U.S. patent application number 16/435556 was filed with the patent office on 2020-06-11 for selection of playback devices.
The applicant listed for this patent is Sonos, Inc.. Invention is credited to Ryan Kitson, Brandon Lynne, Michael Nuzzolo, G. Oliver Young.
Application Number | 20200183640 16/435556 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 69182589 |
Filed Date | 2020-06-11 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200183640 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kitson; Ryan ; et
al. |
June 11, 2020 |
Selection of Playback Devices
Abstract
Example techniques involve selection of playback devices within
a media playback system for outputting a media stream based on user
input. An example implementation involves a controller causing a
plurality of first representations of at least some of a plurality
of playback devices to be displayed on a first portion of a
display. The controller causes a plurality of second
representations of at least some of one or more groups playback
devices to be displayed on a second portion of the display, each
group having at least two associated playback devices of the
plurality of playback devices. The controller receives an input
indicative of a particular group of the one or more groups and
adjusts a selected status of the particular group. The controller
also determines which playback devices are associated with the
particular group, and adjusts a selected status of the playback
devices that associated with the particular group.
Inventors: |
Kitson; Ryan; (Santa
Barbara, CA) ; Nuzzolo; Michael; (Cambridge, MA)
; Lynne; Brandon; (Santa Barbara, CA) ; Young; G.
Oliver; (Boston, MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sonos, Inc. |
Santa Barbara |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
69182589 |
Appl. No.: |
16/435556 |
Filed: |
June 9, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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29672604 |
Dec 6, 2018 |
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16435556 |
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16212437 |
Dec 6, 2018 |
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29672604 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R 2227/005 20130101;
H04R 27/00 20130101; G06F 3/0482 20130101; G06F 3/04847 20130101;
H04R 2227/003 20130101; G06F 3/165 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/16 20060101
G06F003/16; G06F 3/0484 20060101 G06F003/0484; G06F 3/0482 20060101
G06F003/0482 |
Claims
1. A method comprising, at a controller device: retrieving data
indicative of a plurality of playback devices; causing a plurality
of first representations of at least some of the plurality of
playback devices to be displayed on a first portion of a display of
the controller device; retrieving data indicative of one or more
groups of playback devices, each group having at least two
associated playback devices of the plurality of playback devices;
causing a plurality of second representations of at least some of
the one or more groups to be displayed on a second portion of the
display; and responsive to receipt of an input indicative of a
particular group of the one or more groups: adjusting a selected
status of the particular group; determining playback devices of the
plurality of playback devices which are associated with the
particular group; adjusting a selected status of the playback
devices that are determined to be associated with the particular
group; changing the second representation of the particular group
on the second portion of the display based on the adjusted selected
status of the particular group; and changing the first
representation of the playback devices that are determined to be
associated with the particular group on the first portion of the
display based on the adjusted selected status of the playback
devices.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that none
of the playback devices that are determined to be associated with
the particular group have a first representation visible on the
first portion of the display; and wherein the changing a
representation of the playback devices comprises causing at least
one first representation of a playback device associated with the
particular group to be visible on the first portion of the
display.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: after the adjusting a
selected status of playback devices associated with the particular
group, adjusting a selected status of a further group of playback
devices based on the adjusted status of the playback devices.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: responsive to receipt
of an input indicative of a particular playback device: adjusting a
selected status of the particular playback device; changing the
first representation of the particular playback device on the first
portion of the display based on the selected status of the
particular playback device; determining at least one of the one or
more groups which is associated the particular playback device;
adjusting a selected status of the determined at least one of the
one or more groups, based on the selected status of the particular
playback device; and changing the second representation of the at
least one of the one or more groups on the second portion of the
display based on the selected status.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: causing reproduction
of media according to the selected status of playback devices.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the one or
more groups is retrieved from a storage of the controller
device.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the one or
more groups is retrieved from another device, separate from the
controller.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the one or
more groups is associated with a user account.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a group based
on user-selected playback devices before the step of retrieving
data indicative of one or more groups of playback devices.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a display
name based on the selected status of the plurality of playback
devices and the one or more groups.
11. A controller for a media playback system comprising a plurality
of playback devices, the controller comprising: a display; a human
interface device configured to allow user input to be received;
storage comprising non-transitory computer readable instructions
for execution by the processor; and a processor; wherein the
computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor,
instruct the processor to: retrieve data indicative of a plurality
of playback devices; cause a plurality of first representations of
at least some of the plurality of playback devices to be displayed
on a first portion of a display of the controller device; retrieve
data indicative of one or more groups of playback devices, each
group having at least two associated playback devices of the
plurality of playback devices; cause a plurality of second
representations of at least some of the one or more groups to be
displayed on a second portion of the display; and responsive to
receipt of an input indicative of a particular group of the one or
more groups: adjust a selected status of the particular group;
determine playback devices of the plurality of playback devices
which are associated with the particular group; adjust a selected
status of the playback devices that are determined to be associated
with the particular group; change the second representation of the
particular group on the second portion of the display based on the
adjusted selected status of the particular group; and change the
first representation of the playback devices that are determined to
be associated with the particular group on the first portion of the
display based on the adjusted selected status of the playback
devices.
12. The controller of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable
instructions, when executed by the processor, instruct the
processor to: determine that none of the playback devices that are
determined to be associated with the particular group have a first
representation visible on the first portion of the display; and
wherein the changing a representation of the playback devices
comprises causing at least one first representation of a playback
device associated with the particular group to be visible on the
first portion of the display.
13. The controller of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable
instructions, when executed by the processor, instruct the
processor to: after the adjusting a selected status of playback
devices associated with the particular group, adjust a selected
status of a further group of playback devices based on the adjusted
status of the playback devices.
14. The controller of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable
instructions, when executed by the processor, instruct the
processor to: responsive to receipt of an input indicative of a
particular playback device: adjust a selected status of the
particular playback device; change the first representation of the
particular playback device on the first portion of the display
based on the selected status of the particular playback device;
determine at least one of the one or more groups which is
associated the particular playback device; adjust a selected status
of the determined at least one of the one or more groups, based on
the selected status of the particular playback device; and change
the second representation of the at least one of the one or more
groups on the second portion of the display based on the selected
status.
15. The controller of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable
instructions, when executed by the processor, instruct the
processor to: cause the reproduction of media according to the
selected status of playback devices.
16. The controller of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable
instructions, when executed by the processor, instruct the
processor to: retrieve the data indicative of the one or more
groups from the storage.
17. The controller of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable
instructions, when executed by the processor, instruct the
processor to: retrieve the data indicative of the one or more
groups from another device, separate from the controller.
18. The controller of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable
instructions, when executed by the processor, instruct the
processor to: determine a display name based on the selected status
of the plurality of playback devices and the one or more
groups.
19. The controller of claim 11, wherein the display has a diagonal
dimension which is less than or equal to about 18 cm.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer
program instructions embodied thereon, wherein the computer program
instructions, when executed by a processor of a controller,
instruct the controller to: retrieve data indicative of a plurality
of playback devices; cause a plurality of first representations of
at least some of the plurality of playback devices to be displayed
on a first portion of a display of the controller device; retrieve
data indicative of one or more groups of playback devices, each
group having at least two associated playback devices of the
plurality of playback devices; cause a plurality of second
representations of at least some of the one or more groups to be
displayed on a second portion of the display; responsive to receipt
of an input indicative of a particular group of the one or more
groups: adjust a selected status of the particular group; determine
playback devices of the plurality of playback devices which are
associated with the particular group; adjust a selected status of
the playback devices that are determined to be associated with the
particular group; change the second representation of the
particular group on the second portion of the display based on the
adjusted selected status of the particular group; and change the
first representation of the playback devices that are determined to
be associated with the particular group on the first portion of the
display based on the adjusted selected status of the playback
devices; and cause reproduction of media according to the selected
status of playback devices.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 120
to, and is a continuation-in-part of, U.S. Design patent
application No 29/672,604, filed on Dec. 6, 2018, entitled "Display
Screen or Portion Thereof with Graphical User Interface for Media
Playback Control," which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
[0002] U.S. Design patent application No 29/672,604 claims priority
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 120 to, and is a continuation-in-part of,
U.S. non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/212,437, filed
on Dec. 6, 2018, entitled "Selection of Playback Devices," which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0003] The present disclosure is related to consumer goods and,
more particularly, to methods, systems, products, features,
services, and other elements directed to media playback or some
aspect thereof.
BACKGROUND
[0004] Options for accessing and listening to digital audio in an
out-loud setting were limited until in 2002, when SONOS, Inc. began
development of a new type of playback system. Sonos then filed one
of its first patent applications in 2003, entitled "Method for
Synchronizing Audio Playback between Multiple Networked Devices,"
and began offering its first media playback systems for sale in
2005. The Sonos Wireless Home Sound System enables people to
experience music from many sources via one or more networked
playback devices. Through a software control application installed
on a controller (e.g., smartphone, tablet, computer, voice input
device), one can play what she wants in any room having a networked
playback device. Media content (e.g., songs, podcasts, video sound)
can be streamed to playback devices such that each room with a
playback device can play back corresponding different media
content. In addition, rooms can be grouped together for synchronous
playback of the same media content, and/or the same media content
can be heard in all rooms synchronously.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Features, aspects, and advantages of the presently disclosed
technology may be better understood with regard to the following
description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, as listed
below. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand that
the features shown in the drawings are for purposes of
illustrations, and variations, including different and/or
additional features and arrangements thereof, are possible.
[0006] FIG. 1A is a partial cutaway view of an environment having a
media playback system configured in accordance with aspects of the
disclosed technology.
[0007] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the media playback system
of FIG. 1A and one or more networks.
[0008] FIG. 1C is a block diagram of a playback device.
[0009] FIG. 1D is a block diagram of a playback device.
[0010] FIG. 1E is a block diagram of a network microphone
device.
[0011] FIG. 1F is a block diagram of a network microphone
device.
[0012] FIG. 1G is a block diagram of a playback device.
[0013] FIG. 1H is a partially schematic diagram of a control
device.
[0014] FIGS. 1I, IJ, 1K, and 1L are schematic diagrams of
corresponding media playback system zones.
[0015] FIG. 1M is a schematic diagram of media playback system
areas.
[0016] FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a control device in the
process of creating a group.
[0017] FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of a control device showing
an exemplary group in a media playback system.
[0018] FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of a control device showing
the selection of a room of a media playback system to output a
media stream.
[0019] FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of a control device showing a
selection of a group in a media playback system.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a control device showing
the outputting of a media stream to plurality of playback devices
in a media playback system.
[0021] FIGS. 5A and 5B show a flow diagram illustrating a method of
selecting and deselecting media playback devices and groups.
