Detecting the nearest playback device

US11188294B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SONOS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Dayn Wilberding · Lompoc, US
• Youjin Nam · Hoboken, US
• Tadeo T. Toulis · Lompoc, US
• Jonathan Cole Harris · Lompoc, US
• Patrick Devine · Andover, US
• Nicholas A. J. Millington · Lompoc, US
• Jodi Vautrin · Boston, US
• Maria-Jose Ramos · Seattle, US
• Richard Bannon · Seattle, US
• Michael Sheldon · San Francisco, US
• Ted Lin · Ayer, US
• Ron Kuper · Arlington, US
• Kirsten Lewis · Boston, US
• Jake Harwood · Seattle, US
• Jonathan Herbst · Seattle, US
• Daniel Jones · London, GB
• Henry Sia · Seattle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 31, 2020
• Grant date: Nov 30, 2021
• Expiry date: Aug 31, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04R2430/01
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Examples described herein relate to transitioning a playback session between portable playback devices such as “smart” headphones, earbuds, and handheld speakers with playback devices of a zone-based media playback system. Exemplary techniques facilitate continuity of playback when transitioning between locations (e.g., from at home to on-the-go or vice versa) or between listening paradigms (e.g., personal or out-loud playback of audio content). An example implementation includes detecting a swap trigger, determining the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s), and performing a playback session swap between the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s).