Patents Assigned to Sonos, Inc.
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Patent number: 12294489Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein include, determining a proximity of the first networked device to a second networked device, determining whether there is a wired network connection existing between the first networked device and the second networked device, and in response to determining the proximity and the existence of a wired network connection, reconfiguring one or more operational parameters of one or both of the first networked device and the second networked device.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2021Date of Patent: May 6, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventor: Nick D'Amato
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Patent number: 12288558Abstract: Systems and methods for managing multiple voice assistants are disclosed. Audio input is received via one or more microphones of a playback device. A first activation word is detected in the audio input via the playback device. After detecting the first activation word, the playback device transmits a voice utterance of the audio input to a first voice assistant service (VAS). The playback device receives, from the first VAS, first content to be played back via the playback device. The playback device also receives, from a second VAS, second content to be played back via the playback device. The playback device plays back the first content while suppressing the second content. Such suppression can include delaying or canceling playback of the second content.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2024Date of Patent: April 29, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Ryan Richard Myers, Luis R. Vega Zayas, Sangah Park
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Patent number: 12282373Abstract: An implementation of portable playback device power management involves launching a power coordinator background process, the power coordinator background process having multiple client programs and establishing respective inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms between the multiple client programs and the power coordinator background process. The implementation further involves receiving, via the established IPC mechanisms from the multiple client programs, messages indicating that the respective client program is ready to suspend, and determining that each client program of the multiple client programs is ready to suspend. The implementation further includes sending instructions to the operating system to kernel suspend. While in kernel suspend, the playback device detects a particular trigger to kernel resume and in response, performs a kernel resume.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2023Date of Patent: April 22, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Joshua Nicholas, Brenda Stefani, Liang Chai, Xiang Wang, Allan Velzy, Edwin Joseph Fitzpatrick, III, Hrishikesh Gossain
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Patent number: 12284500Abstract: Turntable control systems are disclosed. A playback device can include an analog audio source component such as a turntable. The playback device is configured to cause playback of first audio based on analog audio signals generated by the analog audio source component. Based on an indication that analog audio signals are no longer being generated, the playback device requests, via a network interface, audio content from one or more remote computing devices. The request can include identifying related content based on the first audio. The playback device receives, via the network interface, second audio content from, and causes playback of second audio based on the second audio content.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2024Date of Patent: April 22, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Dayn Wilberding, Dana Krieger, Daniel Jones, Gregory McAllister, Ryan Purdy, Adam Kumpf, Russell Prince, Ed Krouse
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Patent number: 12283269Abstract: In one aspect, a user's intent can be inferred based on voice analysis during a communications session, and prompts can be presented, or other actions taken, at least partly in response to the inferred intent. For example, a network microphone device (NMD) having one or more microphones can capture voice input and transmit the voice input to remote computing device(s) for a communication session (e.g., a videoconference). The NMD can analyze the voice input to detect one or more utterances. Based on the utterance(s), the NMD can cause a user prompt to be displayed via a display device communicatively coupled to the NMD. The particular prompt can depend at least in part on one or more context parameters associated with the communication session (e.g., a microphone state of one or more users, a screen share state of one or more users, or a recording status of the session, etc.).Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2021Date of Patent: April 22, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventor: Paul Bates
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Patent number: 12284241Abstract: Examples described herein involve selecting a group coordinator device for a zone group. An example implementation includes: receiving an instruction to form a zone group comprising the first media device and the second media device; comparing a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device; identifying the first media device as a group coordinator of the zone group based on at least the indication that the first media device communicates with the router over the first communication frequency band; and configuring the first media device to provide data indicating audio content and audio content playback timing information to the second media device to facilitate synchronous playback of the audio content as the group coordinator of the zone group.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2023Date of Patent: April 22, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventor: Hrishikesh Gossain
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Patent number: 12282706Abstract: Example techniques facilitate calibration of a playback device. An example implementation involves a computing device capturing, via a microphone, data representing multiple iterations of a calibration sound as played by a playback device. The computing device identifies multiple sections within the captured data. Two or more sections represent respective iterations of the calibration sound as played by the playback device. Based on the multiple identified sections, the computing device determines a frequency response of the playback device, the frequency response of the playback device representing audio output by the playback device and acoustic characteristics of an environment around the playback device. Based on the frequency response of the playback device and a target frequency response, the computing device determines one or more parameters of an audio processing algorithm and sends, to the playback device, the one or more parameters of the audio processing algorithm.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2023Date of Patent: April 22, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventor: Timothy W. Sheen