[0022] The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating example
embodiments, but those of ordinary skill in the art will understand
that the technology disclosed herein is not limited to the
arrangements and/or instrumentality shown in the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
I. Overview
[0023] Embodiments described herein relate to the selection of
playback devices within a media playback system for outputting a
media stream, based on user input on a controller device.
Representations of saved groups of playback devices and individual
playback devices are displayed simultaneously. Playback devices may
be selected by an input indicating a selection of a group of
playback devices or individual playback devices. Any changes to the
selected status of a playback device are reflected in
representations of both the individual playback devices and
representations of at least one saved group of playback devices on
a display.
[0024] In this way a user can select desired playback devices with
increased efficiency. For example, a user has available both
individual and group representations to adjust the selection. As
both individual devices and groups of devices are represented on a
display simultaneously, and both reflect a selected status, users
can select devices with relatively few steps and in a simple
manner. Efficient use may also be made of limited screen space.
[0025] In some embodiments, a method comprises, at a controller
device: retrieving data indicative of a plurality of playback
devices, causing a plurality of first representations of at least
some of the plurality of playback devices to be displayed on a
first portion of a display of the controller device; retrieving
data indicative of one or more groups of playback devices, each
group having at least two associated playback devices of the
plurality of playback devices; and causing a plurality of second
representations of at least some of the one or more groups to be
displayed on a second portion of the display. In response to the
receipt of an input indicative of a particular group of the one or
more groups, the method adjusts a selected status of the particular
group; determines playback devices of the plurality of playback
devices which are associated with the particular group; adjusts a
selected status of the playback devices that are determined to be
associated with the particular group; changes the second
representation of the particular group on the second portion of the
display based on the adjusted selected status of the particular
group; and changes the first representation of the playback devices
that are determined to be associated with the particular group on
the first portion of the display based on the adjusted selected
status of the playback devices.
[0026] The method may comprise determining that none of the
playback devices that are determined to be associated with the
particular group have a first representation visible on the first
portion of the display. The changing a representation of the
playback devices may then comprise causing at least one first
representation of a playback device associated with the particular
group to be visible on the first portion of the display.
[0027] The method may further comprise, after the adjusting a
selected status of playback devices associated with the particular
group, adjusting a selected status of a further group of playback
devices based on the adjusted status of the playback devices.
[0028] The method may further comprise, responsive to receipt of an
input indicative of a particular playback device: adjusting a
selected status of the particular playback device; changing the
first representation of the particular playback device on the first
portion of the display based on the selected status of the
particular playback device; determining at least one of the one or
more groups which is associated the particular playback device;
adjusting a selected status of the determined at least one of the
one or more groups, based on the selected status of the particular
playback device; and changing the second representation of the at
least one of the one or more groups on the second portion of the
display based on the selected status of the at least one of the one
or more groups.
[0029] The method may further comprise causing reproduction of
media according to the selected status of playback devices.
[0030] The data indicative of the one or more groups may be
retrieved from a storage of the controller device. The data
indicative of the one or more groups may be retrieved from another
device, separate from the controller.
[0031] The data indicative of the one or more groups may be
associated with a user account.
[0032] The method may further comprise storing a group based on
user-selected playback devices before the step of retrieving data
indicative of one or more groups of playback devices.
[0033] The method may further comprise determining a display name
based on the selected status of the plurality of playback devices
and the one or more groups.
[0034] The method may be used with a controller which has a
diagonal dimension less than or equal to about 18 cm.
[0035] In a further embodiment, a method comprises, at a controller
device: retrieving data indicative of a plurality of playback
devices, causing a plurality of first representations of at least
some of the plurality of playback devices to be displayed on a
first portion of a display of the controller device; retrieving
data indicative of one or more groups of playback devices, each
group having at least two associated playback devices of the
plurality of playback devices; and causing a plurality of second
representations of at least some of the one or more groups to be
displayed on a second portion of the display. Responsive to receipt
of an input indicative of a particular playback device, the method
comprises: adjusting a selected status of the particular playback
device; changing the first representation of the particular
playback device on the first portion of the display based on the
selected status of the particular playback device; determining at
least one of the one or more groups which is associated the
particular playback device; adjusting a selected status of the
determined at least one of the one or more groups, based on the
selected status of the particular playback device; and changing the
second representation of the at least one of the one or more groups
on the second portion of the display based on the selected status
of the at least one of the one or more groups.
[0036] In another embodiment, a controller for a media playback
system comprising a plurality of playback devices is provided. The
controller comprises: a display; a human interface device
configured to allow user input to be received; storage comprising
non-transitory computer readable instructions for execution by the
processor; and a processor. The computer-readable instructions,
when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to: retrieve
data indicative of a plurality of playback devices; cause a
plurality of first representations of at least some of the
plurality of playback devices to be displayed on a first portion of
a display of the controller device; retrieve data indicative of one
or more groups of playback devices, each group having at least two
associated playback devices of the plurality of playback devices;
and cause a plurality of second representations of at least some of
the one or more groups to be displayed on a second portion of the
display. In response to receipt of an input indicative of a
particular group of the one or more groups, the computer-readable
instructions instruct the process to: adjust a selected status of
the particular group; determine playback devices of the plurality
of playback devices which are associated with the particular group;
and adjust a selected status of the playback devices that are
determined to be associated with the particular group. The second
representation of the particular group on the second portion of the
display is also changed based on the adjusted selected status of
the particular group; as is the first representation of the
playback devices that are determined to be associated with the
particular group on the first portion of the display based on the
adjusted selected status of the playback devices.
[0037] The computer-readable instructions may also instruct the
processor to carry out some, or all, of the steps discussed above
regarding the method.
[0038] The display of the controller may have a diagonal dimension
which is less than or equal to about 18 cm.
[0039] In another embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable
medium has computer program instructions embodied thereon. The
computer program instructions, when executed by a processor of a
controller, instruct the controller to retrieve data indicative of
a plurality of playback devices; cause a plurality of first
representations of at least some of the plurality of playback
devices to be displayed on a first portion of a display of the
controller device; retrieve data indicative of one or more groups
of playback devices, each group having at least two associated
playback devices of the plurality of playback devices; and cause a
plurality of second representations of at least some of the one or
more groups to be displayed on a second portion of the display. In
response to the receipt of an input indicative of a particular
group of the one or more groups the instructions, when executed by
a processor of the controller, cause the processor to: adjust a
selected status of the particular group; determine playback devices
of the plurality of playback devices which are associated with the
particular group; adjust a selected status of the playback devices
that are determined to be associated with the particular group;
change the second representation of the particular group on the
second portion of the display based on the adjusted selected status
of the particular group; change the first representation of the
playback devices that are determined to be associated with the
particular group on the first portion of the display based on the
adjusted selected status of the playback devices; and cause
reproduction of media according to the selected status of playback
devices.
[0040] While some examples described herein may refer to functions
performed by given actors such as "users," "listeners," and/or
other entities, it should be understood that this is for purposes
of explanation only. The claims should not be interpreted to
require action by any such example actor unless explicitly required
by the language of the claims themselves.
[0041] In the Figures, identical reference numbers identify
generally similar, and/or identical, elements. To facilitate the
discussion of any particular element, the most significant digit or
digits of a reference number refers to the Figure in which that
element is first introduced. For example, element 110a is first
introduced and discussed with reference to FIG. 1A. Many of the
details, dimensions, angles and other features shown in the Figures
are merely illustrative of particular embodiments of the disclosed
technology. Accordingly, other embodiments can have other details,
dimensions, angles and features without departing from the spirit
or scope of the disclosure. In addition, those of ordinary skill in
the art will appreciate that further embodiments of the various
disclosed technologies can be practiced without several of the
details described below.
II. Suitable Operating Environment
[0042] FIG. 1A is a partial cutaway view of a media playback system
100 distributed in an environment 101 (e.g., a house). The media
playback system 100 comprises one or more playback devices 110
(identified individually as playback devices 110a-n), one or more
network microphone devices ("NMDs"), 120 (identified individually
as NMDs 120a-c), and one or more control devices 130 (identified
individually as control devices 130a and 130b).
[0043] As used herein the term "playback device" can generally
refer to a network device configured to receive, process, and
output data of a media playback system. For example, a playback
device can be a network device that receives and processes audio
content. In some embodiments, a playback device includes one or
more transducers or speakers powered by one or more amplifiers. In
other embodiments, however, a playback device includes one of (or
neither of) the speaker and the amplifier. For instance, a playback
device can comprise one or more amplifiers configured to drive one
or more speakers external to the playback device via a
corresponding wire or cable.
[0044] Moreover, as used herein the term NMD (i.e., a "network
microphone device") can generally refer to a network device that is
configured for audio detection. In some embodiments, an NMD is a
stand-alone device configured primarily for audio detection. In
other embodiments, an NMD is incorporated into a playback device
(or vice versa).
[0045] The term "control device" can generally refer to a network
device configured to perform functions relevant to facilitating
user access, control, and/or configuration of the media playback
system 100.
[0046] Each of the playback devices 110 is configured to receive
audio signals or data from one or more media sources (e.g., one or
more remote servers, one or more local devices) and play back the
received audio signals or data as sound. The one or more NMDs 120
are configured to receive spoken word commands, and the one or more
control devices 130 are configured to receive user input. In
response to the received spoken word commands and/or user input,
the media playback system 100 can play back audio via one or more
of the playback devices 110. In certain embodiments, the playback
devices 110 are configured to commence playback of media content in
response to a trigger. For instance, one or more of the playback
devices 110 can be configured to play back a morning playlist upon
detection of an associated trigger condition (e.g., presence of a
user in a kitchen, detection of a coffee machine operation). In
some embodiments, for example, the media playback system 100 is
configured to play back audio from a first playback device (e.g.,
the playback device 100a) in synchrony with a second playback
device (e.g., the playback device 100b). Interactions between the
playback devices 110, NMDs 120, and/or control devices 130 of the
media playback system 100 configured in accordance with the various
embodiments of the disclosure are described in greater detail below
with respect to FIGS. 1B-1M.
[0047] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1A, the environment
101 comprises a household having several rooms, spaces, and/or
playback zones, including (clockwise from upper left) a master
bathroom 101a, a master bedroom 101b, a second bedroom 101c, a
family room or den 101d, an office 101e, a living room 101f, a
dining room 101g, a kitchen 101h, and an outdoor patio 101i. While
certain embodiments and examples are described below in the context
of a home environment, the technologies described herein may be
implemented in other types of environments. In some embodiments,
for example, the media playback system 100 can be implemented in
one or more commercial settings (e.g., a restaurant, mall, airport,
hotel, a retail or other store), one or more vehicles (e.g., a
sports utility vehicle, bus, car, a ship, a boat, an airplane),
multiple environments (e.g., a combination of home and vehicle
environments), and/or another suitable environment where multi-zone
audio may be desirable.
