Intelligent Amplifier Activation

• US 20140380159A1
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reilly, Jonathon, Lang, Jonathan Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2405 by varying dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• 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 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for intelligently activating an amplifier in a playback device based on proximity detection. The playback device may be in a quasi-idle state when the playback device is not rendering media content. The quasi-idle state of the playback device may involve an amplifier in the playback device being inactive, while some other components or modules of the playback devices remain active. The playback device may include a proximity sensor configured to detect movement relative to the playback device. If movement is detected indicating that a user input to cause the playback device to render media content is anticipated, the amplifier may be pre-emptively activated such that the playback device enters an active state from the quasi-idle state. In some cases, the playback device may send a message to one or more other playback devices to cause the other playback devices to enter an active state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

while an amplifier in a playback device is in an inactive state, detecting by a proximity sensor on the playback device, movement in relation to the playback device; and

responsive to the detected movement, causing the amplifier to enter an active state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user input to cause the playback device to render media content; and

responsive to the user input, causing the playback device to render media content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the media content is one or more of (i) a user-selected media content indicated in the user input, and (ii) a previously rendering media content that is paused.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the media content is rendered by one or more additional playback devices in synchrony with playback device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to the user input to cause the playback device to render media content, recording a time stamp of the user input in a database of one or more user input time stamps; and

determining an amplifier activation schedule based on at least the one or more user input time stamps; and

causing the amplifier to enter an active state at a future time according to the amplifier activation schedule.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback device is a first device, the method further comprising:

sending an activation message to a second playback device to cause an amplifier in the second playback device to enter an active state.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sending an activation message to the second playback device to cause an amplifier in the second playback device to enter an active state further comprises:

determining that the amplifier of the second playback device is in an inactive state.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second playback device is in a zone group of playback devices including the playback device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the second playback device is in a household of playback devices including the playback device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor comprises at least one of (a) a capacitive sensor, (b) an infrared sensor, (c) a wireless communication strength sensor, and (d) a camera sensing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement in relation to the playback device is a first movement within a first range of distances from the playback device, the method further comprising:

detecting by the proximity sensor on the playback device, a second movement in relation to the playback device, within a second range of distances from the playback device;

responsive to the detected second movement, retrieving media content from a networked audio source; and

storing at least a portion of retrieved media content on a data storage medium of the playback device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second range of distances is nearer to the playback device than the first range of distances.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the detected movement, retrieving media content from a networked audio source; and

storing the retrieved media content on a data storage medium of the playback device, wherein causing the playback device to render media content comprises causing the playback device to render the stored media content.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein responsive to the detected movement, causing the amplifier to enter an active state further comprises:

determining that the detected movement indicates a user-approach towards the playback device.

15. A playback device comprising:

a proximity sensor;

an amplifier;

a processor; and

a computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the device to perform functions comprising;

while the amplifier in the playback device is in an inactive state, detecting by the proximity sensor, movement in relation to the playback device;

responsive to the detected movement, causing the amplifier to enter an active state;

receiving a user input to cause the playback device to render media content; and

responsive to the user input, causing the playback device to render media content.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the proximity sensor comprises at least one of (a) a capacitive sensor, (b) an infrared sensor, (c) a wireless communication strength sensor, and (d) a photo-sensing device.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the functions further comprise:

responsive to the detected movement, retrieving media content from a networked audio source; and

storing at least a portion of the retrieved media content on a data storage medium of the playback device.

18. A non-transitory computer readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to execute functions comprising:

while an amplifier in a playback device is in an inactive state, detecting by a proximity sensor on the playback device, movement in relation to the playback device;

responsive to the detected movement, causing the amplifier to enter an active state;

receiving a user input to cause the playback device to render media content; and

responsive to the user input, causing the playback device to render media content.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 18, wherein the playback device is a first device, and wherein the functions further comprise:

sending an activation message to a second playback device to cause an amplifier in the second playback device to enter an active state.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 18, wherein the media content is one or more of (i) a user-selected media content indicated in the user input, and (ii) a previously rendering media content that is paused.