Sonos, Inc.

Nicholas D'Amato

Dayn Wilberding

Phoebe K Piercy

Benjamin M Rappoport

Steven R Beckhardt

Aurelio Rafael Ramos

Niels Van Erven

Gregory McAllister

Russell Dougherty

Andrew Kwatinetz

Timothy W Sheen

Hilmar Lehnert

Connor Kristopher Smith

Kurt Thomas Soto

Daniel John Jones

Ryan Taylor

Kasra Payandehjoo

Jonathan Cole Harris

James Nesfield

Nash Reilly

Andrea Testa

Seth Kaplan

Chadwick Souza

An example video communication device is configured to (i) receive, from a computing platform via a wide area network (WAN), video and audio content corresponding to a video call, (ii) render the video content via at least one graphical display and render the audio content via at least one speaker, (iii) while rendering the video and audio content, determine that a user of the video communication device is located more closely to an audio playback device than to the video communication device, where the audio playback device is connected to the video communication device via a local area network (LAN), and (iv) based on determining that the user is located more closely to the audio playback device than to the video communication device, transmit the received audio content to the audio playback device via the LAN and cause the audio playback device to play back the audio content.

Audio-based and video-based social experiences in a networked media playback system

Playback devices can include touch sensor assemblies with one or more integrated antennas. Such touch sensor assemblies can be incorporated into a playback device such as a headphone device. The playback device can include an electrode comprising a first conductor, a second conductor, and a filter coupled between the first and second conductors, a capacitive-touch circuit coupled to the electrode, and a wireless radio coupled to the second conductor. The capacitive-touch circuit is configured to deliver a capacitive sensing signal to the electrode. The wireless radio is configured to facilitate communication over at least one wireless network via the second conductor.

Capacitive touch sensor with integrated antenna(s) for playback devices

An example computing system may be configured to cause one or more playback devices located in a location of a commercial environment to play back an advertisement. The example computing system may also be configured to receive an indication that a user device is detected proximate to the location, during playback of the advertisement. The example computing system may also be configured to, after receiving the indication that the user device has been detected, receive an indication of a purchase of the subject of the advertisement, the purchase associated with the user profile. The example computing system may also be configured to, based on (i) the indication that the user device has been detected during play back of the advertisement and (ii) the indication of the purchase of the subject of the advertisement, cause a content service account associated with the computing system to be updated.

Adaptive media playback experiences for commercial environments

Generative media content (e.g., generative audio) can be played back across multiple playback devices concurrently. A coordinator device can receive a multi-channel stream of media content, with at least some channels comprising generative media content. The coordinator device transmits each of the channels to a plurality of playback devices. A first playback device plays back a first subset of the channels according to first playback responsibilities and a second playback device plays back a second subset of the channels according to second playback responsibilities. The first and/or second playback responsibilities can be dynamically modified over time, for example in response to one or more input parameters.

Playback of synthetic media content via multiple devices

Disclosed embodiments include playback devices, groups of playback devices, and methods of operating playback devices and groupings thereof configured for hybrid sniffing and rebroadcast for networks, including Bluetooth networks.

Ad-hoc playback group creation and operation

In some embodiments, a method comprises receiving a first signal indicative of a current emotional state of a user, receiving a second signal corresponding to a desired emotional state of the user, and based on the first and second signals, generating a playlist of media content including a first item and an nth item. The first signal can be received from a wearable sensor. Generating the playlist can comprise selecting items of media content, and arranging the media content in a sequential order such that the playlist transitions from the first item toward the nth item. The method can further comprise playing back, via a playback device, at least the first item of the media content, and while playing back the first item, receiving a third signal indicative of an updated emotional state of the user.

Playlist generation based on a desired mental state

Systems and methods for authenticating a passive speaker include (i) activating, by a playback device configured to drive the passive speaker, a passive speaker identification circuit of the passive speaker by providing an identification signal to an input terminal of the passive speaker, wherein the passive speaker is a particular type of passive speaker having particular acoustic characteristics; (ii) while the passive speaker identification circuit is active, measuring, by the playback device, an electrical current of the identification signal; (iii) determining, based on the measured electrical current of the identification signal, an impedance modulation of the passive speaker; (iv) determining, by the playback device, the particular type of the passive speaker based on the impedance modulation of the passive speaker; and (v) applying, by the playback device, a calibration to the playback device based on the determined particular type of the passive speaker.

Passive speaker authentication

Playback of generative media content

Disclosed herein are playback devices, groups of playback devices, and methods of operating playback devices and groupings thereof configured for hybrid sniffing and rebroadcast for networks, including Bluetooth networks.

Hybrid sniffing and rebroadcast for Bluetooth mesh networks

An example computing system may be configured to receive an indication that a user device has been detected in a commercial environment and to determine a first set of musical preferences associated with the commercial environment. The example computing system may also be configured to determine a user profile associated with the user device and to determine a second set of musical preferences associated with the user profile. The example computing system may also be configured to, based on at least (i) the first set of musical preferences associated with the commercial environment, and (ii) the second set of musical preferences associated with the user profile, determine one or more media items for playback and then cause one or more playback devices in the commercial environment to play back the one or more media items.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Nicholas D'Amato