US 12,451,149 B2
Multichannel playback devices and associated systems and methods
Richard Jackson, Boston, MA (US); Hilmar Lehnert, Framington, MA (US); Chris Davies, Santa Barbara, CA (US); Paul MacLean, Quincy, MA (US); and Roberto Maria Dizon, Cambridge, MA (US)
Assigned to Sonos, Inc., Goleta, CA (US)
Filed by Sonos, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 29, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/425,864.
Application 18/425,864 is a continuation of application No. 17/445,296, filed on Aug. 17, 2021, granted, now 11,922,955.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/706,543, filed on Aug. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0242724 A1, Jul. 18, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04S 3/00 (2006.01); G10L 19/008 (2013.01); H04S 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC G10L 19/008 (2013.01) [H04S 3/008 (2013.01); H04S 7/30 (2013.01); H04S 2400/01 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A media playback system comprising:
a control device comprising:
a wired connection for receiving home theatre audio content from a local audio source; and
a first network interface; and
a first playback device comprising:
a plurality of transducers enclosed within a common housing; and
a second network interface; and
one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the media playback system, cause the media playback system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at the control device via the wired connection, a source stream of home theatre audio content comprising at least a left input channel, a right input channel, and a center input channel;
transmitting, from the control device to the first playback device via the first network interface, at least a portion of the source stream of home theatre audio content for playback;
while the first playback device is in a first operating mode, playing back, via the plurality of transducers of the first playback device: (i) left channel audio based on the left input channel, (ii) right channel audio based on the right input channel, and (iii) center channel audio based on the center input channel;
after a second playback device and a third playback device are bonded to the first playback device for synchronous audio playback, transitioning the first playback device from the first operating mode to a second operating mode;
obtaining a first signal indicative of a location of the second playback device relative to the first playback device;
obtaining a second signal indicative of a location of the third playback device relative to the first playback device; and
while the first playback device is in the second operating mode:
playing back, via the plurality of transducers of the first playback device, arrayed center channel audio based on at least the center input channel, wherein an acoustic signature of the arrayed center channel audio is based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal, the arrayed center channel audio having a different acoustic signature than that of the left channel audio, the right channel audio, and the center channel audio played back via the plurality of transducers in the first mode;
causing right channel audio to be played back via the second playback device based on at least the right input channel, the second playback device being separate and spaced apart from the first playback device; and
causing left channel audio to be played back via the third playback device based on at least the left input channel, the third playback device being separate and spaced apart from the first playback device.