# US 2021/0280199 A1 · Systems and methods of audio decoder determination and selection

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- Number: US 2021/0280199 A1
- Document ID: US20210280199A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/249,629
- Filed: 2021-03-08
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-09
- Assignees: Sonos, Inc.
- Applicants: Sonos, Inc.
- Inventors: Nicholas Maniskas; Cameron Korb; Govind Jevaram
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280199A1

## CPC

- G10L 19/002: Dynamic bit allocation (for perceptual audio coders G10L19/032)
- H04N 21/436: Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB {or one or more peripheral devices} inside the home
- H04N 21/43615: {Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805)}
- H04N 21/8113: {comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format}
- G10L 19/167: {Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes}
- G10L 19/18: Vocoders using multiple modes
- H04N 21/439: Processing of audio elementary streams
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

Playback devices can support audio encoded using various encoding schemes. Playing back such content includes receiving, at a playback device, audio data from an audio source; and receiving an indication from the audio source that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format. The device determines, independently of receiving the indication from the audio source that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format, whether the audio data is encoded in a compressed audio format. If the audio data is determined to be encoded in the compressed audio format: the device selects a decoder from among a plurality of decoders; decodes the audio data using the selected decoder; and plays back the decoded audio data via the playback device. If the audio data is determined not to be encoded in the compressed audio format, the device inhibits playback of the audio data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of playing back audio content comprising:
receiving, at a playback device, audio data from a video display device;
receiving an indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in a compressed audio format;
determining, independently of receiving the indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format, whether the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format;
if the audio data is determined to be encoded in the compressed audio format:
selecting a decoder from among a plurality of decoders;
decoding the audio data using the selected decoder; and
playing back the decoded audio data via the playback device; and
if the audio data is determined not to be encoded in the compressed audio format:
inhibiting playback of the audio data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format comprises detecting a channel status block (CSB) indicating that the audio data is encoded in a compressed audio format.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining, independently of receiving the indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format, whether the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format comprises:
searching a predetermined number of frames of the audio data to detect a sync word; and
analyzing a data burst of the audio data subsequent to the sync word to identify an encoding scheme.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
after detecting the sync word;
searching a second predetermined number of frames subsequent to the sync word to identify a second repetition of the sync word.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein analyzing the data burst of the audio data subsequent to the sync word comprises determining whether the data burst corresponds to one of a plurality of predetermined valid sequences corresponding to an encoding scheme, wherein:
if the data burst corresponds to one of the plurality of predetermined valid sequences, determining that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format; and
if the data burst does not correspond to one of the plurality of predetermined valid sequences, determining that the audio data is not encoded in the compressed audio format.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
playing back decoded compressed audio data via the playback device; and
while playing back the decoded compressed audio data:
receiving, at the playback device, additional audio data from the audio source;
evaluating the additional audio data to determine whether the additional audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format;
if the audio data is determined not to be encoded in the compressed audio format, initiating playback of the additional audio data only after a predetermined delay.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the video display device comprises a television, and wherein the playback devices comprises a soundbar.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of decoders comprises at least two or more of: a DOLBY DIGITAL decoder; a DOLBY DIGITAL PLUS decoder, a MAP decoder; a DOLBY ATMOS decoder; a DTS:X decoder; or a MAP decoder.

### Claim 9

A playback device comprising:
at least one amplifier configured to drive an audio transducer;
one or more processors; and
a computer-readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at a playback device, audio data from a video display device;
receiving an indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in a compressed audio format;
determining, independently of receiving the indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format, whether the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format;
if the audio data is determined to be encoded in the compressed audio format:
selecting a decoder from among a plurality of decoders;
decoding the audio data using the selected decoder; and
playing back the decoded audio data via the playback device; and
if the audio data is determined not to be encoded in the compressed audio format:
inhibiting playback of the audio data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The playback device of claim 9, wherein receiving the indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format comprises detecting a channel status block (CSB) indicating that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The playback device of claim 9, wherein determining, independently of receiving the indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format, whether the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format comprises:
searching a predetermined number of frames of the audio data to detect a sync word; and
analyzing a data burst of the audio data subsequent to the sync word to identify an encoding scheme.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The playback device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:
after detecting the sync word, searching a second predetermined number of frames subsequent to the sync word to identify a second repetition of the sync word.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The playback device of claim 11, wherein analyzing the data burst of the audio data subsequent to the sync word comprises determining whether the data burst corresponds to one of a plurality of predetermined valid sequences corresponding to an encoding scheme, wherein:
if the data burst corresponds to one of the plurality of predetermined valid sequences, determining that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format; and
if the data burst does not correspond to one of the plurality of predetermined valid sequences, determining that the audio data is not encoded in the compressed audio format.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The playback device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:
playing back decoded audio data via the playback device; and
while playing back the decoded audio data:
receiving, at the playback device, additional audio data from the audio source;
evaluating the additional audio data to determine whether the additional audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format;
if the audio data is determined not to be encoded in the compressed audio format, initiating playback of the additional audio data only after a predetermined delay.

### Claim 15

Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of a playback device, cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at a playback device, audio data from a video display device;
receiving an indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in a compressed audio format;
determining, independently of receiving the indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format, whether the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format;
if the audio data is determined to be encoded in the compressed audio format:
selecting a decoder from among a plurality of decoders;
decoding the audio data using the selected decoder; and
playing back the decoded audio data via the playback device; and
if the audio data is determined not to be encoded in the compressed audio format:
inhibiting playback of the audio data.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein receiving the indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format comprises detecting a channel status block (CSB) indicating that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining, independently of receiving the indication from the video display device that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format, whether the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format comprises:
searching a predetermined number of frames of the audio data to detect a sync word; and
analyzing a data burst of the audio data subsequent to the sync word to identify an encoding scheme.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:
after detecting the sync word, searching a second predetermined number of frames subsequent to the sync word to identify a second repetition of the sync word.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein analyzing the data burst of the audio data subsequent to the sync word comprises determining whether the data burst corresponds to one of a plurality of predetermined valid sequences corresponding to an encoding scheme, wherein:
if the data burst corresponds to one of the plurality of predetermined valid sequences, determining that the audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format; and
if the data burst does not correspond to one of the plurality of predetermined valid sequences, determining that the audio data is not encoded in the compressed audio format.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:
playing back decoded audio data via the playback device; and
while playing back the decoded audio data:
receiving, at the playback device, additional audio data from the audio source;
evaluating the additional audio data to determine whether the additional audio data is encoded in the compressed audio format;
if the audio data is determined not to be encoded in the compressed audio format, initiating playback of the additional audio data only after a predetermined delay.