# US 9,519,454 B2 · Acoustic signatures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,454 B2 - Document ID: US9519454B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/679,815 - Filed: 2015-04-06 - Published: 2015-08-13 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-08-07 - Assignees: Sonos, Inc. - Applicants: Sonos, Inc. - Inventors: Robert Reimann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519454B2 ## CPC - H04R 29/007: {for public address systems (public address systems per se H04R27/00)} - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback} - G06F 16/60: of audio data - G10L 19/018: Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal - H03F 3/181: Low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio preamplifiers - H03G 5/165: {Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands} - H04N 21/42203: {sound input device, e.g. microphone} - H04N 21/47217: {for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks (specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312)} - H04N 21/4852: {for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo} - H04R 27/00: Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) - G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) - G06F 21/1063: {Personalisation} - G06F 21/16: Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking - H04L 12/2807: {Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50)} - H04N 21/44227: {Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network (configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811)} - H04N 21/44231: {Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device (configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817)} - H04N 21/4524: {involving the geographical location of the client (retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00)} - H04R 2227/003: Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet - H04R 2227/005: Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use - H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones - 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) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - H03F: AMPLIFIERS - H03G: CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Embodiments described herein provide for acoustic signatures in a playback system. An example implementation involves receiving, from a microphone of the controller device, an audio signal played by a playback device, the audio signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device. The example implementation further involves identifying the playback device based on the network information and responsively, modifying a user interface on the controller device based on the identification of the playback device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause a controller device to perform functions comprising: receiving, via a microphone of the controller device, an audio signal played by a playback device, the audio signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device; identifying the playback device based on the network information; and responsively, modifying a user interface on the controller device based on the identification of the playback device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the audio signal played by the playback device comprises audio frequencies outside a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: prior to detecting the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving from the playback device, data indicating the network information corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the audio signal played by the playback device further indicates a zone of the playback device, and wherein the functions further comprise: modifying the user interface on the controller device based on the zone of the playback device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: prior to identifying the playback device based on the network information, demodulating the audio signal to determine the network information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the audio signal comprises one or more of (i) an amplitude modulated (AM) component indicating the network information corresponding to the playback device, and (ii) a frequency modulated (FM) component indicating the network information corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: prior to detecting the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving input to enable identification of the playback device based on audio signals played by the playback device; and transmitting to the playback device, a message indicating that the controller device is enabled to identify the playback device based on the audio signal played by the playback device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a unique network identification corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 9 A playback device comprising: at least one speaker; a processor; and tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising: determining that an acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played; and playing by the at least one speaker, the acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The playback device of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise: receiving data indicating audio content to be played by the playback device; and generating an audio output signal based on the acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device and the audio content to be played by the playback device, wherein playing by the at least one speaker, the acoustic signature signal comprises: playing by the at least one speaker, the audio output signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The playback device of claim 9, wherein determining that an acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played comprises: receiving a message from a controller device configured to control the playback device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The playback device of claim 11, wherein the message comprises a command to play the acoustic signature signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The playback device of claim 11, wherein the message comprises a command to play audio content. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The playback device of claim 11, wherein the message comprises a command to transmit at least one state variable associated with the playback device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The playback device of claim 9, wherein the acoustic signature signal comprises audio frequencies outside a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The playback device of claim 9, wherein determining that an acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played comprises: determining that a predetermined duration of time has expired since the acoustic signature signal was previously played. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The playback device of claim 9, wherein the acoustic signature signal further comprises zone configuration information for the playback device, wherein the acoustic signature signal is a first acoustic signature signal, and wherein the functions further comprise: modifying a zone configuration of the playback device; and playing a second acoustic signature signal indicating (i) the network information corresponding to the playback device and (ii) the modified zone configuration. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The playback device of claim 9, wherein the acoustic signature signal is a first acoustic signature signal, and wherein the functions further comprise: playing a second acoustic signature signal indicating a zone configuration of the playback device. ### Claim 19 A controller device comprising: a microphone; a processor; and tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the controller device to perform functions comprising: detecting, via the microphone, an audio signal played by a playback device, the audio signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device; identifying the playback device based on the network information; and responsively, modifying a user interface on the controller device based on the identification of the playback device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The controller device of claim 19, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a unique network identification corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a number corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device indicates a zone corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device indicates a zone group corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: prior to receiving, via the microphone of the controller device, the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving by the controller device, an input to control playback of audio content by the playback device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein modifying the user interface on the controller device comprises: modifying the user interface to display an indication of the playback device. ### Claim 26 (depends on 9) The playback device of claim 9, wherein determining that the acoustic signature signal indicating network information corresponding to the playback device is to be played comprises: receiving an input to enable an operation mode of the playback device, wherein the operation mode of the playback device comprises playback of the acoustic signature signal. ### Claim 27 (depends on 9) The playback device of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise: prior to playing the acoustic signature signal, identifying network information corresponding to the playback device; and generating the acoustic signature signal based on the identified network information corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 28 (depends on 19) The controller device of claim 19, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device comprises a number corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 29 (depends on 19) The controller device of claim 19, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device indicates a zone corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 30 (depends on 19) The controller device of claim 19, wherein the network information corresponding to the playback device indicates a zone group corresponding to the playback device. ### Claim 31 (depends on 19) The controller device of claim 19, wherein the functions further comprise: prior to receiving, via the microphone of the controller device, the audio signal played by the playback device, receiving by the controller device, an input to control playback of audio content by the playback device. ### Claim 32 (depends on 19) The controller device of claim 19, wherein modifying the user interface on the controller device comprises: modifying the user interface to display an indication of the playback device.