Account aware media preferences

• US 10,001,967 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kumar, Abhishek, Kuper, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US15/081,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20160210113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 814 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/637 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialization, adaptation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

Embodiments described herein involve providing media item preferences according to a user account of a user providing the preference, rather than a user account providing the media item. When a user indicates a preference for a media item, the preference are associated with that particular user, rather than with another user whose account the media item may have been accessed and played through when the particular user indicated the preference. As a result, a media preference history associated with the account providing the media item will not be disrupted by other users indicating preferences for the media item. Further, users may build on their respective media preference histories even when listening to music provided by someone else.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

at least one processor; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

transmitting to a playback device, media content accessed via a first user account for a streaming music service provider;

receiving from the playback device, data indicating an explicit like input corresponding to both (i) the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming music service provider and (ii) a second user account for the streaming music service provider; and

storing the explicit like input in a preference database of the streaming music service provider, wherein the explicit like input corresponding to the second user account is stored separately from media content preferences corresponding to the first user account.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to transmitting the media content to the playback device, receiving from the playback device, a request for the media content via the first user account of the streaming music service provider.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to transmitting the media content to the playback device, identifying the media content based on one or more preferences, from the preference database, associated with the first user account.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein receiving from the playback device, data indicating an explicit like input corresponding to both (i) the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming music service provider and (ii) a second user account for the streaming music service provider comprises:

receiving, while transmitting the media content to the playback device, data indicating (i) the explicit like input corresponding to the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming music service provider and (ii) the second user account.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving, while transmitting the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming music service provider to the playback device, data indicating a command to skip to a next track, wherein the command to skip to the next track is associated with the second user account.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein receiving from the playback device, data indicating an explicit like input corresponding to the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming music service provider and (ii) a second user account for the streaming music service provider comprises:

receiving from the playback device, data indicating (i) the explicit like input corresponding to the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming music service provider and (ii) a network device from which the explicit like input corresponding to the media content is received by the playback device, wherein the second user account corresponds to the network device.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving from the playback device, data indicating an explicit dislike input corresponding to both (i) the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming music service provider and (ii) a third user account for the streaming music service provider; and

storing the explicit dislike input in a preference database of the streaming music service provider, wherein the explicit dislike input corresponding to the third user account is stored separately from media content preferences corresponding to the first user account.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to storing the explicit like input in the preference database, identifying the second user account as a user account of the streaming music service provider.

9. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

transmitting to a playback device, media content accessed via a first user account for a streaming media service provider;

receiving from the playback device, data indicating an explicit like input corresponding to both (i) the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) a second user account for the streaming media service provider; and

storing the explicit like input in a preference database of the streaming media service provider, wherein the explicit like input corresponding to the second user account is stored separately from media content preferences corresponding to the first user account.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to transmitting the media content to the playback device, receiving from the playback device, a request for the media content via the first user account of the streaming media service provider.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to transmitting the media content to the playback device, identifying the media content based on one or more preferences, from the preference database, associated with the first user account.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein receiving from the playback device, data indicating an explicit like input corresponding to both (i) the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) a second user account for the streaming media service provider comprises:

receiving, while transmitting the media content to the playback device, data indicating (i) the explicit like input corresponding to the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) the second user account.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving, while transmitting the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider to the playback device, data indicating a command to skip to a next track, wherein the command to skip to the next track is associated with the second user account.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein receiving from the playback device, data indicating an explicit like input corresponding to the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) a second user account for the streaming media service provider comprises:

receiving from the playback device, data indicating (i) the explicit like input corresponding to the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) a network device from which the explicit like input corresponding to the media content is received by the playback device, wherein the second user account corresponds to the network device.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving from the playback device, data indicating an explicit dislike input corresponding to both (i) the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) a third user account for the streaming media service provider; and

storing the explicit dislike input in a preference database of the streaming media service provider, wherein the explicit dislike input corresponding to the third user account is stored separately from media content preferences corresponding to the first user account.

16. A method comprising:

transmitting by a computing device to a playback device, media content accessed via a first user account for a streaming media service provider;

receiving by the computing device from the playback device, data indicating an explicit like input corresponding to the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) a second user account for the streaming media service provider; and

storing by the computing device in a preference database of the streaming media service provider, wherein the explicit like input corresponding to the second user account is stored separately from media content preferences corresponding to the first user account.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prior to transmitting the media content to the playback device, receiving from the playback device, a request for the media content via the first user account of the streaming media service provider; and

in response to the request, identifying the media content based on one or more preferences, from the preference database, associated with the first user account.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving from the playback device, data indicating an explicit like corresponding to both (i) the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) a second user account for the streaming media service provider comprises:

receiving, while transmitting the media content to the playback device, data indicating (i) the explicit like input corresponding to the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) the second user account.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, while transmitting the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider to the playback device, data indicating a command to skip to a next track, wherein the command to skip to the next track is associated with the second user account.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving from the playback device, data indicating an explicit dislike input corresponding to both (i) the media content accessed via the first user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) a third user account for the streaming media service provider; and

storing the explicit dislike input in a preference database of the streaming media service provider, wherein the explicit like indication corresponding to the third user account is stored separately from media content preferences corresponding to the first user account.