Acoustic signatures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9519454-B2
Application number	US-201514679815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2015
Priority date	Aug 7, 2012
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide for acoustic signatures in a playback system. An example implementation involves receiving, from a microphone of the controller device, an audio signal played by a playback device, the audio signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device. The example implementation further involves identifying the playback device based on the network information and responsively, modifying a user interface on the controller device based on the identification of the playback device.

First claim

I claim:

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause a controller device to perform functions comprising:
receiving, via a microphone of the controller device, an audio signal played by a playback device, the audio signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device;
identifying the playback device based on the network information; and
responsively, modifying a user interface on the controller device based on the identification of the playback device.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the audio signal played by the playback device comprises audio frequencies outside a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the functions further comprise:
prior to detecting the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving from the playback device, data indicating the network information corresponding to the playback device.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the audio signal played by the playback device further indicates a zone of the playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise:
modifying the user interface on the controller device based on the zone of the playback device.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the functions further comprise:
prior to identifying the playback device based on the network information, demodulating the audio signal to determine the network information.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the audio signal comprises one or more of (i) an amplitude modulated (AM) component indicating the network information corresponding to the playback device, and (ii) a frequency modulated (FM) component indicating the network information corresponding to the playback device.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the functions further comprise:
prior to detecting the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving input to enable identification of the playback device based on audio signals played by the playback device; and
transmitting to the playback device, a message indicating that the controller device is enabled to identify the playback device based on the audio signal played by the playback device.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a unique network identification corresponding to the playback device.

9. A playback device comprising:
at least one speaker;
a processor; and
tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:
determining that an acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played; and
playing by the at least one speaker, the acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device.

10. The playback device of claim 9 , wherein the functions further comprise:
receiving data indicating audio content to be played by the playback device; and
generating an audio output signal based on the acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device and the audio content to be played by the playback device, wherein playing by the at least one speaker, the acoustic signature signal comprises:
playing by the at least one speaker, the audio output signal.

11. The playback device of claim 9 , wherein determining that an acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played comprises:
receiving a message from a controller device configured to control the playback device.

12. The playback device of claim 11 , wherein the message comprises a command to play the acoustic signature signal.

13. The playback device of claim 11 , wherein the message comprises a command to play audio content.

14. The playback device of claim 11 , wherein the message comprises a command to transmit at least one state variable associated with the playback device.

15. The playback device of claim 9 , wherein the acoustic signature signal comprises audio frequencies outside a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

16. The playback device of claim 9 , wherein determining that an acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played comprises:
determining that a predetermined duration of time has expired since the acoustic signature signal was previously played.

17. The playback device of claim 9 , wherein the acoustic signature signal further comprises zone configuration information for the playback device, wherein the acoustic signature signal is a first acoustic signature signal, and wherein the functions further comprise:
modifying a zone configuration of the playback device; and
playing a second acoustic signature signal indicating (i) the network information corresponding to the playback device and (ii) the modified zone configuration.

18. The playback device of claim 9 , wherein the acoustic signature signal is a first acoustic signature signal, and wherein the functions further comprise:
playing a second acoustic signature signal indicating a zone configuration of the playback device.

19. A controller device comprising:
a microphone;
a processor; and
tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the controller device to perform functions comprising:
detecting, via the microphone, an audio signal played by a playback device, the audio signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device;
identifying the playback device based on the network information; and
responsively, modifying a user interface on the controller device based on the identification of the playback device.

20. The controller device of claim 19 , wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a unique network identification corresponding to the playback device.

21. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a number corresponding to the playback device.

22. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device indicates a zone corresponding to the playback device.

23. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device indicates a zone group corresponding to the playback device.

24. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the functions further comprise:
prior to receiving, via the microphone of the controller device, the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving by the controller device, an input to control playback of audio content by the playback device.

25. The tangible

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Reimann Robert

Classifications

• H04R2227/003

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

• H04R27/00

  Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• H04N21/4524

  involving the geographical location of the client (retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00) · CPC title

• H04R2227/005

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

• H03F3/181

  Low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio preamplifiers · CPC title