Sonos, Inc.

Jodi Vautrin

Ted M Lin

Daniel Valente

Richard Bannon

Jennifer McDevitt

Dayn Wilberding

Ron Kuper

Tadeo T Toulis

Youjin Nam

Kirsten Lewis

Jonathan Herbst

Jake Harwood

Maria-Jose Ramos

Michael Sheldon

Patrick Devine

Nicholas A J Millington

Robert Andrew Lambourne

Nathan Fish

Daniel Casimiro

Won So

Jonathan Cole Harris

Frank Charlton

Aki Laine

Dana Krieger

Philippe Vossel

Vincent Shyu

Daniel John Jones

Jason Yore

Henry Sia

Brandon Lynne

Edwin Joseph Fitzpatrick, Iii

Elizabeth Dolman

Matt Pandina

Chris Babroski

Matthew Moore

Robert Bermani

Ken Hu

Cole Harris

Ncholas A J Millington

A command to update a volume level of a group comprising a first and a second playback device to a requested group volume level is detected, the requested group volume level indicating respective requested volume levels for the first and second playback devices. Based on the command, (i) a first volume state variable of the first playback device is determined to be adjusted based on a first maximum volume state variable and (ii) a second volume state variable of the second playback device is determined to be adjusted based on a second maximum volume state variable. Based on the first and second maximum volume state variables, the volume level of the playback group is adjusted to an alternate group volume level different from the requested group volume level. An indication that the volume level of the playback group has been adjusted to the requested group volume level is provided.

Media playback system with maximum volume setting

Wireless headphones with user controls and methods for using are disclosed. In one embodiment, a wireless headphone includes a left earcup comprising a left speaker driver and a left earcup housing; and a right earcup comprising a right speaker driver and a right earcup housing; a processor; a microphone; user controls including: a voice assistant activator control; a volume slider; a play control slider; a play-pause control; and instructions configuring the processor to: commence a voice assistant recognition routine when sound received by the microphone matches a wake word, and perform an action based on instructions returned from the voice assistant; update a current volume of the headphone to a higher volume when the volume slider receives a swipe; skip to a next track of a current media content when the play control slider receives a swipe; and toggle playback of the media content when the play-pause control is activated.

Systems and methods for controlling playback and other features of a wireless headphone

Examples described herein relate to transitioning a playback session between portable playback devices such as 'smart' headphones, earbuds, and handheld speakers with playback devices of a zone-based media playback system. Exemplary techniques facilitate continuity of playback when transitioning between locations (e.g., from at home to on-the-go or vice versa) or between listening paradigms (e.g., personal or out-loud playback of audio content). An example implementation includes detecting a swap trigger, determining the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s), and performing a playback session swap between the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s).

Playback transitions

Systems and methods for detecting and configuring passive speakers within a playback system using a graphical user interface are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of for detecting and configuration passive speakers in a playback system using a mobile device includes deriving speaker identification data concerning one or more passive speakers connected to an audio device in a playback system based upon at least an electrical signal sent to and returned from the one or more passive speakers, where the electrical signal is sent by the audio device including an audio stage comprising one or more amplifiers, and where the speaker identification data comprises information identifying a type of speaker, and displaying a graphical user interface screen on a mobile device based upon the identified type of speaker, where the displayed information and selectable options are dependent upon the identified type of speaker.

Systems and methods for authenticating and calibrating passive speakers with a graphical user interface

A method performed by a portable playback device comprises receiving, via the portable playback device, a power activation indication. In response to receiving the power activation indication, power is supplied to at least one exterior visual indicator disposed on an outward-facing portion of an earcup of the portable playback device via a first power supply path of the portable playback device. A microphone activation indication associated with at least one microphone of the portable playback device is received. In response to receiving the microphone activation indication, microphone circuitry associated with the at least one microphone activated. An interior visual indicator disposed within a user-facing surface of the earcup of the portable playback device is illuminated. The interior visual indicator is positioned such that when the portable playback device is worn by a user, a state of the microphone status visual indicator is concealed. And when the portable playback device is not worn by the user, a state of the microphone status visual indicator is visible.

Portable device microphone status indicator

An example playback device is configured to (i) detect, while the graphical display is in a sleep state, that a user is proximate to the playback device, (ii) cause a graphical display to exit a sleep state and present a GUI including a list of selectable quick start icons, each quick start icon corresponding to a respective command to begin playback of respective media content, where the list does not include information identifying the respective media content, (iii) determine that a predetermined period of time has passed after causing the graphical display to exit the sleep state, (iv) update the graphical display to include information identifying the respective media content corresponding to each quick start icon, (v) detect an input selecting one of the quick start icons via the graphical display, and (vi) based on detecting the input, begin to play back the media content corresponding to the selected one of the quick start icons.

Intelligent user interfaces for playback devices

Examples described herein relate to management of concurrent audio streams from different sources. Portable playback devices, such as wearable wireless headphones and earbuds, as well as portable battery-powered speakers, may include multiple network interfaces for connection to different types of networks, such as an 802.11-compatible network interface for connection to wireless local area networks (e.g., Wi-Fi® networks) and an 802.15-compatible network interface for connection to a mobile device via a personal area network (Bluetooth®). Via such connections, the playback devices may receive two or more concurrent streams. By managing these streams according to playback policies, the portable playback devices may play the user's intended audio without necessarily requiring user input to explicitly select among the concurrent streams.

Audio playback management of multiple concurrent connections

In one example, a zone player may include a network interface, at least one processor, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that may be executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to receive an instruction to change a volume setting of the zone player to a requested volume level; in response to receiving the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level, adjust the volume setting of the zone player to an adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level; and after adjusting the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level, send an indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level.

Display screen with transitional graphical user interface

Growing community of inventors

Boston, MA, United States of America

Jodi Vautrin