US 2026/0214552 A1Published application

Broadcast Audio for Synchronized Playback by Wearables

AssigneeSonos, Inc.

InventorsEdwin Joseph Fitzpatrick, III, Walter Rivera

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Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include a playback device configured to: (i) obtain audio from an audio source via a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN); (ii) generate broadcast times for individual portions of the audio content; and (iii) broadcast portions of the audio content to a Personal Area Network (PAN). Embodiments also include a wearable device configured to play audio received via a first PAN from a first playback device; (ii) while playing the audio received via the first PAN from the first playback device, determine whether the wearable device should switch to receiving the audio via a second PAN from a second playback device; and (iii) after determining that the wearable device should switch to receiving the audio via the second PAN, switch to receiving the audio via the second PAN and play the audio received via the second PAN.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A first playback device, wherein the first playback device comprises:

one or more processors;
one or more speaker drivers;
one or more communication interfaces configured to communicate via a Personal Area Network (PAN) and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN);
a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory;
and
program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the first playback device to:
following obtainment of audio content from an audio content source via the WLAN according to a first communications protocol, generate playback times for individual portions of the audio content, wherein the playback time for an individual portion of the audio content is indicative of a future time relative to a reference clock;
generate wireless transmission times for the individual portions of the audio content based on the playback times for the individual portions of the audio content, wherein the wireless transmission time for an individual portion of the audio content is based on the playback time for that individual portion of the audio content;
and
based on a current clock time of the reference clock and the wireless transmission time for an individual portion of the audio content, cause that individual portion of the audio content to be wirelessly transmitted via the PAN according to a second communications protocol that is different than the first communications protocol.

7 more elements

Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having program instructions stored therein, wherein the program instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a first playback device, cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising:

following obtainment of audio content from an audio content source via a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) according to a first communications protocol, generating playback times for individual portions of the audio content, wherein the playback time for an individual portion of the audio content is indicative of a future time relative to a reference clock;
generating wireless transmission times for the individual portions of the audio content based on the playback times for the individual portions of the audio content, wherein the wireless transmission time for an individual portion of the audio content is based on the playback time for that individual portion of the audio content;
and
based on a current clock time of the reference clock and the wireless transmission time for an individual portion of the audio content, causing that individual portion of the audio content to be wirelessly transmitted via a Personal Area Network (PAN) according to a second communications protocol that is different than the first communications protocol.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/632,799Filed 30 Mar 2026
Priority: 30 Sep 2021
Published: 23 Jul 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H04L 69/18
Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass:…
H04W 48/10
Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery: using broadcasted information
H04B 17/327
Received signal strength: received signal code power [RSCP]
H04L 65/611
For supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio: for multicast or broadcast

Family

Application63/250,299Us provisional application · filed 30 Sep 2021
Application17/955,469Continuation · filed 28 Sep 2022
Application19/632,799Continuation
US 12,593,264 B2Related patent
US 2023/0112398 A1Published application
US 2026/0214552 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.