# US 11,907,614 B2 · Playback expansion > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,907,614 B2 - Document ID: US11907614B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/938,601 - Filed: 2022-10-06 - Published: 2023-03-30 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-25 - Assignees: Sonos, Inc. - Applicants: Sonos, Inc. - Inventors: Benjamin Fullerton; Ingve Holmung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907614B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment - H04L 65/1083: In-session procedures - H04L 65/1094: Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing - H04L 65/4015: {where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference} - H04L 65/612: for unicast - 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) - H04R 29/007: {for public address systems (public address systems per se H04R27/00)} - H04R 2227/005: Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use - H04R 2420/03: Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - 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) ## Abstract Examples described herein involve expanding playback of a media item from a first playback device to a second playback device. In one example, while a first playback device is playing a media item as part of a first zone, the first playback device identifies that a second playback device has moved to a location that is within a given physical proximity of the first playback. The first playback device determines that playback is to be expanded to the second playback device, and transmits a command to cause the second playback device to (i) join the first zone and (ii) begin to play the media item in synchrony with the first playback device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A first playback device comprising: at least one wireless communications interface; at least one first speaker; at least one processor; and data storage comprising instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to: while the first playback device is playing particular audio content via the at least one first speaker, receive, via the at least one wireless communications interface, a first wireless transmission according to a first wireless communications protocol; determine, based on the first wireless transmission according to the first wireless communications protocol, that the first playback device is now within a given physical proximity of a second playback device; and send, via the at least one wireless communications interface, a second wireless transmission according to a second wireless communications protocol, the second wireless transmission comprising instructions to cause the second playback device to join a synchrony group comprising the first playback device and begin to play the particular audio content in synchrony with the first playback device via at least one second speaker, wherein a group coordinator of the synchrony group synchronizes playback of the particular audio content via the second wireless communications protocol. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communications protocol comprises near-field communication (NFC) and wherein the second wireless communications protocol comprises one of (i) Bluetooth or (ii) Wi-Fi. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communications protocol comprises Bluetooth and wherein the second wireless communications protocol comprises Wi-Fi. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the data storage further comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to: in response to the determination that the first playback device is within the given physical proximity of the second playback device, display a prompt comprising a particular selectable control; and detect input data representing selection of the particular selectable control, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to send the second wireless transmission comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to: send the second wireless transmission in response to detection of the input data representing the selection of the particular selectable control. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to send the second wireless transmission comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to: send the second wireless transmission in response to the determination that the first playback device is within the given physical proximity of the second playback device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to send the second wireless transmission comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to: send a particular second wireless transmission comprising instructions that cause the first playback device and the second playback device to form the synchrony group as a stereo pair, wherein the first playback device is configured to play back a first channel of stereo audio content and the second playback device is configured to play back a second channel of the stereo audio content. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the data storage further comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to: send, via the at least one wireless communications interface, a third wireless transmission according to a third wireless communications protocol, the third wireless transmission comprising an indication of the particular audio content. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: a first playback device comprising at least one wireless communications interface and at least one first speaker; at least one processor; and data storage comprising instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to: while the first playback device is playing particular audio content via the at least one first speaker, receive, via the at least one wireless communications interface, a first wireless transmission according to a first wireless communications protocol; determine, based on the first wireless transmission according to the first wireless communications protocol, that the first playback device is within a given physical proximity of a second playback device; and send, via the at least one wireless communications interface, a second wireless transmission according to a second wireless communications protocol, the second wireless transmission comprising instructions to cause the second playback device to join a synchrony group comprising the first playback device and begin to play the particular audio content in synchrony with the first playback device via at least one second speaker, wherein a group coordinator of the synchrony group synchronizes playback of the particular audio content via the second wireless communications protocol. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the first wireless communications protocol comprises near-field communication (NFC) and wherein the second wireless communications protocol comprises one of (i) Bluetooth or (ii) Wi-Fi. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the first wireless communications protocol comprises Bluetooth and wherein the second wireless communications protocol comprises Wi-Fi. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the data storage further comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to: in response to the determination that the first playback device is within the given physical proximity of the second playback device, display a prompt comprising a particular selectable control; and detect input data representing selection of the particular selectable control, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to send the second wireless transmission comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to: send the second wireless transmission in response to detection of the input data representing the selection of the particular selectable control. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to send the second wireless transmission comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to: send the second wireless transmission in response to the determination that the first playback device is within the given physical proximity of the second playback device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to send the second wireless transmission comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to: send a particular second wireless transmission comprising instructions that cause the first playback device and the second playback device to form the synchrony group as a stereo pair, wherein the first playback device is configured to play back a first channel of stereo audio content and the second playback device is configured to play back a second channel of the stereo audio content. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the data storage further comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to: send, via the at least one wireless communications interface, a third wireless transmission according to a third wireless communications protocol, the third wireless transmission comprising an indication of the particular audio content. ### Claim 15 A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable by at least one processor such that a first playback device is configured to: while the first playback device is playing particular audio content via at least one first speaker, receive, via at least one wireless communications interface, a first wireless transmission according to a first wireless communications protocol; determine, based on the first wireless transmission according to the first wireless communications protocol, that the first playback device is now within a given physical proximity of a second playback device; and send, via the at least one wireless communications interface, a second wireless transmission according to a second wireless communications protocol, the second wireless transmission comprising instructions to cause the second playback device to join a synchrony group comprising the first playback device and begin to play the particular audio content in synchrony with the first playback device via at least one second speaker, wherein a group coordinator of the synchrony group synchronizes playback of the particular audio content via the second wireless communications protocol. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first wireless communications protocol comprises near-field communication (NFC) and wherein the second wireless communications protocol comprises one of (i) Bluetooth or (ii) Wi-Fi. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first wireless communications protocol comprises Bluetooth and wherein the second wireless communications protocol comprises Wi-Fi. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to: in response to the determination that the first playback device is within the given physical proximity of the second playback device, display a prompt comprising a particular selectable control; and detect input data representing selection of the particular selectable control, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to send the second wireless transmission comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to: send the second wireless transmission in response to detection of the input data representing the selection of the particular selectable control. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to send the second wireless transmission comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to: send the second wireless transmission in response to the determination that the first playback device is within the given physical proximity of the second playback device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to send the second wireless transmission comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to: send a particular second wireless transmission comprising instructions that cause the first playback device and the second playback device to form the synchrony group as a stereo pair, wherein the first playback device is configured to play back a first channel of stereo audio content and the second playback device is configured to play back a second channel of the stereo audio content.