Methods and systems for prioritizing playback of media content in a playback queue

• US 10,115,435 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Original Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Inventors: Lee, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heffington, John M
• Application Number:
  US15/372,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20170169858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

Methods and systems for prioritizing playback of media content in a playback queue are described herein. In one aspect, a client device plays a first media item from a playback queue. The playback queue includes a first portion having a plurality of media items with respective positions that define an order in which the media items are to be played. While playing the first media item, a first user input indicating selection of a second media item is detected. In response to the first user input, the second media item is assigned to a second portion of the playback queue, wherein the second portion has playback priority over the first portion. After playing the first media item, the second media item is played before playing other media items of the plurality of media items in the first portion.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a client device having one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors;

playing a first media item from a playback queue, the playback queue comprising a first portion having a plurality of media items with respective positions that define an order in which the media items are to be played;

while playing the first media item;

detecting a first user input indicating selection of a second media item;

in response to the first user input, assigning the second media item to a second portion of the playback queue, comprising adding the second media item to the second portion from a list of search query results, wherein the second portion has playback priority over the first portion; and

detecting a second user input indicating selection of a third media item to be played from the first portion of the playback queue, wherein the third media item is a media item from the plurality of media items of the first portion and the first portion includes one or more additional media items that precede the third media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played;

in response to the second user input;

ceasing playback of the first media item;

playing the third media item;

removing the third media item from the first portion of the playback queue; and

removing the one or more additional media items that precede the third media item from the first portion of the playback queue while retaining other media items in the first portion that are after the third media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played; and

after playing the third media item, playing the second media item before playing the other media items in the first portion that are after the third media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion corresponds to a predefined sequence of media items distinct from the second portion, the predefined sequence of media items including the first media item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second portion of the playback queue comprises one or more prioritized media items in addition to the second media item; and

the method further comprises, at the client device, playing the one or more prioritized media items after playing the third media item and before playing the other media items in the first portion.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the client device:

detecting a third user input indicating selection of a fourth media item to be played from the second portion of the playback queue, wherein the fourth media item and the second media item are distinct; and

in response to detecting the third user input;

ceasing playback of a current media item;

playing the fourth media item; and

removing the fourth media item from the second portion of the playback queue.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the client device:

after assigning the second media item to the second portion and prior to playing the second media item;

detecting a fourth user input indicating selection of a fifth media item; and

assigning the fifth media item to the second portion of the playback queue, the second media item having a respective position in the second portion that precedes a respective position of the fifth media item in the second portion.

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

displaying the first portion of the playback queue in a first region of a display of the client device, including displaying respective media items of the first portion in the first region; and

displaying the second portion of the playback queue in a second region of the display distinct from the first region, including displaying respective media items of the second portion in the second region.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, at the client device, displaying a division between the first and second regions.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the respective one or more media items of the second portion include the second media item only; and

displaying the second portion in the second region is performed in response to assigning the second media item to the second portion of the playback queue.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying the respective media items of the first portion in the first region comprises displaying a sixth media item in the first region, the method further comprising, at the client device:

detecting a fifth user input indicating selection of the sixth media item from the first portion of the playback queue to be played; and

in response to detecting the fifth user input, playing the sixth media item and ceasing display of the sixth media item in the first region.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying the first portion in the first region comprises displaying one or more media items in the first region, wherein the one or more media items precede the sixth media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played,

the method further comprising, at the client device, in response to detecting the fifth user input, removing the one or more media items from the first portion and ceasing display of the one or more media items in the first region while leaving the content of the second portion unchanged.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the client device:

switching from a first context to a second context, wherein the first context corresponds to playback of media items in the playback queue;

while switching from the first context to the second context, querying a user associated with the client device whether to maintain the second portion of the playback queue; and

in accordance with detecting a user input for maintaining the second portion, maintaining the second portion of the playback queue upon switching from the first context to the second context.

12. A client device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

playing a first media item from a playback queue, the playback queue comprising a first portion having a plurality of media items with respective positions that define an order in which the media items are to be played;

while playing the first media item;

detecting a first user input indicating selection of a second media item;

in response to the first user input, assigning the second media item to a second portion of the playback queue, comprising adding the second media item to the second portion from a list of search query results, wherein the second portion has playback priority over the first portion; and

detecting a second user input indicating selection of a third media item to be played from the first portion of the playback queue, wherein the third media item is a media item from the plurality of media items of the first portion and the first portion includes one or more additional media items that precede the third media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played;

in response to the second user input;

ceasing playback of the first media item;

playing the third media item;

removing the third media item from the first portion of the playback queue; and

removing the one or more additional media items that precede the third media item from the first portion of the playback queue while retaining other media items in the first portion that are after the third media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played; and

after playing the third media item, playing the second media item before playing the other media items in the first portion that are after the third media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a client device, the one or more programs including instructions for:

playing a first media item from a playback queue, the playback queue comprising a first portion having a plurality of media items with respective positions that define an order in which the media items are to be played;

while playing the first media item;

detecting a first user input indicating selection of a second media item;

in response to the first user input, assigning the second media item to a second portion of the playback queue, comprising adding the second media item to the second portion from a list of search query results, wherein the second portion has playback priority over the first portion; and

detecting a second user input indicating selection of a third media item to be played from the first portion of the playback queue, wherein the third media item is a media item from the plurality of media items of the first portion and the first portion includes one or more additional media items that precede the third media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played;

in response to the second user input;

ceasing playback of the first media item;

playing the third media item;

removing the third media item from the first portion of the playback queue; and

removing the one or more additional media items that precede the third media item from the first portion of the playback queue while retaining other media items in the first portion that are after the third media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played; and

after playing the third media item, playing the second media item before playing the other media items in the first portion that are after the third media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played.