FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to broadcasting music to smart speakers.

BACKGROUND

Portable Bluetooth speakers are frequently used to increase flexibility and ease of interacting with a computerized device. For example, a portable Bluetooth speaker may be used to provide a voice-control interface with a device. As another example, a portable Bluetooth speaker may play music and other media (e.g., such as podcasts, audio books, and the like) for a user. As an example, a speaker may be connected to a smart device, such as a mobile phone, a tablet, a computer or an audio playing device, and the smart device may transmit the audio stream via Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) and in order to reproduce the audio through the speaker. However, currently Bluetooth speaker designs may only allow one-to-one connections between smart devices and speakers, so that only a single Bluetooth speaker may reproduce the audio stream from the smart device. This limitation may reduce customer satisfaction and system flexibility.

SUMMARY

Embodiments are disclosed for an example method for transitioning a computing system, such as a speaker controller, between a broadcasting mode and a normal mode, the broadcasting mode including a master sub-mode and a slave sub-mode. The example method comprises: responsive to a first speaker of a plurality of speakers receiving a first audio stream from a first audio device and a request to enter a broadcasting mode, operating the first speaker in a master sub-mode of a broadcasting mode by: re-broadcasting the first audio stream from the first audio device via a second speaker of the plurality of speakers operating in a slave sub-mode of the broadcasting mode, the second speaker not receiving the first audio stream from the first audio device.

In another embodiment, an example method for a computing system comprises: transitioning between operating a speaker in a normal mode and operating the speaker in a broadcasting mode, the broadcasting mode including a master sub-mode and a slave sub-mode.

Systems for a computing system (e.g., such as a speaker controller) are also disclosed. An example computing system comprises: a first speaker; a processor communicatively coupled to the computing system; and a storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to: responsive to operating in a master sub-mode of a broadcasting mode, re-broadcasting an audio stream from an audio device to a second speaker, the second speaker not communicatively coupled to the audio device; and responsive to operating in a slave sub-mode of the broadcasting mode, acquiring the audio stream from a third speaker, the third speaker receiving the audio stream from the audio device.

