Dynamically Changing Master Audio Playback Device

• US 20180020308A1
• Filed: 07/18/2016
• Published: 01/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Lai, Trevor, Duthaler, Gregg Michael, Elliot, Michael, Smith, Matthew C., Banerjee, Debasmit, Malone, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,219,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• 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: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02

Abstract

A method for dynamically changing the master audio playback device of a set that includes at least two audio playback devices, wherein one audio playback device of the set is a set master audio playback device that controls the play of audio data by at least one other slave audio playback device of the set. A first slave audio playback device receives its selection as a new recipient of audio data and, in response, the first slave audio playback device is designated as a new set master audio playback device and the set master audio playback device is designated as a new slave audio playback device. The new set master audio playback device controls the play of audio by the new slave audio playback device.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically changing the master audio playback device of a set comprising at least two audio playback devices, wherein one audio playback device of the set is a set master audio playback device that controls the play of audio data by at least one other slave audio playback device of the set, the method comprising:

receiving at a first slave audio playback device the selection of the first slave audio playback device as a new recipient of audio data; and

in response to receiving at the first slave audio playback device the selection of the first slave audio playback device as the new recipient of audio data, designating the first slave audio playback device as a new set master audio playback device, and designating the set master audio playback device as a new slave audio playback device, where the new set master audio playback device controls the play of audio by the new slave audio playback device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set comprises at least three audio playback devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set comprises a group comprising at least two group audio playback devices, wherein the group has one group master audio playback device and at least one group slave audio playback device, where the group master audio playback device controls the play of audio by the at least one group slave audio playback device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the group comprises a left-right stereo pair of audio playback devices.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the group comprises multiple surround sound audio playback devices.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first slave audio playback device comprises a group slave audio playback device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first slave audio playback device is designated as both the new set master audio playback device and the new group master audio playback device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the new set master audio playback device distributes audio data to all other audio playback devices of the set, and wherein the group master audio playback device controls the play of audio by all group slave audio playback devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set master controls the play of audio data that originates from a first audio source, and the selection of the new recipient of audio data comprises selection of audio data from a second audio source that differs from the first audio source, and the new set master device controls the play of audio from the second audio source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second audio source comprises a Bluetooth audio data stream from a Bluetooth-enabled source device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein Bluetooth audio data is distributed by the new set master audio playback device to all set slave audio playback devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the audio data is distributed to the set slave audio playback devices by one of Bluetooth, WiFi, and via a local access point.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the second audio source comprises an auxiliary audio data input.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first slave audio playback device comprises a user interface comprising a user-operated switch that when operated initiates a Bluetooth connection between the first slave audio playback device and the second audio source.

15. An audio playback device that is adapted to become the new set master audio playback device of a set comprising at least two audio playback devices, wherein one audio playback device of the set is an original set master audio playback device that controls the play of audio data by at least one other slave audio playback device of the set, the device comprising:

a digital-to-analog converter configured to receive an audio stream comprising a digital representation of audio content via a network and convert the audio stream to analog form;

an electro-acoustic transducer;

a network interface; and

a processor coupled to the digital-to-analog converter, the electro-acoustic transducer, and the network interface, the processor configured to;

receive the selection of the audio playback device as a new recipient of audio data; and

in response to receiving the selection of the audio playback device as the new recipient of audio data, designate the audio playback device as the new set master audio playback device, where the new set master audio playback device controls the play of audio by the set slave audio playback devices.

16. The audio playback device of claim 15, wherein the set comprises at least three audio playback devices.

17. The audio playback device of claim 15, wherein the set comprises a group comprising at least two group audio playback devices, wherein the group has one group master audio playback device and at least one group slave audio playback device, where the group master audio playback device controls the play of audio by the at least one group slave audio playback device.

18. The audio playback device of claim 17, wherein the group comprises a left-right stereo pair of audio playback devices.

19. The audio playback device of claim 17, wherein the group comprises multiple surround sound audio playback devices.

20. The audio playback device of claim 17, wherein the audio playback device comprises a group slave audio playback device.

21. The audio playback device of claim 20, wherein the audio playback device is designated as both the new set master audio playback device and the new group master audio playback device.

22. The audio playback device of claim 21, wherein the new set master audio playback device distributes audio data to all other audio playback devices of the set, and wherein the group master audio playback device controls the play of audio by all group slave audio playback devices.

23. The audio playback device of claim 15, wherein the set master controls the play of audio data that originates from a first audio source, and the selection of the new recipient of audio data comprises selection of audio data from a second audio source that differs from the first audio source, and the new set master device controls the play of audio from the second audio source.

24. The audio playback device of claim 23, wherein the second audio source comprises a Bluetooth audio data stream from a Bluetooth-enabled source device.

25. The audio playback device of claim 24, wherein Bluetooth audio data is distributed by the new set master audio playback device to all set slave audio playback devices.

26. The audio playback device of claim 25, wherein the audio data is distributed to the set slave audio playback devices by one of Bluetooth, WiFi, and via a local access point.

27. The audio playback device of claim 23, wherein the second audio source comprises an auxiliary audio data input.

28. The audio playback device of claim 23, wherein the audio playback device comprises a user interface comprising a user-operated switch that when operated initiates a Bluetooth connection between the audio playback device and the second audio source.