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US-20260126946-A1 - Multiple-Device Setup

US20260126946A1US 20260126946 A1US20260126946 A1US 20260126946A1US-20260126946-A1

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.

Inventors

  • Sein Woo
  • Liesbeth van den Berg
  • Roy POLLOCK

Assignees

  • SONOS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20250922

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a control device of an environment that includes one or more playback devices configured to playback streamed audio content to perform operations comprising: detecting a particular playback device; following detection of the particular playback device, causing the particular playback device to emit a sound; following the emission of the sound by the particular playback device: determining a location associated with the particular playback device; causing the determined location associated with the particular playback device to be displayed; determining an operation configuration for the particular playback device and one or more other playback devices of a media playback system for playback of audio content; and causing the particular playback device and the one or more other playback devices of the media playback system to operate in the determined configuration for playback of audio content.
  2. 2 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the determined configuration comprises a bonded zone configuration.
  3. 3 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the bonded zone configuration comprises a stereo pair configuration.
  4. 4 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the bonded zone configuration comprises a surround sound configuration.
  5. 5 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise configuring the particular playback device as one or more channels of the surround sound configuration.
  6. 6 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein determining a location associated with the particular playback device comprises determining the location associated with the particular playback device following reception of location information from a user input.
  7. 7 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the location information from the user input comprises a selection of the location associated with the particular playback device.
  8. 8 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the location associated with the particular playback device comprises a room of a home or office.
  9. 9 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the control device comprises a television.
  10. 10 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein causing the determined location associated with the particular playback device to be displayed comprises causing the determined location associated with the particular playback device to be displayed on a display of the control device.
  11. 11 . A control device that operates in an environment that includes one or more playback devices configured to playback streamed audio content, wherein the control device comprises: one or more processors; and tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having stored therein instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the control device to perform operations comprising: detecting a particular playback device; following detection of the particular playback device, causing the particular playback device to emit a sound; following the emission of the sound by the particular playback device: determining a location associated with the particular playback device; causing the determined location associated with the particular playback device to be displayed; determining an operation configuration for the particular playback device and one or more other playback devices of a media playback system for playback of audio content; and causing the particular playback device and the one or more other playback devices of the media playback system to operate in the determined configuration for playback of audio content.
  12. 12 . The control device of claim 11 , wherein the determined configuration comprises a bonded zone configuration.
  13. 13 . The control device of claim 12 , wherein the bonded zone configuration comprises a stereo pair configuration.
  14. 14 . The control device of claim 12 , wherein the bonded zone configuration comprises a surround sound configuration.
  15. 15 . The control device of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise configuring the particular playback device as one or more channels of the surround sound configuration.
  16. 16 . The control device of claim 11 , wherein determining a location associated with the particular playback device comprises determining the location associated with the particular playback device following reception of location information from a user input.
  17. 17 . The control device of claim 11 , wherein the location information from the user input comprises a selection of the location associated with the particular playback device.
  18. 18 . The control device of claim 11 , wherein the location associated with the particular playback device comprises a room of a home or office.
  19. 19 . The control device of claim 11 , wherein the control device comprises a television.
  20. 20 . The control device of claim 11 , wherein causing the determined location associated with the particular playback device to be displayed comprises causing the determined location associated with the particular playback device to be displayed on a display of the control device.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/675,113 titled “Multiple-Device Setup,” filed on May 27, 2023, and currently pending; U.S. application Ser. No. 18/675,113 is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/150,826 titled “Multiple-Device Setup,” filed on Jan. 6, 2023, and issued as U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 11,995,374 on May 28, 2024; U.S. application Ser. No. 18/150,826 is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/390,189 titled “Multiple-Device Setup,” filed on Jul. 30, 2021, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,550,537 on Jan. 10, 2023; U.S. application Ser. No. 17/390,189 is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/422,431 titled “Multiple-Device Setup,” filed on May 24, 2019, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,080,000 on Aug. 3, 2021; U.S. application Ser. No. 16/422,431 is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/988,524 titled “Multiple-Device Setup,” filed Jan. 5, 2016, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,303,422 on May 28, 2019. This application is also related to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/988,534 titled “Intelligent Group Identification,” filed on Jan. 5, 2015, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,284,980 on May 7, 2019. The entire contents of U.S. application Ser. Nos. 18/675,113; 18/150,826; 17/390,189; 16/422,431; 14/988,524; and 14/988,534 are incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure is related to consumer goods and, more particularly, to methods, systems, products, features, services, and other elements directed to media playback or some aspect thereof. BACKGROUND Options for accessing and listening to digital audio in an out-loud setting were limited until in 2003, when SONOS, Inc. filed for one of its first patent applications, entitled “Method for Synchronizing Audio Playback between Multiple Networked Devices,” and began offering a media playback system for sale in 2005. The Sonos Wireless HiFi System enables people to experience music from many sources via one or more networked playback devices. Through a software control application installed on a smartphone, tablet, or computer, one can play what he or she wants in any room that has a networked playback device. Additionally, using the controller, for example, different songs can be streamed to each room with a playback device, rooms can be grouped together for synchronous playback, or the same song can be heard in all rooms synchronously. Given the ever growing interest in digital media, there continues to be a need to develop consumer-accessible technologies to further enhance the listening experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Features, aspects, and advantages of the presently disclosed technology may be better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: FIG. 1 shows an example media playback system configuration in which certain embodiments may be practiced; FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of an example playback device; FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of an example control device; FIG. 4 shows an example controller interface; FIG. 5 shows an example control device; FIG. 6 shows an example flow diagram to facilitate detection of playback devices; FIG. 7A shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example implementation; FIG. 7B shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to the example implementation; FIG. 8 shows an example flow diagram to facilitate identification of playback devices; FIG. 9A shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example implementation; FIG. 9B shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to the example implementation; FIG. 10A shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example implementation; FIG. 10B shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example implementation; FIG. 11 shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example implementation; FIG. 12A shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example implementation; FIG. 12B shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example implementation; FIG. 13 shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example implementation; FIG. 14 shows an example flow diagram to facilitate identification and suggestion of playback devices; FIG. 15 shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example implementation; FIG. 16 shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example implementation; FIG. 17A shows a control device that is displaying an example control interface, according to an example im