[0048] The media playback system 100 can comprise one or more
playback zones, some of which may correspond to the rooms in the
environment 101. The media playback system 100 can be established
with one or more playback zones, after which additional zones may
be added, or removed to form, for example, the configuration shown
in FIG. 1A. Each zone may be given a name according to a different
room or space such as the office 101e, master bathroom 101a, master
bedroom 101b, the second bedroom 101c, kitchen 101h, dining room
101g, living room 101f, and/or the balcony 101i. In some aspects, a
single playback zone may include multiple rooms or spaces. In
certain aspects, a single room or space may include multiple
playback zones.
[0049] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1A, the master
bathroom 101a, the second bedroom 101c, the office 101e, the living
room 101f, the dining room 101g, the kitchen 101h, and the outdoor
patio 101i each include one playback device 110, and the master
bedroom 101b and the den 101d include a plurality of playback
devices 110. In the master bedroom 101b, the playback devices 110l
and 110m may be configured, for example, to play back audio content
in synchrony as individual ones of playback devices 110, as a
bonded playback zone, as a consolidated playback device, and/or any
combination thereof. Similarly, in the den 101d, the playback
devices 110h-j can be configured, for instance, to play back audio
content in synchrony as individual ones of playback devices 110, as
one or more bonded playback devices, and/or as one or more
consolidated playback devices. Additional details regarding bonded
and consolidated playback devices are described below with respect
to FIGS. 1B and 1M.
[0050] In some aspects, one or more of the playback zones in the
environment 101 may each be playing different audio content. For
instance, a user may be grilling on the patio 101i and listening to
hip hop music being played by the playback device 110c while
another user is preparing food in the kitchen 101h and listening to
classical music played by the playback device 110b. In another
example, a playback zone may play the same audio content in
synchrony with another playback zone. For instance, the user may be
in the office 101e listening to the playback device 110f playing
back the same hip hop music being played back by playback device
110c on the patio 101i. In some aspects, the playback devices 110c
and 110f play back the hip hop music in synchrony such that the
user perceives that the audio content is being played seamlessly
(or at least substantially seamlessly) while moving between
different playback zones. Additional details regarding audio
playback synchronization among playback devices and/or zones can be
found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,234,395 entitled, "System
and method for synchronizing operations among a plurality of
independently clocked digital data processing devices," which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
a. Suitable Media Playback System
[0051] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the media playback system
100 and a cloud network 102. For ease of illustration, certain
devices of the media playback system 100 and the cloud network 102
are omitted from FIG. 1B. One or more communication links 103
(referred to hereinafter as "the links 103") communicatively couple
the media playback system 100 and the cloud network 102.
[0052] The links 103 can comprise, for example, one or more wired
networks, one or more wireless networks, one or more wide area
networks (WAN), one or more local area networks (LAN), one or more
personal area networks (PAN), one or more telecommunication
networks (e.g., one or more Global System for Mobiles (GSM)
networks, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Long-Term
Evolution (LTE) networks, 5G communication network networks, and/or
other suitable data transmission protocol networks), etc. The cloud
network 102 is configured to deliver media content (e.g., audio
content, video content, photographs, social media content) to the
media playback system 100 in response to a request transmitted from
the media playback system 100 via the links 103. In some
embodiments, the cloud network 102 is further configured to receive
data (e.g. voice input data) from the media playback system 100 and
correspondingly transmit commands and/or media content to the media
playback system 100.
[0053] The cloud network 102 comprises computing devices 106
(identified separately as a first computing device 106a, a second
computing device 106b, and a third computing device 106c). The
computing devices 106 can comprise individual computers or servers,
such as, for example, a media streaming service server storing
audio and/or other media content, a voice service server, a social
media server, a media playback system control server, etc. In some
embodiments, one or more of the computing devices 106 comprise
modules of a single computer or server. In certain embodiments, one
or more of the computing devices 106 comprise one or more modules,
computers, and/or servers. Moreover, while the cloud network 102 is
described above in the context of a single cloud network, in some
embodiments the cloud network 102 comprises a plurality of cloud
networks comprising communicatively coupled computing devices.
Furthermore, while the cloud network 102 is shown in FIG. 1B as
having three of the computing devices 106, in some embodiments, the
cloud network 102 comprises fewer (or more than) three computing
devices 106.
[0054] The media playback system 100 is configured to receive media
content from the networks 102 via the links 103. The received media
content can comprise, for example, a Uniform Resource Identifier
(URI) and/or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). For instance, in
some examples, the media playback system 100 can stream, download,
or otherwise obtain data from a URI or a URL corresponding to the
received media content. A network 104 communicatively couples the
links 103 and at least a portion of the devices (e.g., one or more
of the playback devices 110, NMDs 120, and/or control devices 130)
of the media playback system 100. The network 104 can include, for
example, a wireless network (e.g., a WiFi network, a Bluetooth, a
Z-Wave network, a ZigBee, and/or other suitable wireless
communication protocol network) and/or a wired network (e.g., a
network comprising Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), and/or
another suitable wired communication). As those of ordinary skill
in the art will appreciate, as used herein, "WiFi" can refer to
several different communication protocols including, for example,
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a,
802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11af, 802.11ah,
802.11ai, 802.11aj, 802.11aq, 802.11ax, 802.11ay, 802.15, etc.
transmitted at 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz), 5 GHz, and/or another suitable
frequency.
[0055] In some embodiments, the network 104 comprises a dedicated
communication network that the media playback system 100 uses to
transmit messages between individual devices and/or to transmit
media content to and from media content sources (e.g., one or more
of the computing devices 106). In certain embodiments, the network
104 is configured to be accessible only to devices in the media
playback system 100, thereby reducing interference and competition
with other household devices. In other embodiments, however, the
network 104 comprises an existing household communication network
(e.g., a household WiFi network). In some embodiments, the links
103 and the network 104 comprise one or more of the same networks.
In some aspects, for example, the links 103 and the network 104
comprise a telecommunication network (e.g., an LTE network, a 5G
network). Moreover, in some embodiments, the media playback system
100 is implemented without the network 104, and devices comprising
the media playback system 100 can communicate with each other, for
example, via one or more direct connections, PANs,
telecommunication networks, and/or other suitable communication
links.
[0056] In some embodiments, audio content sources may be regularly
added or removed from the media playback system 100. In some
embodiments, for example, the media playback system 100 performs an
indexing of media items when one or more media content sources are
updated, added to, and/or removed from the media playback system
100. The media playback system 100 can scan identifiable media
items in some or all folders and/or directories accessible to the
playback devices 110, and generate or update a media content
database comprising metadata (e.g., title, artist, album, track
length) and other associated information (e.g., URIs, URLs) for
each identifiable media item found. In some embodiments, for
example, the media content database is stored on one or more of the
playback devices 110, network microphone devices 120, and/or
control devices 130.
[0057] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1B, the playback
devices 110l and 110m comprise a group 107a. The playback devices
110l and 110m can be positioned in different rooms in a household
and be grouped together in the group 107a on a temporary or
permanent basis based on user input received at the control device
130a and/or another control device 130 in the media playback system
100. When arranged in the group 107a, the playback devices 110l and
110m can be configured to play back the same or similar audio
content in synchrony from one or more audio content sources. In
certain embodiments, for example, the group 107a comprises a bonded
zone in which the playback devices 110l and 110m comprise left
audio and right audio channels, respectively, of multi-channel
audio content, thereby producing or enhancing a stereo effect of
the audio content. In some embodiments, the group 107a includes
additional playback devices 110. In other embodiments, however, the
media playback system 100 omits the group 107a and/or other grouped
arrangements of the playback devices 110. Additional details
regarding groups and other arrangements of playback devices are
described in further detail below with respect to FIGS. 1I through
1M
[0058] The media playback system 100 includes the NMDs 120a and
120b, each comprising one or more microphones configured to receive
voice utterances from a user. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG.
1B, the NMD 120a is a standalone device and the NMD 120b is
integrated into the playback device 110n. The NMD 120a, for
example, is configured to receive voice input 121 from a user 123.
In some embodiments, the NMD 120a transmits data associated with
the received voice input 121 to a voice assistant service (VAS)
configured to (i) process the received voice input data and (ii)
transmit a corresponding command to the media playback system 100.
In some aspects, for example, the computing device 106c comprises
one or more modules and/or servers of a VAS (e.g., a VAS operated
by one or more of SONOS.RTM., AMAZON.RTM., GOOGLE.RTM. APPLE.RTM.,
MICROSOFT.RTM.). The computing device 106c can receive the voice
input data from the NMD 120a via the network 104 and the links 103.
In response to receiving the voice input data, the computing device
106c processes the voice input data (i.e., "Play Hey Jude by The
Beatles"), and determines that the processed voice input includes a
command to play a song (e.g., "Hey Jude"). The computing device
106c accordingly transmits commands to the media playback system
100 to play back "Hey Jude" by the Beatles from a suitable media
service (e.g., via one or more of the computing devices 106) on one
or more of the playback devices 110.
b. Suitable Playback Devices
[0059] FIG. 1C is a block diagram of the playback device 110a
comprising an input/output 111. The input/output 111 can include an
analog I/O 111a (e.g., one or more wires, cables, and/or other
suitable communication links configured to carry analog signals)
and/or a digital I/O 111b (e.g., one or more wires, cables, or
other suitable communication links configured to carry digital
signals). In some embodiments, the analog I/O 111a is an audio
line-in input connection comprising, for example, an auto-detecting
3.5 mm audio line-in connection. In some embodiments, the digital
I/O 111b comprises a Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format (S/PDIF)
communication interface and/or cable and/or a Toshiba Link
(TOSLINK) cable. In some embodiments, the digital I/O 111b
comprises an High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) interface
and/or cable. In some embodiments, the digital I/O 111b includes
one or more wireless communication links comprising, for example, a
radio frequency (RF), infrared, WiFi, Bluetooth, or another
suitable communication protocol. In certain embodiments, the analog
I/O 111a and the digital I/O 111b comprise interfaces (e.g., ports,
plugs, jacks) configured to receive connectors of cables
transmitting analog and digital signals, respectively, without
necessarily including cables.
[0060] The playback device 110a, for example, can receive media
content (e.g., audio content comprising music and/or other sounds)
from a local audio source 105 via the input/output 111 (e.g., a
cable, a wire, a PAN, a Bluetooth connection, an ad hoc wired or
wireless communication network, and/or another suitable
communication link). The local audio source 105 can comprise, for
example, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop
computer) or another suitable audio component (e.g., a television,
a desktop computer, an amplifier, a phonograph, a Blu-ray player, a
memory storing digital media files). In some aspects, the local
audio source 105 includes local music libraries on a smartphone, a
computer, a networked-attached storage (NAS), and/or another
suitable device configured to store media files. In certain
embodiments, one or more of the playback devices 110, NMDs 120,
and/or control devices 130 comprise the local audio source 105. In
other embodiments, however, the media playback system omits the
local audio source 105 altogether. In some embodiments, the
playback device 110a does not include an input/output 111 and
receives all audio content via the network 104.
