US 11,863,944 B2
Intelligent amplifier activation
Jonathon Reilly, Cambridge, MA (US); and Jonathan Lang, Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Assigned to Sonos, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Filed by Sonos, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Filed on May 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/804,353.
Application 17/804,353 is a continuation of application No. 16/939,318, filed on Jul. 27, 2020, granted, now 11,363,397.
Application 16/939,318 is a continuation of application No. 15/882,631, filed on Jan. 29, 2018, granted, now 10,728,681, issued on Jul. 28, 2020.
Application 15/882,631 is a continuation of application No. 15/338,931, filed on Oct. 31, 2016, granted, now 9,883,306, issued on Jan. 30, 2018.
Application 15/338,931 is a continuation of application No. 14/973,006, filed on Dec. 17, 2015, granted, now 9,516,441, issued on Dec. 6, 2016.
Application 14/973,006 is a continuation of application No. 13/925,367, filed on Jun. 24, 2013, granted, now 9,285,886, issued on Mar. 15, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0360924 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 3/16 (2006.01); H04R 29/00 (2006.01); H04R 3/12 (2006.01); H04R 27/00 (2006.01); G01D 5/24 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 29/007 (2013.01) [G01D 5/2405 (2013.01); G06F 3/165 (2013.01); H04R 3/12 (2013.01); H04R 27/00 (2013.01); H04R 2227/003 (2013.01); H04R 2227/005 (2013.01); H04R 2420/03 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A playback device comprising:
an audio transducer;
at least one sensor;
at least one physical hardware component;
a housing carrying the audio transducer and the at least one physical hardware component; and
data storage including instructions that are executable by at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
enter an inactive state in which the playback device is not actively playing audio via the audio transducer, wherein the at least one physical hardware component is in a first power mode while the playback device is in the inactive state, and wherein the at least one physical hardware component is configured to consume less power in the first power mode relative to a second power mode;
while the playback device is in the inactive state, detect, via the at least one sensor, an indication that a user has entered proximity of the playback device, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect that the user has entered the proximity of the playback device before the user touches the housing of the playback device;
in response to detection of the indication that the user has entered proximity of the playback device, enter an active state, wherein the at least one physical hardware component is the second power mode while the playback device is in the active state;
while the playback device is in the active state, receive an instruction to cause the playback device to render particular audio content, wherein the particular audio content is stored at a network location remote from the playback device; and
responsive to receipt of the instruction: (i) stream, via a network interface, data representing the particular audio content from the network location remote from the playback device, (ii) process the data representing the particular audio content into one or more analog signals representing the particular audio content and (iii) play back the particular audio content via an amplifier that amplifies the one or more analog signals for output via the audio transducer.