Zone configuration based on playback selections

• US 9,813,827 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lambourne, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US14/505,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20150058727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 715716
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/02 Remote control of amplification, tone or bandwidth combined with remote tuning or selection of resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 7/00 Volume compression or expansion in amplifiers frequency dependent H03G9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

An example method includes displaying zone names via a display interface. Each zone name represents a respective particular zone of a plurality of zones, and each zone contains at least one player configured for multimedia playback in that zone. The method includes displaying playback selections including a first playback selection that identifies first multimedia content for playback by the first zone and a second playback selection that identifies second multimedia content for playback by the second zone. The method includes receiving a command for a zone group to play one of the first playback selection or the second playback selection. The method includes transmitting a zone group configuration to one of the first zone and the second zone. The zone group configuration includes instructions to facilitate synchronized playback, between the first zone and the second zone, of the identified one of the first playback selection and the second playback selection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, by a controller device, a plurality of zone names via a display interface, each zone name of the plurality of zone names representing a respective particular zone of a plurality of zones, wherein each zone in the plurality of zones contains at least one player configured for multimedia playback in that zone;

displaying, by the controller device, a plurality of playback selections comprising a first playback selection that identifies first multimedia content for playback by a first zone of the plurality of zones and a second playback selection that identifies second multimedia content for playback by a second zone of the plurality of zones;

receiving, by the controller device, a command for a zone group to play a selected one of the first playback selection or the second playback selection, wherein the zone group includes the first zone and the second zone;

while displaying the first and second playback selections, receiving, by the controller device, the selection of one of the first playback selection and the second playback selection; and

transmitting, by the controller device, a zone group configuration to one of the first zone and the second zone, wherein the zone group configuration includes instructions to facilitate synchronized playback, between the first zone and the second zone, of the selected one of the first playback selection and the second playback selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone group configuration is transmitted by the controller device to a first player of a zone in the zone group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone group configuration is transmitted by the controller device via a network interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises one or more attributes associated with the zone group.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of (i) a volume level for audio playback for each zone in the zone group, (ii) a mute or unmute setting for audio playback, (iii) a selection and play of specific music, (iv) a play mode setting, (v) an equalization setting for audio playback, and (vi) an audio alarm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises a name associated with the zone group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first multimedia content is from a first multimedia source and the second multimedia content is from a second multimedia source different than the first multimedia source.

8. A multimedia controller including a processor, the multimedia controller configured to:

display a plurality of zone names via a display interface, each zone name of the plurality of zone names representing a respective particular zone of a plurality of zones, wherein each zone in the plurality of zones contains at least one player configured for multimedia playback in that zone;

display a plurality of playback selections comprising a first playback selection that identifies first multimedia content for playback by a first zone of the plurality of zones and a second playback selection that identifies second multimedia content for playback by a second zone of the plurality of zones;

receive a command for a zone group to play a selected one of the first playback selection or the second playback selection, wherein the zone group includes the first zone and the second zone;

receive the selection of one of the first playback selection and the second playback selection while displaying the first and second playback selections; and

transmit a zone group configuration to one of the first zone and the second zone, wherein the zone group configuration includes instructions to facilitate synchronized playback, between the first zone and the second zone, of the selected one of the first playback selection and the second playback selection.

9. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the zone group configuration is transmitted by the multimedia controller to a first player of a zone in the zone group.

10. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the multimedia controller is configured to transmit the zone group configuration via a network interface.

11. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises one or more attributes associated with the zone group.

12. The multimedia controller of claim 11, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of (i) a volume level for audio playback for each zone in the zone group, (ii) a mute or unmute setting for audio playback, (iii) a selection and play of specific music, (iv) a play mode setting, (v) an equalization setting for audio playback, and (vi) an audio alarm.

13. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises a name associated with the zone group.

14. The multimedia controller of claim 8, wherein the first multimedia content is from a first multimedia source and the second multimedia content is from a second multimedia source.

15. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable memory having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause a controller device to:

display a plurality of zone names via a display interface, each zone name of the plurality of zone names representing a respective particular zone of a plurality of zones, wherein each zone in the plurality of zones contains at least one player configured for multimedia playback in that zone;

display a plurality of playback selections comprising a first playback selection that identifies first multimedia content for playback by a first zone of the plurality of zones and a second playback selection that identifies second multimedia content for playback by a second zone of the plurality of zones;

receive a command for a zone group to play a selected one of the first playback selection or the second playback selection, wherein the zone group includes the first zone and the second zone;

receive the selection of one of the first playback selection and the second playback selection while displaying the first and second playback selections; and

transmit a zone group configuration to one of the first zone and the second zone, wherein the zone group configuration includes instructions to facilitate synchronized playback, between the first zone and the second zone, of the selected one of the first playback selection and the second playback selection.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the controller device to transmit the zone group configuration to a first player of a zone in the zone group.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the controller device to transmit the zone group configuration via a network interface.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises one or more attributes associated with the zone group.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 18, wherein the one or more attributes comprises one or more of (i) a volume level for audio playback for each zone in the zone group, (ii) a mute or unmute setting for audio playback, (iii) a selection and play of specific music, (iv) a play mode setting, (v) an equalization setting for audio playback, and (vi) an audio alarm.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the zone group configuration further comprises a name associated with the zone group.