[0061] The playback device 110a further comprises electronics 112,
a user interface 113 (e.g., one or more buttons, knobs, dials,
touch-sensitive surfaces, displays, touchscreens), and one or more
transducers 114 (referred to hereinafter as "the transducers 114").
The electronics 112 is configured to receive audio from an audio
source (e.g., the local audio source 105) via the input/output 111,
one or more of the computing devices 106a-c via the network 104
(FIG. 1B)), amplify the received audio, and output the amplified
audio for playback via one or more of the transducers 114. In some
embodiments, the playback device 110a optionally includes one or
more microphones 115 (e.g., a single microphone, a plurality of
microphones, a microphone array) (hereinafter referred to as "the
microphones 115"). In certain embodiments, for example, the
playback device 110a having one or more of the optional microphones
115 can operate as an NMD configured to receive voice input from a
user and correspondingly perform one or more operations based on
the received voice input.
[0062] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1C, the electronics
112 comprise one or more processors 112a (referred to hereinafter
as "the processors 112a"), memory 112b, software components 112c, a
network interface 112d, one or more audio processing components
112g (referred to hereinafter as "the audio components 112g"), one
or more audio amplifiers 112h (referred to hereinafter as "the
amplifiers 112h"), and power 112i (e.g., one or more power
supplies, power cables, power receptacles, batteries, induction
coils, Power-over Ethernet (POE) interfaces, and/or other suitable
sources of electric power). In some embodiments, the electronics
112 optionally include one or more other components 112j (e.g., one
or more sensors, video displays, touchscreens, battery charging
bases).
[0063] The processors 112a can comprise clock-driven computing
component(s) configured to process data, and the memory 112b can
comprise a computer-readable medium (e.g., a tangible,
non-transitory computer-readable medium, data storage loaded with
one or more of the software components 112c) configured to store
instructions for performing various operations and/or functions.
The processors 112a are configured to execute the instructions
stored on the memory 112b to perform one or more of the operations.
The operations can include, for example, causing the playback
device 110a to retrieve audio data from an audio source (e.g., one
or more of the computing devices 106a-c (FIG. 1B)), and/or another
one of the playback devices 110. In some embodiments, the
operations further include causing the playback device 110a to send
audio data to another one of the playback devices 110a and/or
another device (e.g., one of the NMDs 120). Certain embodiments
include operations causing the playback device 110a to pair with
another of the one or more playback devices 110 to enable a
multi-channel audio environment (e.g., a stereo pair, a bonded
zone).
[0064] The processors 112a can be further configured to perform
operations causing the playback device 110a to synchronize playback
of audio content with another of the one or more playback devices
110. As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, during
synchronous playback of audio content on a plurality of playback
devices, a listener will preferably be unable to perceive
time-delay differences between playback of the audio content by the
playback device 110a and the other one or more other playback
devices 110. Additional details regarding audio playback
synchronization among playback devices can be found, for example,
in U.S. Pat. No. 8,234,395, which was incorporated by reference
above.
[0065] In some embodiments, the memory 112b is further configured
to store data associated with the playback device 110a, such as one
or more zones and/or zone groups of which the playback device 110a
is a member, audio sources accessible to the playback device 110a,
and/or a playback queue that the playback device 110a (and/or
another of the one or more playback devices) can be associated
with. The stored data can comprise one or more state variables that
are periodically updated and used to describe a state of the
playback device 110a. The memory 112b can also include data
associated with a state of one or more of the other devices (e.g.,
the playback devices 110, NMDs 120, control devices 130) of the
media playback system 100. In some aspects, for example, the state
data is shared during predetermined intervals of time (e.g., every
5 seconds, every 10 seconds, every 60 seconds) among at least a
portion of the devices of the media playback system 100, so that
one or more of the devices have the most recent data associated
with the media playback system 100.
[0066] The network interface 112d is configured to facilitate a
transmission of data between the playback device 110a and one or
more other devices on a data network such as, for example, the
links 103 and/or the network 104 (FIG. 1B). The network interface
112d is configured to transmit and receive data corresponding to
media content (e.g., audio content, video content, text,
photographs) and other signals (e.g., non-transitory signals)
comprising digital packet data including an Internet Protocol
(IP)-based source address and/or an IP-based destination address.
The network interface 112d can parse the digital packet data such
that the electronics 112 properly receives and processes the data
destined for the playback device 110a.
[0067] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1C, the network
interface 112d comprises one or more wireless interfaces 112e
(referred to hereinafter as "the wireless interface 112e"). The
wireless interface 112e (e.g., a suitable interface comprising one
or more antennae) can be configured to wirelessly communicate with
one or more other devices (e.g., one or more of the other playback
devices 110, NMDs 120, and/or control devices 130) that are
communicatively coupled to the network 104 (FIG. 1B) in accordance
with a suitable wireless communication protocol (e.g., WiFi,
Bluetooth, LTE). In some embodiments, the network interface 112d
optionally includes a wired interface 112f (e.g., an interface or
receptacle configured to receive a network cable such as an
Ethernet, a USB-A, USB-C, and/or Thunderbolt cable) configured to
communicate over a wired connection with other devices in
accordance with a suitable wired communication protocol. In certain
embodiments, the network interface 112d includes the wired
interface 112f and excludes the wireless interface 112e. In some
embodiments, the electronics 112 excludes the network interface
112d altogether and transmits and receives media content and/or
other data via another communication path (e.g., the input/output
111).
[0068] The audio components 112g are configured to process and/or
filter data comprising media content received by the electronics
112 (e.g., via the input/output 111 and/or the network interface
112d) to produce output audio signals. In some embodiments, the
audio processing components 112g comprise, for example, one or more
digital-to-analog converters (DAC), audio preprocessing components,
audio enhancement components, a digital signal processors (DSPs),
and/or other suitable audio processing components, modules,
circuits, etc. In certain embodiments, one or more of the audio
processing components 112g can comprise one or more subcomponents
of the processors 112a. In some embodiments, the electronics 112
omits the audio processing components 112g. In some aspects, for
example, the processors 112a execute instructions stored on the
memory 112b to perform audio processing operations to produce the
output audio signals.
[0069] The amplifiers 112h are configured to receive and amplify
the audio output signals produced by the audio processing
components 112g and/or the processors 112a. The amplifiers 112h can
comprise electronic devices and/or components configured to amplify
audio signals to levels sufficient for driving one or more of the
transducers 114. In some embodiments, for example, the amplifiers
112h include one or more switching or class-D power amplifiers. In
other embodiments, however, the amplifiers include one or more
other types of power amplifiers (e.g., linear gain power
amplifiers, class-A amplifiers, class-B amplifiers, class-AB
amplifiers, class-C amplifiers, class-D amplifiers, class-E
amplifiers, class-F amplifiers, class-G and/or class H amplifiers,
and/or another suitable type of power amplifier). In certain
embodiments, the amplifiers 112h comprise a suitable combination of
two or more of the foregoing types of power amplifiers. Moreover,
in some embodiments, individual ones of the amplifiers 112h
correspond to individual ones of the transducers 114. In other
embodiments, however, the electronics 112 includes a single one of
the amplifiers 112h configured to output amplified audio signals to
a plurality of the transducers 114. In some other embodiments, the
electronics 112 omits the amplifiers 112h.
[0070] The transducers 114 (e.g., one or more speakers and/or
speaker drivers) receive the amplified audio signals from the
amplifier 112h and render or output the amplified audio signals as
sound (e.g., audible sound waves having a frequency between about
20 Hertz (Hz) and 20 kilohertz (kHz)). In some embodiments, the
transducers 114 can comprise a single transducer. In other
embodiments, however, the transducers 114 comprise a plurality of
audio transducers. In some embodiments, the transducers 114
comprise more than one type of transducer. For example, the
transducers 114 can include one or more low frequency transducers
(e.g., subwoofers, woofers), mid-range frequency transducers (e.g.,
mid-range transducers, mid-woofers), and one or more high frequency
transducers (e.g., one or more tweeters). As used herein, "low
frequency" can generally refer to audible frequencies below about
500 Hz, "mid-range frequency" can generally refer to audible
frequencies between about 500 Hz and about 2 kHz, and "high
frequency" can generally refer to audible frequencies above 2 kHz.
In certain embodiments, however, one or more of the transducers 114
comprise transducers that do not adhere to the foregoing frequency
ranges. For example, one of the transducers 114 may comprise a
mid-woofer transducer configured to output sound at frequencies
between about 200 Hz and about 5 kHz.
[0071] By way of illustration, SONOS, Inc. presently offers (or has
offered) for sale certain playback devices including, for example,
a "SONOS ONE," "PLAY:1," "PLAY:3," "PLAY:5," "PLAYBAR," "PLAYBASE,"
"CONNECT:AMP," "CONNECT," and "SUB." Other suitable playback
devices may additionally or alternatively be used to implement the
playback devices of example embodiments disclosed herein.
Additionally, one of ordinary skilled in the art will appreciate
that a playback device is not limited to the examples described
herein or to SONOS product offerings. In some embodiments, for
example, one or more playback devices 110 comprises wired or
wireless headphones (e.g., over-the-ear headphones, on-ear
headphones, in-ear earphones). In other embodiments, one or more of
the playback devices 110 comprise a docking station and/or an
interface configured to interact with a docking station for
personal mobile media playback devices. In certain embodiments, a
playback device may be integral to another device or component such
as a television, a lighting fixture, or some other device for
indoor or outdoor use. In some embodiments, a playback device omits
a user interface and/or one or more transducers. For example, FIG.
1D is a block diagram of a playback device 110p comprising the
input/output 111 and electronics 112 without the user interface 113
or transducers 114.
[0072] FIG. 1E is a block diagram of a bonded playback device 110q
comprising the playback device 110a (FIG. 1C) sonically bonded with
the playback device 110i (e.g., a subwoofer) (Figure IA). In the
illustrated embodiment, the playback devices 110a and 110i are
separate ones of the playback devices 110 housed in separate
enclosures. In some embodiments, however, the bonded playback
device 110q comprises a single enclosure housing both the playback
devices 110a and 110i. The bonded playback device 110q can be
configured to process and reproduce sound differently than an
unbonded playback device (e.g., the playback device 110a of FIG.
