# US 2026/0147530 A1 · Configurable multi-band home theatre architecture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0147530 A1 - Document ID: US20260147530A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/114,675 - Filed: 2023-09-26 - Published: 2026-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2022-09-27 - Assignees: Sonos, Inc. - Applicants: Sonos, Inc. - Inventors: Cheng Lu; Hrishikesh Gossain; Lawrence Stefani; Zhaoyun Huang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260147530A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - G06F 3/162: {Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs} - H04N 21/43078: {for seamlessly watching content streams when changing device, e.g. when watching the same programme sequentially on a TV and then on a tablet} - H04N 21/43079: {of additional data with content streams on multiple devices} - H04N 21/43637: {involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth®, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] (arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114)} - H04N 21/8106: {involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages} - H04R 5/02: Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers - H04R 5/04: Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} - H04S 3/008: {in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels (data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02)} - 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)} - H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones - H04S 2400/01: Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS ## Abstract A playback device comprising a radio circuitry comprising a first radio and a second radio, at least one antenna coupled to the radio circuitry. The playback device configured to, while in a group comprising a plurality of satellite playback devices, connect, using a first radio of the playback device, to a first wireless network, establish, using a second radio of the playback device, a second wireless network, receive an audio stream including multi-channel audio content, communicate at least one first audio channel of the multi-channel audio content to a first subset of satellite playback devices over the first wireless network, and communicate at least one second audio channel of the multi-channel audio content to a second subset of satellite playback devices over the second wireless network. The playback device may be configured to coordinate playback of multi-channel audio content by satellite playback device(s) connected to a first wireless network established using a first radio, to coordinate including to transmit data representing audio channel(s) of the multi-channel audio content to the satellite device(s) over the first wireless network, to receive a first swap signal indicating to transition playback to a portable playback device, while connected to a second wireless network established using a second radio and without interfering with the second wireless network, modify the first wireless network to enable the portable playback device to connect to the first wireless network, form a synchrony group including the portable playback device and the satellite device(s) to cause the portable playback device to start playing the multi-channel audio content, and to remove the satellite device(s) from the synchrony group to stop playback of the multi-channel audio content on the satellite device(s). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a playback device, while in a group comprising the playback device and a plurality of satellite playback devices, the method comprising: connecting, using a first radio of the playback device, the playback device to a first wireless network; identifying, based on one or more capabilities of the plurality of satellite playback devices, a first subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices and a second subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices; establishing, using a second radio of the playback device, a second wireless network between the playback device and the second subset of the plurality of playback devices; receiving, by the playback device, an audio stream including multi-channel audio content; communicating at least one first audio channel of the multi-channel audio content from the playback device to [[a]] the first subset of satellite playback devices over the first wireless network; and communicating at least one second audio channel of the multi-channel audio content from the playback device to [[a]] the second subset of satellite playback devices over the second wireless network; and rendering, by the playback device, at least one third audio channel of the multi-channel audio content in synchrony with rendering of the at least one first audio channel by the first subset of satellite playback devices and rendering of the at least one second audio channel by the second subset of satellite playback devices. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (canceled) ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim of claim 1, wherein establishing the second wireless network comprises: identifying, based at least in part on the capabilities of the second subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices, one or more parameters for the second wireless network and establishing the second wireless network in accordance with the one or more parameters identified for the second wireless network. ### Claim 5 (canceled) ### Claim 6 (canceled) ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network is in a first frequency band, wherein the first wireless network includes a WIFI Access Point (AP), and wherein the second wireless network is established in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim other claim 7, wherein identifying the one or more capabilities second subset of the plurality of satellite devices comprises identifying satellite playback devices that are capable of wireless communication in [[a]] the second frequency band ### Claim 9 (canceled) ### Claim 10 (canceled) ### Claim 11 (depends on 3, 8) The method of claim 3, alone or in combination with any other claim 8, wherein the one or more capabilities of the plurality of satellite playback devices include one or more communication frequency bands, and wherein the identifying the first and second subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices includes: identifying the second subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices as being capable of communicating over a 6 GHz frequency band. