Music discovery

• US 10,068,012 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bates, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwa, Shyue Jiunn
• Application Number:
  US14/317,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20150379123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/632 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/686 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings

Abstract

Examples described herein relate to music discovery. In one aspect, a method is provided that involves (a) receiving by a computing device an indication of a search tool from among a plurality of search tools, where each search tool of the plurality of search tools is associated with at least one respective media service, (b) receiving by the computing device an indication of a media characteristic, where the computing device receives the media characteristic via the indicated search tool, (c) selecting by the computing device one or more of the at least one respective media service that maintains media associated with the indicated media characteristic, and (d) sending by the computing device an indication of the selected one or more of the at least one respective media service.

Claims

1. A method to be performed by a computing device of a media playback system comprising one or more playback devices connected to the computing device via a local area network, the method comprising:

displaying, via the computing device on a touch-sensitive graphical user interface, a graphical user interface comprising a list of a plurality of music discovery tools for discovering music content, wherein the media playback system is registered to a plurality of streaming audio services that are each configured to stream audio content to the media playback system from one or more respective content servers, and wherein each music discovery tool of the plurality of music discovery tools corresponds to a respective streaming audio service that is registered with the media playback system;

receiving, via the computing device in the graphical user interface, touch-input data indicating a selection of a particular music discovery tool from among the plurality of music discovery tools for discovering music content in the list, wherein the selected music discovery tool corresponds to a particular streaming audio service, and wherein selection of the particular music discovery tool causes selection of the particular streaming audio service from among the plurality of streaming audio services;

in response to receiving the touch-input data indicating the selection of the music discovery tool, displaying, via the computing device in the graphical user interface, a graphical representation of the selected music discovery tool, the graphical representation indicating multiple music characteristics, wherein each music characteristic of the multiple music characteristics represents a respective music type;

receiving, via the computing device at the displayed graphical representation of the selected music discovery tool in the graphical user interface, touch-input data indicating a selection of one or more music characteristics from among the multiple music characteristics;

in response to receiving the touch-input data indicating the selection of the one or more music characteristics, sending, via the computing device to the particular streaming audio service over a network interface, a message indicating the selected one or more music characteristics; and

causing, via the computing device, one or more playback devices to play back audio tracks corresponding to the selected one or more music characteristics from the particular streaming audio service via one or more respective speakers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple music characteristics comprise music types corresponding to (a) the present time of day and (b) present day of week, and wherein receiving input data indicating the selection of the one or more music characteristics from among the multiple music characteristics comprises receiving input data indicating a selection of a particular music type from among the music types corresponding to a particular time of day and a particular day of week.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before displaying the graphical representation of the selected music discovery tool, receiving, via the network interface from the particular streaming audio service, data indicating the multiple music characteristics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple music characteristics comprise two or more of the following:

(a) a location, (b) a mood, and (c) a music genre, and wherein receiving input data indicating the selection of the one or more music characteristics from among the multiple music characteristics comprises receiving input data indicating a selection of two or more of the following;

(a) a current location, (b) a current mode, and (c) a particular music genre.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the message indicating the selected one or more music characteristics comprises sending a request for audio tracks corresponding to the selected one or more music characteristics from the particular streaming audio service.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

after sending the message indicating the selected one or more music characteristics, receiving, via the computing device, the audio tracks corresponding to the selected one or more music characteristics from the particular streaming audio service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of streaming audio services comprises one of the following:

an Internet radio service, a music library service, an album-downloading service, or a music curation service.

8. Tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing device of a media playback system to perform a method comprising:

displaying, on a touch-sensitive graphical user interface, a graphical user interface that a list of a plurality of music discovery tools for discovering music content, wherein the media playback system is registered to a plurality of streaming audio services that are each configured to stream audio content to the media playback system from one or more respective content servers, and wherein each music discovery tool of the plurality of music discovery tools corresponds to a respective streaming audio service that is registered with the media playback system;

receiving, via the graphical user interface, touch-input data indicating a selection of a particular music discovery tool from among the plurality of music discovery tools for discovering music content in the list, wherein the selected music discovery tool corresponds to a particular streaming audio service, and wherein selection of the particular music discovery tool causes selection of the particular streaming audio service from among the plurality of streaming audio services;

in response to receiving the touch-input data indicating the selection of the music discovery tool, displaying, in the graphical user interface, a graphical representation of the selected music discovery tool, the graphical representation indicating multiple music characteristics, wherein each music characteristic of the multiple music characteristics represents a respective music type;

receiving, at the displayed graphical representation of the selected music discovery tool in the graphical user interface, input data indicating a selection of one or more music characteristics from among the multiple music characteristics;

in response to receiving the touch-input data indicating the selection of the one or more music characteristics, sending, to the particular streaming audio service over a network interface, a message indicating the selected one or more music characteristics; and

causing one or more playback devices of the media playback system to play back audio tracks corresponding to the selected one or more music characteristics from the particular streaming audio service via one or more respective speakers.

9. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the multiple music characteristics comprise music types corresponding to (a) the present time of day and (b) present day of week, and wherein receiving input data indicating the selection of the one or more music characteristics from among the multiple music characteristics comprises receiving input data indicating a selection of a particular music type from among the music types corresponding to a particular time of day and a particular day of week.

10. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, further comprising:

before displaying the graphical representation of the selected music discovery tool, receiving, via the network interface from the particular streaming audio service, data indicating the multiple music characteristics.

11. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the multiple music characteristics comprise two or more of the following:

(a) a location, (b) a mood, and (c) a music genre, and wherein receiving input data indicating the selection of the one or more music characteristics from among the multiple music characteristics comprises receiving input data indicating a selection of two or more of the following;

(a) a current location, (b) a current mode, and (c) a particular music genre.

12. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein sending the message indicating the selected one or more music characteristics comprises sending a request for audio tracks corresponding to the selected one or more music characteristics from the particular streaming audio service.

13. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, further comprising:

after sending the message indicating the selected one or more music characteristics, receiving, via the computing device, the audio tracks corresponding to the selected one or more music characteristics from the particular streaming audio service.

14. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of streaming audio services comprises one of the following:

an Internet radio service, a music library service, an album-downloading service, or a music curation service.

15. A computing device of a media playback system, the computing device comprising:

a network interface;

one or more processors; and

computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

displaying, on a touch-sensitive graphical user interface, a graphical user interface that a list of a plurality of music discovery tools for discovering music content, wherein the media playback system is registered to a plurality of streaming audio services that are each configured to stream audio content to the media playback system from one or more respective content servers, and wherein each music discovery tool of the plurality of music discovery tools corresponds to a respective streaming audio service that is registered with the media playback system;

receiving, via the graphical user interface, touch-input data indicating a selection of a particular music discovery tool from among the plurality of music discovery tools for discovering music content in the list, wherein the selected music discovery tool corresponds to a particular streaming audio service, and wherein selection of the particular music discovery tool causes selection of the particular streaming audio service from among the plurality of streaming audio services;

in response to receiving the touch-input data indicating the selection of the music discovery tool, displaying, in the graphical user interface, a graphical representation of the selected music discovery tool, the graphical representation indicating multiple music characteristics, wherein each music characteristic of the multiple music characteristics represents a respective music type;

receiving, at the displayed graphical representation of the selected music discovery tool in the graphical user interface, input data indicating a selection of one or more music characteristics from among the multiple music characteristics;

in response to receiving the touch-input data indicating the selection of the one or more music characteristics, sending, to the particular streaming audio service over a network interface, a message indicating the selected one or more music characteristics; and

causing one or more playback devices of the media playback system to play back audio tracks corresponding to the selected one or more music characteristics from the particular streaming audio service via one or more respective speakers.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the multiple music characteristics comprise music types corresponding to (a) the present time of day and (b) present day of week, and wherein receiving input data indicating the selection of the one or more music characteristics from among the multiple music characteristics comprises receiving input data indicating a selection of a particular music type from among the music types corresponding to a particular time of day and a particular day of week.

17. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising:

before displaying the graphical representation of the selected music discovery tool, receiving, via the network interface from the selected streaming audio service, data indicating the multiple music characteristics.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the multiple music characteristics comprise two or more of the following:

(a) a location, (b) a mood, and (c) a music genre, and wherein receiving input data indicating the selection of the one or more music characteristics from among the multiple music characteristics comprises receiving input data indicating a selection of two or more of the following;

(a) a current location, (b) a current mode, and (c) a particular music genre.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein sending the message indicating the selected one or more music characteristics comprises sending a request for audio tracks corresponding to the selected one or more music characteristics from the particular streaming audio service.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of streaming audio services comprises one of the following:

an Internet radio service, a music library service, an album-downloading service, or a music curation service.