Sonos was granted a patent for arbitration-based voice recognition.

{
  "signal_id": "1f9ef039-1716-5378-8922-086561d4906f",
  "signal_type": "patents-company",
  "signal_subtype": "patentGrant",
  "detected_at": "2026-09-30T17:28:09+00:00",
  "company": {
    "name": "Sonos",
    "domain": "sonos.com"
  },
  "data": {
    "cpc": [
      {
        "code": "G10L 15/22",
        "label": "Speech analysis or synthesis; speech/voice recognition; audio coding"
      },
      {
        "code": "G06F 3/165",
        "label": "Electric digital data processing"
      },
      {
        "code": "G06F 3/167",
        "label": "Electric digital data processing"
      },
      {
        "code": "G10L 15/32",
        "label": "Speech analysis or synthesis; speech/voice recognition; audio coding"
      },
      {
        "code": "G10L 2015/088",
        "label": "Speech analysis or synthesis; speech/voice recognition; audio coding"
      }
    ],
    "tags": [
      "Intellectual Property",
      "Research & Development",
      "Voice Technology",
      "Artificial Intelligence",
      "Consumer Technology"
    ],
    "detail": "In September 2026 Sonos patented a way to coordinate voice commands across networked microphones in connected speakers and home audio systems.",
    "summary": "Sonos was granted a patent for arbitration-based voice recognition.",
    "event_at": "2026-09-29",
    "inventors": [
      {
        "name": "Steven Beckhardt",
        "status": "resolved",
        "is_primary": true,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebeckhardt"
      },
      {
        "name": "Ted Lin",
        "status": "resolved",
        "is_primary": false,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-lin-b0554514"
      }
    ],
    "tech_area": "speech / audio AI",
    "event_kind": "grant_date",
    "grant_date": "2026-09-29",
    "source_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12749486",
    "cpc_primary": {
      "code": "G10L 15/22",
      "label": "Speech analysis or synthesis; speech/voice recognition; audio coding"
    },
    "patent_title": "Arbitration-based voice recognition",
    "patent_number": "US12749486",
    "uspto_assignee": "Sonos, Inc.",
    "patent_abstract": "A first network microphone device (NMD) is configured to receive, from a second NMD, a first arbitration message including (i) a first measure of confidence associated with a voice input detected by the second NMD and (ii) the voice input detected by the second NMD, and receive, from a third NMD, a second arbitration message including (i) a second measure of confidence associated with the voice input as detected by the third NMD and (ii) the voice input as detected by the third NMD. The first NMD is configured to determine that the second measure of confidence is greater than the first measure of confidence and based on the determination, perform voice recognition based on the voice input as detected by the third NMD, where the voice input includes a command to control audio playback by the first, second, and/or third NMD, and after performing voice recognition, executing the command.",
    "precision_class": "structural",
    "invention_explanation": "A system compares confidence scores and captured audio from multiple microphones to choose which device should handle a spoken request.",
    "technologies_mentioned": [
      "voice recognition",
      "smart speakers",
      "networked microphones",
      "audio AI"
    ]
  }
}

curl https://signals.autobound.ai/v1/signals/1f9ef039-1716-5378-8922-086561d4906f \
  -H "X-API-KEY: $AUTOBOUND_API_KEY"

curl -X POST https://signals.autobound.ai/v1/companies/enrich \
  -H "X-API-KEY: $AUTOBOUND_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain":"sonos.com","limit":20}'