1C) and/or paired or bonded playback devices (e.g., the playback
devices 110l and 110m of FIG. 1B). In some embodiments, for
example, the playback device 110a is full-range playback device
configured to render low frequency, mid-range frequency, and high
frequency audio content, and the playback device 110i is a
subwoofer configured to render low frequency audio content. In some
aspects, the playback device 110a, when bonded with the first
playback device, is configured to render only the mid-range and
high frequency components of a particular audio content, while the
playback device 110i renders the low frequency component of the
particular audio content. In some embodiments, the bonded playback
device 110q includes additional playback devices and/or another
bonded playback device.
c. Suitable Network Microphone Devices (NMDs)
[0073] FIG. 1F is a block diagram of the NMD 120a (FIGS. 1A and
1B). The NMD 120a includes one or more voice processing components
124 (hereinafter "the voice components 124") and several components
described with respect to the playback device 110a (FIG. 1C)
including the processors 112a, the memory 112b, and the microphones
115. The NMD 120a optionally comprises other components also
included in the playback device 110a (FIG. 1C), such as the user
interface 113 and/or the transducers 114. In some embodiments, the
NMD 120a is configured as a media playback device (e.g., one or
more of the playback devices 110), and further includes, for
example, one or more of the audio components 112g (FIG. 1C), the
amplifiers 114, and/or other playback device components. In certain
embodiments, the NMD 120a comprises an Internet of Things (IoT)
device such as, for example, a thermostat, alarm panel, fire and/or
smoke detector, etc. In some embodiments, the NMD 120a comprises
the microphones 115, the voice processing 124, and only a portion
of the components of the electronics 112 described above with
respect to FIG. 1B. In some aspects, for example, the NMD 120a
includes the processor 112a and the memory 112b (FIG. 1B), while
omitting one or more other components of the electronics 112. In
some embodiments, the NMD 120a includes additional components
(e.g., one or more sensors, cameras, thermometers, barometers,
hygrometers).
[0074] In some embodiments, an NMD can be integrated into a
playback device. FIG. 1G is a block diagram of a playback device
110r comprising an NMD 120d. The playback device 110r can comprise
many or all of the components of the playback device 110a and
further include the microphones 115 and voice processing 124 (FIG.
1F). The playback device 110r optionally includes an integrated
control device 130c. The control device 130c can comprise, for
example, a user interface (e.g., the user interface 113 of FIG. 1B)
configured to receive user input (e.g., touch input, voice input)
without a separate control device. In other embodiments, however,
the playback device 110r receives commands from another control
device (e.g., the control device 130a of FIG. 1B).
[0075] Referring again to FIG. 1F, the microphones 115 are
configured to acquire, capture, and/or receive sound from an
environment (e.g., the environment 101 of FIG. 1A) and/or a room in
which the NMD 120a is positioned. The received sound can include,
for example, vocal utterances, audio played back by the NMD 120a
and/or another playback device, background voices, ambient sounds,
etc. The microphones 115 convert the received sound into electrical
signals to produce microphone data. The voice processing 124
receives and analyzes the microphone data to determine whether a
voice input is present in the microphone data. The voice input can
comprise, for example, an activation word followed by an utterance
including a user request. As those of ordinary skill in the art
will appreciate, an activation word is a word or other audio cue
that signifying a user voice input. For instance, in querying the
AMAZON.RTM. VAS, a user might speak the activation word "Alexa."
Other examples include "Ok, Google" for invoking the GOOGLE.RTM.
VAS and "Hey, Siri" for invoking the APPLE.RTM. VAS.
[0076] After detecting the activation word, voice processing 124
monitors the microphone data for an accompanying user request in
the voice input. The user request may include, for example, a
command to control a third-party device, such as a thermostat
(e.g., NEST.RTM. thermostat), an illumination device (e.g., a
PHILIPS HUE.RTM. lighting device), or a media playback device
(e.g., a Sonos.RTM. playback device). For example, a user might
speak the activation word "Alexa" followed by the utterance "set
the thermostat to 68 degrees" to set a temperature in a home (e.g.,
the environment 101 of FIG. 1A). The user might speak the same
activation word followed by the utterance "turn on the living room"
to turn on illumination devices in a living room area of the home.
The user may similarly speak an activation word followed by a
request to play a particular song, an album, or a playlist of music
on a playback device in the home.
d. Suitable Control Devices
[0077] FIG. 1H is a partially schematic diagram of the control
device 130a (FIGS. 1A and 1B). As used herein, the term "control
device" can be used interchangeably with "controller" or "control
system." Among other features, the control device 130a is
configured to receive user input related to the media playback
system 100 and, in response, cause one or more devices in the media
playback system 100 to perform an action(s) or operation(s)
corresponding to the user input. In the illustrated embodiment, the
control device 130a comprises a smartphone (e.g., an iPhone.TM., an
Android phone) on which media playback system controller
application software is installed. In some embodiments, the control
device 130a comprises, for example, a tablet (e.g., an iPad.TM.), a
computer (e.g., a laptop computer, a desktop computer), and/or
another suitable device (e.g., a television, an automobile audio
head unit, an IoT device). In certain embodiments, the control
device 130a comprises a dedicated controller for the media playback
system 100. In other embodiments, as described above with respect
to FIG. 1G, the control device 130a is integrated into another
device in the media playback system 100 (e.g., one more of the
playback devices 110, NMDs 120, and/or other suitable devices
configured to communicate over a network).
[0078] The control device 130a includes electronics 132, a user
interface 133, one or more speakers 134, and one or more
microphones 135. The electronics 132 comprise one or more
processors 132a (referred to hereinafter as "the processors 132a"),
a memory 132b, software components 132c, and a network interface
132d. The processor 132a can be configured to perform functions
relevant to facilitating user access, control, and configuration of
the media playback system 100. The memory 132b can comprise data
storage that can be loaded with one or more of the software
components executable by the processor 302 to perform those
functions. The software components 132c can comprise applications
and/or other executable software configured to facilitate control
of the media playback system 100. The memory 112b can be configured
to store, for example, the software components 132c, media playback
system controller application software, and/or other data
associated with the media playback system 100 and the user.
[0079] The network interface 132d is configured to facilitate
network communications between the control device 130a and one or
more other devices in the media playback system 100, and/or one or
more remote devices. In some embodiments, the network interface 132
is configured to operate according to one or more suitable
communication industry standards (e.g., infrared, radio, wired
standards including IEEE 802.3, wireless standards including IEEE
802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.15, 4G, LTE). The
network interface 132d can be configured, for example, to transmit
data to and/or receive data from the playback devices 110, the NMDs
120, other ones of the control devices 130, one of the computing
devices 106 of FIG. 1B, devices comprising one or more other media
playback systems, etc. The transmitted and/or received data can
include, for example, playback device control commands, state
variables, playback zone and/or zone group configurations. For
instance, based on user input received at the user interface 133,
the network interface 132d can transmit a playback device control
command (e.g., volume control, audio playback control, audio
content selection) from the control device 304 to one or more of
the playback devices 100. The network interface 132d can also
transmit and/or receive configuration changes such as, for example,
adding/removing one or more playback devices 100 to/from a zone,
adding/removing one or more zones to/from a zone group, forming a
bonded or consolidated player, separating one or more playback
devices from a bonded or consolidated player, among others.
[0080] The user interface 133 is configured to receive user input
and can facilitate `control of the media playback system 100. The
user interface 133 includes media content art 133a (e.g., album
art, lyrics, videos), a playback status indicator 133b (e.g., an
elapsed and/or remaining time indicator), media content information
region 133c, a playback control region 133d, and a zone indicator
133e. The media content information region 133c can include a
display of relevant information (e.g., title, artist, album, genre,
release year) about media content currently playing and/or media
content in a queue or playlist. The playback control region 133d
can include selectable (e.g., via touch input and/or via a cursor
or another suitable selector) icons to cause one or more playback
devices in a selected playback zone or zone group to perform
playback actions such as, for example, play or pause, fast forward,
rewind, skip to next, skip to previous, enter/exit shuffle mode,
enter/exit repeat mode, enter/exit cross fade mode, etc. The
playback control region 133d may also include selectable icons to
modify equalization settings, playback volume, and/or other
suitable playback actions. In the illustrated embodiment, the user
interface 133 comprises a display presented on a touch screen
interface of a smartphone (e.g., an iPhone.TM., an Android phone).
In some embodiments, however, user interfaces of varying formats,
styles, and interactive sequences may alternatively be implemented
on one or more network devices to provide comparable control access
to a media playback system.
[0081] The one or more speakers 134 (e.g., one or more transducers)
can be configured to output sound to the user of the control device
130a. In some embodiments, the one or more speakers comprise
individual transducers configured to correspondingly output low
frequencies, mid-range frequencies, and/or high frequencies. In
some aspects, for example, the control device 130a is configured as
a playback device (e.g., one of the playback devices 110).
Similarly, in some embodiments the control device 130a is
configured as an NMD (e.g., one of the NMDs 120), receiving voice
commands and other sounds via the one or more microphones 135.
[0082] The one or more microphones 135 can comprise, for example,
one or more condenser microphones, electret condenser microphones,
dynamic microphones, and/or other suitable types of microphones or
transducers. In some embodiments, two or more of the microphones
135 are arranged to capture location information of an audio source
(e.g., voice, audible sound) and/or configured to facilitate
filtering of background noise. Moreover, in certain embodiments,
the control device 130a is configured to operate as playback device
and an NMD. In other embodiments, however, the control device 130a
omits the one or more speakers 134 and/or the one or more
microphones 135. For instance, the control device 130a may comprise
a device (e.g., a thermostat, an IoT device, a network device)
comprising a portion of the electronics 132 and the user interface
133 (e.g., a touch screen) without any speakers or microphones.
e. Suitable Playback Device Configurations
[0083] FIGS. 1I through 1M show example configurations of playback
devices in zones and zone groups. Referring first to FIG. 1M, in
one example, a single playback device may belong to a zone. For
example, the playback device 110g in the second bedroom 101c (FIG.
1A) may belong to Zone C. In some implementations described below,
multiple playback devices may be "bonded" to form a "bonded pair"
which together form a single zone. For example, the playback device
110l (e.g., a left playback device) can be bonded to the playback
device 110m (e.g., a right playback device) to form Zone B. Bonded
playback devices may have different playback responsibilities
(e.g., channel responsibilities). In another implementation
described below, multiple playback devices may be merged to form a
single zone. For example, the playback device 110h (e.g., a front
playback device) may be merged with the playback device 110i (e.g.,
a subwoofer), and the playback devices 110j and 110k (e.g., left
and right surround speakers, respectively) to form a single Zone D.
In another example, the playback devices 110g and 110h can be
merged to form a merged group or a zone group 108b. The merged
playback devices 110g and 110h may not be specifically assigned
different playback responsibilities. That is, the merged playback
devices 110h and 110i may, aside from playing audio content in
synchrony, each play audio content as they would if they were not
merged.
