Fast-resume audio playback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11042351-B2
Application number	US-201916587989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2019
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A first zone player engages in synchronous playback of given audio content by obtaining the given audio content, generating and placing representative audio frames into a buffer, and transmitting the audio frames to a second zone player to play the given audio content in synchrony with the second zone player. After receiving a command to pause the synchronous playback, the first zone player prepares for a fast-resume by identifying a given audio frame and retaining at least some of the audio frames in the buffer for use during the fast-resume. The first zone player then initiates the fast-resume by determining a future resume time, transmitting an instruction to the second zone player to resume playback at the future resume time, and at the future resume time, resuming use of the audio frames in the buffer, starting with the given audio frame, to play the given audio content in synchrony.

First claim

We claim:

1. A first zone player comprising:
at least one processor;
a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and
program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to:
engage in synchronous playback of given audio content as part of a group that includes at least a second zone player, wherein engaging in the synchronous playback of given audio content as part of the group involves:
obtaining the given audio content from an audio source;
generating audio frames that are representative of the given audio content;
placing the audio frames into a buffer of the first zone player;
transmitting the audio frames in the buffer to the second zone player; and
using the audio frames in the buffer to play the given audio content in synchrony with the second zone player;

while engaging in the synchronous playback of the given audio content as part of the group, receive a command to pause the synchronous playback of the given audio content;
after receiving the command to pause the synchronous playback of the given audio content, prepare for a fast-resume of the synchronous playback of the given audio content, wherein preparing for the fast-resume of the synchronous playback of the given audio content involves:
identifying a given audio frame in the buffer at which to begin the fast-resume;
sending an instruction to the second zone player to cease playback of the given audio content and prepare for the fast-resume; and
ceasing use of the audio frames in the buffer to play the given audio content while retaining at least some of the audio frames in the buffer for use during the fast-resume;

thereafter receive a command to resume playback of the given audio content; and
after receiving the command to resume playback of the given audio content, initiate the fast-resume of the synchronous playback of the given audio content, wherein initiating the fast-resume of the synchronous playback of the given audio content involves:
determining a future resume time at which the first and second zone players are to resume the synchronous playback of the given audio content;
transmitting an instruction to the second zone player to resume playback of the given audio content at the future resume time; and
at the future resume time, resuming use of the audio frames in the buffer, starting with the given audio frame, to play the given audio content in synchrony with the second zone player.

2. The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein identifying the given audio frame in the buffer at which to begin the fast-resume comprises:
determining a time within the given audio content that corresponds to when the command to pause the synchronous playback of the given audio content was received; and
identifying whichever audio frame in the buffer corresponds to a time within the given audio content that is closest to the determined time within the given audio content.

3. The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein identifying the given audio frame in the buffer at which to begin the fast-resume comprises:
identifying whichever audio frame in the buffer was scheduled to be played next when the command to pause the synchronous playback of the given audio content was received.

4. The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the at least some of the audio frames that are retained in the buffer of the first zone player comprise at least the given audio frame and any audio frame in the buffer subsequent to the given audio frame.

5. The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein retaining the at least some of the audio frames in the buffer for use during the fast-resume comprises:
comparing an extent of audio frames in the buffer of the first zone player to a threshold extent of audio frames; and
if the extent of audio frames in the buffer of the first zone player falls below the threshold extent of audio frames, placing one or more additional audio frames into the buffer to increase the extent of the audio frames in the buffer.

6. The first zone player of claim 5 , wherein retaining the at least some of the audio frames in the buffer for use during the fast-resume further comprises:
if the extent of audio frames in the buffer of the first zone player exceeds the threshold extent of audio frames, discarding one or more of the audio frames in the buffer.

7. The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein preparing for the fast-resume of the synchronous playback of the given audio content further involves:
maintaining cryptographic parameters for the audio frames in the buffer that are retained for use during the fast-resume.

8. The first zone player of claim 1 ,
wherein each audio frame in the buffer comprises a respective playback time for the audio frame;
wherein the instruction to the second zone player to cease playback of the given audio content and prepare for the fast-resume comprises an instruction to discard any audio frames that are in a buffer of the second zone player;
wherein initiating the fast-resume of the synchronous playback of the given audio content further involves:
after determining the future resume time, updating the audio frames that are retained in the buffer of the first zone player by updating the respective playback times for the audio frames that are retained in the buffer of the first zone player; and
transmitting the updated audio frames in the buffer to the second zone player; and

wherein the instruction to the second zone player to resume playback of the given audio content at the future resume time comprises an instruction to use the updated audio frames transmitted to the second zone player to resume playback of the given audio content at the future resume time.

9. The first zone player of claim 1 ,
wherein the instruction to the second zone player to cease playback of the given audio content and prepare for the fast-resume comprises an instruction to retain audio frames that are in a buffer of the second zone player; and
wherein the instruction to the second zone player to resume playback of the given audio content at the future resume time comprises an instruction to use the audio frames retained in the buffer of the second zone player to resume playback of the given audio content at the future resume time.

10. The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the instruction to the second zone player to resume playback of the given audio content at the future resume time comprises an identification of the given audio frame.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that are executable by a first zone player such that the first zone player is configured to:
engage in synchronous playback of given audio content as part of a group that includes at least a second zone player, wherein engaging in the synchronous playback of given audio content as part of the group involves:
obtaining the given audio content from an audio source;
generating audio frames that are representative of the given audio content;
placing the audio frames into a buffer of the first zone player;
transmitting the audio frames in the buffer to the second zone player; and
using the audio frames in the buffer to play the given audio content in synchrony with the second zone player;

while engaging in the synchronous playback of the given audio content as part of the group, receive a command to pause the synchronous playback of the given audio content;
after receiving the command to pause the synchronous playback of the given audio content, prepare for a fast-resume of the synchronous playba

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Vega-Zayas Luis
• Lin Ted
• Dolan Jim

Classifications

• G11B27/005

  Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording (for television signals H04N5/783) · CPC title

• H04N21/8547

  involving timestamps for synchronizing content · CPC title

• G10L19/018

  Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal · 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

• G11B27/11

  by using information not detectable on the record carrier · CPC title