US 11,870,475 B2
Audio playback management of multiple concurrent connections
Jodi Vautrin, Boston, MA (US); Matt Pandina, Boston, MA (US); Elizabeth Dolman, Boston, MA (US); Ken Hu, Boston, MA (US); Jason Yore, Santa Barbara, CA (US); Matthew Moore, Seattle, WA (US); Ted Lin, Cambridge, MA (US); Richard Bannon, Seattle, WA (US); Chris Babroski, Boston, MA (US); and Robert Bermani, Boston, MA (US)
Assigned to Sonos, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Filed by Sonos, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 27, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/486,424.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/084,796, filed on Sep. 29, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/157,309, filed on Mar. 5, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/157,312, filed on Mar. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0103941 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. H04B 1/16 (2006.01); H04R 1/02 (2006.01); H04R 3/12 (2006.01); H04L 12/28 (2006.01); H04R 5/02 (2006.01); H04N 21/436 (2011.01); H04R 5/04 (2006.01); H04R 25/00 (2006.01); H04S 7/00 (2006.01); H04R 5/033 (2006.01)
CPC H04B 1/1646 (2013.01) [H04L 12/2834 (2013.01); H04N 21/43615 (2013.01); H04R 1/028 (2013.01); H04R 3/12 (2013.01); H04R 5/02 (2013.01); H04R 5/04 (2013.01); H04R 25/407 (2013.01); H04S 7/308 (2013.01); H04L 2012/2849 (2013.01); H04R 5/033 (2013.01); H04R 2420/07 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising a portable playback device, the portable playback device comprising:
at least one audio transducer;
at least one battery;
a first network interface comprising at least one first antenna;
a second network interface comprising at least one second antenna;
at least one processor;
data storage; and
program instructions stored on the data storage that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the portable playback device to perform functions comprising:
establishing concurrent connections to (i) at least one first source over a first network via the first network interface and (ii) a second source over a second network via the second network interface;
streaming, from the at least one first source via the first network interface, a first audio stream, wherein the first audio stream is categorized as content audio having a first priority;
while the first audio stream is assigned as a now playing owner, playing back the first audio stream via the at least one audio transducer;
while playing back the first audio stream via the at least one audio transducer, receiving, from the second source via the second network interface, a second audio stream, wherein the second audio stream is categorized as content audio having the first priority;
assigning the later-received second audio stream as the now playing owner, wherein assigning the later-received second audio stream stops playback of the earlier-received first audio stream;
while the second audio stream is assigned as the now playing owner, playing back the second audio stream via the at least one audio transducer;
while the second audio stream is assigned as the now playing owner, detecting a period of inactivity where audio is not played back from the second source; and
based on detecting the period of inactivity, assigning the first audio stream to the now playing owner and disconnecting from the second source.