[0084] Each zone in the media playback system 100 may be provided
for control as a single user interface (UI) entity. For example,
Zone A may be provided as a single entity named Master Bathroom.
Zone B may be provided as a single entity named Master Bedroom.
Zone C may be provided as a single entity named Second Bedroom.
[0085] Playback devices that are bonded may have different playback
responsibilities, such as responsibilities for certain audio
channels. For example, as shown in FIG. 1-I, the playback devices
110l and 110m may be bonded so as to produce or enhance a stereo
effect of audio content. In this example, the playback device 110l
may be configured to play a left channel audio component, while the
playback device 110k may be configured to play a right channel
audio component. In some implementations, such stereo bonding may
be referred to as "pairing."
[0086] Additionally, bonded playback devices may have additional
and/or different respective speaker drivers. As shown in FIG. 1J,
the playback device 110h named Front may be bonded with the
playback device 110i named SUB. The Front device 110h can be
configured to render a range of mid to high frequencies and the SUB
device 110i can be configured render low frequencies. When
unbonded, however, the Front device 110h can be configured render a
full range of frequencies. As another example, FIG. 1K shows the
Front and SUB devices 110h and 110i further bonded with Left and
Right playback devices 110j and 110k, respectively. In some
implementations, the Right and Left devices 110j and 102k can be
configured to form surround or "satellite" channels of a home
theater system. The bonded playback devices 110h, 110i, 110j, and
110k may form a single Zone D (FIG. 1M).
[0087] Playback devices that are merged may not have assigned
playback responsibilities, and may each render the full range of
audio content the respective playback device is capable of.
Nevertheless, merged devices may be represented as a single UI
entity (i.e., a zone, as discussed above). For instance, the
playback devices 110a and 110n in the master bathroom have the
single UI entity of Zone A. In one embodiment, the playback devices
110a and 110n may each output the full range of audio content each
respective playback devices 110a and 110n are capable of, in
synchrony.
[0088] In some embodiments, an NMD is bonded or merged with another
device so as to form a zone. For example, the NMD 120b may be
bonded with the playback device 110e, which together form Zone F,
named Living Room. In other embodiments, a stand-alone network
microphone device may be in a zone by itself. In other embodiments,
however, a stand-alone network microphone device may not be
associated with a zone. Additional details regarding associating
network microphone devices and playback devices as designated or
default devices may be found, for example, in previously referenced
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/438,749.
[0089] Zones of individual, bonded, and/or merged devices may be
grouped to form a zone group. For example, referring to FIG. 1M,
Zone A may be grouped with Zone B to form a zone group 108a that
includes the two zones. Similarly, Zone G may be grouped with Zone
H to form the zone group 108b. As another example, Zone A may be
grouped with one or more other Zones C-I. The Zones A-I may be
grouped and ungrouped in numerous ways. For example, three, four,
five, or more (e.g., all) of the Zones A-I may be grouped. When
grouped, the zones of individual and/or bonded playback devices may
play back audio in synchrony with one another, as described in
previously referenced U.S. Pat. No. 8,234,395. Playback devices may
be dynamically grouped and ungrouped to form new or different
groups that synchronously play back audio content.
[0090] In various implementations, the zones in an environment may
be the default name of a zone within the group or a combination of
the names of the zones within a zone group. For example, Zone Group
108b can have be assigned a name such as "Dining+Kitchen", as shown
in FIG. 1M. In some embodiments, a zone group may be given a unique
name selected by a user.
[0091] Certain data may be stored in a memory of a playback device
(e.g., the memory 112c of FIG. 1C) as one or more state variables
that are periodically updated and used to describe the state of a
playback zone, the playback device(s), and/or a zone group
associated therewith. The memory may also include the data
associated with the state of the other devices of the media system,
and shared from time to time among the devices so that one or more
of the devices have the most recent data associated with the
system.
[0092] In some embodiments, the memory may store instances of
various variable types associated with the states. Variables
instances may be stored with identifiers (e.g., tags) corresponding
to type. For example, certain identifiers may be a first type "a1"
to identify playback device(s) of a zone, a second type "b1" to
identify playback device(s) that may be bonded in the zone, and a
third type "c1" to identify a zone group to which the zone may
belong. As a related example, identifiers associated with the
second bedroom 101c may indicate that the playback device is the
only playback device of the Zone C and not in a zone group.
Identifiers associated with the Den may indicate that the Den is
not grouped with other zones but includes bonded playback devices
110h-110k. Identifiers associated with the Dining Room may indicate
that the Dining Room is part of the Dining+Kitchen zone group 108b
and that devices 110b and 110d are grouped (FIG. 1L). Identifiers
associated with the Kitchen may indicate the same or similar
information by virtue of the Kitchen being part of the
Dining+Kitchen zone group 108b. Other example zone variables and
identifiers are described below.
[0093] In yet another example, the media playback system 100 may
variables or identifiers representing other associations of zones
and zone groups, such as identifiers associated with Areas, as
shown in FIG. 1M. An area may involve a cluster of zone groups
and/or zones not within a zone group. For instance, FIG. 1M shows
an Upper Area 109a including Zones A-D, and a Lower Area 109b
including Zones E-I. In one aspect, an Area may be used to invoke a
cluster of zone groups and/or zones that share one or more zones
and/or zone groups of another cluster. In another aspect, this
differs from a zone group, which does not share a zone with another
zone group. Further examples of techniques for implementing Areas
may be found, for example, in U.S. application Ser. No. 15/682,506
filed Aug. 21, 2017 and titled "Room Association Based on Name,"
and U.S. Pat. No. 8,483,853 filed Sep. 11, 2007, and titled
"Controlling and manipulating groupings in a multi-zone media
system." Each of these applications is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the media playback
system 100 may not implement Areas, in which case the system may
not store variables associated with Areas.
III. Methods and Devices for Dynamic Selection of Playback
Devices
[0094] According to examples, saved groups of playback devices may
be created for use with the playback system. FIGS. 2A and 2B show a
schematic view of a control device 130a comprising a display for a
user interface for the creation of a saved group of playback
devices, such as a saved group of playback devices 110 of FIGS.
1A-1M described above.
[0095] FIG. 2A shows a saved group creation screen 200a through
which a user may create a group of playback devices 110 of a media
playback system 100. The saved group creation screen 200a comprises
a plurality of portions, areas or regions 210, 220, 230, for
displaying information regarding the media playback system 100 to
allow a saved group to be created.
[0096] A first portion 210 of the display comprises an input area
for a user to enter a group name or other identifier. The group
name or identifier can be entered by the user in the first portion
210, for example by using a software keyboard which appears when
the user selects the first portion 210. Alternatively, other input
devices may be used such as a hardware keyboard, mouse, touch
screen, or stylus, for example.
[0097] A second portion 220 is provided to display a representation
of each playback device which will form part of the saved group.
When first creating a new group the second portion 220 of the saved
group creation screen 200a may contain no representations of
playback devices. As shown in FIG. 2A, second portion 220 may
include an indication or instruction for prompting a user to select
one or more playback devices 110 which form part of the media
playback system 100, to add to the group.
[0098] A third portion 230 contains one or more representations or
user interface elements 240a, 240b, 240c each representative of one
or more playback devices 110 of the media playback system. Data of
the available playback devices may be obtained or retrieved from
storage. For example, the playback devices may be retrieved from
memory of the controller device or alternatively they may be
retrieved from an external source, such as an internet connected
device or server, one or more of the playback devices 110 of the
media playback system 100, or another controller device of the
media playback system 100. In some examples, data of the available
playback devices may also include a name of the playback device to
assist identification of particular playback devices by the
user.
[0099] The representations 240a, 240b, 240c may represent a single
playback device 110, or a plurality of playback devices 110 which
are bonded. For example, the "Bathroom" representation 240a, may be
indicative of a single playback device 110a in the bathroom 101a,
as shown in FIG. 1A. In another example, the "Bedroom"
representation 240b is indicative of two or more playback devices,
such as 110l and 110m, whereby the playback devices 110l, 110m are
bonded together such that they play the same, or different channels
of a single audio stream as described above in relation to FIG. 1I.
Alternatively or additionally, the representation may be indicative
of previously grouped speakers, such as 110b and 110d as described
above in relation to FIG. 1L.
[0100] To assign playback devices to a saved group, representations
240a, 240b, 240c in the third portion 230, are selected to add the
respective playback devices to the new group. For example, input
may be received indicative of a selection, such as a tap in the
regions 240a, 240b or 240c. As the user interface elements 240a,
240b, 240c are selected the representation of the playback device
is added to the second portion 220 and removed from the third
portion 230.
[0101] FIG. 2B, shows a saved group creation screen 200b at a later
stage, once input has been received. A group has been allocated the
name "Downstairs" in the first area 210 and has three
representations of playback devices in the second portion 220. In
this example, the "Dining Room" 240c, "Kitchen" and "Living Room"
playback devices have been added to the "Downstairs" group. The
representations 240a and 240b, which have not been added to the
current group, remain in the third portion. In some examples, input
of a selection of a representation in the second portion, such as a
tap on the "Dining Room" representation 240c, in the second portion
220 removes it from the group. In such, a case the representation
is removed from the second portion 220 and added to the third
portion 230.
[0102] Although FIGS. 2A and 2B show textual representations of
playback devices, graphical representations can also be used. Such
graphical representations include images or icons of device
appearance, environment, primary user (for example the member of
the household whose bedroom it is) or any other suitable image. For
example, rather than "Dining Room" 240c, a table and chairs icon
may be used. In other examples combinations of text and graphical
representations are used.
[0103] Whilst FIG. 2B has been described above in relation to the
creation of a new group, the same user interface may be used to
edit or otherwise alter and/or delete existing groups within the
media playback system 100. For example, the interface 200b may be
used to change the name of a pre-existing group. Alternatively, or
additionally, the interface 200b may also be used to change the
playback devices 110 which make up the group.
[0104] Once playback devices have been selected, the group can be
saved. The group may be stored locally in a memory of the
controller device 130a or in a memory of another device, such as
another device of the media playback system 100 or a remote server,
such as a cloud server. The group may also be stored in association
with user account information representative of the user of the
control device. Additional details regarding the synchronization
and sharing of properties relating to a media playback system
across devices can be found, for example in U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 16/030,461 filed Jul. 9, 2018, entitled "Distributed
Provisioning of Properties of Operational Settings of a Media
Playback System", which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety for all purposes.
[0105] Once one or more groups have been saved, they can be used to
make subsequent selection of the playback devices more efficient.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic diagram of a control device 130a with
a display showing a user interface 300a, 300b for the selection of
playback devices 110 of a media playback system 100. The user
interface can be used for indicating individual playback devices
and groups of playback devices for selection. For example, it may
allow efficient selection of playback devices 110 to output one or
more audio streams to.
