# US 11,442,689 B2 · Dynamic bonding of playback devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,689 B2 - Document ID: US11442689B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/827,362 - Filed: 2020-03-23 - Published: 2020-10-15 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-04 - Assignees: Sonos, Inc. - Applicants: Sonos, Inc. - Inventors: Mark Triplett; Steven Beckhardt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442689B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - H04R 3/12: for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 27/00: Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) - G11B 27/34: Indicating arrangements {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)} - H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response - H04R 2227/005: Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use - H04R 2420/01: Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers - H04R 2430/01: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract Examples of dynamic bonding of playback devices are disclosed. A disclosed example first playback device includes a shared device identifier to determine that a second playback device is sharable between a first bonded zone and a second bonded zone, the first bonded zone comprising the first playback device, the second bonded zone comprising a second playback device; a device manager to cause the shared playback device to join the first bonded zone; and an adjuster to change a first audio parameter of the first playback device in accordance with the joining of the shared playback device in the first bonded zone, wherein at least one of the shared device identifier, the device manager, or the adjuster is implemented via a processor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A first playback device comprising: at least one processor; non-transitory computer-readable medium; and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to: receive an instruction to share a playback device between (i) a first group of playback devices that includes at least the first playback device and (ii) a second group of playback devices that includes at least a second playback device; receive a command for the first playback device to play back given media content; determine that the shared playback device is currently configured for synchronous playback of media content in the second group of playback device; based on the received command, transmit a request to the second playback device for an indication of whether the shared playback device is available to join the first group of playback devices such that the shared playback device is configured for synchronous playback of media content with the first group of playback devices; if the first playback device receives an indication from the second playback device that the shared playback device is available: transmit a command to the shared playback device to join the first group of playback devices; and play back the given media content in synchrony with the first group of playback devices including at least the shared playback device; and if the first playback device receives an indication from second playback device that the shared playback device is unavailable, play back the given media content without synchronizing playback of the given media content with the shared playback device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to determine that the shared playback device is currently configured for synchronous playback of media content in the second group of playback devices comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to, based on the received command, determine that the shared playback device is currently configured for synchronous playback of media content in the second group of playback devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to transmit the command to the shared playback device to join the first group of playback devices comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to transmit a command to the shared playback device to update a playback configuration of the shared playback device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The first playback device of claim 3, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to: before playing back the given media content in synchrony with the first group of playback devices including at least the shared playback device, update a playback configuration of the first playback device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The first playback device of claim 4, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to update the playback configuration of the first playback device comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to play back a given subset of a plurality of audio channels included in the given media content, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to play back the given media content in synchrony with the first group of playback devices including at least the shared playback device comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to play back the given subset of the plurality of audio channels included in the given media content. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The first playback device of claim 4, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to: transmit a command to at least one other device in the first group of playback devices to update a playback configuration of the at least one other device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to: after transmitting the command to the shared playback device to join the first group of playback devices, update, in memory of the first playback device, a network state identifier that indicates a grouping status of at least the first playback device and the shared playback device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to receive the command for the first playback device to play back given media content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to detect an audio input from a media presentation device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor and thereby cause the first playback device to be configured to: provide an indication to a controller device for presentation on a graphical display that indicates the shared playback device has joined the first group of playback devices. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a first playback device to: receive an instruction to share a playback device between (i) a first group of playback devices that includes at least the first playback device and (ii) a second group of playback devices that includes at least a second playback device; receive a command for the first playback device to play back given media content; determine that the shared playback device is currently configured for synchronous playback of media content in the second group of playback device; based on the received command, transmit a request to the second playback device for an indication of whether shared playback device is available to join the first group of playback devices such that the shared playback device is configured for synchronous playback of media content with the first group of playback devices; if the first playback device receives an indication from the second playback device that the shared playback device is available: transmit a command to the shared playback device to join the first group of playback devices; and play back the given media content in synchrony with the first group of playback devices including at least the shared playback device; and if the first playback device receives an indication from second playback device that the shared playback device is unavailable, play back the given media content without synchronizing playback of the given media content with the shared playback device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to: determine that the shared playback device is currently configured for synchronous playback of media content in the second group of playback devices comprise program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to, based on the received command, determine that the shared playback device is currently configured for synchronous playback of media content in the second group of playback devices. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to transmit the command to the shared playback device to join the first group of playback devices comprise program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to transmit a command to the shared playback device to update a playback configuration of the shared playback device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to: before playing back the given media content in synchrony with the first group of playback devices including at least the shared playback device, update a playback configuration of the first playback device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to update the playback configuration of the first playback device comprise program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to play back a given subset of a plurality of audio channels included in the given media content, and wherein the program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to play back the given media content in synchrony with the first group of playback devices including at least the shared playback device comprise program instructions that, when executed by me at least one processor, cause the first playback device to play back the given subset of the plurality of audio channels included in the given media content. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to: transmit a command to at least one other device in the first group of playback devices to update a playback configuration of the at least one other device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to: after transmitting the command to the shared playback device to join the first group of playback devices, update, in memory of the first playback device, a network state identifier that indicates a grouping status of at least the first playback device and the shared playback device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to receive the command for the first playback device to play back given media content comprise program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to detect an audio input from a media presentation device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first playback device to: provide an indication to a controller device for presentation on a graphical display that indicates the shared playback device has joined the first group of playback devices. ### Claim 19 A method carried out by a first playback device, the method comprising: receive an instruction to share a playback device between (i) a first group of playback devices that includes at least the first playback device and (ii) a second group of playback devices that includes at least a second playback device; receiving a command for the first playback device to play back given media content; determine that the shared playback device is currently configured for synchronous playback of media content in the second group of playback device; based on the received command, transmitting a request to the second playback device for an indication of whether the shared playback device is available to join the first group of playback devices such that the shared playback device is configured for synchronous playback of media content with the first group of playback devices; if the first playback device receives an indication from second playback device that the shared playback device is available: transmitting a command to the shared playback device to join the first group of playback devices; and playing back the given media content in synchrony with the first group of playback devices including at least the shared playback device; and if the first playback device receives an indication from second playback device that the shared playback device is unavailable, playing back the given media content without synchronizing playback of the given media content with the shared playback device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein receiving the command for the first playback device to play back given media content comprises detecting an audio input from a media presentation device.