Back to results
US 2026/0281620 A1Published application
Device designation of playback and network microphone device arrangements
AssigneeSonos, Inc.
InventorsSein Woo, Andrew Lindley, Ryan Myers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example techniques relate to device spaces and default designations in a media playback system. A device space may create an association between a networked microphone device and one or more playback devices such that certain voice commands (e.g., playback commands) received by the networked microphone device are used to control the one or more playback devices (unless otherwise designated in the voice command). Furthermore, in bonded pairs and bonded groups of playback devices that include at least one NMD, certain playback devices within the bonded pair or group may be designated as default so as to avoid multiple responses to a voice input.
Claims20
A first playback device comprising:
- a first network microphone device (NMD);
- at least one first microphone;
- at least one audio transducer;
- a network interface;
- at least one processor;
- a housing carrying the at least one first microphone, the at least one audio transducer, the network interface, and the 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 first playback device is configured to:
- receive a command to group multiple playback devices, the multiple playback devices including two or more playback devices comprising respective NMDs, wherein the two or more playback devices include the first playback device and a second playback device comprising a second NMD and at least one second microphone;
- according to the received command, form a synchrony group that includes the two or more playback devices;
- configure a voice interaction NMD for the synchrony group, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to configure the voice interaction NMD for the synchrony group comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:
- select a NMD from among the two or more playback devices comprising respective NMDs as the voice interaction NMD;
- and
- disable each NMD in the synchrony group other than the selected NMD.
11 more elements
A media playback system comprising:
- multiple playback devices comprising a first playback device and a second playback device, the first playback device comprising a first network microphone device (NMD) and the second playback device comprising a second NMD;
- 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 media playback system is configured to:
- receive a command to group the multiple playback devices, the multiple playback devices including two or more playback devices comprising respective NMDs, wherein the two or more playback devices include the first playback device and the second playback device;
- according to the received command, form a synchrony group that includes the two or more playback devices;
- configure a voice interaction NMD for the synchrony group, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the media playback system is configured to configure the voice interaction NMD for the synchrony group comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the media playback system is configured to:
- select a NMD from among the two or more playback devices comprising respective NMDs as the voice interaction NMD;
- and
- disable each NMD in the synchrony group other than the selected NMD.
7 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving a command to group multiple playback devices, the multiple playback devices including two or more playback devices comprising respective network microphone devices (NMD)s, wherein the two or more playback devices include a first playback device comprising a first NMD and a second playback device comprising a second NMD;
- according to the received command, forming a synchrony group that includes the two or more playback devices;
- configuring a voice interaction NMD for the synchrony group, wherein configuring the voice interaction NMD for the synchrony group comprises:
- selecting a NMD from among the two or more playback devices comprising respective NMDs as the voice interaction NMD;
- and
- disabling each NMD in the synchrony group other than the selected NMD.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.