Bonded Playback Volume Control for Consistent Multi-Speaker Audio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital audio systems lack seamless satellite volume control across multiple playback devices in a bonded zone, leading to inconsistent audio experiences and user input inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where user input for volume changes at a secondary playback device is propagated throughout the bonded zone, allowing all devices to adjust their volume synchronously, with a primary playback device managing audio signal processing and distribution to ensure synchronized playback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If volume control is implemented independently at each playback device, then each device can be controlled individually, but volume inconsistency occurs across the bonded zone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the volume control functionality across multiple playback devices by implementing a centralized volume management system within the bonded zone. When one device receives a volume adjustment input, this control signal is propagated to all other devices in the bonded zone, ensuring unified volume control while maintaining individual device accessibility.
2Reliability
If volume changes are propagated across all devices in a bonded zone, then volume consistency is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the bonded zone itself acts as a mediator for volume control. The system establishes communication protocols and signal propagation paths between devices in the bonded zone, allowing volume changes to be transmitted and applied uniformly across all devices without requiring complex peer-to-peer coordination between each device pair.
3Reliability
If synchronous playback is implemented across multiple devices, then seamless audio experience is achieved, but synchronization delays may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary synchronization actions by establishing timing protocols and buffer mechanisms before audio playback begins. The system pre-coordinates the playback timing across all devices in the bonded zone, ensuring that volume changes and audio signals are applied simultaneously at all devices, thereby minimizing perceptible synchronization delays during actual playback.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are provided for satellite volume control. An example method includes receiving an input at a playback device to adjust a volume for a plurality of playback devices that are grouped for synchronous playback of audio content, wherein the plurality of playback devices includes the playback device. The method also includes sending a first message over a network from the playback device to a device associated with the plurality of playback devices, the first message including information based on the input, wherein the information is used to adjust the volume of the plurality of playback devices. The method also includes receiving a second message at the playback device over the network, the second message including information for the volume of the playback device, wherein the volume is based on the adjusted volume of the plurality of playback devices.