Seamless Audio Source Transition via Buffer Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Consumers expect playback devices to continue playing audio content seamlessly regardless of their location, posing a challenge as devices typically retrieve audio from a cloud-based system via a network, and switching the source to a user device can cause skips or repetitions in the audio.

Innovation Solution

The playback device buffers audio content from the cloud system, allowing it to align incoming audio from the user device, and transitions the audio source by starting playback from a determined point in the user-device audio stream, ensuring a seamless transition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the playback device switches the audio source from the cloud-based system to the user device, then the device can continue playing audio content outside the network, but this switching causes skips or repetitions in the audio

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to play audio outside networkVSAvoidaudio playback continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The playback device performs preliminary actions by establishing a point-to-point wireless link with the user device before actually switching the audio source. This allows the device to prepare the alternative audio pathway in advance, ensuring a smooth transition without skips or repetitions when moving from cloud-based audio to user device audio.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The user device acts as an intermediary between the cloud-based computing system and the playback device. When the playback device moves outside the network, the user device receives audio from the cloud system and relays it to the playback device via a direct wireless link, maintaining audio continuity without interruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the playback device establishes a point-to-point wireless link with the user device, then seamless audio transition is enabled, but additional communication infrastructure is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio playback continuityVSAvoidcommunication interface requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The playback device incorporates multiple communication interfaces that serve dual purposes: the first interface handles network-based audio streaming during normal operation, while the second interface provides point-to-point wireless connectivity for offline operation. This multi-functionality allows the device to maintain reliability across different operating conditions without requiring separate specialized hardware for each mode.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250047729A1Seamless transition of source of media content

Publication Date: 2025.02.06 SONOS INC

AI summary

In one aspect, a playback device is configured to (i) receive a first stream of audio data representing audio content from a computing system, (ii) detect an indication that a source of the audio content is to switch from the computing system to a user device; (iii) after detecting the indication, establish a point-to-point wireless link with the user device over which to receive a second stream of audio data; (iv) receive the second stream of audio data representing the audio content; (v) determine a future time at which to transition from playing back the audio content using the first stream of audio data to playing back the audio content using the second stream of audio data; and (vi) at the future time, transition from playing back the audio content using the first stream of audio data to playing back the audio content using the second stream of audio data.