Device grouping for audio based interactivity

• US 9,431,021 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scalise, Albert M., David, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tammy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, Keara
• Application Number:
  US14/227,099
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence

Abstract

Techniques are described for grouping multiple computing devices into a device set to enable shared audio functionality, or other types of shared functionality, between the devices in the device set. The devices may provide audio output, audio input, or both audio output and input. The devices may discover each other via transmitted radio signals, and the devices may be organized into one or more device sets based on location, supported functions, or other criteria. A voice command received at one device in the device set may be employed to control operations of other device(s) in the device set. Shared audio functionality between devices in a device set may also enable synchronized audio output through using multiple devices in the device set.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a first audio enabled computing device, a radio signal transmitted by a second audio enabled computing device, the radio signal including information indicative of an identification of the second audio enabled computing device;

determining that the first audio enabled computing device is within a threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device;

determining that the second audio enabled computing device is configured to provide an audio output function using a speaker;

determining, with the first audio enabled computing device, device set information including;

a device set description, generated by the first audio enabled computing device, indicative of a name of a group that includes the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device; and

device capability information, generated by the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device, indicative of a set of device capabilities of the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device;

determining that the set of device capabilities includes functions to control the audio output function of the second audio enabled computing device using a voice command received using a microphone at the first audio enabled computing device; and

storing the device set information on the first audio enabled computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing account information that describes a first user account associated with the first audio enabled computing device and a second user account associated with the second audio enabled computing device; and

wherein the determining the device set information is responsive to determining the first user account and the second user account refer to a same user.

3. The method of claim 1, the determining that the first audio enabled computing device is within the threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device further comprising:

measuring a signal strength of the radio signal received at the first audio enabled computing device;

employing the signal strength to determine a distance between the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device;

determining the threshold distance as a maximum range of the radio signal as transmitted; and

determining that the distance is less than or equal to the maximum range.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the set of device capabilities includes an audio input function for processing a plurality of voice commands received for controlling the second audio enabled computing device;

determining the audio input function of the second audio enabled computing device is disabled; and

controlling the audio output function of the second audio enabled computing device using the voice command received at the first audio enabled computing device.

5. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device configured to implement one or more services, wherein the one or more services are configured to;

receive, at a first audio enabled computing device, a signal transmitted by a second audio enabled computing device, the signal representing data indicative of identification of the second audio enabled computing device;

determine that the first audio enabled computing device is within a threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device;

determine that the second audio enabled computing device is configured to provide an audio function that includes one or more of an audio output function or an audio input function;

determine device set information including;

a device set description, generated by the first audio enabled computing device, indicative of a name of a group that includes the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device;

an identification of a plurality of computing devices; and

device capability information, generated by the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device, indicative of functions supported by the plurality of computing devices; and

determine the device capability information includes enabling the first audio enabled computing device to use the audio function of the second audio enabled computing device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the signal is:

a radio signal compliant with at least a portion of a version of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard;

a radio signal compliant with at least a portion of a version of a Bluetooth™

standard;

an optical light signal;

an infrared light signal;

an acoustic signal in an audible frequency range;

an acoustic signal in an ultrasonic frequency range;

or

an acoustic signal in an infrasonic frequency range.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the device set information enables one or more of:

control of the audio output function of the second audio enabled computing device using a voice command received at the first audio enabled computing device;

substantially synchronized playback of audio content using the audio output function of the second audio enabled computing device and an audio output function of the first audio enabled computing device;

playback of the audio content using the audio output function of the first audio enabled computing device during a first time period and using the audio output function of the second audio enabled computing device during a second time period different than the first time period;

playback of first audio content using the audio output function of the first audio enabled computing device contemporaneously with playback of second audio content using the audio output function of the second audio enabled computing device, the first audio content being different than the second audio content;

activation of the second audio enabled computing device using the voice command received at the first audio enabled computing device;

or

deactivation of the second audio enabled computing device using the voice command received at the first audio enabled computing device.

