Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are example techniques for multimedia experience based on biometric data. An example implementation may involve receiving first biometric data representing one or more first biological characteristics of an individual. After receiving the first biometric data, the example implementation may involve correlating the one or more first biological characteristics of the individual with a listening state of the individual. The example implementation may further involve receiving second biometric data representing one or more second biological characteristics of the individual. After receiving the second biometric data, the example implementation may involve determining that the one or more second biological characteristics corresponds to the one or more first biological characteristics.

Abstract: Examples involve a control device using a social networking service to facilitate registration of a streaming media service with a media playback system. An example implementation receives (i) data indicating login credentials for a given account of a social networking service, and (ii) input data to configure streaming media services with a media playback system. Based on receiving the input data to configure the media playback system, the implementation queries the social networking service for streaming media services associated with the given account, and in response to the query, receives data indicating a first streaming media service associated with the given account. The implementation configures the media playback system to playback audio content from the first streaming media service that is associated with the given account and causes the media playback system to playback audio content from the first streaming media service.

Abstract: Aspects of a multi-orientation playback device including at least one microphone array are discussed. A method may include determining an orientation of the playback device which includes at least one microphone array and determining at least one microphone training response for the playback device from a plurality of microphone training responses based on the orientation of the playback device. The at least one microphone array can detect a sound input, and the location information of a source of the sound input can be determined based on the at least one microphone training response and the detected sound input. Based on the location information of the source, the directional focus of the at least one microphone array can be adjusted, and the sound input can be captured based on the adjusted directional focus.

Abstract: Implementations herein may involve a packaging system including a first box part including a plurality of lid walls, where a first lid wall comprises an aperture and a latch slidably disposed within the aperture. The packaging system may also include a second box part having a plurality of tray walls, where a first tray wall comprises a channel sized to slidably receive the latch. The channel may include an assembly channel segment and a locking channel segment, where the assembly channel segment intersects an edge of the first tray wall. Further, the second box part may be configured to fit within the first box part such that a) the assembly channel segment is aligned with the latch when the latch is in a first position within the aperture, and b) the latch is slidable within the locking channel segment to a second position.

Abstract: An example playback device may store an active volume state variable in memory, where the active volume state variable corresponds to a current playback volume. The playback device may also store a volume limit state variable in memory, where the volume limit state variable corresponds to a playback volume limit of the playback device. The playback device may detect a command to begin playback of media from a given source and then select a startup playback volume to be one of the current playback volume and the playback volume limit based on the given source of the command to begin playback. The playback device may then play back media at the startup playback volume.

Abstract: Techniques for controlling one or more audio amplifiers in or associated with a device coupled on a local area network are disclosed. The device receives at least one selected source from other devices also coupled on the network According to one aspect of the techniques, an automatic shutdown control module is provided in the device to power down the audio amplifiers when there is no audio data flow coming to the device or power up the audio amplifiers when there is audio data flow coming to the device. In one embodiment, the procedure to power down or power up the amplifiers is in accordance with a hysteresis, wherein the hysteresis, being lagging of an effect behind its cause, protects the amplifiers and makes the powering-down or powering-up procedure unnoticeable to a user.

Abstract: Configuration information and selectable grouping options associated with the plurality of zones is displayed, for example, on a wearable device. Selection of a first selectable grouping option is received and in response a configuration change is transmitted. The configuration change may comprise information indicating a first zone is to join a zone group with a second zone of the plurality of zones. Updated configuration information is received indicating that a media playback system includes the zone group comprising the first zone and the second zone. The updated configuration information is displayed on the wearable device.

Abstract: An example implementation may involve a media playback system detecting two or more playback devices of a given type. The implementation may further involve transmitting, to a particular playback device of the detected playback devices, an instruction that causes the particular playback device to emit a given sound. The implementation may also involve receiving an identification of the particular playback device and displaying, via a graphical interface, one or more prompts to join the particular playback device into the media playback system.

