Playback Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019369953-A1
Application number	US-201916544902-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	Jul 28, 2003
Publication date	Dec 5, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices that have independent clocking arrangements. The system includes a task distribution device that distributes tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices that are to perform the tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to the members of the synchrony group over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which the members of the synchrony group are to execute the task. Each member of the synchrony group periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of the current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device's clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A first zone player comprising:
a network interface that is configured to communicatively couple the first zone player to at least one data network; at least one processor; a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium; and program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to:
exchange timing information with a second zone player in a networked audio system that facilitates time synchronization between the first zone player and a set of one or more other zone players in the networked audio system that includes the second zone player;
receive a request to engage in synchronous playback of audio content with at least one other zone player from the set of one or more other zone players in the networked audio system;
after receiving the request to engage in synchronous playback of the audio content with the at least one other zone player:
obtain audio information that is representative of the audio content;
transmit, to the at least one other zone player via the at least one data network, the obtained audio information and an indication of at least one future time at which the first zone player and the at least one other zone player are to engage in synchronous playback of the obtained audio information; and
engage in synchronous playback of the obtained audio information with the at least one other zone player using the at least one future time.

2 . The first zone player of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to:
before receiving the request to engage in synchronous playback of the audio content with the at least one other zone player, receive a request to enter into a synchrony group with the at least one other zone player.

3 . The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the first zone player and the set of one or more other zone players in the networked audio system share a common notion of clock time as a result of the time synchronization.

4 . The first zone player of claim 3 , wherein the at least one future time is determined relative to the common notion of clock time.

5 . The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the exchanged timing information comprises timestamps captured based on respective local clocks of the first zone player and the second zone player.

6 . The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the exchanged timing information enables a time differential between respective local clocks of the first and second zone players to be determined.

7 . The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to receive the request to engage in synchronous playback of the audio content with the at least one other zone player comprise program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to:
receive the request to engage in synchronous playback of the audio content with the at least one other zone player from a network device that is communicatively coupled to the first zone player via the at least one data network.

8 . The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to transmit the obtained audio information and the indication of the at least one future time to the at least one other zone player via the at least one data network comprise program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to:
transmit the indication of the at least one future time in a separate communication from the obtained audio information.

9 . The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to transmit the obtained audio information to the at least one other zone player via the at least one data network comprise program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to:
transmit a series of frames, wherein an individual frame in the series of frames includes a respective portion of the obtained audio information.

10 . The first zone player of claim 9 , wherein an individual frame in the series of frames additionally includes a future time at which the first zone player and the at least one other zone player are to synchronously play back the respective portion of the obtained audio information in the individual frame.

11 . The first zone player of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first zone player is configured to:
receive a request to adjust a volume of the synchronous playback of the audio content; and in response to receiving the request to adjust the volume of the synchronous playback of the audio content, (a) cause an adjustment of an individual volume of the first zone player and (b) transmit, to the one other zone player via the at least one data network, a command to adjust an individual volume of the one other zone player.

12 . The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the time synchronization involves maintaining an indication of a clock time of the second zone player, and wherein the at least one future time is determined based on the clock time of the second zone player.

13 . The first zone player of claim 1 , wherein the at least one other zone player comprises the second zone player.

14 . A method performed by a first zone player, the method comprising:
exchanging timing information with a second zone player in a networked audio system that facilitates time synchronization between the first zone player and a set of one or more other zone players in the networked audio system that includes the second zone player; receiving a request to engage in synchronous playback of audio content with at least one other zone player from the set of one or more other zone players in the networked audio system; after receiving the request to engage in synchronous playback of the audio content with the at least one other zone player:
obtaining audio information that is representative of the audio content;
transmitting, to the at least one other zone player via at least one data network, the obtained audio information and an indication of at least one future time at which the first zone player and the at least one other zone player are to engage in synchronous playback of the obtained audio information; and
engaging in synchronous playback of the obtained audio information with the at least one other zone player using the at least one future time.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first zone player and the set of one or more other zone players in the networked audio system share a common notion of clock time as a resul

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Millington Nicholas A J

Classifications

• G06F3/16

  Sound input; Sound output (speech processing G10L) · CPC title

• H04N9/7904

  using intermediate digital signal processing · CPC title

• G06F16/63

  Querying · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R2227/003

  Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet · CPC title