Patents by Inventor Sein Woo

Sein Woo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12279096
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Sein Woo, John G. Tolomei
  • Publication number: 20250036350
    Abstract: Example techniques relate to calibration interfaces that facilitate calibration of a playback device. An example implementation may involve outputting a sequence of prompts to guide calibration of a playback device during a calibration sequence comprising (i) a spatial calibration component and (ii) a spectral calibration component. Outputting the sequence of prompts includes outputting one or more first audio prompts representing a guide to perform the spatial calibration component of the calibration sequence. The spatial calibration component involves calibration of the playback device for a particular location within an environment. Outputting the sequence of prompts also includes outputting one or more first second prompts representing a guide to perform the spectral calibration component of the calibration sequence. The spectral calibration component involves calibration of the playback device for the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2024
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Inventors: Dayn Wilberding, Sein Woo
  • Patent number: 12212945
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include networked microphone devices (NMD) determining whether a Do Not Disturb (DND) feature should be activated, in response to determining that the DND feature should be activated, activating the DND feature. In some embodiments, the NMD determines whether to activate the DND feature based on various configuration and operational states. And in some embodiments, activating the DND feature includes activating the DND feature includes activating the DND feature at one or more additional NMDs based on the configuration and operational state of the NMD and the one or more additional NMDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Sein Woo, Ryan Myers, Charles Freedman
  • Publication number: 20250028499
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Sein Woo, Liesbeth van den Berg, Roy Pollock
  • Publication number: 20250004701
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to content curation based on sample media items. In some examples, indication(s) of at least one sample media item to be associated with a particular category are received from various accounts of a media service. The sample media items are associated with the particular category, and this association is used to provide, for each account, respective media content recommendations for the particular category. Sample media items provided for the particular category by each account can be different. In this way, media content recommendations provided to each account for the particular category can likewise be different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2024
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventors: Ryan MYERS, Sein WOO, Konstantin VOVK
  • Publication number: 20250004700
    Abstract: Methods for providing contextual media content recommendations are disclosed. The media content recommendations are based on a playback history comprising media items previously played back and based on a playback context. The playback context can be a personal context, in which media content is provided to the user alone, or a shared context, in which media content is provided to the user in presence of at least one additional user. For the personal context, the media content recommendations are based on a first set of media items in the playback history. For the shared context, the media content recommendations are based on a second set of media items in the playback history. The second set of media items excludes at least one media item included in the first set of media items.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2024
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventors: Sein WOO, Ryan MYERS, Konstantin VOVK
  • Publication number: 20240267416
    Abstract: Techniques for sharing content via prompts are disclosed. In some techniques, prompts are provided via user devices. Users can respond to the prompts with an indication of at least one media content item. The responses to prompts can be shared among various users so that users can see and optionally play back the media content indicated in the responses to the prompts. In this way, users can add, see and sample content shared by multiple users and from multiple content sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2024
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Inventors: Selena YANG, Sein WOO, Bona KIM
  • Patent number: 11995374
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Sein Woo, Liesbeth van den Berg, Roy Pollock
  • Patent number: 11983458
    Abstract: Example techniques relate to calibration interfaces that facilitate calibration of a playback device. An example implementation may involve outputting a sequence of prompts to guide calibration of a playback device during a calibration sequence comprising (i) a spatial calibration component and (ii) a spectral calibration component. Outputting the sequence of prompts includes outputting one or more first audio prompts representing a guide to perform the spatial calibration component of the calibration sequence. The spatial calibration component involves calibration of the playback device for a particular location within an environment. Outputting the sequence of prompts also includes outputting one or more first second prompts representing a guide to perform the spectral calibration component of the calibration sequence. The spectral calibration component involves calibration of the playback device for the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Dayn Wilberding, Sein Woo
  • Publication number: 20240114179
    Abstract: A media playback system for streaming content and/or playing stored media content is disclosed. The media playback system can configure the first playback device to stream content items received via a network connection without storing the streamed content in a first content store. After receiving an indication to store content, the media playback system identifies one or more content items to download for storage in the first content store. After the one or more content items are selected, the content items can be retrieved and stored on the playback device. Furthermore, the media playback system can configure a playback device to play content items from the first content store of the first playback device. In this manner, the first playback device need not be connected to the Internet or to a controller device to play content. Moreover, the playback device can switch between playing stored content and streaming content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Ryan Richard Myers, Konstantin Vovk, Sein Woo, John G. Tolomei
  • Publication number: 20240104151
    Abstract: A computing device may be configured to (i) operate as a control device of a media playback system including first and second playback devices, each associated with a respective playback queue, (ii) determine that a first playback queue associated with the first playback device is empty, (iii) based on the determination, determine content recommendations based on context information related to the first playback device, (iv) display indications of the first and second playback devices, where (a) the indication of the second playback device indicates media content identified in a second playback queue associated with the second playback device, and (b) the indication of the first playback device includes a selectable indication for each content recommendation for the first playback queue, (v) receive a selection of a content recommendation, and (vi) based on the received input, populate the first playback queue with media content corresponding to the selected content recommendation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Sein Woo, Bona Kim
  • Publication number: 20240080621
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Sein Woo, Andrew Lindley, Ryan Myers
  • Publication number: 20230353942
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Sein Woo, John G. Tolomei
  • Publication number: 20230266939
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Sein Woo, Liesbeth van den Berg, Roy Pollock
  • Publication number: 20230221916
    Abstract: Example techniques relate to calibration interfaces that facilitate calibration of a playback device. An example implementation may involve outputting a sequence of prompts to guide calibration of a playback device during a calibration sequence comprising (i) a spatial calibration component and (ii) a spectral calibration component. Outputting the sequence of prompts includes outputting one or more first audio prompts representing a guide to perform the spatial calibration component of the calibration sequence. The spatial calibration component involves calibration of the playback device for a particular location within an environment. Outputting the sequence of prompts also includes outputting one or more first second prompts representing a guide to perform the spectral calibration component of the calibration sequence. The spectral calibration component involves calibration of the playback device for the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Dayn Wilberding, Sein Woo
  • Patent number: 11696074
    Abstract: 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 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: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Sein Woo, John G. Tolomei
  • Patent number: 11689858
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Sein Woo, Andrew Lindley, Ryan Myers
  • Publication number: 20230122316
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include networked microphone devices (NMD) determining whether a Do Not Disturb (DND) feature should be activated, in response to determining that the DND feature should be activated, activating the DND feature. In some embodiments, the NMD determines whether to activate the DND feature based on various configuration and operational states. And in some embodiments, activating the DND feature includes activating the DND feature includes activating the DND feature at one or more additional NMDs based on the configuration and operational state of the NMD and the one or more additional NMDs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Sein Woo, Ryan Myers, Charles Freedman
  • Patent number: 11550537
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Sein Woo, Liesbeth van den Berg, Roy Pollock
  • Patent number: 11531514
    Abstract: Example techniques relate to calibration interfaces that facilitate calibration of a playback device. An example implementation may involve outputting a sequence of prompts to guide calibration of a playback device during a calibration sequence comprising (i) a spatial calibration component and (ii) a spectral calibration component. Outputting the sequence of prompts includes outputting one or more first audio prompts representing a guide to perform the spatial calibration component of the calibration sequence. The spatial calibration component involves calibration of the playback device for a particular location within an environment. Outputting the sequence of prompts also includes outputting one or more first second prompts representing a guide to perform the spectral calibration component of the calibration sequence. The spectral calibration component involves calibration of the playback device for the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Dayn Wilberding, Sein Woo