Abstract: Example systems, apparatus, and methods receive audio information including a plurality of frames from a source device, wherein each frame of the plurality of frames includes one or more audio samples and a time stamp indicating when to play the one or more audio samples of the respective frame. In an example, the time stamp is updated for each of the plurality of frames using a time differential value determined between clock information received from the source device and clock information associated with the device. The updated time stamp is stored for each of the plurality of frames, and the audio information is output based on the plurality of frames and associated updated time stamps. A number of samples per frame to be output is adjusted based on a comparison between the updated time stamp for the frame and a predicted time value for play back of the frame.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a crossover frequency between a plurality of audio speakers rendering audio content. In one example, a first subset of a plurality of audio speakers may be rendering a first sub-range of a range of audio frequencies of an audio content, and a second subset of speakers of the plurality of audio speakers may be rendering a second sub-range of the range of audio frequencies. In this example, the first sub-range and the second sub-range may be substantially separated at the crossover frequency. In one case, a characteristic of the audio content may be determined, and the crossover frequency may be adjusted based on the determined characteristic to help improve the audio content rendering quality by the respective subsets of audio speakers in the plurality of audio speakers.

Abstract: A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices that have independent clocking arrangements. The system includes a task distribution device that distributes tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices that are to perform the tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to the members of the synchrony group over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which the members of the synchrony group are to execute the task.

Abstract: Technology for grouping, consolidating, and pairing individual playback devices with network capability (players) to stimulate a multi-channel listening environment is disclosed. An example method includes receiving an audio signal containing a range of audio frequencies; amplifying, according to a gain parameter, the audio signal to be reproduced by at least one speaker. The example method includes automatically increasing the gain parameter to a higher gain parameter responsive to a determination that no more than a subset of the range of audio frequencies is to be reproduced by the at least one speaker. The example method includes amplifying, according to the higher gain parameter, the audio signal containing no more than the subset of the range of audio frequencies to be reproduced by the at least one speaker.

Abstract: Embodiments are described herein that allow for personalized media playback at a discovered point-of-sale display. In one aspect, a method is provided that involves discovering a point-of-sale display by a portable computing device. The point-of-sale display comprises at least one media playback device. The method further involves receiving, over a wireless network by the portable computing device, a software application and a system identifier of the point-of-sale display. The system identifier to automatically configure the software application to control the at least one media playback device at the discovered point-of-sale display. The method further involves joining the software application on the portable computing device to the point-of-sale display using the system identifier. The method further involves sending from the portable computing device via the configured software application one or more commands to control the at least one media playback device.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An audio playback device comprises a microphone, a speaker, and a processor. The processor is arranged to output by the speaker first audio content and receive by the microphone an indication of the first audio content. A first acoustic response of a room in which the audio playback device is located is determined based on the received indication of first audio content. A mapping is applied to the first acoustic response to determine a second acoustic response. The second acoustic response is indicative of an approximated acoustic response of the room at a spatial location different from a spatial location of the microphone. The second audio content output by the speaker is adjusted based on the second response.

Abstract: In a network comprising a plurality of zone players, including at least a first zone player and a second zone player, a method comprising: receiving, by the first zone player, first control information from a user interface module; based on the received first control information, transmitting, by the first zone player, second control information to the second zone player, wherein the second control information comprises (i) a network address of an audio information channelization device that provides audio information and playback timing information, and (ii) a multicast address that the audio information channelization device uses to broadcast audio information and playback timing information to the network; and playing, by the first zone player, the audio information in synchrony with the second zone player.

Abstract: Systems and methods for calibrating a playback device include (i) outputting first audio content; (ii) capturing audio data representing reflections of the first audio content within a room in which the playback device is located; (iii) based on the captured audio data, determining an acoustic response of the room; (iv) connecting to a database comprising a plurality of sets of stored audio calibration settings, each set associated with a respective stored acoustic room response of a plurality of stored acoustic room responses; (v) querying the database for a stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located; and (vi) applying to the playback device a particular set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located.

Abstract: Examples described herein involve configuring a playback device based on distortion, such as that caused by a barrier. One implementation may involve causing the playback device to play audio content according to an existing playback configuration, determining an existing frequency response of the playback device in a given system, and determining whether a difference between the existing frequency response of the playback device in the given system and a predetermined frequency response for the playback device is greater than a predetermined distortion threshold. If it is determined that the difference between the existing frequency response of the playback device and the predetermined frequency response for the playback device is greater than the predetermined distortion threshold, then the existing playback configuration of the playback device is changed to an updated playback configuration of the playback device and the playback device plays audio content according to the updated playback configuration.