Multi-Zone Playback Scene Recall for Fast Audio Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current media playback systems lack the ability to easily create, store, and instantiate multi-zone group scenes across multiple zones, limiting the flexibility and convenience in configuring and reconfiguring audio settings for different scenarios within a household or environment.
Innovation Solution
A media playback system that allows users to create, store, and instantiate multi-zone group scenes through a controller interface, enabling configuration of multiple zones with specific audio settings, which can be stored locally or on external devices and reactivated with a single command, allowing seamless transitions between different audio scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple zones are configured with different audio settings, then audio customization for different scenarios is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures multiple zone group scenes with specific audio settings, groupings, and configurations stored as reusable templates. Users can define zone groupings (e.g., living room + kitchen for parties, or all rooms for movie nights) and audio parameters in advance, eliminating the need to manually reconfigure multiple zones each time a scenario changes. The controller stores these pre-configured scenes and automatically applies them when triggered.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and stores copies of zone grouping configurations and audio settings as reusable scene templates. Instead of manually configuring each zone individually for different scenarios, the controller captures the current state of multiple zones as a copyable configuration set that can be instantly replicated and applied across different time periods and scenarios.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex audio configurations are manually set up, then audio scenario customization is improved, but user time and effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
Zone group scenes are configured in advance and stored in the controller's memory, capturing complete zone groupings, audio settings, and playback configurations. When a user wants to activate a scenario (e.g., party mode or movie night), the pre-configured scene is automatically retrieved and applied, reducing setup time from minutes to seconds.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates reusable copies of complex multi-zone configurations as stored scenes. Each scene contains a complete snapshot of zone groupings and audio parameters that can be instantly copied and applied multiple times without requiring users to re-enter configuration data.
3Adaptability or versatility
If zone groupings are frequently reconfigured, then scenario flexibility is improved, but system stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple stable, pre-configured zone group scenes are stored in the controller, each representing a proven working configuration for specific scenarios. Instead of making frequent incremental changes to zone groupings, users select from predefined stable scenes that have been optimized for their intended purposes, reducing configuration instability while maintaining flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system stores multiple verified zone grouping configurations as reusable scene templates. Each scene represents a stable, tested configuration that can be copied and applied consistently. This approach maintains system stability by using proven configurations while enabling flexibility through the availability of multiple pre-tested scene options.
Data Source
AI summary
A control device is configured to (i) define configuration data corresponding to a zone scene of a media playback system, the configuration data including an identification of at least a first zone player and a second zone player, (ii) cause a remote computing device to (a) receive the configuration data via a wide area network and (b) store the configuration data, (iii) while the first zone player and a third zone player are playing back first audio content in synchrony, display a selectable indication that, when selected, causes the zone scene to be invoked, and (iv) in response to receiving an input indicative of a selection of the selectable indication, cause the remote computing device to invoke the zone scene at the media playback system such that the first zone player and the second zone player play back second audio content in synchrony without the third zone player.