Patent ID: 11934739
Assignee: SONOS, INC.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. A computing device comprising:
one or more processors; and
tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program instructions stored therein, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to:
operate in a first mode in which the computing device is serving as an audio information channel device for an individual zone player, wherein the individual zone player is configured to play first audio content in a standalone mode;
receive an indication that the computing device is to begin serving as an audio information channel device for a synchrony group that comprises at least a first zone player and a second zone player that are communicatively coupled with the computing device over an asynchronous data network configured to exchange digital data packets, wherein the computing device, the first zone player, and the second zone player each have a different respective clock time;
after receiving the indication that the computing device is to begin serving as the audio information channel device for the synchrony group,
(a) configure the synchrony group to playback audio in synchrony, wherein configuring the synchrony group comprises sending control information to at least one of the first zone player or the second zone player that instructs the at least one of the first zone player or the second zone player to begin operating as part of the synchrony group; and
(b) transition from operating in the first mode to operating in a second mode in which the computing device serves as the audio information channel device for the synchrony group, wherein, while operating in the second mode, the computing device is configured to:
exchange, via the asynchronous data network, clock timing information with each of the first zone player and the second zone player that facilitates time synchronization between the computing device and each of the first zone player and the second zone player, wherein the time synchronization establishes a common notion of clock time for each of the first zone player, the second zone player, and the computing device;
generate playback timing information associated with second audio content to be played by the synchrony group, wherein the playback timing comprises an indicator of a first future time, relative to the common notion of clock time, at which at least the first and second zone players are to initiate synchronous playback of the second audio content; and
transmit, via a network interface to the first and second zone players over the asynchronous data network, both (a) the audio information representing the second audio content and (b) the playback timing information, thereby enabling the first and second zone players to play back the second audio content in synchrony.