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US 12,732,753 B2Granted
Automatically allocating audio portions to playback devices
AssigneeSonos, Inc.
InventorsJason Yore, Nikolai Kutateladze, Kate Wojogbe, Edwin Joseph Fitzpatrick, III, Allan Velzy
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Abstract
Techniques for allocating audio data between a first playback device and a second playback device are disclosed. The audio data comprises a plurality of audio portions and the method comprises: detecting a trigger associated with the first playback device; responsive to detecting the trigger: retrieving configuration information related to the first playback device and the second playback device; and automatically updating an allocation of the audio portions for reproduction by at least one of the first playback device and the second playback device based on the configuration information.
Claims16
A playback device comprising:
- a communication interface configured to facilitate communication via one or more data networks;
- at least one audio amplifier configured to drive at least one speaker;
- at least one sensor configured to sense movement of the playback device;
- at least one processor;
- and
- at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
- reproduce one or more first audio channels of audio content in synchrony with reproduction of one or more second audio channels of the audio content by another playback device;
- detect movement of the playback device by the at least one sensor;
- after detection of movement of the playback device, cause the other playback device to emit a wireless signal;
- detect, using the communication interface, the wireless signal;
- and
- based on the detected wireless signal, determine whether the playback device is in proximity to the other playback device;
- detect a trigger event indicating that the playback device is in proximity of the other playback device, wherein the trigger event comprises detection of a change in position of the playback device relative to the other playback device;
- after detection of the trigger event, retrieve configuration information related to the playback device and the other playback device;
- retrieve preference information indicating a preference of at least one user;
- based on the configuration information and the preference information, cause an allocation of audio channels between the playback device and the other playback device to be updated;
- and
- reproduce one or more third audio channels of the audio content based on the updated allocation of the audio channels.
15 more elements
A method performed by a playback device, the method comprising:
- reproducing one or more first audio channels of audio content in synchrony with reproduction of one or more second audio channels of the audio content by another playback device;
- detecting a trigger event indicating that the playback device is in proximity of the other playback device, wherein the trigger event comprises detection of a change in position of the playback device relative to the other playback device, and wherein detecting the trigger event includes:
- detecting movement of the playback device with at least one sensor of the playback device,
- after detection of movement of the playback device, causing the other playback device to emit a wireless signal,
- detecting the wireless signal emitted by the other playback device, and
- based on the detected wireless signal, determining whether the playback device is in proximity to the other playback device;
- after detecting the trigger event, retrieving configuration information related to the playback device and the other playback device;
- retrieving preference information indicating a preference of at least one user;
- based on the configuration information and the preference information, causing an allocation of audio channels between the playback device and the other playback device to be updated;
- and
- reproducing one or more third audio channels of the audio content based on the updated allocation of the audio channels.
8 more elements
One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program instructions that are executable by at least one processor such that a playback device is configured to:
- reproduce one or more first audio channels of audio content in synchrony with reproduction of one or more second audio channels of the audio content by another playback device;
- detect movement of the playback device with at least one sensor of the playback device,
- after detection of movement of the playback device, cause the other playback device to emit a wireless signal;
- detect the wireless signal;
- based on the detected wireless signal, detect a trigger event indicating that the playback device is in proximity of the other playback device, wherein the trigger event comprises detection of a change in position of the playback device relative to the other playback device;
- after detection of the trigger event, retrieve configuration information related to the playback device and the other playback device;
- retrieve preference information indicating a preference of at least one user;
- based on the configuration information and the preference information, cause an allocation of audio channels between the playback device and the other playback device to be updated;
- and
- reproduce one or more third audio channels of the audio content based on the updated allocation of the audio channels.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.