Playback based on identification

• US 10,095,469 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reimann, Robert, Taylor, David, Kumar, Abhishek
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US15/205,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20160357512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 84601, 84604, 84609
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

At least one first user and at least one second user is identified. At least one audio track is selected based on (a) the identification of the at least one first user, (b) the identification of the at least one second user, and (c) a time of day. A playback device begins playback of the selected at least one audio track.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

at least one processor;

data storage; and

a program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the at least one processor to perform functions comprising;

determining a first playback condition comprising an identification of at least one first user and a second playback condition comprising an identification of at least one second user;

selecting at least one audio track based on (a) the first playback condition comprising the determined identification of the at least one first user, (b) the second playback condition comprising the determined identification of the at least one second user, and (c) a third playback condition comprising a time of day; and

causing a playback device to begin playback of the selected at least one audio track.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device is the playback device.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein causing the playback device to begin playback of the selected at least one audio track comprises causing a group of playback devices comprising the playback device to begin playback of the selected at least one audio track.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one audio track based on the determined identification of the at least one first user comprises selecting at least one audio track based on listening habits of the at least one first user.

5. The network device of claim 1, the functions further comprising:

before selecting at least one audio track, detecting an instruction to begin playback of audio.

6. The network device of claim 5, wherein detecting the instruction to begin playback of audio comprises receiving the instruction to begin playback of audio, wherein the instruction is associated with the first user.

7. The network device of claim 6, wherein selecting at least one audio track based on the determined identification of the at least one first user comprises selecting at least one audio track based on listening habits of the at least one first user.

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein selecting at least one audio track based on the determined identification of the at least one second user comprises selecting at least one audio track based on listening habits of the at least one second user.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the at least one second user comprises at least two second users.

10. The network device of claim 6, wherein the time of day is a time of day that the instruction was received.

11. A method comprising:

determining a first playback condition comprising an identification of at least one first user and a second playback condition comprising an identification of at least one second user;

selecting at least one audio track based on the first playback condition comprising (a) the determined identification of the at least one first user, (b) the second playback condition comprising the determined identification of the at least one second user, and (c) a third playback condition comprising a time of day; and

causing a playback device to begin playback of the selected at least one audio track.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting at least one audio track based on the determined identification of the at least one first user comprises selecting at least one audio track based on listening habits of the at least one first user.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting an instruction to begin playback of audio before selecting at least one audio track.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the instruction to begin playback of audio comprises receiving the instruction to begin playback of audio, wherein the instruction is associated with the first user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein selecting at least one audio track based on the determined identification of the at least one first user comprises selecting at least one audio track based on listening habits of the at least one first user.

16. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

determining a first playback condition comprising an identification of at least one first user and a second playback condition comprising an identification of at least one second user;

selecting at least one audio track based on (a) the first playback condition comprising the determined identification of the at least one first user, (b) the second playback condition comprising the determined identification of the at least one second user, and (c) a third playback condition comprising a time of day; and

causing a playback device to begin playback of the selected at least one audio track.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 16, wherein the instructions for selecting at least one audio track based on the determined identification of the at least one first user comprise instructions for selecting at least one audio track based on listening habits of the at least one first user.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 16, further comprising instructions for detecting an indication to begin playback of audio before selecting at least one audio track.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 18, wherein the instructions for detecting the indication to begin playback of audio comprises comprise instructions for receiving a message to begin playback of audio, wherein the message is associated with the first user.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 19, wherein the instructions for selecting at least one audio track based on the determined identification of the at least one first user comprise instructions for selecting at least one audio track based on listening habits of the at least one first user.