Volume limit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12321665-B2
Application number	US-202318501629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2023
Priority date	Apr 24, 2015
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A playback device, the playback device 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 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 playback device;
while the playback device is not playing back media:
receive, from a control device, a command to begin playback of media;
based on the command, determine a location of the control device relative to the playback device; and
based on determining the location of the control device relative to the playback device, select a startup playback volume to be one of the current playback volume or the playback volume limit; and

begin playback of media at the startup playback volume.

2. The 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 playback device further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
determine that the active volume state variable is greater than the maximum volume state variable, wherein the selected startup playback volume is the maximum playback volume.

3. The playback device of claim 2 , wherein the playback device further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
update the active volume state variable to correspond to the playback volume limit of the playback device.

4. The 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 playback device further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
determine that the active volume state variable is not greater than the maximum volume state variable, wherein the selected startup playback volume is the current playback volume.

5. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device is located in a zone of a media playback system, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine the location of the control device relative to the playback device comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine that the control device is in the zone of the media playback system.

6. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device is located in a first zone of a media playback system, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine the location of the control device relative to the playback device comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine that the control device is in a second zone of the media playback system.

7. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device comprises the control device.

8. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device is a first playback device of a media playback system, and wherein the control device is a second playback device of the media playback system.

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

10. 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 playback device 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 playback device;
while the playback device is not playing back media:
receive, from a control device, a command to begin playback of media;
based on the command, determine a location of the control device relative to the playback device; and
based on determining the location of the control device relative to the playback device, select a startup playback volume to be one of the current playback volume or the playback volume limit; and

begin playback of media at the startup playback volume.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , 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 at least one processor, cause the playback device to:
determine that the active volume state variable is greater than the maximum volume state variable, wherein the selected startup playback volume is the maximum 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 at least one processor, cause the playback device to:
update the active volume state variable to correspond to the playback volume limit of the playback device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , 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 at least one processor, cause the playback device to:
determine that the active volume state variable is not greater than the maximum volume state variable, wherein the selected startup playback volume is the current playback volume.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the playback device is located in a zone of a media playback system, and wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to determine the location of the control device relative to the playback device comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to determine that the control device is in the zone of the media playback system.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the playback device is located in a first zone of a media playback system, and wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to determine the location of the control device relative to the playback device comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to determine that the control device is in a second zone of the media playback system.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the playback device comprises the control device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Bierbower Chris
• Maniskas Nicholas

Classifications

• H03G7/005

  using discontinuously variable devices, e.g. switch-operated · 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

• H03G3/04

  in untuned amplifiers · CPC title

• H04R2227/005

  Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use · CPC title

• H03G3/3026

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