Playback transitions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11356777-B2
Application number	US-202016805130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2020
Priority date	Feb 28, 2019
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

Examples described herein relate to transitioning a playback session between portable playback devices such as “smart” headphones, earbuds, and handheld speakers with playback devices of a zone-based media playback system. Exemplary techniques facilitate continuity of playback when transitioning between locations (e.g., from at home to on-the-go or vice versa) or between listening paradigms (e.g., personal or out-loud playback of audio content). An example implementation includes detecting a swap trigger, determining the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s), and performing a playback session swap between the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method to be performed by a wearable playback device, the method comprising:
receiving data representing a first playback session swap input;
based on receiving the data representing the first playback session swap input, identifying one or more source playback devices within a media playback system that are (a) connected to a first wireless local area network (LAN) and (b) playing back particular audio content in a playback session, wherein the wearable playback device is connected to the first wireless LAN via an 802.11-compatible network interface; and
transitioning the playback session from the identified one or more source playback devices to the wearable playback device, wherein transitioning the playback session comprises:
(i) temporarily forming a first synchrony group including the wearable playback device as a group member of the first synchrony group and a particular source playback device of the one or more source playback devices as a group coordinator of the first synchrony group, the group coordinator configured to stream data representing the particular audio content from one or more servers and send playback timing information to at least one group member to synchronize playback between the group coordinator and the at least one group member, wherein forming the first synchrony group causes the wearable playback device to start playing the particular audio content of the playback session via one or more transducers and one or more amplifiers; and
(ii) immediately after forming the first synchrony group, causing the one or more source playback devices to be removed from the first synchrony group to stop playback of the particular audio content on the one or more source playback devices to stop, wherein removing the one or more source playback devices from the first synchrony group changes the group coordinator of the first synchrony group from the particular source playback device to the wearable playback device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wearable playback device comprises one or more microphones that are carried by one or more wearable housings, and wherein identifying the one or more source playback devices comprises:
identifying a set of swap-eligible playback devices in the media playback system;
causing the set of swap-eligible playback devices to emit respective audio chirps that identify the emitting swap-eligible playback devices;
detecting, via the one or more microphones, the audio chirps emitted by two or more swap-eligible playback devices; and
selecting the one or more source playback devices from among the two or more or more swap-eligible playback devices based on the audio chirp from the one or more source playback devices indicating that at least one of the one or more source playback devices are physically nearest to the wearable playback device among the two or more swap-eligible playback devices.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more microphones comprise one or more acoustic noise cancelling microphones carried on one or more exterior surfaces of the one or more wearable housings, and wherein detecting the audio chirps emitted by one or more swap-eligible playback devices comprises:
detecting the audio chirps emitted by one or more swap-eligible playback devices via the one or more acoustic noise cancelling microphones.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting the one or more source playback devices from among the two or more swap-eligible playback devices comprises:
comparing one or more respective metrics of the detected audio chirps emitted by one or more swap-eligible playback devices to determine that the one or more source playback devices are physically nearest to the wearable playback device among the two or more swap-eligible playback devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while playing back the particular audio content in the transitioned playback session, receiving data representing a second playback session swap input;
based on the second playback session swap input, identifying one or more target playback devices within the media playback system that are connected to the first wireless LAN; and
transitioning the playback session from the identified one or more target playback devices to the wearable playback device, wherein transitioning the playback session comprises:
(i) temporarily forming a second synchrony group including the wearable playback device as a group coordinator of the second synchrony group and the one or more target playback devices as group members of the second synchrony group, the group coordinator configured to stream the particular audio content from the one or more servers and send additional playback timing information to at least one group member to synchronize playback between the group coordinator and the at least one group member, wherein forming the second synchrony group causes the one or more target playback devices to start playing the particular audio content of the playback session, and
(ii) immediately after forming the second synchrony group, causing the wearable playback device to be removed from the second synchrony group to stop playback of the particular audio content by the wearable playback device, wherein removing the wearable playback device from the second synchrony group changes the group coordinator of the second synchrony group from the wearable playback device to a particular playback device of the one or more target playback devices, and wherein, after removal from the second synchrony group, the wearable playback device is available for playback as an individual playback device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more wearable housings of the wearable playback device comprise a touch-sensitive region, and wherein receiving the data representing the playback session swap input comprises receiving input data representing a touch-and-hold input on the touch-sensitive region.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the data representing the playback session swap input comprises receiving, via the 802.11-compatible network interface from a controller application on a mobile device, data representing instructions to perform a playback session swap.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular audio content comprises multi-channel audio, and wherein transitioning the playback session comprises:
sending, via the 802.11-compatible network interface to the particular source playback device, data representing instructions to enter a swap mode;
receiving, via the 802.11-compatible network interface to the particular source playback device, data representing (i) a service set identifier (SSID) of a second wireless LAN, the second wireless LAN formed by the particular source playback device and (ii) credentials for the second wireless LAN;
disconnecting from the first wireless LAN and connecting to the second wireless LAN via the 802.11-compatible network interface; and
while connected to the second wireless LAN, receiving, via the 802.11-compatible network interface, data representing the multi-channel audio.

9. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that are executable by at least one processor of a wearable playback device to cause the wearable playback device to perform functions comprising:
receiving data representing a first playback session swap input;
based on receiving the data representing the first playback session swap input, identifying one or more source playback devices within a media playback system that are (a) connected to a first wireless local area network (LAN) and (b) playing back particular audio content in a playback session, wherein the wearable playback device is connec

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Wilberding Dayn
• Nam Youjin
• Toulis Tadeo T
• Harris Cole
• Devine Patrick
• Millington Ncholas A J
• Vautrin Jodi
• Ramos Maria-Jose
• Bannon Richard
• Sheldon Michael
• Lin Ted
• Kuper Ron
• Lewis Kirsten
• Harwood Jake
• Herbst Jonathan

Classifications

• H04L65/1101

  Session protocols · CPC title

• H04R3/12 Primary

  for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} · 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

• H04R1/406

  microphones · CPC title

• H04L12/282

  based on user interaction within the home (receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204) · CPC title