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US 2022/0103943 A1Published application
Playback Device Pairing
AssigneeSonos, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Kallai, Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson, Robert A. Lambourne, Robert Reimann, Mark Triplett
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Abstract
The present application discloses playback devices and networks, software for operating playback devices and playback device networks, and methods of operating playback devices and networks, where an individual network device is configured to switch between operating various operating modes comprising a non-paired mode and a paired mode, where the playback device is configured to output various channels of audio content within various audio frequency ranges while operating in the various operating modes.
Claims30
A system, comprising:
- a network device;
- a first playback device;
- and
- a second playback device, the second playback device comprising:
- a network interface;
- at least one processor;
- and
- program instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor, wherein execution of the program instructions configures the second playback device to:
- based on receiving an instruction for the second playback device to operate in a first mode in which the second playback device is paired with the first playback device, operate in the first mode, wherein operating in the first mode comprises (i) receiving, from a remote computing device via the network interface, first audio content comprising a first channel and a second channel, wherein the first channel of the first audio content is different from the second channel of the first audio content, (ii) transmitting at least the first channel of the first audio content to the first playback device, and (iii) coordinating with the first playback device to play the second channel of the first audio content in synchrony with the first playback device playing the first channel of the first audio content;
- and
- based on receiving an instruction for the second playback device to operate in a second mode in which the second playback device is paired with the first playback device, operate in the second mode, wherein operating in the second mode comprises (i) receiving, from the network device via the network interface, playback timing information and second audio content comprising a second channel and (ii) playing back the second channel of the second audio content based on the received playback timing information while the first playback device plays back a first channel of the second audio content based on the playback timing information.
8 more elements
A first playback device, the first playback device comprising:
- a network interface;
- at least one processor;
- and
- program instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor, wherein execution of the program instructions configures the first playback device to:
- based on receiving an instruction for the first playback device to operate in a first mode in which the first playback device is paired with a second playback device, operate in the first mode, wherein operating in the first mode comprises (i) receiving, from a remote computing device via the network interface, first audio content comprising a first channel and a second channel, wherein the first channel of the first audio content is different from the second channel of the first audio content, (ii) transmitting at least the second channel of the first audio content to the second playback device, and (iii) coordinating with the second playback device to play the first channel of the first audio content in synchrony with the second playback device playing the second channel of the first audio content;
- and
- based on receiving an instruction for the first playback device to operate in a second mode in which the first playback device is paired with the second playback device, operate in the second mode, wherein operating in the second mode comprises (i) receiving, from the network device via the network interface, playback timing information and second audio content comprising a first channel and (ii) playing back the first channel of the second audio content based on the received playback timing information while the second playback device plays back a second channel of the second audio content based on the playback timing information.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.