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Patent number: 12282707Abstract: While operating in a first mode, a computing device transmits, to playback devices of a synchrony group, (i) media content and (ii) respective playback timing information for synchronous playback of the media content. After a first playback device with a different capability than at least one other playback device of the synchrony group has joined the synchrony group, the computing device begins to operate in a second mode for causing one or more of the playback devices of the synchrony group to modify playback of the media content based on a respective playback device capability. While operating in the second mode, the computing device (i) determines a modified sample rate for the first playback device to maintain synchrony of playback of the media content between the playback devices of the synchrony group, and (ii) causes the first playback device to play back the media content at the modified sample rate.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2023Date of Patent: April 22, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventor: John Lynch
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Patent number: 12277368Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein include (i) receiving a voice command via at least one microphone of a networked microphone device, wherein the networked microphone device is configured to receive voice commands for a media playback system, and wherein the media playback system comprises the networked microphone device and a first playback device configured to play back content, (ii) determining that the networked microphone device is not configured to play back the content, (iii) in response to determining that the networked microphone is not configured to play back the content, determining that the first playback device is available to play back the content, (iv) causing the first playback device to play back the content, (v) determining that the first playback device is no longer available to play back the content, and (vi) selecting a second playback device to play back the content.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2023Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Mark Plagge, Simon Jarvis, Christopher Butts
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Patent number: 12277364Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include facilitating clock synchronization and/or synchronous playback among multiple playback devices in a group. An individual playback device estimates and/or calculates a clock time at a clock time source (or a time offset/error between the playback device and the clock time source) based on (i) first clock timing received from the clock time source via a primary timing link and (i) second clock timing received from the clock time source via a secondary timing link. In some embodiments, estimating and/or calculating a clock time and/or clock time offset/error comprises estimating and/or calculating the clock time and/or clock time offset/error with a state estimator, such as a Kalman filter, an extended Kalman filter, or other state estimator configured to estimate a clock time and/or clock time error based on clock timing received via two or more communications links.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2022Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventor: Aurelio Ramos
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Patent number: 12279013Abstract: An example first playback device is configured to: while the first playback device is in a synchrony group with a second playback device, play back a first version of audio content in synchrony with the second playback device; in response to identifying that a quality of a connection between the second playback device and a network device is below a threshold criterion, cause the second playback device to play back a second version of the audio content in synchrony with the first version of the audio content playing back by the first playback device; and in response to detecting a change in the quality of the connection between the second playback device and the network device such that the quality of the connection meets the threshold criterion, cause the second playback device to play back the first version of the audio content in synchrony with the first playback device.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2022Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Brandon Wright, Ryan Edward Kitson, Won So, Ted Lin, Jeffrey M. Peters, Michael Sheldon
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Patent number: 12279008Abstract: A first playback device is configured to obtain audio content from a cloud-based media service, the audio content encrypted according to a first encryption scheme. The first playback device is configured to communicate with a cloud-based license service to obtain information for decrypting the audio content and use the obtained information to decrypt the audio content. The first playback device is also configured to re-encrypt the decrypted audio content in accordance with a second encryption scheme and transmit the re-encrypted audio content to at least a second playback device that is grouped with the first playback device for synchronous audio playback. The first playback device is also configured to play back the audio content in synchrony with playback of the audio content by the second playback device.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2022Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Won So, Ted Lin, Derek W. Erdmann
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Patent number: 12279096Abstract: Systems and methods for media playback via a media playback system include detecting a first wake word via a first network microphone device of a first playback device, detecting a second wake word via a second network microphone device of a second playback device, and forming a bonded zone that includes the first playback device and the second playback device. In response to detecting the first wake word, a first voice utterance following the first wake word is transmitted a first voice assistant service. In response to detecting the second wake word, a second voice utterance following the second wake word is transmitted to a second voice assistant service. Requested media content received from the first and/or second voice assistant service is played back via the first playback device and the second playback device in synchrony with one another.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2023Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Sein Woo, John G. Tolomei
