Multi-Zone Volume Slider for Synchronized Playback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media playback systems lack a seamless and intuitive method for controlling the volume across multiple playback zones in a network media system, limiting user convenience and flexibility in managing audio levels across different zones.
Innovation Solution
A network media system that allows for the display of adjustable volume indicators on a user interface, enabling users to adjust playback volumes across multiple zones through touch inputs such as hold, swipe, or flick interactions, ensuring synchronized volume changes across all zones in the group.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional separate volume control for each playback zone is used, then individual zone volume adjustment is possible, but user convenience and flexibility in managing audio levels across multiple zones deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate volume controls for different playback zones into a single unified volume slider. This single control simultaneously adjusts the volume of all zones playing the same media content, eliminating the need for users to manually adjust each zone individually and significantly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified volume slider serves multiple functions: it controls volume for individual zones, adjusts volume for groups of zones, and manages overall system volume. This multi-functional design allows a single control element to handle various volume management scenarios, reducing the complexity of the control system while maintaining flexibility.
2Productivity
If manual volume adjustment for each zone is implemented, then precise volume control is achieved, but time consumption and operational efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes volume relationships between zones through grouping. When zones are grouped together, their volume levels are pre-coordinated, so that a single volume adjustment action automatically applies to all grouped zones, eliminating the need for sequential manual adjustment and significantly reducing time consumption.
3Ease of operation
If independent volume indicators for each zone are displayed, then individual zone monitoring is possible, but user interface complexity and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual zone volume indicators into a single unified volume indicator displayed on the user interface. This unified indicator reflects the volume level being applied to all zones, providing clear visual feedback without cluttering the interface with multiple separate indicators, thus maintaining ease of operation while reducing interface complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Example techniques involve controlling playback volumes of playback zones in a network media system. An example implementation includes displaying a first volume indicator along a first volume scale, the first volume indicator at a first position corresponding to a first volume setting of a first playback zone and a second volume indicator along a second volume scale, the second volume indicator at a second position corresponding to a second volume setting of a second playback zone. The implementation involves receiving input data representing an input to cause the first volume setting to change to be equal to the second volume setting and responsively, displaying the first volume indicator at a third position indicating that the first volume setting is equal to the second volume setting, and transmitting a command to adjust a playback volume of the first playback zone to a volume setting corresponding to the third position.