Audio playback device that dynamically switches between receiving audio data from a soft access point and receiving audio data from a local access point

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018233136-A1
Application number	US-201715433920-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 15, 2017
Priority date	Feb 15, 2017
Publication date	Aug 16, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Synchronized output of audio on a group of devices comprises sending audio data from an audio distribution master device to one or more slave devices in the group. In group mode, a slave can be configured to receive audio data directly from a master device acting as a soft wireless access point (WAP) in an environment that includes a traditional WAP. In response to a user request to output audio via the slave in individual mode, the slave may be configured to dynamically switch to receiving audio data via the WAP in the environment without routing the audio data through the master device acting as the soft WAP. This dynamic switching to receiving audio data via the WAP in individual mode can reduce bandwidth consumption on the master device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
configuring a first audio playback device to act as a soft wireless access point (WAP) in an environment where the first audio playback device, a second audio playback device, and a WAP are located, wherein the soft WAP is configured to send audio data to at least the second audio playback device without routing the audio data through the WAP; receiving, from a speech processing system, a first command based at least in part on a first utterance detected by the second audio playback device, the first command including an audio playback operation, a first content identifier, and a first identifier corresponding to a group including the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device; receiving, from the first audio playback device, first audio data at the second audio playback device without the first audio data being sent from the first audio playback device to the WAP before the first audio data is received at the second audio playback device, wherein the first audio data corresponds to the first content identifier; outputting first audio content corresponding to the first audio data by the first audio playback device; outputting the first audio content by the second audio playback devices in a synchronized manner with output of the first audio content by the first audio playback device; receiving, from the speech processing system, a second command based at least in part on a second utterance detected by the second audio playback device, the second command including the audio playback operation, a second content identifier, and a second identifier corresponding to the second audio playback device and not to the first audio playback device; receiving, from a content source and via the WAP, second audio data at the second audio playback device without the second audio data being sent from the WAP to the first audio playback device before the second audio data is received at the second audio playback device, wherein the second audio data corresponds to the second content identifier; and outputting second audio content corresponding to the second audio data by the second audio playback device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, at the second audio playback device directly from the first audio playback device, the first audio data comprises receiving, from the first audio playback device, a multicast packet containing at least a portion of the first audio data at the second audio playback device, the multicast packet comprising a data packet that is sent to one or more members of a multicast group.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a first signal strength value between the second audio playback device and the first audio playback device; determining a second signal strength value between the second audio playback device and the WAP; and configuring, based at least in part on the first signal strength value and the second signal strength value, the second audio playback device to receive audio data from the first audio playback device along a direct wireless communication path that does not route the audio data sent from the first audio playback device through the WAP.

4 . A method comprising:
receiving a first command based at least in part on first user input, the first command including an audio playback operation, a first content identifier, and a first identifier corresponding to a first target to output audio, the first target comprising a first audio playback device and a second audio playback device; receiving, from the first audio playback device, first audio data at the second audio playback device without the first audio data being sent from the first audio playback device to a wireless access point (WAP) before the first audio data is received at the second audio playback device, the first audio data corresponding to the first content identifier; outputting first audio content corresponding to the first audio data by the second audio playback devices in a synchronized manner with output of the first audio content by the first audio playback device; receiving a second command based at least in part on second user input, the second command including the audio playback operation, a second content identifier, and a second identifier corresponding to a second target to output audio, the second target being different than the first target and comprising the second audio playback device; receiving, from a content source and via the WAP, second audio data at the second audio playback device without the second audio data being sent from the WAP to the first audio playback device before the second audio data is received at the second audio playback device, the second audio data corresponding to the second content identifier; and outputting second audio content corresponding to the second audio data by the second audio playback device.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein receiving, from the first audio playback device, the first audio data at the second audio playback device comprises receiving, from the first audio playback device, a multicast packet containing at least a portion of the first audio data at the second audio playback device, the multicast packet comprising a data packet that is sent to one or more members of a multicast group.

6 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining that a first multicast packet containing at least a portion of the first audio data was not received by the second audio playback device, wherein receiving, from the first audio playback device, the first audio data at the second audio playback device comprises receiving, from the first audio playback device, a second multicast packet that contains at least the portion of the first audio file and that was resent by the first audio playback device in response to determining that the first multicast packet was not received by the second audio playback device.

7 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving a third command based at least in part on third user input, the third command including the audio playback operation, a third content identifier, and the first identifier corresponding to the first target; receiving, from the first audio playback device, third audio data at the second audio playback device without the third audio data being sent from the first audio playback device to the WAP before the third audio data is received at the second audio playback device; and outputting third audio content corresponding to the third audio data by the second audio playback device in the synchronized manner with output of the third audio content by the first audio playback device. 8 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising: determining a first signal strength value between the second audio playback device and the first audio playback device; determining a second signal strength value between the second audio playback device and the WAP; and configuring, based at least in part on the first signal strength value and the second signal strength value, the second audio playback device to receive audio data from the first audio playback device along a direct wireless communication path.

9 . The method of claim 4 , wherein a third audio playback device is located in an environment with the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device and the WAP, the method further comprising:
determining a first signal strength value between the third audio playback device and the first audio playback device; determining a second signal strength value between the third audio playback device and the WAP; and configuring, based at least in part on the second signal strength value and the first signal strength value, the

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Torok Fred
• Pogue Michael Alan
• Gundeti Vikram Kumar
• Sundaram Dharini

Classifications

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• G10L15/22 Primary

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G06F3/165

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

• H04R3/12

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

• G10L2015/223

  Execution procedure of a spoken command · CPC title