US 2026/0129387 A1Published application

Intelligent amplifier activation

AssigneeSonos, Inc.

InventorsJonathon Reilly, Jonathan Lang

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Embodiments are provided for intelligently activating an amplifier in a playback device based on proximity detection. The playback device may be in a quasi-idle state when the playback device is not rendering media content. The quasi-idle state of the playback device may involve an amplifier in the playback device being inactive, while some other components or modules of the playback devices remain active. The playback device may include a proximity sensor configured to detect movement relative to the playback device. If movement is detected indicating that a user input to cause the playback device to render media content is anticipated, the amplifier may be pre-emptively activated such that the playback device enters an active state from the quasi-idle state. In some cases, the playback device may send a message to one or more other playback devices to cause the other playback devices to enter an active state.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A playback device comprising:

at least one physical hardware component;
a housing carrying the at least one physical hardware component;
and
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:
detect, via at least one sensor, an indication that a user has entered a first range of proximity to the playback device, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect that the user has entered the first range of proximity to the playback device before the user touches the housing of the playback device;
detect, via the at least one sensor, an indication that the user has entered a second range of proximity to the playback device, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect that the user has entered the second range of proximity to the playback device before the user touches the housing of the playback device;
and
based on detection of the indication that the user has entered (i) the first range of proximity to the playback device and (ii) the second range of proximity to the playback device, switch the playback device from an inactive state to an active state, wherein the playback device is configured to start playback more quickly in the active state relative to the inactive state;
and
play back media content via the at least one physical hardware component from the active state.

9 more elements

At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that a playback device is configured to:

detect, via at least one sensor, an indication that a user has entered a first range of proximity to the playback device, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect that the user has entered the first range of proximity to the playback device before the user touches a housing of the playback device;
detect, via the at least one sensor, an indication that the user has entered a second range of proximity to the playback device, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect that the user has entered the second range of proximity to the playback device before the user touches the housing of the playback device;
and
based on detection of the indication that the user has entered (i) the first range of proximity to the playback device and (ii) the second range of proximity to the playback device, switch the playback device from an inactive state to an active state, wherein the playback device is configured to start playback more quickly in the active state relative to the inactive state;
and
play back media content via at least one physical hardware component from the active state.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/350,695Filed 6 Oct 2025
Priority: 24 Jun 2013
Published: 7 May 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H04R 29/007
Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements: for public address systems
G01D 5/2405
By varying capacitance: by varying dielectric
G06F 3/017
Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer: gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a…
G06F 3/165
Sound input; Sound output: management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Family

Application13/925,367Continuation · filed 24 Jun 2013
Application14/973,006Continuation · filed 17 Dec 2015
Application15/338,931Continuation · filed 31 Oct 2016
Application15/882,631Continuation · filed 29 Jan 2018
Application16/939,318Continuation · filed 27 Jul 2020
Application17/804,353Continuation · filed 27 May 2022
Application18/392,647Continuation · filed 21 Dec 2023
Application19/350,695Continuation
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