Sonos, Inc.

Sohos, Inc.

Luis Vega

Ted M Lin

Paul Andrew Bates

Hilmar Lehnert

Aurelio Rafael Ramos

Simon Jarvis

Jason Kendall

Arthur L Coburn, Iv

Ron Kuper

Sherwin Liu

Lucas Pylypczak

Rich Lean

Brandon Wright

Shilpa Sarode

Joshua Salit

Graham Bullis

Jonathon Reilly

Andrej Sarkic

Zivthan Dubrovsky

Nikit Waghela

Jim Dolan

Jason Heffernan

Nicholas Salzman

Adrian Eiben

Arthur L Iv Coburn

In response to receiving the playback mode indication, a playback device is caused to operate within a particular playback mode. After initiating operation of the particular playback mode, the playback device accesses a particular set of routines that is associated with the particular playback mode. The particular set of routines are configured to cause the playback device to play back particular media content with a particular user-defined acoustic parameter, and to configure the playback device to advance between one or more routines within the particular set of routines in response to one or more user interface interactions. The playback device receives the one or more user interface interactions at a user interface associated with the playback device. After receiving the one or more user interface interactions, the playback device executes at least one routine selected from the particular set of routines.

Routines for playback devices

A multi-channel and multi-zone audio environment is provided. Various inventions are disclosed that allow playback devices on one or more networks to provide an effective multi-channel and a multi-zone audio environment using timing information. According to one example, timing information is used to coordinate playback devices connected over a low-latency network to provide audio along with a video display. In another example, timing information is used to coordinate playback devices connected over a mesh network to provide audio in one or more zones or zone groups.

Providing a multi-channel and a multi-zone audio environment

A control device receives one or more first user inputs associating a particular playback mode with one or more playback devices and one or more user-defined acoustic parameters for particular media content that is associated with the particular playback mode. The control device associates a particular trigger condition with the particular playback mode. The particular trigger condition comprises a condition that causes the particular playback mode to be executed. The control device receives one or more second user inputs to activate a particular routine that is associated with the particular playback mode. After receiving the one or more second user inputs, the control device transmits a message that causes the one or more playback devices to play back the particular media content according to the one or more user-defined acoustic parameters.

Techniques described herein may involve modification of playback based on the proximity of a user to a playback device. An example technique involves a device determining that a listener is within a given proximity of a first playback device and based on determining that the listener is within the given proximity of the first playback device, causing the first playback device to begin playback of first media and causing a second playback device to modify playback of second media.

Playback modification based on proximity

Example techniques related to polices for media playback systems. An example implementation involves a computing system receiving data representing a request to play back first audio tracks on one or more first playback devices of a first media playback system. The first media playback system is associated with a first subscriber to a streaming media service and the first media playback system is physically located in a first commercial establishment. The computing system determines that the first subscriber is associated with one or more first subscriber policies of the streaming media service and sends instructions to play back the first audio tracks on the one or more first playback devices according to the one or more first subscriber policies of the streaming media service.

Policies for media playback

A first example playback device includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform functions. The functions include generating a mixed audio signal comprising one or more components of a first audio stream and one or more components of a second audio stream; and playing the mixed audio signal, where the one or more components of the second audio stream of the mixed audio signal played by the first playback device are played in synchrony with a second playback device configured to play the second audio stream. An example non-transitory computer-readable medium and an example method, both related to the first example playback device, are also disclosed herein.

Synchronized audio mixing

Embodiments are described herein that help allow for applying policies during playback of media. In one aspect, a method is provided that involves a computing device of a media playback system (a) receiving a request to playback one or more media items that are from a playlist associated with a controller application, (b) applying to the one or more media items one or more playback policies that are associated with the controller application, where a given playback policy restricts at least one aspect of playback of at least one of the one or more media items, and (c) causing playback of the one or more media items in accordance with the one or more playback policies.

Systems and methods disclosed herein include, determining that a requirement exists to output a system response. In response to determining that a requirement exists to output a system response, (i) setting a system response volume for a first speaker associated with the first networked device and (ii) outputting a system response at the set system response volume via the first speaker associated with the first networked device.

Dynamic computation of system response volume

An example implementation may involve receiving, via a radio interface, a radio transmission indicating a particular playback device of a media playback system. Based on the received radio transmission, the implementation may further involve determining that the device is within a given proximity to a zone of the media playback system that includes the particular playback device. Based on determining that the device is within the given proximity to the zone of the media playback system, the implementation may also involve causing the graphical interface to display an indication of (i) an identifier of the zone and (ii) a characteristic of the zone.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Luis Vega