Metadata exchange involving a networked playback system and a networked microphone system

• US 9,811,314 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Plagge, Mark, Jarvis, Simon, Butts, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-See
• Application Number:
  US15/131,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20170242656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 381 92, 381 56- 59, 381314, 381300, 381303, 381 61, 381 77, 381 96, 700 94, 715736, 715716, 370338, 4554143, 37920201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40052 High-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus bus transfer protocol on a daisy chain bus using an embedded synchronisation G06F13/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for establishing a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and a networked microphone system, wherein the networked microphone system comprises a networked microphone device and a networked microphone server. After establishing the metadata exchange channel, the media playback system experiences a metadata exchange triggering event. In response to experiencing the metadata exchange triggering event, the media playback system provides metadata to the networked microphone system via the metadata exchange channel.

Claims

1. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a network microphone device of a networked microphone system to perform a method comprising:

establishing a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and the networked microphone system, wherein the network microphone device and the media playback system are on a local area network;

obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system;

receiving a voice input comprising a context-specific request corresponding to media played back by the media playback system; and

in response to receiving the voice input, transmitting to a network microphone server of the networked microphone system, a request based on (i) the voice input and (ii) the metadata associated with the media playback system.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the media playback system comprises at least one media playback device, and wherein establishing a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and the networked microphone system comprises:

establishing the metadata exchange channel between the at least one media playback device and at least one of (i) the networked microphone device and (ii) the network microphone server.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the media playback system further comprises a media playback server connected to the at least one media playback device, and wherein establishing a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and the networked microphone system comprises:

establishing the metadata exchange channel between the media playback server and at least one of (i) the network microphone device and (ii) the network microphone server.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system comprises transmitting to the media playback system, a request for metadata in response receiving the voice input comprising the context-specific request.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system comprises periodically obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of (i) one or more configuration parameters of the media playback system, (ii) information about audio content currently playing via the media playback system, (iii) historical information about audio content played by the media playback system, (iv) user preference information relating to audio content, and (v) user preference information relating to media playback system configuration.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the network microphone device is a mobile computing device.

8. A network microphone device of a networked microphone system, the network microphone device comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the network microphone device to perform a method comprising;

establishing a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and the networked microphone system, wherein the network microphone device and the media playback system are on a local area network;

obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system;

receiving a voice input comprising a context-specific request corresponding to media played back by the media playback system; and

in response to receiving the voice input, transmitting to a network microphone server of the networked microphone system, a request based on (i) the voice input and (ii) the metadata associated with the media playback system.

9. The network microphone device of claim 8, wherein the media playback system comprises at least one media playback device, and wherein establishing a metadata exchange channel between the media playback system and the networked microphone system comprises:

establishing the metadata exchange channel between the at least one media playback device, and at least one of (i) the network microphone device and (ii) the network microphone server.

10. The network microphone device of claim 8, wherein the media playback system further comprises a media playback server connected to at least one media playback device, and wherein establishing a metadata exchange channel between the media playback system and the networked microphone system comprises:

establishing the metadata exchange channel between the media playback server and at least one of (i) the network microphone device and (ii) the network microphone server.

11. The network microphone device of claim 8, wherein obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system comprises transmitting to the media playback system, a request for metadata in response to receiving the voice input comprising the context-specific request.

12. The network microphone device of claim 8, wherein obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system comprises periodically obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system.

13. The network microphone device of claim 8, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of (i) one or more configuration parameters of the media playback system, (ii) information about audio content currently playing via the media playback system, (iii) historical information about audio content played by the media playback system, (iv) user preference information relating to audio content, and (v) user preference information relating to media playback system configuration.

14. The network microphone device of claim 8, wherein the network microphone device is a mobile computing device.

15. A method comprising:

establishing, by a network microphone device of a networked microphone system, a metadata exchange channel between a media playback system and the networked microphone system, wherein the network microphone device and the media playback system are on a local area network;

obtaining by the network microphone device from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system;

receiving by the network microphone device, a voice input comprising a context-specific request corresponding to media played back by the media playback system; and

in response to receiving the voice input, transmitting by the network microphone device to a network microphone server of the networked microphone system, a request based on (i) the voice input and (ii) the metadata associated with the media playback system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the media playback system comprises at least one media playback device, and wherein establishing a metadata exchange channel between the media playback system and the networked microphone system comprises:

establishing by the network microphone device, the metadata exchange channel between the at least one media playback device, and at least one of (i) the network microphone device and (ii) the network microphone server.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the media playback system further comprises a media playback server connected to at least one media playback device, and wherein establishing a metadata exchange channel between the media playback system and the networked microphone system comprises:

establishing by the network microphone device, the metadata exchange channel between the media playback server and at least one of (i) the network microphone device and (ii) the network microphone server.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system comprises transmitting by the network microphone device to the media playback system, a request for metadata in response to receiving the voice input comprising the context-specific request.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system comprises periodically obtaining, by the network microphone device from the media playback system via the metadata exchange channel, metadata associated with the media playback system.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of (i) one or more configuration parameters of the media playback system, (ii) information about audio content currently playing via the media playback system, (iii) historical information about audio content played by the media playback system, (iv) user preference information relating to audio content, and (v) user preference information relating to media playback system configuration.