Preference conversion

• US 10,034,055 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: van der Heide, Maarten
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Ashish K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ohba, Mellissa M
• Application Number:
  US14/621,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20150309768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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

Examples techniques may involve preference conversion. An example implementation may involve detecting a first input indicating a first preference for a first media provided by a first media provider. The first preference may correspond to a first preference type. The implementation may further involve converting the first preference to a converted first preference. The converted first preference may correspond to a second preference type and the second preference type may correspond to the first media provider. The implementation may further involve sending the converted first preference to the first media provider.

Claims

1. A media playback system comprising a control device and a playback device connected via a local area network, the media playback system configured to perform operations comprising:

displaying, on the control device within a native control application of the media playback system, a control interface including (i) a graphical representation of a first audio track and (ii) a media preference control that is selectable to input a media preference for the first audio track in a first preference type that is native to the media playback system;

receiving, on the control device within the native control application on the control device, input to the media preference control to indicate the media preference for the first audio track in the first preference type that is native to the media playback system;

in response to receiving the input to the media preference control, converting the media preference for the first audio track from the first preference type that is native to the media playback system to a second preference type that is used by a first streaming audio service, wherein a user account of the first streaming audio service is registered via the native control application with the media playback system to enable streaming of audio from the first streaming audio service to the playback device of the media playback system;

sending, via a network interface to one or more servers of the first streaming audio service, a message representing the media preference in the second preference type of the first streaming audio service, wherein transmitting the message media preference in the second preference type to the one or more servers of the first streaming audio service causes the one or more servers of the first streaming audio service to update a media preference database associated with the registered user account of the first streaming audio service with the media preference for the first audio track;

sending, via the network interface to the one or more servers of the first streaming audio service, a request for recommended audio tracks;

receiving, via the network interface in response to the request for recommended audio tracks, a message indicating one or more second audio tracks that the media preference database indicates are recommended for the registered user account of the first streaming audio service, wherein the one or more second audio tracks are different from the first audio track; and

causing the playback device to play at least one second audio track of the one or more second audio tracks that the media preference database associated with the registered user account of the first streaming audio service indicates are recommended for the registered user account of the first streaming audio service.

2. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise the playback device playing back the first audio track, and wherein displaying the control interface including the graphical representation of a first audio track comprises displaying the control interface while the playback device is playing back the first audio track.

3. The media playback system of claim 2, wherein playing back the first audio track comprises:

the playback device streaming the first audio track from one or more servers of a second streaming audio service.

4. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the first audio track corresponds to a uniform resource identifier indicating a source of the first audio track at one or more servers of a second streaming audio service, and wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to receiving the input to the media preference control, converting the media preference for the first audio track from the first preference type that is native to the media playback system to a third preference type that is used by the second streaming audio service, wherein a user account of the second streaming audio service is registered via the native control application with the media playback system to enable streaming of audio from the second streaming audio service to the playback device of the media playback system; and

sending, via the network interface to one or more servers of the second streaming audio service, a message representing the media preference in the third preference type that is used by the first streaming audio service, wherein transmitting the message media preference in the third preference type to the one or more servers of the second streaming audio service causes the one or more servers of the second streaming audio service to update a media preference database associated with the registered user account of the second streaming audio service with the media preference for the first audio track.

5. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the first preference type is a rating on a numerical scale, and wherein the second preference type is non-numerical.

6. The media playback system of claim 5, wherein the second preference type is binary.

7. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the first preference type is non-numerical and wherein the second preference type is a rating on a numerical scale.

8. A method to be performed by a media playback system comprising a control device and a playback device connected via a local area network, the method comprising:

displaying, on the control device within a native control application of the media playback system, a control interface including (i) a graphical representation of a first audio track and (ii) a media preference control that is selectable to input a media preference for the first audio track in a first preference type that is native to the media playback system;

receiving, on the control device within the native control application on the control device, input to the media preference control to indicate the media preference for the first audio track in the first preference type that is native to the media playback system;

in response to receiving the input to the media preference control, converting the media preference for the first audio track from the first preference type that is native to the media playback system to a second preference type that is used by a first streaming audio service, wherein a user account of the first streaming audio service is registered via the native control application with the media playback system to enable streaming of audio from the first streaming audio service to the playback device of the media playback system;

sending, via a network interface to one or more servers of the first streaming audio service, a message representing the media preference in the second preference type of the first streaming audio service, wherein transmitting the message media preference in the second preference type to the one or more servers of the first streaming audio service causes the one or more servers of the first streaming audio service to update a media preference database associated with the registered user account of the first streaming audio service with the media preference for the first audio track;

