Providing playback timing in a multi-zone audio environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10051398-B2
Application number	US-201615296304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Oct 1, 2012
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A multi-channel and multi-zone audio environment is provided. Various inventions are disclosed that allow playback devices on one or more networks to provide an effective multi-channel and a multi-zone audio environment using timing information. According to one example, timing information is used to coordinate playback devices connected over a low-latency network to provide audio along with a video display. In another example, timing information is used to coordinate playback devices connected over a mesh network to provide audio in one or more zones or zone groups.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving an audio signal at a first device from an audio source;
identifying home theater audio information contained in the audio signal for playback by a plurality of home theater players;
identifying zone group audio information contained in the audio signal for playback by one or more players in a zone group;
assigning one or more timestamps to home theater audio information that indicates a time at which audio is to be played by the plurality of home theater players;
assigning a zone group timestamp to the zone group audio information that indicates a time at which audio is to be played by the one or more players in the zone group; and
sending, from the first device, the home theater audio information with the one or more timestamps to the plurality of home theater players and sending the zone group audio information with the zone group timestamp to the one or more players in the zone group.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is a playback device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio source is a video device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more timestamps comprise a first timestamp and a second timestamp, and wherein the first timestamp includes a first delay and the second timestamp includes a second delay.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the first device is coupled to the plurality of home theater players.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the first device is part of the zone group.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating one or both of the home theater audio information and zone group audio information into different audio channels and assigning a timestamp to each different audio channel.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising assigning the home theater audio information to a high priority queue at the home theater players.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the home theater audio information is sent to the plurality of home theater players using a first wireless channel and the zone group audio information is sent to the one or more players in the zone group over a second wireless channel that is different from the first wireless channel.

10. A tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a first device to at least:
receive an audio signal at the first device from an audio source;
identify home theater audio information contained in the audio signal for playback by a plurality of home theater players;
identify zone group audio information contained in the audio signal for playback by one or more players in a zone group;
assign one or more timestamps to home theater audio information that indicates a time at which audio is to be played by the plurality of home theater players;
assign a zone group timestamp to the zone group audio information that indicates a time at which audio is to be played by the one or more players in the zone group; and
send, from the first device, the home theater audio information with the one or more timestamps to the plurality of home theater players and send the zone group audio information with the zone group timestamp to the one or more players in the zone group.

11. The tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the first device is a playback device.

12. The tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the audio source is a video device.

13. The tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the one or more timestamps comprise a first timestamp and a second timestamp, and wherein the first timestamp includes a first delay and the second timestamp includes a second delay.

14. The tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to determine whether the first device is coupled to the plurality of home theater players.

15. The tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to determine whether the first device is part of the zone group.

16. The tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to separate one or both of the home theater audio information and the zone group audio information into different audio channels and assign a timestamp to each different audio channel.

17. The tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to assign the home theater audio information to a high priority queue at the home theater players.

18. The tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the home theater audio information is sent to the plurality of home theater players using a first wireless channel and the zone group audio information is sent to the one or more players in the zone group over a second wireless channel that is different from the first wireless channel.

19. A first device comprising:
one or more processors; and
tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the first device to perform functions comprising:
receiving an audio signal at the first device from an audio source;
identifying home theater audio information contained in the audio signal for playback by a plurality of home theater players;
identifying zone group audio information contained in the audio signal for playback by one or more players in a zone group;
assigning one or more timestamps to home theater audio information that indicates a time at which audio is to be played by the plurality of home theater players;
assigning a zone group timestamp to the zone group audio information that indicates a time at which audio is to be played by the one or more players in the zone group; and
sending, from the first device, the home theater audio information with the one or more timestamps to the plurality of home theater players and sending the zone group audio information with the zone group timestamp to the one or more players in the zone group.

20. The first device of claim 19 , wherein the first device is a playback device.

21. The first device of claim 19 , wherein the audio source is a video device.

22. The first device of claim 19 , wherein the one or more timestamps comprise a first timestamp and a second timestamp, and wherein the first timestamp includes a first delay and the second timestamp includes a second delay.

23. The first device of claim 19 , wherein the functions further comprise determining whether the first device is coupled to the plurality of home theater players.

24. The first device of claim 19 , wherein the functions further comprise determining whether the first device is part of the zone group.

25. The first device of claim 19 , wherein the functions further comprise separating one or both of the home theater audio information and zone group audio information into different audio channels and assigning a timestamp to each different audio channel.

26. The first device of claim 19 , wherein the functions further comprise assigning the home theater audio information to a high prior

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Jarvis Simon
• Lehnert Hilmar
• Ramos Aurelio Rafael
• Vega Luis

Classifications

• H04B7/24

  for communication between two or more posts (wireless communication networks H04W) · CPC title

• H04J3/0638

  Clock or time synchronisation among nodes; Internode synchronisation (synchronization for ring networks H04L12/422; data switching networks with synchronous transmission H04L12/43) · CPC title

• H04R2227/005

  Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use · CPC title

• H04R27/00 Primary

  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 title

• H04S3/008

  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) · CPC title