[0106] FIG. 3A depicts a user interface 300a which allows the
selection of individual playback devices 110 and/or bonded playback
devices. Each playback device or bonded playback device represents
a room in this example. For example, the first 110a and second 110n
playback devices in the bathroom 101a, of the media playback system
100 shown in FIG. 1A form a bonded playback device represented as
"Bathroom".
[0107] The user interface 300a includes a now playing portion 310
for indicating the audio stream to be outputted to the selected
playback device(s). The now playing portion 310 may comprise an
indication of the song name, source, album artwork and other meta
data associated with the audio being outputted to the playback
device(s) 110 of the media playback system 100.
[0108] The user interface 300a of the control device 130a may also
comprise a playback device selection area 320 comprising one or
more representations of one or more playback devices 110 available
in the media playback system 100. The representations, such as the
"Bathroom" representation 330 may be representative of a single
playback device 110, or alternatively may be representative of
multiple playback devices that are bonded together. As mentioned
above with reference to FIG. 2B, the representations may be
graphical, textual or a combination of both.
[0109] Upon selection of a representation, such as the "Bathroom"
representation 330, the selected status may be indicated by a
variable in the media playback system 100. For example, the
variable may be a binary true/false variable or may be a data
structure including data indicative of a playback device in
conjunction with data of the selected status. The variables
associated with each playback device may be set to be deselected
when the user interface 300a is first displayed. In other
representations, the selected status may be determined before the
display of the representations in the user interface 300a, for
example by querying a state variable for current selected status of
the playback device. A "selected" status can be indicated in any
suitable manner, in FIG. 3A, a selected status is shown by a tick,
which a "deselected" status is shown by a blank circle.
[0110] One or more of the representations, such as the "Bathroom"
representation 330, may be selected to instruct the media playback
system 100 to output the audio stream to the playback devices of
the selected representation. In some examples, it may be desired to
change the playback device(s) that an audio stream is being output
to. As such, the user may select or deselect representations
accordingly to output the audio stream to the desired playback
devices.
[0111] FIG. 3B shows a user interface 300b running on a control
device 130a, for use when a plurality of groups have been
configured, for example as discussed above with reference to FIGS.
2A and 2B. The user interface 300b comprises a now playing portion
310 for indicating the audio stream to be outputted to the selected
playback device. The user interface 300b of FIG. 3B also comprises
a playback device selection area 320 which provides a list of
representations all available playback devices 110 in the media
playback system. The representations, such as representation 330
may be textual and/or graphical representations as discussed above,
and may be indicative of a single playback device 110, or
alternatively, multiple bonded playback devices.
[0112] Each representation of a playback device may comprise
additional information, for example, giving status information of
the playback device. The status information may include an
indication 360 that the playback device is currently outputting an
audio stream. Status information can be determined from a state
variable or data structure representative of the playback system
configuration and status which may be requested or received by the
control device. Status information can also be determined by
requesting information from the playback devices themselves.
[0113] The user interface 300b also comprises a group selection
portion 340, containing one or more representations of different
groups of playback devices 110 of the media playback system 100
which have been previously saved. For example, as described above
in relation to FIG. 2B, a "Downstairs" group 350a, may comprise the
playback devices represented as "Dining Room", "Kitchen" and
"Living Room".
[0114] The group selection portion 340 may comprise representations
of groups for different purposes. For example, some groups may be
representative of a physical layout or physical location, such as
the "Downstairs" group 350a. Other groups may be illustrative of a
particular scenario or use case, such as "Morning" 350b, which
represents playback devices typically used in the morning, such as
the bedroom 101b and kitchen 101h. It will be appreciated that
other combinations of playback devices and use cases may be
used.
[0115] The group selection portion 340 also includes a group
comprising all the playback devices of the playback system,
indicated by "Everywhere" 350c in FIG. 3A. This group comprising
all playback devices can be automatically created in some examples.
For example, the group may be created automatically when it is
determined that the playback system 100 comprises at least three
playback devices. This determination could take place when a new
playback device is added to the system, for example. Bonded
playback devices may be considered to be a single device when
configuring the system. In some examples, selection of the group
"Everywhere" may group all available playback devices.
[0116] A representation of a playback device in the playback device
selection area 320 may be selected to output an audio stream to the
playback device(s). When it is required to output the audio stream
to more than one playback device, more than one of the
representations in the playback device selection area 320 can be
selected. Multiple playback devices can also be selected using the
group selection portion 340, as will be described in more detail
below. Selections (and deselections) in the group selection portion
340 are also indicated in the playback device selection area 320.
Likewise, selections (and deselections) in the playback device
selection area 320 are also indicated in the group selection
portion 340.
[0117] For example, upon selection of one or more groups 350a,
350b, 350c in the group selection portion 340, the representations
of the playback devices which make up the selected group 350a are
also indicated as selected in the playback device portion 320. As
shown in FIG. 3B, the Downstairs group 350a is selected in the
group selection portion 340, and the playback devices which make up
the Downstairs group 350a in the playback device selection area
320, are also indicated as selected. Selected groups may be
indicated in a different way from selected playback devices. For
example, as shown in FIG. 3B, selected groups are indicated by
changing a text and background color, while selected playback
devices are indicated by an indication (a tick in FIG. 3A) adjacent
the representation of the playback device. This different
indication of selected status may provide further efficiency of
interaction because the distinction between groups and playback
devices is clear.
[0118] To give some more detail, upon selection of the "Downstairs"
group 350a, the playback devices which make up the "Downstairs"
group are also shown selected. As shown in FIG. 3B the "Dining
Room", "Kitchen", and "Living Room". This dual representation can
allow simple adjustment of earlier saved groups to fit current
circumstances, without requiring the creation of further saved
groups. For example, it may be required to select devices
downstairs apart from the kitchen. This can be achieved by
selecting the "Downstairs" group 350a in the group selection area
340 and then deselecting the "Kitchen" playback devices in the
playback device selection area 320. This can allow simpler, quicker
control--there is no requirement to review a list of all playback
devices and identify which are downstairs but not the kitchen.
Similarly, groups can be expanded easily. For example, it may be
required to select all devices downstairs and the Bedroom playback
device. This can be achieved by selecting the "Downstairs" group
350a in the group selection area 340 and then selecting the
"Bedroom" playback device in the playback device selection area
320.
[0119] Within the group selection portion 340 and the playback
device selection portion 320, the representations comprise text in
this example, and the representations are arranged alphabetically.
This can assist locating a particular group or playback device.
When purely graphical representations are used, they may be
arranged alphabetically according to an associated name or text
data which is not displayed. In another example, representations
may be displayed in a user defined order, or in an order based on
other data, such based on the frequency of selection or based on
the total time used for playback.
[0120] Whilst not shown in FIG. 3B, the selection of a group in the
group selection area 340 may result in a change in the positioning
of the representations listed in the playback device selection area
320. For example, if no playback devices in a selected group are
visible in the playback device selection area 320, the list
displayed in the playback device selection area 320 may be scrolled
such that at least one representation of a playback device in the
selected group is visible in the playback device selection area.
Alternatively, the representations of the playback devices may be
rearranged so that the devices in the selected group are at the top
of the list. This allows the effect of selecting or deselecting
groups to be seen in the playback device selection area and assist
understanding that selection of playback devices has also changed.
Playback devices corresponding to the group can be identified more
easily.
[0121] The control device 130a may comprise a smartphone (e.g., an
iPhone.TM., an Android phone) or a tablet computer on which media
playback system controller application software is installed. A
screen of such a device may have a diagonal dimension which is less
than or equal to about 18 cm, less than or equal to about 17 cm,
less than or equal to about 16 cm, or less than or equal to about
15 cm. The user interface 300b allows such a small screen to be
used efficiently and ensure that playbacks devices can be selected
with relatively few steps. For example, in the case of FIG. 3B, by
indicating on the display the playback device(s) which make up the
Downstairs group 350a, the user is made aware that the audio stream
will be provided to the playback devices in the Living Room,
Kitchen, and Dining Room, this reduces the amount of interaction a
user is required to undertake with the control device. For example,
by scrolling to, or rearranging, the selected playback device
representations, such as 330, means the user is not required to
manually scroll to clarify which playback device(s) make up the
selected group.
[0122] The group selection portion 340 and playback device
selection portion 320 may be of a fixed size or be user resizable
and do not overlap. In some examples, the size of the group
selection portion 330 may be set to a size sufficient to show all
the saved groups in the system, with the playback device selection
portion 320 displaying a scrollable list of representations of
playback devices if this does not leave enough space to display all
the representations of playback devices simultaneously. By
displaying all the groups, interaction may be more efficient
because a group may be a more effective starting block for the
desired devices.
[0123] As mentioned above, the user may manually select a plurality
of the representations in the playback device selection area 320.
If a user selects representations in the playback device selection
area 320 which include all the playback devices of one of the
previously defined groups, the selection of those playback device
representations also results in the selection of the corresponding
group being indicated. For example, the "Dining Room", "Kitchen",
and "Living Room" representations are selected in the playback
device selection area 320, then the "Downstairs" group 350a would
be indicated as selected. If a user were to then deselect one or
more of these representations, the Downstairs group 350a would no
longer be indicated as selected in the group selection portion 340,
as the selected playback devices in the playback device selection
area 320 are no longer include all the devices of that group.
[0124] A user may, in some examples, select a combination of
playback device representations in the playback device selection
area 320 which includes the playback devices of more than one
group. In this case, all groups which are indicative of the
selected playback device representations indicated as selected in
the group selection portion 340. For example, a single playback
device may be included in more than group. In another example,
rather than indicating as selected all possible groups which
includes the selected playback devices, a group which is indicative
of a majority of the selected playback device representations may
be indicated as selected. For example, if all the playback devices
are selected, only the "Everywhere" group 350c will be indicated as
selected. Therefore, as a user selects or deselects playback device
representations, the selected/highlighted group is also updated so
as to reflect the most relevant groups represented by the selected
representations in the playback device selection portion 320.
[0125] Once the selection is complete, the selection can be
confirmed by an input, such as a tap or click on the "Done" element
370. This may cause the selected playback devices to immediately
begin reproduction of the selected media or may store a selected
status of the playback devices so that they will begin reproduction
when a further command is input to the control device.
