Device playback failure recovery and redistribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9507560-B2
Application number	US-201414521682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Jun 6, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for audio device playback failure recovery and redistribution. The systems and methods may be configured to cause a plurality of playback devices to render audio content in a synchronized manner, detect a failure of a first playback device of the plurality of playback devices, determine a playback responsibility of the first playback device, and cause an adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least a second playback device of the plurality of playback devices. The systems and methods may further be configured to detect an addition of a new playback device to the plurality of playback devices, determine a playback responsibility of the new playback device for rendering the audio content, and cause an adjustment of the rendering of the audio content by at least a one playback device from the plurality of playback devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A network device comprising:
a processor; and
a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the network device to perform functions comprising:
after a playback device connects to a playback system, causing an indication of a playback responsibility associated with the playback device to be stored in data storage;
detecting that the playback device has disconnected from the playback system, wherein the indication of the playback responsibility stored in data storage indicates a particular playback responsibility associated with the playback device when the playback device disconnects from the playback system;
detecting that the playback device has re-connected to the playback system;
after detecting that the playback device has re-connected to the playback system, determining a playback responsibility associated with the playback device, wherein the determined playback responsibility comprises the particular playback responsibility associated with the playback device when the playback device was dis-connected from the playback system; and
directing the playback device to render audio content according to the determined playback responsibility of the playback device.

2. The network device of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the playback device has disconnected from the playback system comprises:
before detecting that the playback device has re-connected to the playback system, detecting that the playback device has failed.

3. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device stores the indication of the playback responsibility associated with the playback device when the playback device disconnects from the playback system, and wherein determining the playback responsibility associated with the playback device comprises receiving, from the playback device, an indication of the particular playback responsibility associated with the playback device when the playback device was disconnected from the playback system.

4. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device is a first playback device and the network device is a second playback device, and wherein the instructions cause the network device to perform functions further comprising:
rendering the playback content.

5. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device is a first playback device and the network device is a second playback device, and wherein the instructions cause the network device to perform functions further comprising:
adjusting a playback responsibility of the second playback device based on the determined playback responsibility of the first playback device; and
rendering the audio content according to the adjusted playback responsibility of the second playback device.

6. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the network device to perform functions further comprising::
receiving the audio content, wherein causing the playback device to render the audio content comprises sending the audio content to the playback device.

7. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the determined playback responsibility indicates a volume.

8. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the audio content comprises multiple audio channels and multiple audio frequency ranges, and wherein the playback responsibility indicates at least one of (a) one or more of the audio channels or (b) one or more of the audio frequency ranges.

9. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the network device further comprises a graphical user interface, and wherein the instructions cause the network device to perform functions further comprising:
causing display, by the graphical user interface, of an indication that the playback device has been connected to the playback system.

10. The network device of claim 1 , wherein causing the indication of the playback responsibility associated with the playback device when the playback device disconnects from the playback system to be stored in data storage comprises:
before detecting that the playback device has disconnected from the playback system, causing the indication of the playback responsibility associated with the playback device when the playback device disconnects from the playback system to be stored in data storage.

11. The network device of claim 1 , wherein causing the indication of the playback responsibility associated with the playback device when the playback device disconnects from the playback system to be stored in data storage comprises:
after detecting that the playback device has disconnected from the playback system, causing the indication of the playback responsibility associated with the playback device when the playback device disconnects from the playback system to be stored in data storage.

12. A playback device comprising:
a processor; and
a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:
after connecting to a playback system, causing an indication of a playback responsibility associated with the playback device to be stored in data storage;
disconnecting from the playback system, wherein the indication of the playback responsibility stored in data storage indicates a particular playback responsibility associated with the playback device when the playback device disconnects from the playback system;
re-connecting to the playback system;
after re-connecting to the playback system, determining a playback responsibility associated with the playback device, wherein the determined playback responsibility comprises the particular playback responsibility associated with the playback device when the playback device was dis-connected from the playback system; and
rendering audio content according to the determined playback responsibility of the playback device.

13. The playback device of claim 12 ,
wherein disconnecting from the playback system comprises the playback device failing.

14. The playback device of claim 12 , wherein the playback device is a first playback device, and wherein the instructions cause the first playback device to perform functions further comprising:
receiving, from a second playback device, the audio content.

15. The playback device of claim 14 , wherein the instructions cause the playback device to perform functions further comprising:
receiving, from the second playback device, timing information associated with the audio content, wherein rendering the audio content according to the determined playback responsibility of the playback device comprises rendering the audio content according to the determined playback responsibility of the playback device and the received timing information.

16. The playback device of claim 12 , wherein the determined playback responsibility indicates a volume.

17. The playback device of claim 12 , wherein the audio content comprises multiple audio channels and multiple audio frequency ranges, and wherein the playback responsibility indicates at least one of (a) one or more of the audio channels or (b) one or more of the audio frequency ranges.

18. A method comprising:
after a playback device connects to a playback system, causing an indication of a playback responsibility associated with the playback device to be stored in data storage;
detecting that the playback device has disconnected from the playback system, wherein the indication of the playback responsibility stored in data storage indicates a particular playback respons

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Beckhardt Steven
• Lang Jonathan Paul
• Reilly Jonathon

Classifications

• H04R5/04

  Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} · CPC title

• H04R2420/05

  Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers · CPC title

• H04N21/43615

  Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805) · CPC title

• H04S3/008

  in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels (data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02) · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

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