Audio Systems and Related Devices and Methods

• US 20160210114A1
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Gomes-Casseres, Glenn, Gao, Yong, Sheehan, Conor, Sakalowsky, John Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,241,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/18 Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows

Abstract

A method includes syncing preset assignments on a plurality of audio playback devices such that preset assignments on any one of the audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on each of the other audio playback devices, and, such that, if one of the preset assignments is changed on one of the audio playback devices, each of the other audio playback devices is automatically updated such that a corresponding change is made to a corresponding preset assignment on each of the other audio playback devices. Each preset assignment is an assignment of an entity associated with one of a plurality of digital audio sources to one of a plurality of preset indicators on the corresponding one of the audio playback devices. The preset indicators are source agnostic to provide for single press access to their respectively assigned entities in the same manner irrespective of the associated digital audio source.

Claims

1. A method for managing presets in an audio system, the method comprising:

syncing preset assignments on a plurality of audio playback devices such that preset assignments on any one of the audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on each of the other audio playback devices, and, such that, if one of the preset assignments is changed on one of the audio playback devices, each of the other audio playback devices is automatically updated such that a corresponding change is made to a corresponding preset assignment on each of the other audio playback devices,

wherein each of the preset assignments is an assignment of an entity, that is a grouping or collection of content for playback, associated with one of a variety of digital audio sources to one of a plurality of source agnostic preset indicators in the form of hardware or virtual buttons on the corresponding one of the audio playback devices, wherein the preset indicators are source agnostic to provide for single press access to their respectively assigned entities in the same manner irrespective of the associated digital audio source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the variety of digital audio sources include at least some of Internet based music services such as Internet radio sites, network-attached storage (NAS) devices and a media server daemon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of syncing preset assignments on a plurality of audio playback devices comprises:

receiving information from a first audio playback device of the audio system regarding a change to one or more of a plurality of preset assignments;

updating stored preset data based on the information received from the first audio playback device; and

providing update information to one or more other audio playback devices of the audio system such that the one or more other audio playback devices update their respective preset assignments to correspond to those of the first audio playback device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of updating stored preset data comprises updating preset data stored on a remote server.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of said one or more other audio playback devices of the audio system:

receiving notification from the first audio playback device regarding the change to one or more of a plurality of preset assignments;

in response to receiving the notification, contacting the remote server for the audio system to request update information, and

updating one or more preset assignments based on update information received from the remote server such that preset assignments on said one or more other audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on the first audio playback device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a copy of a token from the first audio playback device, wherein the token is a unique identifier that a corresponding one of the digital audio sources recognizes and associates with a user account, thereby to provide access to the user account;

storing the copy of the token within the remote server; and

providing copies of the token to said one or more other audio playback

devices of the audio system such that the corresponding one of the digital audio sources can recognize said one or more other audio playback devices as being associated with the user account.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input regarding the assignment of an entity associated with one of the digital audio sources to one of the preset indicators on a first one of the audio playback devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user input corresponds to actuation of a hardware button on a first one of the audio playback devices.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the user input is received via a controller connected to the first one of the audio playback devices via a network connection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the assignable entities include at least (i) user-defined playlists of digital music and (ii) Internet radio stations.

11. An audio playback device configured to operably connect to a variety of digital audio sources, the audio playback device comprising:

a digital-to-analog converter configured to receive a digital representation of content from the digital audio sources and convert to analog form;

an electro-acoustic transducer;

a set of user-selectable source agnostic preset indicators in the form of hardware or virtual buttons , wherein each indicator in the set of preset indicators is configured to have assigned to it an entity, that is a grouping or collection of content for playback, associated with one of the variety of digital audio sources, the preset indicators being source agnostic to provide for single press access to their respectively assigned entities in the same manner irrespective of the associated digital audio source;

a processor; and

instructions stored on a computer-readable media that, when executed, cause the processor to;

update one or more preset assignments based on user input, each of the preset assignments representing an assignment of an entity associated with one of the digital audio sources to a corresponding one of the preset indicators; and

to send information regarding the update to the one or more preset assignments to a remote server.

12. The audio playback device of claim 11, further comprising an enclosure, wherein the digital-to-analog converter and the electro-acoustic transducer are located within the enclosure and the set of user-selectable present indicators is located on the enclosure.

13. The audio playback device of claim 11, wherein the digital audio sources comprise at least (i) one or more libraries of user-defined playlists of digital music files and (ii) Internet radio sites.

14. The audio playback device of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

notify one or more other audio playback devices within an audio system regarding the update to the one or more preset assignments.

15. The audio playback device of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive notification from an other audio playback device within an audio system regarding changes to preset assignments on the other audio playback device;

and, in response to receiving the notification regarding changes to the preset assignments on the other audio playback device, to contact a remote server for the audio system to request update information; and

to

update one or more preset assignments on the audio playback device based on the update information received from the remote server such that preset assignments on the audio playback devices correspond to respective preset assignments on the other audio playback device.