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Patent number: 12271655Abstract: Devices, system, and methods are disclosed for provisioning devices over a cloud network in accordance with modifications to operational settings of a media playback system. In example embodiments, a first playback device is configured to identify a change to a property of an operational setting of the media playback system at a first geographic location of the media playback system, and based on the identified change, (i) locally provision itself in accordance with the identified change to the property of the operational setting, (ii) cause a cloud computing device located outside of the media playback system to be provisioned in accordance with the identified change to the property of the operational setting, and (iii) cause the cloud computing device to initiate provisioning of a second playback device at a second geographic location in accordance with the identified change to the property of the operational setting at the first geographic location.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2023Date of Patent: April 8, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Keith Thoresz, Daniel Casimiro, Sachin Lad, Steven Beckhardt
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Patent number: 12271656Abstract: An example method includes receiving data indicating a configuration of one or more playback devices. The one or more playback devices may include one or more transducers. The method further includes, based on the received data, associating each of one or more audio streams respectively with at least one transducer of the one or more transducers. The method further includes generating the one or more audio streams and sending at least one of the generated one or more audio streams to each of the one or more playback devices. An example non-transitory computer readable medium and an example computing device related to the example method are also disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2023Date of Patent: April 8, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Ted Lin, Romi Kadri
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Patent number: 12273084Abstract: Embodiments are provided for satellite volume control. An example method includes receiving an input at a playback device to adjust a volume for a plurality of playback devices that are grouped for synchronous playback of audio content, wherein the plurality of playback devices includes the playback device. The method also includes sending a first message over a network from the playback device to a device associated with the plurality of playback devices, the first message including information based on the input, wherein the information is used to adjust the volume of the plurality of playback devices. The method also includes receiving a second message at the playback device over the network, the second message including information for the volume of the playback device, wherein the volume is based on the adjusted volume of the plurality of playback devices.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2023Date of Patent: April 8, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Bob Dizon, Neil Griffiths, Luis R. Vega Zayas
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Patent number: 12267635Abstract: A manufacturing process for a grille element of a media playback system is provided. In one embodiment a sheet of plastic is thermoformed into a desired shape. Holes may have been drilled into the sheet of plastic prior to being thermoformed. Once thermoformed into the desired shape, a coating is applied and cured via a subsequent heat treatment process that anneals the material to remove additional stresses in the material from thermoforming. Once formed and heat treated, the formed component can be bonded to profile substrates to help maintain the formed desired shape.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2020Date of Patent: April 1, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Wei-Hean Liew, Wulin Xia, Teik Siang Lee, Qiang Wu, Tristan Taylor, Philippe Vossel, Edward Mitchell, Jonathan Oswaks
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Patent number: 12267652Abstract: Techniques described herein may involve audio settings based on an environment. An example implementation may involve a playback device playing back first audio content and during playback of at least a portion of the first audio content, detecting, via the at least one microphone, an audio signal. At least a portion of the detected audio signal may include a reflection of the first audio content played back by the playback device. The playback device may determine an equalization setting based on at least the determined one or more reflection characteristics and apply the determined equalization setting during playback of second audio content.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2023Date of Patent: April 1, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventor: William H. Bush
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Patent number: 12262079Abstract: Example access control techniques described herein are intended to enable guest access for a media playback system while maintaining security of the media playback system. An example implementation involves a computing device receiving a request to control a media playback system comprising a playback device. After receiving the request, the computing device obtains access to the media playback system. Obtaining access may involve obtaining a first identifier associated with the media playback system, obtaining a second identifier using the first identifier over a wide area network (WAN) with a computing system, and obtaining a token using the second identifier over the WAN with the computing system. The example implementation further involves receiving a request for the media playback system to perform an operation and causing the media playback system to perform the operation using the token.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2023Date of Patent: March 25, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Keith Thoresz, Nathan Fish
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Patent number: 12260151Abstract: An example playback device is configured to receive a first stream of audio comprising source audio content to be played back by the playback device and record, via one or more microphones of the playback device, an audio signal output by the playback device based on the playback device playing the source audio content. The playback device is also configured to determine a transfer function between a frequency-domain representation of the first stream of audio and a frequency-domain representation of the recorded audio signal, and then determine an estimated frequency response of the playback device based on a difference between (i) the transfer function and (ii) a self-response of the playback device, where the self-response of the playback device is stored in a memory of the playback device. Based on the estimated frequency response, the playback device is configured to determine an acoustic calibration adjustment and implement the acoustic calibration adjustment.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2023Date of Patent: March 25, 2025Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventors: Shao-Fu Shih, Patrick McPherson