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim claim 1, wherein the one or more capability of the plurality of satellite playback devices includes a number of audio channels to be rendered for playback by each satellite playback device; and wherein the first subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices are capable of rendering fewer audio channels than the second subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices. ### Claim 13 (canceled) ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first wireless network is in one of a 2.4 GHz frequency band and or a 5 GHz frequency band; and wherein the second wireless network is established in the 6 GHz frequency band. ### Claim 15 (canceled) ### Claim 16 (canceled) ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (canceled) ### Claim 19 A playback device comprising: radio circuitry comprising a first radio and a second radio; at least one antenna coupled to the radio circuitry; at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor to control the playback device to operate in a bonded group comprising the playback device and a plurality of satellite playback device, to operate in the bonded group comprising to: connect, using the first radio, to a first wireless network; establish, using the second radio, a second wireless network; receive an audio stream including multi-channel audio content; identify, based on one or more capabilities of the plurality of satellite playback devices, a first subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices and a second subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices; communicate at least one first audio channel of the multi-channel audio content to the first subset of satellite playback devices over the first wireless network; communicate at least one second audio channel of the multi-channel audio content to the second subset of satellite playback devices over the second wireless network; and render at least one third audio channel of the multi-channel audio content in synchrony with rendering of the at least one first audio channel by the first subset of satellite playback devices and rendering of the at least one second audio channel by the second subset of satellite playback devices. ### Claim 20 A method for a playback device, the method comprising: coordinating a playback session including playback of multi-channel audio content by one or more satellite playback devices in a bonded group with the playback device, at least a subset of the one or more satellite playback devices being connected to a first wireless network established using the first radio, wherein coordinating the playback session includes transmitting data representing one or more audio channels of multi-channel audio content to the subset of the one or more satellite playback devices over the first wireless network; after receiving an indication to transition the playback session to a portable playback device and while connected to a second wireless network established using the second radio and without interfering with the second wireless network, modifying the first wireless network based on at least a network capability of the portable playback device and one or more parameters of the second wireless network to enable the portable playback device to connect to the first wireless network; and transitioning the playback session to the portable playback device, wherein transitioning the playback session to the portable playback device includes transmitting the multi-channel audio content to the portable playback device for playback by the portable device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the indication to transition the playback session to the portable device comprises a swap signal. ### Claim 22 (canceled) ### Claim 23 (canceled) ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein transitioning the playback session to the portable playback device further includes: stopping transmitting the one or more audio channels to the subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20, 21, 22, 23, 24) The method of one of claims 20 to 24 claim 20, wherein transitioning the playback session to the portable playback device further includes: after the portable playback device has connected to the first wireless network, forming a synchrony group including the portable playback device and the one or more satellite playback devices, wherein forming the synchrony group causes the portable playback device to start playing the multi-channel audio content of the playback session via one or more transducers and one or more amplifiers; and after forming the synchrony group, removing the one or more satellite playback devices from the first synchrony group to stop playback of the one or more audio channels of the multi-channel audio content on the one or more satellite playback devices. ### Claim 26 (canceled) ### Claim 27 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising: receiving a second indication to transition the playback session from the portable playback device to the bonded group; forming a second synchrony group including the portable playback device and the one or more satellite playback devices and causing the one or more satellite playback devices to start playing the one or more audio channels of the multi-channel audio content of the playback session; and after forming the second synchrony group, removing the portable playback device from the second synchrony group to stop playback of the multi-channel audio content on the portable playback device. ### Claim 28 (canceled) ### Claim 29 (canceled) ### Claim 30 (canceled) ### Claim 31 (canceled) ### Claim 32 (canceled) ### Claim 33 (canceled) ### Claim 34 (depends on 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33) The method of one of claims 20 to 33 claim 20, wherein the first and second networks are in first and second regions of the 5Ghz frequency band, the method further comprising reconfiguring a communications channel width of the first wireless network based on the network capability of the portable playback device. ### Claim 35 (canceled) ### Claim 36 (canceled) ### Claim 37 (canceled) ### Claim 38 (canceled) ### Claim 39 (canceled) ### Claim 40 (canceled) ### Claim 41 (depends on 19) The playback device of claim 19, wherein to establish the second wireless network comprises to: identify one or more parameters for the second wireless network based on (i) at least one of one or more parameters for the first wireless network or (ii) the one or more capabilities of the plurality of satellite playback devices; and establish, using the second radio, the second wireless network in accordance with the one or more parameters identified for the second wireless network. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The playback device of claim 41, wherein the one or more parameters of the first wireless network include a frequency band of the first wireless network. ### Claim 43 (depends on 19) The playback device of claim 19, wherein the one or more capabilities of the plurality of satellite playback devices include one or more communication frequency bands; wherein to identify the first and second subsets of the plurality of satellite playback devices comprises to identify the second subset of the plurality of satellite playback devices as being capable of communicating over a 6 GHz frequency band; and wherein to establish the second wireless network comprises to establish the second wireless network in the 6 GHz frequency band. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The playback device of claim 43, wherein the first wireless network is in one of a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 5 GHz frequency band; and wherein the first wireless network includes a WIFI Access Point (AP). ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The playback device of claim 44, wherein the at least one antenna is a multi-band antenna configured to operate in two or more frequency bands. ### Claim 46 (depends on 19) The playback device of claim 19, wherein to operate in the bonded group comprises operating in a home theatre mode; wherein the multi-channel audio content is synchronized to video content; and wherein an audio delay between the multi-channel audio content received by the playback device and rendering of the at least one first audio channel by the first subset of satellite playback devices and rendering of the at least one second audio channel by the second subset of satellite playback devices is less than 40ms.