sending, via the network interface to the one or more servers of the first streaming audio service, a request for recommended audio tracks;

receiving, via the network interface in response to the request for recommended audio tracks, a message indicating one or more second audio tracks that the media preference database indicates are recommended for the registered user account of the first streaming audio service, wherein the one or more second audio tracks are different from the first audio track; and

causing the playback device to play at least one second audio track of the one or more second audio tracks that the media preference database associated with the registered user account of the first streaming audio service indicates are recommended for the registered user account of the first streaming audio service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises the playback device playing back the first audio track, and wherein displaying the control interface including the graphical representation of a first audio track comprises displaying the control interface while the playback device is playing back the first audio track.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein playing back the first audio track comprises:

the playback device streaming the first audio track from one or more servers of a second streaming audio service.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first audio track corresponds to a uniform resource identifier indicating a source of the first audio track at one or more servers of a second streaming audio service, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to receiving the input to the media preference control, converting the media preference for the first audio track from the first preference type that is native to the media playback system to a third preference type that is used by the second streaming audio service, wherein a user account of the second streaming audio service is registered via the native control application with the media playback system to enable streaming of audio from the second streaming audio service to the playback device of the media playback system; and

sending, via the network interface to one or more servers of the second streaming audio service, a message representing the media preference in the third preference type that is used by the first streaming audio service, wherein transmitting the message media preference in the third preference type to the one or more servers of the second streaming audio service causes the one or more servers of the second streaming audio service to update a media preference database associated with the registered user account of the second streaming audio service with the media preference for the first audio track.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first preference type is a rating on a numerical scale, and wherein the second preference type is non-numerical.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second preference type is binary.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first preference type is non-numerical and wherein the second preference type is a rating on a numerical scale.

15. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a media playback system to perform operations comprising:

displaying, on a control device of the media playback system within a native control application of the media playback system, a control interface including (i) a graphical representation of a first audio track and (ii) a media preference control that is selectable to input a media preference for the first audio track in a first preference type that is native to the media playback system;

receiving, on the control device within the native control application on the control device, input to the media preference control to indicate the media preference for the first audio track in the first preference type that is native to the media playback system;

in response to receiving the input to the media preference control, converting the media preference for the first audio track from the first preference type that is native to the media playback system to a second preference type that is used by a first streaming audio service, wherein a user account of the first streaming audio service is registered via the native control application with the media playback system to enable streaming of audio from the first streaming audio service to a playback device of the media playback system;

sending, via a network interface to one or more servers of the first streaming audio service, a message representing the media preference in the second preference type of the first streaming audio service, wherein transmitting the message media preference in the second preference type to the one or more servers of the first streaming audio service causes the one or more servers of the first streaming audio service to update a media preference database associated with the registered user account of the first streaming audio service with the media preference for the first audio track;

sending, via the network interface to the one or more servers of the first streaming audio service, a request for recommended audio tracks;

receiving, via the network interface in response to the request for recommended audio tracks, a message indicating one or more second audio tracks that the media preference database indicates are recommended for the registered user account of the first streaming audio service, wherein the one or more second audio tracks are different from the first audio track; and

causing the playback device to play at least one second audio track of the one or more second audio tracks that the media preference database associated with the registered user account of the first streaming audio service indicates are recommended for the registered user account of the first streaming audio service.

16. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise the playback device playing back the first audio track, and wherein displaying the control interface including the graphical representation of a first audio track comprises displaying the control interface while the playback device is playing back the first audio track.

17. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein playing back the first audio track comprises:

the playback device streaming the first audio track from one or more servers of a second streaming audio service.

18. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the first audio track corresponds to a uniform resource identifier indicating a source of the first audio track at one or more servers of a second streaming audio service, and wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to receiving the input to the media preference control, converting the media preference for the first audio track from the first preference type that is native to the media playback system to a third preference type that is used by the second streaming audio service, wherein a user account of the second streaming audio service is registered via the native control application with the media playback system to enable streaming of audio from the second streaming audio service to the playback device of the media playback system; and

sending, via the network interface to one or more servers of the second streaming audio service, a message representing the media preference in the third preference type that is used by the first streaming audio service, wherein transmitting the message media preference in the third preference type to the one or more servers of the second streaming audio service causes the one or more servers of the second streaming audio service to update a media preference database associated with the registered user account of the second streaming audio service with the media preference for the first audio track.

19. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the first preference type is a rating on a numerical scale, and wherein the second preference type is non-numerical.

20. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the first preference type is non-numerical and wherein the second preference type is a rating on a numerical scale.