Stereo Playback Configuration and Control

Abstract

An example method includes, based on an adjustment to a first displayed volume control, instructing the first playback device to adjust playback volume level; based on an adjustment to a second displayed volume control, instructing the second playback device to adjust playback volume level; after sending the commands, instructing the first and/or second playback device to process an audio stream into a first and/or second channel and to reproduce a respective one of the first and second channel, wherein the grouped first and second playback devices provide multi-channel sound; and based on an adjustment to a third displayed volume control, instructing the first and/or second playback device to adjust a group volume level for both the first and second playback devices.

1 . A computing device comprising:
 one or more processors;   a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium; and   program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to:   assign a first name to a first group of two or more devices;   at a first time when the computing device is configured to control the first group of two or more devices, after obtaining first audio information (i) transmit the first audio information from the computing device to one or more devices in the first group, and (ii) cause the first group to play the first audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect; and   at a second time when the computing device is configured to control a second group of two or more devices to play second audio information from a first source, transmit one or more commands that cause at least one device in the second group to (i) obtain the second audio information from the first source, (ii) provide at least a portion of the second audio information to at least one other device in the second group, and (iii) coordinate with the at least one other device in the second group to cause the second group to play the first audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect where the at least one device in the second group plays a first channel of the second audio information while the at least one other device in the second group plays a second channel of the second audio information, wherein the first channel and the second channel are different.   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprise further program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is further configured to, at a third time when the computing device is configured to control the second group of two or more devices to play third audio information from a second source, transmit one or more commands that cause at least one device in the second group to (i) obtain the second audio information from the second source, (ii) transmit at least a portion of the second audio information to one or more devices in the second group, and (iii) cause the second group to play the second audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect. 
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the first audio information comprises first stereo audio information, wherein the first group of two or more devices comprises a first device and a second device configured in a first stereo playback configuration, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to cause the first group to play the first audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect comprise program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to:
 cause the first device to play a first channel of the first stereo audio information, and cause the second device to play a second channel of the first stereo audio information in synchrony with the first device playing the first channel of the first stereo audio information.   
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 2 , wherein the second audio information comprises second stereo audio information, wherein the second group of two or more devices comprises a third device and a fourth device configured in a second stereo playback configuration, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to cause the second group to play the second audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect comprise program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to:
 cause the third device to play a first channel of the second stereo audio information, and cause the fourth device to play a second channel of the second stereo audio information in synchrony with the third device playing the first channel of the second stereo audio information.   
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the second group of two or more devices comprises a third device and a fourth device, and wherein the program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprise further program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is further configured to:
 after receiving a selection of the third device and the fourth device via a graphical user interface, group the third device and the fourth device into the second group of two or more devices.   
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 5 , wherein the program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprise further program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is further configured to:
 after receiving one or more inputs corresponding to a name for the second group of two or more devices, store the name for the second group of two or more devices.   
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 2 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to control the second group of two or more devices to play third audio information from the second source comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is further configured to coordinate with the second source to provide the third audio information to the at least one device in the second group. 
     
     
         8 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to transmit the first audio information from the computing device to one or more devices in the first group comprise program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to transmit the first audio information from the computing device to one or more devices in the first group via a first wireless networking protocol; and
 wherein the program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to transmit one or more commands that cause at least one device in the second group to (i) obtain the second audio information from the first source, (ii) transmit at least a portion of the second audio information to one or more devices in the second group, and (iii) cause the second group to play the second audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect comprise program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is configured to transmit the one or more commands via a second wireless networking protocol.   
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the first wireless networking protocol comprises a Personal Area Network (PAN) protocol. 
     
     
         10 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the second wireless networking protocol comprises a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) protocol. 
     
     
         11 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the first wireless networking protocol comprises an IEEE 802.15 protocol, and wherein the second wireless networking protocol comprises an IEEE 802.11 protocol. 
     
     
         12 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the first wireless networking protocol comprises a Bluetooth protocol and wherein the second wireless networking protocol comprises a WiFi protocol. 
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprise further program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is further configured to one or more of:
 control a volume of each of the two or more devices in the first group individually;   control a volume of all the two or more devices in the first group collectively as the first group;   control a volume of each of the two or more devices in the second group individually; or   control a volume of all the two or more devices in the second group collectively as the second group.   
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises one of a smart phone or a tablet computer with a display screen. 
     
