Zone Scene Control for Synchronized Multi-Room Audio Playback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional multi-zone audio systems struggle with dynamic management of ad hoc groupings of audio players, making it inconvenient to adjust audio settings and volumes across multiple zones simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A mechanism is provided to allow users to group multimedia players by theme or scene, enabling synchronized playback and volume control across selected zones, which can be activated at any time or set for specific times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional multi-zone audio systems use pre-configured controllers for each zone, then each zone can play audio sources independently, but it becomes difficult to dynamically manage ad hoc groupings of zones and adjust settings across multiple zones simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple zone players into a single selectable group, allowing users to treat multiple zones as one unified entity for control purposes. This enables simultaneous adjustment of audio settings across selected zones while maintaining the ability to independently control individual zones when needed, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically allows users to select and deselect zones for group control based on current needs. The controller can switch between controlling individual zones and controlling groups of zones simultaneously, providing dynamic adaptability to different operational scenarios without requiring separate pre-configured controllers for each zone.
2Ease of operation
If audio players are controlled individually in traditional systems, then each zone maintains independent control, but adjusting volume and settings across multiple zones requires manual adjustment of each player separately
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple zone players into a selectable group, the system enables single-control-point adjustment of volume and settings across multiple zones simultaneously. This eliminates the need to manually adjust each player separately, significantly reducing the time required while maintaining independent zone control capability when needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a centralized location provides audio sources to multiple zones, then source sharing is enabled, but a cross-bar device is required to prevent audio sources from going to other audio players that may be playing other audio sources
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a digital network as an intermediary between the centralized audio source and multiple zone players. This eliminates the need for complex cross-bar switching devices, as the digital network inherently manages source routing and prevents conflicts between zones playing different audio sources, thus enabling source sharing with reduced device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing device capable of controlling a networked media playback system receives data identifying a first zone player, a second zone player, and a zone scene including a predefined grouping of zone players including at least the first zone player and the second zone player. The computing device displays a representation of available zone players in the networked media playback system including a first selectable indication of the first zone player, a second selectable indication of the second zone player, and a third selectable indication of the zone scene that, when selected, causes the zone scene to be invoked such that the predefined grouping of zone players becomes configured for synchronous playback of media. While displaying the representation, the computing device receives a user input indicating that the zone scene has been selected to be invoked. Based on the user input, the computing device causes the zone scene to be invoked.