Group volume control

• US 9,654,073 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Apodaca, Eduardo Ahumada
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, YOGESHKUMAR G
• Application Number:
  US13/913,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20140363024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 381104, 381105, 381107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for controlling playback volumes of a group of one or more playback zones in a network media system via a user interface provided on a touch screen display. For instance, touch inputs may be provided to the user interface via the touch screen to move a volume indicator along a graphical representation of a volume scale on the user interface to adjust a particular playback volume level of a playback zone or the group of the one or more playback zones. Further, touch inputs such as a dwell touch input or a swipe touch input may be configured to cause the particular playback volume level to be applied to other playback zones in the network media system, such that each playback zone the playback volume level is applied to has a respective playback volume level matching, or substantially matching the particular playback volume level.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

displaying, on a user interface, (i) a first volume indicator at a first position along a first volume scale associated with a first volume setting of a first group of one or more playback devices, and (ii) a second volume indicator at a second position along a second volume scale associated with a second volume setting of a second group of one or more playback devices, wherein the first group of one or more playback devices comprises the second group of one or more playback devices;

after displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, via the user interface, a command for the second volume setting to change to be equal to the first volume setting, wherein receiving the the command for the second volume setting to change to be equal to the first volume setting comprises receiving input data representing an input at the displayed first volume indicator;

in response to receiving the input at the displayed first volume indicator, displaying the second volume indicator at a third position along the second volume scale that indicates that the second volume setting is equal to the first volume setting indicated by the first position of the first volume indicator; and

causing a volume of the second group of one or more playback devices to be adjusted to a volume corresponding to the third position along the second volume scale.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1,

wherein the first volume scale comprises a first end and a second end,

wherein the second volume scale comprises a first end and a second end, and

wherein the third position along the second volume scale relative to the first and second ends of the second volume scale is substantially the same as the first position along the first volume scale relative to the first and second ends of the first volume scale.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein, after receiving the input, the volume of the second group of one or more playback devices is substantially the same as a volume of the first group of one or more playback devices.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the input is a second input, the functions further comprising:

prior to displaying the first volume indicator at the first position, receiving, via the user interface, a first input indicating the first position;

in response to receiving the first input, causing a movement of the first volume indicator from an initial position to the first position, wherein the movement of the first volume indicator corresponds to an amount of volume setting change; and

incrementing or decrementing the second volume setting by the amount of volume setting change.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, the functions further comprising:

displaying, on the user interface, a third volume indicator at a fourth position along a third volume scale associated with a third volume setting of a third group of one or more playback devices;

in response to receiving the input, displaying the third volume indicator at a fifth position along the third volume scale that indicates that the third volume setting is equal to the first volume setting indicated by the first position of the first volume indicator; and

causing a volume of the third group of one or more playback devices to be adjusted to a volume corresponding to the fifth position along the third volume scale.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the first group of one or more playback devices comprises the second and third groups of one or more playback devices.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein receiving input data representing an input at the displayed first volume indicator comprises receiving input data indicating one of:

(a) a touch-and-hold input at the displayed first volume indicator or (b) a flick input beginning at the displayed first volume indicator.

7. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

a user interface; and

a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

displaying, on the user interface, (i) a first volume indicator at a first position along a first volume scale associated with a first volume setting of a first group of one or more playback devices, and (ii) a second volume indicator at a second position along a second volume scale associated with a second volume setting of a second group of one or more playback devices, wherein the first group of one or more playback devices comprises the second group of one or more playback devices;

after displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, via the user interface, a command for the second volume setting to change to be equal to the first volume setting, wherein receiving the command for the second volume setting to change to be equal to the first volume setting comprises receiving input data representing an input at the displayed first volume indicator;

in response to receiving the input at the displayed first volume indicator, displaying the second volume indicator at a third position along the second volume scale that indicates that the second volume setting is equal to the first volume setting indicated by the first position of the first volume indicator; and

causing a volume of the second group of one or more playback devices to be adjusted to a volume corresponding to the third position along the second volume scale.

