Sonos, Inc.

Other

Nicholas A J Millington

Steven R Beckhardt

Jeffrey M Peters

Paul V Hainsworth

Hrishikesh Gossain

Robert Andrew Lambourne

Jonathan P Lang

Paul Andrew Bates

Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson

Keith Corbin

Mark Plagge

Ted M Lin

Michael Agerbak

Romi Kadri

Robert Reimann

Neil W Griffiths

Simon Jarvis

Luis R Vega-Zayas

Yean-Nian W Chen

Craig Wisneski

Tom Cullen

Brent Lehman

Michael Ericson

Arthur L Coburn, Iv

Dayn Wilberding

Ron Kuper

Andrew J Schulert

Christopher D Butts

Diane Roberts

Jodi Vautrin

Lee Keyser-Allen

Tadeo T Toulis

Youjin Nam

Richard Bannon

Kirsten Lewis

Jonathan Herbst

Michael Sheldon

Jake Harwood

Maria-Jose Ramos

Jonathan Cole Harris

Patrick Devine

Paul Wren

Jose Graziani

Niels Van Erven

Daniel John Jones

Mark Polomski

Henry Sia

Jonathon Reilly

Steve Beckhardt

Jonathon Reily

Michael Darrell Anderson Ericson

Chistopher Butts

Robert M Reimann

A first mesh network device is configured to (i) identify a set of wireless communication paths for communication with a second mesh network device, (ii) based at least on a wireless signal strength, determine that a second wireless communication path, and not a first wireless communication path, is to be used for communication with the second mesh network device, (iii) join a synchrony group comprising the first and second mesh network devices, (iv) obtain audio content that is to be played back in synchrony by the synchrony group, (v) transmit the audio content to the second mesh network device over the second wireless communication path; (vi) play back, using an audio amplifier of the first mesh network device, the audio content; and (vii) cause the second mesh network device to play back the audio content in synchrony with the playback of the audio content by the first mesh network device.

Data routing between devices in mesh networks

A first computing device is configured to (i) detect a triggering event that causes the first computing device to transmit a first set of messages collectively indicating that the first computing device is available for setup, (ii) establish an initial wireless communication path with a second computing device, (iii) receive, from the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path, a second set of messages including security information for a secure wireless network that is defined by one or more network devices, where the initial wireless communication path with the second computing device does not traverse any of the one or more network devices, (iv) use the security information to connect to the secure wireless network, and (v) transition from communicating with the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path to communicating with the second computing device via the secure wireless network.

Wireless device connection

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

Multiple aspects of systems and methods for voice control and related features and functionality for various embodiments of media playback devices, networked microphone devices, microphone-equipped media playback devices, and speaker-equipped networked microphone devices are disclosed and described herein, including but not limited to designating and managing default networked devices, audio response playback, room-corrected voice detection, content mixing, music service selection, metadata exchange between networked playback systems and networked microphone systems, handling loss of pairing between networked devices, actions based on user identification, and other voice control of networked devices.

Voice control of a media playback system

An example playback device includes programming for executing functions including, while connected to both (i) a local area network and (ii) an audio playback network configured separately from the local area network and arranged for playback of media content via at least the playback device, receiving from a network device via the local area network, a request for the network device to connect to the audio playback network. The functions also include, in response to the request, transmitting to the network device via the local area network, a message indicating an identifier of the audio playback network and a password for accessing the audio playback network. The functions also include exchanging one or more messages with the network device via the audio playback network to authenticate the network device for the audio playback network and receiving an audio playback command from the network device via the audio playback network.

Audio playback network joining

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to control audio playback devices are disclosed. An example first playback device includes a speaker driver, a processor, and a computer readable medium including a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the first playback device to implement a method. The example method includes receiving, from a first audio information source, first audio information. The example method includes playing back the first audio information. The example method includes receiving, from a second audio information source, (i) a first message, and (ii) second audio information. Based on the received first message, the example method includes (i) determining that the first playback device and a second playback device are to playback the second audio information; (ii) stopping play back of the first audio information; (iii) playing back, via the speaker driver, the second audio information; and (iv) sending the second audio information to the second playback device.

Playback device control

A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices that have independent clocking arrangements. The system includes a task distribution device that distributes tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices that are to perform the tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to the members of the synchrony group over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which the members of the synchrony group are to execute the task. Each member of the synchrony group periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of the current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device's clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.

Playback device

Example techniques may involve guest access to a media playback system. A guest may use a guest control device, such as a smartphone or tablet, to control aspects of a host's media playback system. In addition, the guest may temporarily register their user account of a streaming audio service with the host's media playback system, which enables playback of audio content from that service by one or more playback devices of the media playback system. When the guest control device de-registers from the host's media playback system, retrieval of audio content from the streaming audio service is disabled.

Guess access to a media playback system

A first computing device is configured to (i) detect a triggering event that causes the first computing device to transmit a first set of one or more messages collectively indicating that the first computing device is available for setup, (ii) establish an initial wireless communication path with a second computing device, (iii) receive, from the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path, a second set of one or more messages including security information for a secure wireless network that is defined by one or more network devices, where the initial wireless communication path with the second computing device does not traverse any of the one or more network devices, (iv) use the security information to connect to the secure wireless network, and (v) transition from communicating with the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path to communicating with the second computing device via the secure wireless network.

An example playback device is configured to (i) detect a triggering event that causes the playback device to transmit a first message indicating the playback device is available for setup, (ii) establish an initial communication path with a computing device, (iii) process one or more second messages received from the computing device via the initial communication path collectively containing network configuration parameters for a secure wireless network defined by one or more network devices, where the initial communication path with the computing device does not traverse any of the one or more network devices, and where the network configuration parameters include an identifier of, and security information for, the secure wireless network, (iv) use the network configuration parameters to connect to the secure wireless network, and (v) transition from communicating with the computing device via the initial communication path to communicating with the computing device via the secure wireless network.

Playback device connection

A computing device may broadcast a first message via a wireless interface while operating according to a first network topology. After broadcasting the first message, the computing device may receive the first message via a wired interface. Based on receiving the first message via the wired interface, the computing device may broadcast a second message indicating a second network topology via the wireless interface. Based on receiving the first message via the wired interface, the computing device may operate according to the second network topology.

Transition between network connections

A network interface of a first computing device is configured to operate according to a bridge table. The bridge table defines a spanning tree protocol for a mesh network and identifies one or more reachable nodes. A communication characteristic between the first computing device and a second computing device of the one or more reachable nodes is determined to exceed a quality threshold. Based on the determination that the communication characteristic exceeds the quality threshold, the spanning tree protocol is overridden and the data is transmitted directly to the second computing device via a direct communication route.

Methods and apparatus for direct routing between nodes of networks

Low-latency audio networking is disclosed. In one embodiment, an example playback device includes a processor and memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor. The example instructions are to cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising: receiving audio information; selecting a first frequency channel of a first spectrum based on a threshold latency associated with the audio information; transmitting to the second playback device via a second frequency channel of a second spectrum, control information that identifies the first frequency channel of the first spectrum; and transmitting to the second playback device via the first frequency channel of the first spectrum, the audio information to be played by the second playback device.

Low-latency audio networking

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Nicholas A J Millington