Handling of loss of pairing between networked devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12277368-B2
Application number	US-202318449244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2023
Priority date	Feb 22, 2016
Publication date	Apr 15, 2025
Grant date	Apr 15, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods disclosed herein include (i) receiving a voice command via at least one microphone of a networked microphone device, wherein the networked microphone device is configured to receive voice commands for a media playback system, and wherein the media playback system comprises the networked microphone device and a first playback device configured to play back content, (ii) determining that the networked microphone device is not configured to play back the content, (iii) in response to determining that the networked microphone is not configured to play back the content, determining that the first playback device is available to play back the content, (iv) causing the first playback device to play back the content, (v) determining that the first playback device is no longer available to play back the content, and (vi) selecting a second playback device to play back the content.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and
program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:
determine that a first playback device has detected a voice input comprising a voice command via at least one microphone of the first playback device, wherein the first playback device is configured to receive voice commands for a media playback system comprising the first playback device and a second playback device;
determine (i) a first portion of a response to the voice input comprising the command and (ii) a second portion of the response to the voice input comprising the command;
cause the first playback device to perform the first portion of the response to the voice input;
determine that the first playback device is not configured to perform the second portion of the response to the voice input;
determine that the second playback device is configured to perform the second portion of the response to the voice input; and
cause the second playback device to perform the second portion of the response to the voice input by (i) determining that a fallback device is configured to perform the second portion of the response and (ii) causing the fallback device to perform the second portion of the response to the voice input.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the voice input is a first input comprising a first voice command, the system further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:
determine that the first playback device or the second playback device has detected a second voice input comprising a second voice command via at least one microphone of the first playback device or the second playback device;
determine (i) a first portion of a response to the second voice input and (ii) a second portion of the response to the second voice input;
determine that the first playback device is configured to perform the first portion of the response to the second voice input and the second portion of the response to the second voice input; and
cause the first playback device to perform the first portion of the response to the second voice input and the second portion of the response to the second voice input.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the voice input is a first input comprising a first voice command, the system further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:
determine that the first playback device or the second playback device has detected a second voice input comprising a second voice command via at least one microphone of the first playback device or the second playback device;
determine (i) a first portion of a response to the second voice input and (ii) a second portion of the response to the second voice input;
cause the first playback device to perform the first portion of the response to the second voice input;
determine that the first playback device is not configured to perform the second portion of the response to the second voice input;
determine that the second playback device is configured to perform the second portion of the response to the voice input; and
cause the second playback device to perform the second portion of the response to the second voice input.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the media playback system further comprises a third playback device, and wherein the fallback device is the third playback device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the media playback system is a first media playback system, and wherein the fallback device is a third playback device of a second media playback system.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to determine that the first playback device is not configured to perform the second portion of the response to the voice input comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to determine that the first playback device is one of (i) muted, (ii) in a do not interrupt state, or (iii) in a power save mode.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the response to the voice input is one or more of (i) an audio response, (ii) a visual response, or (iii) a haptic response.

8. 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 system to:
determine that a first playback device has detected a voice input comprising a voice command via at least one microphone of the first playback device, wherein the first playback device is configured to receive voice commands for a media playback system comprising the first playback device and a second playback device;
determine (i) a first portion of a response to the voice input comprising the command and (ii) a second portion of the response to the voice input comprising the command;
cause the first playback device to perform the first portion of the response to the voice input;
determine that the first playback device is not configured to perform the second portion of the response to the voice input;
determine that the second playback device is configured to perform the second portion of the response to the voice input; and
cause the second playback device to perform the second portion of the response to the voice input by (i) determining that a fallback device is configured to perform the second portion of the response and (ii) causing the fallback device to perform the second portion of the response to the voice input.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the voice input is a first input comprising a first voice command, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to:
determine that the first playback device or the second playback device has detected a second voice input comprising a second voice command via at least one microphone of the first playback device or the second playback device;
determine (i) a first portion of a response to the second voice input and (ii) a second portion of the response to the second voice input;
determine that the first playback device is configured to perform the first portion of the response to the second voice input and the second portion of the response to the second voice input; and
cause the first playback device to perform the first portion of the response to the second voice input and the second portion of the response to the second voice input.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the voice input is a first input comprising a first voice command, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to:
determine that the first playback device or the second playback device has detected a second voice input comprising a second voice command via at least one microphone of the first playback device or the second playback device;
determine (i) a first portion of a response to the second voice input and (ii) a second portion of the response to the second vo

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Plagge Mark
• Jarvis Simon
• Butts Christopher

Classifications

• H04L2012/2849

  Audio/video appliances · CPC title

• H04L12/2803

  Home automation networks · CPC title

• G10L2015/225

  Feedback of the input speech · CPC title

• G10L15/30

  Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications · CPC title

• H04L67/561

  Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata · CPC title