8. The system of claim 5, the determining that the first audio enabled computing device is within the threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device further comprising:

measuring a signal strength of the signal received at the first audio enabled computing device;

employing the signal strength to determine a distance between the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device;

determining the threshold distance as a maximum range of the signal; and

determining that the distance is less than or equal to the maximum range.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more services are further configured to:

access account information that describes a first user account associated with the first audio enabled computing device and a second user account associated with the second audio enabled computing device; and

wherein the determining the device set information is responsive to determining the first user account and the second user account refer to a same user.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more services are further configured to:

access device capability information that describes a first set of device capabilities of the first audio enabled computing device and a second set of device capabilities of the second audio enabled computing device; and

wherein the determining the device set information is responsive to determining the first set of device capabilities and the second set of device capabilities include the audio output function.

11. The system of claim 5, the determining that the first audio enabled computing device is within the threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device further comprising:

accessing location information describing a first location of the first audio enabled computing device and a second location of the second audio enabled computing device, the location information received from a satellite-based navigation system;

determining a distance between the first location and the second location; and

determining that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold distance.

12. The system of claim 5, the determining that the first audio enabled computing device is within the threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device further comprising:

accessing location information including Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device;

determining the IP addresses of the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device are within an IP address range corresponding to a building; and

determining that the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device are located in the building.

13. The system of claim 5, the determining that the first audio enabled computing device is within the threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device further comprising:

measuring, at the first audio enabled computing device, a strength of an audio signal sent by the second audio enabled computing device;

employing the strength to determine a distance between the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device; and

determining that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold distance.

14. The system of claim 5, the determining that the first audio enabled computing device is within the threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device further comprising:

accessing location information provided by a user, the location information describing a first portion of a building as a first location of the first audio enabled computing device and describing a second portion of the building as a second location of the second audio enabled computing device; and

determining that the first location is the second location.

15. The system of claim 5, the determining that the first audio enabled computing device is within the threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device further comprising:

measuring a time of transmission of the signal transmitted by the second audio enabled computing device;

measuring a time of receipt of the signal received at the first audio enabled computing device;

employing a difference between the time of transmission and the time of receipt to determine a distance between the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device; and

determining that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold distance.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, instruct the at least one processor to perform actions comprising:

receiving, at a first audio enabled computing device, a signal transmitted by a second audio enabled computing device, the signal including information indicative of an identification of the second audio enabled computing device;

determining that the first audio enabled computing device is within a threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device;

determining that the second audio enabled computing device is configured to provide an audio function that includes one or more of an audio output function or an audio input function; and

determining, with the first audio enabled computing device, device set information including;

a device set description generated by the first audio enabled computing device, the device set description indicative of a name of a group that includes the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device;

device capability information, generated by the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device, indicative of functions supported by the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device, wherein the functions enable the first audio enabled computing device to use the audio function of the second audio enabled computing device; and

wherein the device set information enables substantially synchronized playback of audio content using the audio output function of the second audio enabled computing device and an audio output function of the first audio enabled computing device.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, the determining that the first audio enabled computing device is within the threshold distance of the second audio enabled computing device further comprising:

measuring a signal strength of the signal received at the first audio enabled computing device;

employing the signal strength to determine a distance between the first audio enabled computing device and the second audio enabled computing device;

determining the threshold distance as a maximum range of the signal; and

determining that the distance is less than or equal to the maximum range.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, the actions further comprising:

accessing account information that describes a first user account associated with the first audio enabled computing device and a second user account associated with the second audio enabled computing device; and

wherein the determining the device set information is responsive to determining the first user account and the second user account refer to a same user.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, the actions further comprising:

accessing device capability information that describes a first set of device capabilities of the first audio enabled computing device and a second set of device capabilities of the second audio enabled computing device; and

wherein the determining the device set information is responsive to determining the first set of device capabilities and the second set of device capabilities include the audio output function.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the device set information enables one or more of:

control of the audio output function of the second audio enabled computing device using a voice command received at the first audio enabled computing device;

playback of the audio content using the audio output function of the first audio enabled computing device during a first time period and using the audio output function of the second audio enabled computing device during a second time period different than the first time period;

playback of first audio content using the audio output function of the first audio enabled computing device contemporaneously with playback of second audio content using the audio output function of the second audio enabled computing device, the first audio content being different than the second audio content;

activation of the second audio enabled computing device using the voice command received at the first audio enabled computing device;

or

deactivation of the second audio enabled computing device using the voice command received at the first audio enabled computing device.