherein playing back one or more of the first or second audio notification comprises ducking the audio content and playing back the first or second audio notification concurrently with the ducked audio content.

4. The playback device of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

playing back audio content that excludes audio notifications, wherein playing back one or more of the first or second audio notification comprises stopping playback of the audio content and playing back the first or second audio notification while the audio content is stopped; and

after playing back the first or second audio notification, resuming playback of the audio content.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the priority level of the second audio notification is higher than a priority level of the first audio notification, and wherein stopping playback of the first audio notification and starting playback of the second audio notification is further based on the priority level of the second audio notification being higher than the priority level of the first audio notification.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the notification queue comprises a third audio notification, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the third audio notification has been in the notification queue for a threshold amount of time corresponding to an expired audio notification; and

responsive to determining that the third audio notification has been in the notification queue for the threshold amount of time corresponding to the expired audio notification, removing the third audio notification from the notification queue.

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

sending, via the network interface to a mobile device having a graphical user interface, an instruction that causes the mobile device to display, via the graphical user interface, an indication that the playback device is playing back one or more of the first or second audio notification.

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

receiving, via the network interface from a mobile device, an instruction to dismiss the second audio notification; and

in response to receiving the instruction to dismiss the second audio notification, stopping playback of the second audio notification and resuming playback of the first audio notification.

9. Tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions executable by one or more processors of a playback device to cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:

while playing back a first audio notification via an audio stage and one or more speaker drivers of the playback device, receiving, via a network interface of the playback device, an alert communication from a network-enabled device connected to the playback device via a local area network, the alert communication comprising (i) an audio notification identifier that identifies a second audio notification and (ii) a priority identifier that identifies a priority level of the second audio notification;

responsive to receiving the alert communication, adding the second audio notification to a notification queue at a particular queue position, wherein the particular queue position of the second audio notification in the notification queue is based on the priority level of the second audio notification relative to other audio content in the notification queue;

determining, based on the particular queue position of the second audio notification, that the second audio notification is ready for playback;

,

determining that the playback device has been playing back the first audio notification for a threshold amount of time corresponding to a partially-played back notification; and

based on both (i) the second audio notification being ready for playback and (ii) the playback device having played back the first audio notification for the threshold amount of time corresponding to a partially-played back notification, stopping playback of the first audio notification and starting playback of the second audio notification via the audio stage and the one or more speaker drivers.

10. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the notification queue comprises a third audio notification, and wherein adding the second audio notification to the notification queue comprises adding the second audio notification to the notification queue ahead of the third, audio notification based on the priority level of the second audio notification being a higher priority than a priority level of the third audio notification.

11. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

playing back audio content that excludes audio notifications, wherein playing back one or more of the first or second audio notification comprises ducking the audio content and playing back the first or second audio notification concurrently with the ducked audio content.

12. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9, operations further comprising:

playing back audio content that excludes audio notifications, wherein playing back one or more of the first or second audio notification comprises stopping playback of the audio content and playing back the first or second audio notification while the audio content is stopped; and

after laying back the first or second audio notification, resuming playback of the audio content.

13. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the notification queue comprises a third audio notification, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the third audio notification has been in the notification queue for a threshold amount of time corresponding to an expired audio notification; and

responsive to determining that the third audio notification has been in the notification queue for the threshold amount of time corresponding to the expired audio notification, removing the third audio notification from the notification queue.

14. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the priority level of the second audio notification is higher than a priority level of the first audio notification, and wherein stopping playback of the first audio notification and starting playback of the second audio notification is further based on the priority level of the second audio notification being higher than the priority level of the first audio notification.

15. A method comprising:

while playing back a first audio notification via an audio stage and one or more speaker drivers of a playback device, receiving, via a network interface of the playback device, an alert communication from a network-enabled device connected to the playback device via a local area network, the alert communication comprising (i) an audio notification identifier that identifies a second audio notification and (ii) a priority identifier that identifies a priority level of the second audio notification;

responsive to receiving the alert communication, adding the second audio notification to a notification queue at a particular queue position, wherein the particular queue position of the second audio notification in the notification queue is based on the priority level of the second audio notification relative to other audio content in the notification queue;

determining, based on the particular queue position of the second audio notification, that the second audio notification is ready for playback;

determining that the playback device has been playing back the first audio notification for a threshold amount of time corresponding to a partially-played back notification; and

based on both (i) the second audio notification being ready for playback and (ii) the playback device having played back the first audio notification for the threshold amount of time corresponding to a partially-played back notification, stopping playback of the first audio notification and starting playback of the second audio notification via the audio stage and the one or more speaker drivers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the notification queue comprises a third audio notification, and wherein adding the second audio notification to the notification queue comprises adding the second audio notification to the notification queue ahead of the third audio notification based on the priority level of the second audio notification being a higher priority than a priority level of the third audio notification.

17. The method of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

playing back audio content that excludes audio notifications, wherein playing back one or more of the first or second audio notification comprises ducking the audio content and playing back the first or second audio notification concurrently with the ducked audio content.

18. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

playing back audio content that excludes audio notifications, wherein playing back one or more of the first or second audio notification comprises stopping playback of the audio content and playing back the first or second audio notification while the audio content is stopped; and

after playing back the first or second audio notification, resuming playback of the audio content.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the priority level of the second audio notification is higher than a priority level of the first audio notification, and wherein stopping playback of the first audio notification and starting playback of the second audio notification is further based on the priority level of the second audio notification being higher than the priority level of the first audio notification.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the notification queue comprises a third audio notification, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the third audio notification has been in the notification queue for a threshold amount of time corresponding to an expired audio notification; and

responsive to determining that the third audio notification has been in the notification queue for the threshold amount of time corresponding to the expired audio notification, removing the third audio notification from the notification queue.