     
         15 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises an iPhone. 
     
     
         16 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprise further program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors such that the computing device is further configured to:
 after assigning the first name to the first group of two or more devices, storing the first name.   
     
     
         17 . Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions executable one or more processors such that a computing device is configured to perform functions comprising:
 assigning a first name to a first group of two or more devices;   at a first time when the computing device is configured to control the first group of two or more devices, after obtaining first audio information, (i) transmitting the first audio information from the computing device to one or more devices in the first group, and (ii) causing the first group to play the first audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect; and   at a second time when the computing device is configured to control a second group of two or more devices to play second audio information from a first source, transmit one or more commands that cause at least one device in the second group to (i) obtain the second audio information from the first source, (ii) provide at least a portion of the second audio information to at least one other device in the second group, and (iii) coordinate with the at least one other device in the second group to cause the second group to play the first audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect where the at least one device in the second group plays a first channel of the second audio information while the at least one other device in the second group plays a second channel of the second audio information, wherein the first channel and the second channel are different.   
     
     
         18 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the functions further comprise:
 at a third time when the computing device is configured to control the second group of two or more devices to play third audio information from a second source, transmitting one or more commands that cause at least one device in the second group to (i) obtain the second audio information from the second source, (ii) transmit at least a portion of the second audio information to one or more devices in the second group, and (iii) cause the second group to play the second audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect.   
     
     
         19 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the first audio information comprises first stereo audio information, wherein the first group of two or more devices comprises a first device and a second device configured in a first stereo playback configuration, and wherein causing the first group to play the first audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect comprises:
 causing the first device to play a first channel of the first stereo audio information, and causing the second device to play a second channel of the first stereo audio information in synchrony with the first device playing the first channel of the first stereo audio information.   
     
     
         20 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the second audio information comprises second stereo audio information, wherein the second group of two or more devices comprises a third device and a fourth device configured in a second stereo playback configuration, and wherein the causing the second group to play the second audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect comprises:
 causing the third device to play a first channel of the second stereo audio information, and causing the fourth device to play a second channel of the second stereo audio information in synchrony with the third device playing the first channel of the second stereo audio information.   
     
     
         21 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the second group of two or more devices comprises a third device and a fourth device, and wherein the functions further comprise:
 after receiving a selection of the third device and the fourth device via a graphical user interface, grouping the third device and the fourth device into the second group of two or more devices.   
     
     
         22 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the functions further comprise:
 after receiving one or more inputs corresponding to a name for the second group of two or more devices, storing the name for the second group of two or more devices.   
     
     
         23 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein controlling the second group of two or more devices to play third audio information from a second source comprises coordinating with the second source to provide the third audio information to the at least one device in the second group. 
     
     
         24 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein transmitting the first audio information from the computing device to one or more devices in the first group comprises transmitting the first audio information from the computing device to one or more devices in the first group via a first wireless networking protocol; and
 wherein transmitting one or more commands that cause at least one device in the second group to (i) obtain the second audio information from the first source, (ii) transmit at least a portion of the second audio information to one or more devices in the second group, and (iii) cause the second group to play the second audio information in a groupwise manner with a stereo effect comprises transmitting the one or more commands via a second wireless networking protocol.   
     
     
         25 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the first wireless networking protocol comprises a Personal Area Network (PAN) protocol. 
     
     
         26 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the second wireless networking protocol comprises a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) protocol. 
     
     
         27 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the first wireless networking protocol comprises an IEEE 802.15 protocol, and wherein the second wireless networking protocol comprises an IEEE 802.11 protocol. 
     
     
         28 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the first wireless networking protocol comprises a Bluetooth protocol and wherein the second wireless networking protocol comprises a WiFi protocol. 
     
     
         29 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the functions further comprise one or more of:
 controlling a volume of each of the two or more devices in the first group individually;   controlling a volume of all the two or more devices in the first group collectively as the first group;   controlling a volume of each of the two or more devices in the second group individually; or   controlling a volume of all the two or more devices in the second group collectively as the second group.   
     
     
         30 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the computing device comprises one of a smart phone or a tablet computer with a display screen. 
     
     
         31 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the computing device comprises an iPhone. 
     
     
         32 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the functions further comprise:
 after assigning the first name to the first group of two or more devices, storing the first name.