Sonos, Inc.

Chris Bierbower

Philippe Vossel

Nicholas Maniskas

Neil W Griffiths

Paul Kafadar

Matt Nelson

Dayn Wilberding

Paul Andrew Bates

Christopher D Butts

Tristan Wood

Chip Truex

Mish Fabok

Jake Szymanski

Jd Hooge

J D Hooge

An example first playback device includes programming to perform functions including: (1) storing an active volume state variable in memory, wherein the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume; (2) storing a volume limit state variable in memory, wherein the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the first playback device; (3) detecting a command to begin playback of media at a proposed playback volume different from the current playback volume; (4) based on comparing (i) the playback volume limit and (ii) the proposed playback volume, selecting a startup playback volume; (5) playing back media at the startup playback volume; and (6) causing at least a second playback.

Volume limit

Systems and methods for use in a media playback system comprising one or more playback devices are disclosed, where a playback device has a corresponding first set of device attributes used by a first controller application. The methods include: (i) identifying a second set of device attributes used by a second controller application to control the playback device, (ii) selecting a second device attribute for the playback device from the second set of device attributes based at least in part on a first device attribute; (iii) storing the selected second device attribute in the first set of device attributes; and (iv) controlling at least one function of the playback device using the selected second device attribute.

Room association based on name

Example techniques relate to playback queue subscriptions. An example implementation involves a computing system receiving, from a first computing device associated with a first user account, an instruction to enable subscription to a first playback queue associated with a first media playback system. In response to the instruction, the computing system enables second user accounts to subscribe to the first playback queue. The second user accounts are registered with respective second media playback systems in respective second household. The computing system receives, from a particular second media playback system, a request to subscribe to the first playback queue; and in response, sends one or more messages that update a control interface of the first control device to display a subscriber indication and (ii) sends one or more messages that populate a second playback queue of the particular second media playback system with audio tracks of the first playback queue.

Information display regarding playback queue subscriptions

An example first playback device includes programming to perform functions including: (1) storing an active volume state variable in memory, wherein the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume; (2) storing a volume limit state variable in memory, wherein the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the first playback device; (3) detecting a command to begin playback of media at a proposed playback volume different from the current playback volume; (4) based on comparing (i) the playback volume limit and (ii) the proposed playback volume, selecting a startup playback volume; (5) playing back media at the startup playback volume; and (6) causing at least a second playback device of the media playback system to play back media at the startup playback volume.

Examples described herein involve a playback device performing one or more playback device actions based on locations of one or more physical contacts on an external surface of the playback device. A processor of the playback device may receive from an array of proximity sensors underlying an external surface of the playback device, location data indicating a physical contact at a location on the external surface. Based on at least the location, the processor may identify a playback device action from a plurality of playback device actions, and cause at least the playback device to perform the identified playback device action. The playback device may further include at least one orientation sensor from which the processor may also receive orientation data indicating an orientation of the playback device. The processor may identify the playback device action also based on the orientation of the playback device.

Playback device control

An example playback device includes programming to perform functions including storing an active volume state variable in memory, where the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume. The functions also include storing a volume limit state variable in memory, where the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the playback device. The functions also include receiving, from a control device, a command to begin playback of media, and determining whether the control device is located in a second zone of the media playback system different from the first zone. Based on whether the control device is located in the second zone of the media playback system different from the first zone, the functions include selecting a startup playback volume to be one of the current playback volume or the playback volume limit, and then playing back media at the startup playback volume.

Examples described herein involve a playback device having capacitive sensors. In an example implementation, an enclosure of a playback device includes: a first external surface comprising a speaker grille; a second external surface substantially orthogonal to the first external surface; and an array of capacitive sensors underlying the second external surface of the playback device. The array of capacitive sensors includes a first subset of capacitive sensors underlying a first region of the second external surface, a second subset of capacitive sensors underlying a second region of the second external surface, and a third subset of capacitive sensors underlying a third region of the second external surface. The enclosure and sensors may be arranged such that a particular side of the first region is adjacent to a first side of the second region, a particular side of the third region is adjacent to a second side of the second region.

Playback device with capacitive sensors

An example non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions that, when executed by a control device, cause the control device to perform functions. The functions comprise configuring a first playback device associated with a first user-account to (i) play media content from a playback queue comprising one or more audio tracks stored at a network location and (ii) enable one or more other user-accounts associated with other playback devices to subscribe to the playback queue. The functions further comprise receiving an indication that a second user-account associated with a second playback device has subscribed to the playback queue. The functions further comprise in response to receiving the indication, displaying a subscriber indicator on the control device showing that the second user-account has subscribed to the playback queue. An example control device and an example method, both related to the example non-transitory computer-readable medium, are also disclosed herein.

An example playback device may store an active volume state variable in memory, where the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume. The playback device may also store a volume limit state variable in memory, where the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the playback device. The playback device may detect a command to begin playback of media from a given source and then select a startup playback volume to be one of the current playback volume and the playback volume limit based on the given source of the command to begin playback. The playback device may then play back media at the startup playback volume.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Chris Bierbower