8. The computing device of claim 7,

wherein the first volume scale comprises a first end and a second end,

wherein the second volume scale comprises a first end and a second end, and

wherein the third position along the second volume scale relative to the first and second ends of the second volume scale is substantially the same as the first position along the first volume scale relative to the first and second ends of the first volume scale.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein, after receiving the input, the volume of the second group of one or more playback devices is substantially the same as a volume of the first group of one or more playback devices.

10. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the functions further comprise:

displaying, on the user interface, a third volume indicator at a fourth position along a third volume scale associated with a third volume setting of a third group of one or more playback devices;

in response to receiving the input, displaying the third volume indicator at a fifth position along the third volume scale that indicates that the third volume setting is equal to the first volume setting indicated by the first position of the first volume indicator; and

causing a volume of the third group of one or more playback devices to be adjusted to a volume corresponding to the fifth position along the third volume scale.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the first group of one or more playback devices comprises the second and third groups of one or more playback devices.

12. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the input is a second input, and wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to displaying the first volume indicator at the first position, receiving, via the user interface, a first input indicating the first position;

in response to receiving the first input, causing a movement of the first volume indicator from an initial position to the first position, wherein the movement of the first volume indicator corresponds to an amount of volume setting change; and

incrementing or decrementing the second volume setting by the amount of volume setting change.

19. The computing device of claim 7, wherein receiving input data representing an input at the displayed first volume indicator comprises receiving input data indicating one of:

(a) a touch-and-hold input at the displayed first volume indicator or (b) a flick input beginning at the displayed first volume indicator.

13. A method comprising:

displaying, on a user interface, (i) a first volume indicator at a first position along a first volume scale associated with a first volume setting of a first group of one or more playback devices, and (ii) a second volume indicator at a second position along a second volume scale associated with a second volume setting of a second group of one or more playback devices, wherein the first group of one or more playback devices comprises the second group of one or more playback devices;

after displaying the first volume indicator at the first position and the second volume indicator at the second position, receiving, via the user interface, a command for the second volume setting to change to be equal to the first volume setting, wherein receiving the command for the second volume setting to change to be equal to the first volume setting comprises receiving input data representing an input at the displayed first volume indicator;

in response to receiving the input, displaying the second volume indicator at a third position along the second volume scale that indicates that the second volume setting is equal to the first volume setting indicated by the first position of the first volume indicator; and

causing a volume of the second group of one or more playback devices to be adjusted to a volume corresponding to the third position along the second volume scale.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein the first volume scale comprises a first end and a second end,

wherein the second volume scale comprises a first end and a second end, and

wherein the third position along the second volume scale relative to the first and second ends of the second volume scale is substantially the same as the first position along the first volume scale relative to the first and second ends of the first volume scale.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, after receiving the input, the volume of the second group of one or more playback devices is substantially the same as a volume of the first group of one or more playback devices.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the input is a second input, and wherein the method further comprises:

prior to displaying the first volume indicator at the first position, receiving, via the user interface, a first input indicating the first position;

in response to receiving the first input, causing a movement of the first volume indicator from an initial position to the first position, wherein the movement of the first volume indicator corresponds to an amount of volume setting change; and

incrementing or decrementing the second volume setting by the amount of volume setting change.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying, on the user interface, a third volume indicator at a fourth position along a third volume scale associated with a third volume setting of a third group of one or more playback devices;

in response to receiving the input, displaying the third volume indicator at a fifth position along the third volume scale that indicates that the third volume setting is equal to the first volume setting indicated by the first position of the first volume indicator; and

causing a volume of the third group of one or more playback devices to be adjusted to a volume corresponding to the fifth position along the third volume scale.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving input data representing an input at the displayed first volume indicator comprises receiving input data indicating one of:

(a) a touch-and-hold input at the displayed first volume indicator or (b) a flick input beginning at the displayed first volume indicator.