Media Playback Volume Control Under Maximum Volume Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media playback systems with maximum volume features can misinterpret user volume adjustments, leading to a suboptimal user experience as the system sets the volume to a predefined maximum level instead of the requested level, causing confusion and perceived ignoring of user requests when the requested volume exceeds the maximum.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a maximum volume state variable that allows playback devices to calculate an alternate volume level based on the requested level and set it, while sharing a representative volume level with other devices in the system, ensuring user requests are honored and the system appears responsive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system enforces a maximum volume level to prevent harmful noise, then safety and reliability are improved, but user control and satisfaction deteriorate when users request volumes above the maximum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a controller device as an intermediary between the user and the playback device. The controller maintains a representative volume level that reflects user requests, while the playback device independently enforces the maximum volume constraint. This mediator resolves the conflict by allowing both user control perception and safety enforcement to coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the volume control functionality into two independent components: the playback device that enforces the maximum volume constraint, and the controller that manages the representative volume level to reflect user intent. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific role without conflict.
2Reliability
If the playback device sets volume to maximum level when requested volume exceeds the maximum, then the maximum volume constraint is enforced, but user requests are misinterpreted and user experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The controller acts as an intermediary that preserves user request information through the representative volume level. When the playback device enforces the maximum volume constraint, the controller maintains the representative volume level to reflect what the user actually requested, preventing information loss and ensuring accurate representation of user intent.
3Device complexity
If the system uses a single volume level for both constraint enforcement and user interaction, then device complexity is reduced, but conflicts arise between safety enforcement and user satisfaction
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides volume control into two separate mechanisms: one for constraint enforcement (playback device maximum volume) and one for user interaction (controller representative volume level). This segmentation increases adaptability to user requests while maintaining safety constraints, despite the added complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, a zone player may include a network interface, at least one processor, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that may be executable by the at least one processor such that the zone player is configured to receive an instruction to change a volume setting of the zone player to a requested volume level; in response to receiving the instruction to change the volume setting of the zone player to the requested volume level, adjust the volume setting of the zone player to an adapted volume level that is lower than the requested volume level; and after adjusting the volume setting of the zone player to the adapted volume level, send an indication that the volume setting of the zone player has been adjusted to the requested volume level rather than the adapted volume level.