US 2,002,124,097 · Filed 2000-12-29

The Patent for Controlling Music Room-by-Room Over WiFi

Imagine being able to tell your home's speaker system to play different music in your bedroom versus the kitchen, all wirelessly over your home network. This patent describes a smart system where speakers are grouped into zones and a central controller decides what audio each zone receives based on settings you choose.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a networked system where multiple addressable audio devices connect to a local network, group into defined zones within a physical space, and receive targeted digital audio streams based on zone-specific settings. What's protected here is the method of dynamically routing different audio to different zones, including the relationship between a reference device and other devices in each zone, and the user interface that lets someone control which audio goes where.

Why it matters

This patent captures the core logic behind multi-room audio distribution systems that became standard in homes and commercial spaces. By securing the ability to manage audio by zone rather than sending the same signal everywhere, it protects a key architectural approach that competitors would need to work around if they wanted to build similar systems. The filing date of late 2000 places this early in the era of networked home audio.

Real-world use

Every time you use an app to play a podcast in your living room while a family member streams a different song in their bedroom, you're using technology this patent covers.

Original USPTO abstract

Systems and methods are provided for dynamic distribution of audio signals at a site based on defined zones within the site. A plurality of addressable audio devices are coupled to a local network for the site which are configured to receive a designated digital audio stream over the local network and to output the received digital audio stream to audio equipment located at the site. A zone manager defines a plurality of zones for the site which may include a plurality of the addressable audio devices. The zone manager defines a relationship between a characteristic of the audio signal for a reference audio device and for the addressable audio devices in the zones. An audio interface receives digital audio streams and outputs the digital audio streams on the local network addressed to selected ones of the audio devices based on the defined zones, the defined relationship between a characteristic of the audio signal for a reference audio device and for the addressable audio devices and a control input associated with the characteristic. A user interface is provided which is configured to receive a user designation of the control input. Systems and methods for dynamic aggregation of audio equipment in zones are also provided.

Patent details

Publication number: US 2,002,124,097
Filing date: 2000-12-29
Grant date: Application — not yet granted
Assignee: Isely Larson J. / Deen Gary D. / Knowles Gregory T. / Webb Brian T.
Inventor(s): ISELY LARSON J., DEEN GARY D., KNOWLES GREGORY T., WEBB BRIAN T.
CPC class: H04H60/95

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