Volume limit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11809776-B2
Application number	US-202017080640-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2020
Priority date	Apr 24, 2015
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

An example first playback device includes programming to perform functions including: (1) storing an active volume state variable in memory, wherein the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume; (2) storing a volume limit state variable in memory, wherein the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the first playback device; (3) detecting a command to begin playback of media at a proposed playback volume different from the current playback volume; (4) based on comparing (i) the playback volume limit and (ii) the proposed playback volume, selecting a startup playback volume; (5) playing back media at the startup playback volume; and (6) causing at least a second playback device of the media playback system to play back media at the startup playback volume.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A first playback device of a media playback system, the first playback device 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 playback device is configured to:
store an active volume state variable in memory, wherein the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume;
store a volume limit state variable in memory, wherein the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the first playback device;
detect a command to begin playback of media at a proposed playback volume different from the current playback volume;
based on comparing (i) the playback volume limit and (ii) the proposed playback volume, select a startup playback volume;
play back media at the startup playback volume; and
cause at least a second playback device of the media playback system to play back media at the startup playback volume.

2. The first playback device of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:
update the active volume state variable to correspond to the startup playback volume.

3. The first playback device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to cause at least the second playback device of the media playback system to play back media at the startup playback volume comprise program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:
transmit the updated active volume state variable to the second playback device; and
cause the second playback device to update a respective active volume state variable stored in a memory of the second playback device, wherein the updated respective active volume state variable corresponds to the startup playback volume.

4. The first playback device of claim 3 , wherein a respective volume limit state variable stored in the memory of the second playback device matches the volume limit state variable of the first playback device.

5. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the volume limit state variable is a maximum volume state variable and the playback volume limit is a maximum playback volume, and wherein the first playback device further comprises program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:
determine that the proposed playback volume is greater than the maximum volume state variable, and wherein the selected startup playback volume is the maximum playback volume.

6. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the volume limit state variable is a maximum volume state variable and the playback volume limit is a maximum playback volume, and wherein the first playback device further comprises program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:
determine that the proposed playback volume is not greater than the maximum volume state variable, and wherein the selected startup playback volume is the proposed playback volume.

7. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first playback device is located in a first zone of the media playback system and the second playback device is located in a second zone of the media playback system different from the first zone.

8. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first playback device and the second playback device are grouped for synchronous playback of media.

9. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the command to begin playback of media is received from a controller device.

10. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the command to begin playback of media is a command to resume playback of previously paused media.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a first playback device of a media playback system to:
store an active volume state variable in memory, wherein the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume;
store a volume limit state variable in memory, wherein the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the first playback device;
detect a command to begin playback of media at a proposed playback volume different from the current playback volume;
based on comparing (i) the playback volume limit and (ii) the proposed playback volume, select a startup playback volume;
play back media at the startup playback volume; and
cause at least a second playback device of the media playback system to play back media at the startup playback volume.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:
update the active volume state variable to correspond to the startup playback volume.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to cause at least the second playback device of the media playback system to play back media at the startup playback volume comprise program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:
transmit the updated active volume state variable to the second playback device; and
cause the second playback device to update a respective active volume state variable stored in a memory of the second playback device, wherein the updated respective active volume state variable corresponds to the startup playback volume.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein a respective volume limit state variable stored in the memory of the second playback device matches the volume limit state variable of the first playback device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the volume limit state variable is a maximum volume state variable and the playback volume limit is a maximum playback volume, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:
determine that the proposed playback volume is greater than the maximum volume state variable, and wherein the selected startup playback volume is the maximum playback volume.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the volume limit state variable is a maximum volume state variable and the playback volume limit is a maximum playback volume, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to:
determine that the proposed playback volume is not greater than the maximu

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Bierbower Chris
• Maniskas Nicholas

Classifications

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G11B27/34 Primary

  Indicating arrangements  {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)} · CPC title

• H03G3/04

  in untuned amplifiers · CPC title

• H03G3/3026

  the gain being discontinuously variable, e.g. controlled by switching · CPC title

• H03G7/002

  in untuned or low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio amplifiers (H03G7/007, H03G7/001, H03G7/008, H03G7/02, H03G7/06 take precedence) · CPC title