Configuration of playback device audio settings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10271078-B2
Application number	US-201514958598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2015
Priority date	Feb 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

Example techniques describe may facilitate a playback device joining a playback network. An example implementation involves a computing device, such as smartphone or tablet, receiving, from a playback device, a message indicating that the playback device is available to join a playback network. The computing device determines, based on a configuration table, an audio setting corresponding to the playback device and transmits, to the playback device, a message indicating (i) security parameters to be used by the playback device to join the playback network, (ii) the identified audio setting to be applied by the playback device upon joining the playback network.

First claim

We claim:

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a mobile computing device to perform a method comprising:
receiving, via a network interface from a first playback device over an unsecure network, a message indicating that the first playback device is available to join a playback network, wherein one or more second playback devices are connected to the playback network;
based on a pre-existing configuration table, determining an audio setting corresponding to a playback configuration for the first playback device, wherein the playback configuration comprises the first playback device playing back audio synchronously with at least one second playback device in the playback network, wherein the determined audio setting is stored in the pre-existing configuration table prior to the mobile computing device receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network; and
transmitting, via the network interface to the first playback device, a message instructing the first playback device to: (i) join the playback network using security parameters of the playback network, and (ii) apply the determined audio setting that is based on the pre-existing configuration table upon joining the playback network, wherein applying the determined audio setting comprises forming the playback configuration with the at least one second playback device to play back audio synchronously.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises receiving, from the first playback device, data identifying the first playback device, and wherein determining the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises determining the audio setting further based on the data identifying the first playback device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 2 , wherein the data identifying the first playback device comprises one or more of: (a) a serial number of the first playback device, and (b) a model name of the first playback device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein determining the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises:
identifying, in the pre-existing configuration table, a zone group corresponding to the first playback device, wherein the zone group includes the at least one second playback device; and
determining, as the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device, an audio setting corresponding to a given second playback device of the zone group.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein determining an audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises:
identifying, in the pre-existing configuration table, a zone group corresponding to the first playback device; and
determining, as the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device, an audio setting corresponding to the zone group.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from a server, the pre-existing configuration table.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
in response to receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network, transmitting, to a server, a request for the pre-existing configuration table; and
before determining the audio setting, receiving, from the server, the pre-existing configuration table.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
after transmitting the message to the first playback device, transmitting to the first playback device, a command to cause the first playback device to play back audio content in synchrony with the at least one second playback device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network comprises:
receiving, from the first playback device via a network access point, the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network.

10. A method comprising:
receiving, via a network interface of a mobile computing device from a first playback device over an unsecure network, a message indicating that the first playback device is available to join a playback network, wherein one or more second playback devices are connected to the playback network;
based on a pre-existing configuration table, determining an audio setting corresponding to a playback configuration for the first playback device, wherein the playback configuration comprises the first playback device playing back audio synchronously with at least one second playback device in the playback network, wherein the determined audio setting is stored in the pre-existing configuration table prior to the mobile computing device receiving the message indicating that the first playback device is available to join the playback network; and
transmitting, via the network interface to the first playback device, a message instructing the first playback device to: (i) join the playback network using security parameters of the playback network, and (ii) apply the determined audio setting that is based on the pre-existing configuration table upon joining the playback network, wherein applying the determined audio setting comprises forming the playback configuration with the at least one second playback device to play back audio synchronously.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, from the first playback device, data identifying the first playback device, and wherein determining the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises determining the audio setting further based on the data identifying the first playback device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data identifying the first playback device comprises one or more of: (a) a serial number of the first playback device, and (b) a model name of the first playback device.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first playback device is a first playback device, wherein the at least one second playback device comprises a second playback device, and wherein determining the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises:
identifying, in the pre-existing configuration table, a zone group corresponding to the first playback device, wherein the zone group includes the at least one second playback device; and
determining, as the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device, an audio setting corresponding to a given second playback device of the zone group.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device comprises:
identifying, in the pre-existing configuration table, a zone group corresponding to the first playback device; and
determining, as the audio setting corresponding to the first playback device, an audio setting corresponding to the zone group.

15. A mobile computing device comprising:
one or more processors; and
tangible computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to perform a method comprising:
receiving, via a network interface from a first playback device over an unsecure network, a message indicating that the first playback device is ava

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Beckhardt Steven
• Schulert Andrew
• Kuper Ron
• Lang Jonathan

Classifications

• H04N21/65

  Transmission of management data between client and server · CPC title

• H04N21/2541 Primary

  Rights Management (protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08) · CPC title

• H04N21/218

  Source of audio or video content {, e.g. local disk arrays (details of retrieval in video databases G06F16/739)} · CPC title

• H04N21/4627

  Rights management {associated to the content (security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08)} · CPC title

• H04N21/43615

  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 title