[0126] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a control device 130a
showing a playback screen 400 for indicating the output of a media
stream to plurality of selected playback devices. The playback
screen 400 comprises a plurality of user interface elements 410,
420 for indicating a current state of the media playback system,
such as the media playback system 100 of FIG. 1A. Some user
interface elements represent audio streams that are currently being
played by one or more groups and/or playback devices in the media
playback system. Other user interface elements represent one or
more groups and/or playback devices in the media playback system
that are inactive, along with information of the audio stream last
reproduced by those devices. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, there
may be one audio stream currently being played by some of the
playback devices the media playback system as indicated by user
interface element 410. Similarly, as indicated by user interface
element 420, one or more playback devices 110, or groups of the
media playback system 100 may be inactive. For example, they may
have been previously playing a second audio stream, which has since
stopped or been paused. This second audio stream is displayed in
user interface element 420. The user interface element 420 may
enable restarting the second audio stream to cause it to be
reproduced by the playback devices indicated in the user interface
element 420. Although two different audio streams and corresponding
playback devices are depicted in FIG. 4, there may be more than or
less than two audio streams with corresponding playback devices of
the media playback system with a corresponding number of user
interface elements.
[0127] In FIG. 4, a first user interface element 410 indicates a
first audio stream being output by the selected playback device, in
this case an audio stream from a streaming media service, such as
Spotify.RTM.. The first user interface element 410 comprises a
number of icons and other elements relating to meta data of the
audio stream, such as the song name, the artist and the source. The
user interface element 410 also comprises an area for indicating
the groups and/or playback devices which are currently outputting
the audio stream. The indication may be based on the group
comprising a majority of the selected playback devices in the group
selection portion 340, along with the names of the other playback
devices which are not members of that group, for example as
discussed above in relation to FIG. 3B.
[0128] As shown in FIG. 4 the first user interface element 410
indicates to the user that the audio stream is being output to the
"Bedroom" playback device and the "Downstairs" group. In this case
the "Bedroom" representation may be indicative of the bonded
playback devices 110l and 110m in the Bedroom 101b of FIG. 1A. The
"Downstairs" group may be representative of the playback devices
110b, 110d, 110e in the kitchen 101h, dining room 101g, and living
room 101f of FIG. 1A. In this way the user can be informed of
selected playback devices in a more compact way than simply listing
all the devices, allowing better use of the available display
space.
[0129] In some examples, the selected playback devices may not
include all the devices of a group, however they may only differ by
a small by number of playback devices, such as one playback device
or two playback devices. In such embodiments, the display name may
indicate the group and those differing devices that are not
selected. For example, this could be indicated by preceding the
playback device representations which are not in the group with a
"-" sign, with "except", with "not", or by placing the unselected
playback devices in parentheses, and so on. For example, if "Dining
Room" and "Kitchen" were selected in the playback device selection
area 320 of FIG. 3B, the display name may be `Downstairs-Living
Room`, "Downstairs except Living Room", "Downstairs not Living
Room", or `Downstairs (Living Room)`.
[0130] Alternatively, where only a single playback device
representation, or multiple playback device representations which
do not form a group have been selected, as shown in the second user
interface element 420, the indication provided to the user may be
that of the representation names only.
[0131] FIGS. 5A and 5B show a flow diagram illustrating a method
500 of selecting and deselecting media playback devices and groups
within a media playback system. At item 502, data of the media
playback system configuration is loaded into a memory of a
controller device, such as controller device 130a described above.
The playback system configuration includes information of playback
devices in the playback system and groups of playback devices
previously set up for the playback system. The data of the playback
system configuration may be retrieved from the memory of the
controller itself. Alternatively, the data of the playback system
configuration may be retrieved or obtained from another memory,
such as a memory of the media playback system, a remote server, or
another device within the media playback system. Additional details
regarding the synchronization and sharing of properties relating to
a media playback system across devices can be found, for example in
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/030,461 filed Jul. 9, 2018,
entitled "Distributed Provisioning of Properties of Operational
Settings of a Media Playback System", hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety for all purposes. Next, representations
of the playback devices are displayed on a first portion of a
display of a controller device and the groups are displayed on a
second portion of a display of a controller device, for example as
described above for FIG. 3B. If any playback devices and/or groups
have a status of "selected" this is reflected in the
representations on the display. Status may be determined by reading
a state variable, for example.
[0132] At item 504, an input indicative of a selection of a
playback device or a group is received. For example, on a
controller device with a touch screen, a selection may be indicated
by touching an icon or other user interface element representative
of the desired playback device or group.
[0133] At item 506, the status of the playback device or group
associated with the selection is determined, if it is determined
that the associated playback device or group is already selected,
the method 500 proceeds to item 520, if not the method 500 proceeds
to item 508.
[0134] At item 508, it is determined whether the input is
indicative of a playback device or a group. If the input is
indicative of a playback device, the method proceeds to item 510.
If the input is indicative of a group, the method proceeds to item
516.
[0135] At item 510, the status of the associated playback device is
updated to "selected" and the selection is indicated on the
representation of the playback device on the display. As mentioned
above, this may involve highlighting the user interface element,
repositioning the user interface element or otherwise indicating to
the user that the user interface element has been selected. The
status may be updated by changing a state variable, for
example.
[0136] The method 500 then progresses to item 512 where it is
determined whether the selected playback device is a member of a
previously defined group. For example, it may be checked whether
the playback device is associated with any saved groups. The status
of all playback devices is determined, such as from a state
variable, and compared to previously defined groups. If it is
determined that the selected playback device is a member of at
least one group, the method 500 progresses to item 514, if not the
method 500 progresses to item 532.
[0137] At item 514, the status of each of the groups including the
selected playback device is checked and updated if necessary. This
involves checking the status of all the other playback devices in
each group including the selected playback device. If all the
playback devices in a group have the status of "selected", then the
status of the group is updated to "selected" and the representation
of the group is updated to indicate the selection.
[0138] Returning to item 508, when it is determined that a group
has been selected, the method 500 progresses to item 516 where the
status of the group is updated to "selected" and indicated on the
representation of the group. Next, at item 518, the playback
devices associated with the group are determined and the status of
all those playback devices is set to "selected". The representation
of those playback devices are then updated to show them as selected
if they were not already indicated as selected. The method 500 then
progresses to item 532.
[0139] Returning to item 506, when it is determined that a playback
device or group indicated by the selection has a "selected" status,
the method progresses to item 520, where it is determined whether
the input is representative of a previously defined group or of a
playback device. If the input is representative of a previously
defined group, the method 500 progresses to item 528, otherwise if
it is representative of a playback device, then the method 500
progresses to item 522.
[0140] At item 522, the status of the playback device is updated to
"deselected" and the corresponding representation on the display is
also updated. Then, at item 524, it is determined whether the
deselected playback device was a member of any groups. For example,
in FIG. 3B if "Kitchen" was deselected, it would be identified as a
member of the "Downstairs" group.
[0141] At item 526, any group(s) identified at item 524 have their
status updated to deselected, and the representation of those
group(s) on the display is updated accordingly. For example, if
"Kitchen" was deselected, the "Downstairs" group 350a would also be
represented as deselected, for example by updating its status to
"deselected". Once the representations and statuses have been
updated, the method 500 then progresses to item 532.
[0142] Returning to item 520, when it is determined that the input
is representative of a previously defined group, the method
progresses to item 528, where the status of the group is updated to
"deselected" and the corresponding representation on the display is
also updated. At item 530, the status of the devices which belong
to the deselected group are also updated to be "deselected", and
the corresponding representation on the display is also updated.
For example, with reference to FIG. 3B, if a user were to deselect
the "Downstairs" group 350b, then the "Kitchen", "Living Room", and
"Dining Room" playback devices would have their status set to
"deselected" and their representation on the display updated
correspondingly. There then follows a further stage of updating, in
which any other groups containing the deselected playback devices
also have their status set to "deselected" and their representation
on the display is updated.
[0143] At item 532, based on the groups and devices whose status is
"selected", a display name is determined. As described above with
reference to FIG. 4, the display name may be representative of a
name of the group which contains a majority of the selected
playback device representations, along with the name of any other
representations which do not form part of that group. For example,
referring back to FIG. 3B, if a user selects "Bedroom", "Kitchen",
"Dining Room", and "Living Room", in some embodiments, the display
name may include the group "Downstairs" and "Bedroom", such as
"Downstairs+Bedroom", or "Downstairs and Bedroom". There is no
group containing all four selected playback devices, however there
is a group, Downstairs which contains a majority, in this case
three, of the playback devices, so this group is displayed along
with an indication of any changes from that group.
IV. Conclusion
[0144] The above discussions relating to playback devices,
controller devices, playback zone configurations, and media content
sources provide only some examples of operating environments within
which functions and methods described below may be implemented.
Other operating environments and configurations of media playback
systems, playback devices, and network devices not explicitly
described herein may also be applicable and suitable for
implementation of the functions and methods.
[0145] As discussed above, various methods and apparatus to select
playback devices for discussed, for example to allow playback
devices to be selected more efficiently. A display includes two
portions, one displaying representations of groups of playback
devices, and one displaying representations of playback devices.
Inputs representative of selections of the groups or playback
devices are received, and both portions are updated responsive to
the input. In this way selections may be made with fewer inputs or
may be made more intuitively. For example, an input selecting or
deselecting a particular group is reflected in the representations
of the playback devices which make it up. For example, an input
selecting or deselecting a particular playback device is reflected
in the representations of the groups including the playback device.
Following the selection, the selected playback devices may be
caused to reproduce media, thereby allowing media to reproduced
from multiple playback devices with a small number of inputs, even
when the desired playback devices do not correspond to a previously
saved group.
[0146] The description above discloses, among other things, various
example systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture
including, among other components, firmware and/or software
executed on hardware. It is understood that such examples are
merely illustrative and should not be considered as limiting. For
example, it is contemplated that any or all of the firmware,
hardware, and/or software aspects or components can be embodied
exclusively in hardware, exclusively in software, exclusively in
firmware, or in any combination of hardware, software, and/or
firmware. Accordingly, the examples provided are not the only ways)
to implement such systems, methods, apparatus, and/or articles of
manufacture.
[0147] Additionally, references herein to "embodiment" means that a
particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in
connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one
example embodiment of an invention. The appearances of this phrase
in various places in the specification are not necessarily all
referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative
embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. As such, the
embodiments described herein, explicitly and implicitly understood
by one skilled in the art, can be combined with other
embodiments.
[0148] The specification is presented largely in terms of
illustrative environments, systems, procedures, steps, logic
blocks, processing, and other symbolic representations that
directly or indirectly resemble the operations of data processing
devices coupled to networks. These process descriptions and
representations are typically used by those skilled in the art to
most effectively convey the substance of their work to others
skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth to
provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure.
However, it is understood to those skilled in the art that certain
embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced without
certain, specific details. In other instances, well known methods,
procedures, components, and circuitry have not been described in
detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the embodiments.
Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the
appended claims rather than the foregoing description of
embodiments.
[0149] When any of the appended claims are read to cover a purely
software and/or firmware implementation, at least one of the
elements in at least one example is hereby expressly defined to
include a tangible, non-transitory medium such as a memory, DVD,
CD, Blu-ray, and so on, storing the software and/or firmware.
* * * * *