# US 12,183,187 B2 · Methods and devices for transferring data using sound signals > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,183,187 B2 - Document ID: US12183187B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/058,521 - Filed: 2022-11-23 - Published: 2023-05-11 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-02 - Assignees: Sonos, Inc. - Applicants: Sonos, Inc. - Inventors: Eric Frank - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183187B2 ## CPC - G08C 23/02: using infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic waves - H04B 11/00: Transmission systems employing ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves - H04L 27/34: Amplitude- and phase-modulated carrier systems, e.g. quadrature-amplitude modulated carrier systems - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method of transmitting data comprises modulating data symbols for transmission onto a sonic carrier signal and transmitting the modulated data using an electroacoustic transducer. The modulated data is transmitted by transmitting a portion of the modulated data for a first duration; pausing transmission for a second duration; and repeating the transmitting and pausing with further portions of the modulated data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of receiving data, the method comprising: receiving sound comprising a block of data modulated on an intermittent carrier signal; sampling the received sound to generate a sampled data stream; and demodulating the sampled data stream by: demodulating a portion of the sampled data stream corresponding to a first duration in which the intermittent carrier signal is present, and disregarding a portion of the sampled data stream corresponding to a second duration in which the intermittent carrier signal is not present. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: repeating the demodulating and the disregarding to demodulate further portions of the sampled data stream. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a header portion in the received sound, the header portion having a predetermined duration which is different from the first duration; and determining, based on the detecting of the header portion, a timing of the block of data modulated on the intermittent carrier signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: processing the header portion to determine a reference modulated signal value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the data modulated on the intermittent carrier signal has a maximum signal amplitude, and wherein the header portion comprises at least the maximum signal amplitude when modulated on the intermittent carrier signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the data modulated on the intermittent carrier signal includes an acoustic identifier assigned to a playback device configured to perform audio reproduction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: sending a message to the playback device, via a network, based on the acoustic identifier included in the data modulated on the intermittent carrier signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the data modulated on the intermittent carrier signal includes setup data configured to pair a playback device configured to perform audio reproduction with at least one other playback device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: processing the received sound using a high pass filter before sampling the received sound. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the high pass filter has a cut-off frequency less than or equal to a lowest frequency of the data modulated on the intermittent carrier signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the demodulating comprises demodulating the portion of the sampled data stream using quadrature amplitude demodulation. ### Claim 12 One or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a media playback system, cause the media playback system to perform operations comprising: receiving sound comprising a block of data modulated on an intermittent carrier signal; sampling the received sound to generate a sampled data stream; and demodulating the sampled data stream by: demodulating a portion of the sampled data stream corresponding to a first duration in which the intermittent carrier signal is present, and disregarding a portion of the sampled data stream corresponding to a second duration in which the intermittent carrier signal is not present. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the data modulated on the intermittent carrier signal includes an acoustic identifier assigned to a playback device configured to perform audio reproduction, the operations further comprising: sending a message, to the playback device, via an acoustic signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the data modulated on the intermittent carrier signal includes an acoustic identifier assigned to a playback device configured to perform audio reproduction and further includes setup data configured to pair the playback device with at least one other playback device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, the operations further comprising: processing the received sound using a high pass filter before sampling the received sound. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the high pass filter has a cut-off frequency that is above a human audible hearing range. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the intermittent carrier signal is an intermittent ultrasonic carrier signal. ### Claim 18 A playback device comprising: an electroacoustic transducer configured to generate audio signals; a computer-readable medium storing program code; and a processing system; wherein the program code, when executed by the processing system, causes the playback device to: receive sound comprising a block of data modulated on an intermittent carrier signal, sample the received sound to generate a sampled data stream, and demodulate the sampled data stream by: demodulating a portion of the sampled data stream corresponding to a first duration in which the intermittent carrier signal is present, and disregarding a portion of the sampled data stream corresponding to a second duration in which the intermittent carrier signal is not present. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The playback device of claim 18, wherein the program code, when executed by the processing system, further causes the playback device to: repeat the demodulating and the disregarding to demodulate further portions of the sampled data stream. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The playback device of claim 18, wherein the program code, when executed by the processing system, further causes the playback device to: detect a header portion in the received sound, the header portion having a predetermined duration which is different from the first duration; and determine, based on the detecting of the header portion, a timing of the block of data modulated on the intermittent carrier signal.