Playback of media content according to media preferences

• US 10,133,817 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• 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): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIEGEL, DAVID F
• Application Number:
  US15/338,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20170046430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/637 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialization, adaptation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

Methods and systems described herein relate to management of media playback based on media preferences. A computing device may receive data indicating that a media item is available to be played by a media playback system. A media preference associated with the media item may then be identified based on the received data. The media preference may be identified in a preference database. Based on the media preference, the computing device determines whether the media item is or is not to be played by the media playback system. If a determination is made that the media item is not to be played, the computing device sends to the media playback system, an indication that the media item is not to be played. If a determination is made that the media item is to be played, the computing device causes the media item to be played by the media playback system.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause a computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving an indication of a user profile associated with a media playback system and an indication of a plurality of user accounts associated with the user profile, wherein the plurality of user accounts comprises a first user account associated with a first media streaming service and a second user account associated with a second media streaming service;

transmitting, to at least the first media streaming service and the second media streaming service, one or more respective messages requesting media preferences associated with the plurality of user accounts;

receiving, in response to the one or more respective messages requesting media preferences, from one or more servers of the first media streaming service, first media preferences associated with the first user account for a plurality of first media items, wherein the plurality of first media items are available for playback from the first media streaming service by the media playback system;

receiving, in response to the one or more respective messages requesting media preferences, from one or more servers of the second media streaming service, second media preferences associated with the second user account for a plurality of second media items, wherein the plurality of second media items are available for playback from the second media streaming service by the media playback system;

storing the first media preferences and the second media preferences as media preferences associated with the user profile;

receiving, from a third media streaming service, an indication of a collection of suggested media items to be added to a playback queue for playback by the media playback system, wherein the collection of suggested media items comprises a third media item and a fourth media item, and wherein the media playback system comprises one or more playback devices configured to play back media according to the playback queue;

identifying a media preference for the third media item based on the media preferences associated with the user profile;

based on the identified media preference for the third media item being a positive preference, determining that the third media item is to be played; and

responsive to determining that the third media item is to be played, causing the third media item to be added to the playback queue of the one or more playback devices.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

identifying a media preference for the fourth media item based on the media preferences associated with the user profile;

based on the identified media preference for the fourth media item being a negative preference, determining that the fourth media item is not to be played; and

responsive to determining that the fourth media item is not to be played, causing the fourth media item to not be added to the playback queue of the one or more playback devices.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the collection of suggested media items comprises at least one of an album, a playlist, and a radio station.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein receiving, from the third media streaming service, the indication of the collection of suggested media items to be added to the playback queue for playback by the media playback system comprises:

receiving an identifier indicating a network location for retrieval of the collection of suggested media items.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first user account is used to access the first media streaming service and the second user account is used to access the second media streaming service.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the third media streaming service is the same as the first media streaming service, and wherein the second media streaming service is different from the third media streaming service.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving metadata for the third media item; and

wherein identifying the media preference for the third media item based on the media preferences associated with the user profile comprises;

identifying the media preference for the third media item based on the media preferences associated with the user profile and the metadata for the third media item.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, via a computing device, an indication of a user profile associated with a media playback system and an indication of a plurality of user accounts associated with the user profile, wherein the plurality of user accounts comprises a first user account associated with a first media streaming service and a second user account associated with a second media streaming service;

transmitting, via the computing device to at least the first media streaming service and the second media streaming service, one or more respective messages requesting media preferences associated with the plurality of user accounts;

receiving, via the computing device in response to the one or more respective messages requesting media preferences, from one or more servers of the first media streaming service, first media preferences associated with the first user account for a plurality of first media items, wherein the plurality of first media items are available for playback from the first media streaming service by the media playback system;

receiving, via the computing device in response to the one or more respective message requesting media preferences, from one or more servers of the second media streaming service, second media preferences associated with the second user account for a plurality of second media items, wherein the plurality of second media items are available for playback from the second media streaming service by the media playback system;

storing, via the computing device, the first media preferences and the second media preferences as media preferences associated with the user profile;

receiving, via the computing device from a third media streaming service, an indication of a collection of suggested media items to be added to a playback queue for playback by the media playback system, wherein the collection of suggested media items comprises a third media item and a fourth media item, and wherein the media playback system comprises one or more playback devices configured to play back media according to the playback queue;

identifying, via the computing device, a media preference for the third media item based on the media preferences associated with the user profile;

based on the identified media preference for the third media item being a positive preference, determining, via the computing device, that the third media item is to be played; and

responsive to determining that the third media item is to be played, causing, via the computing device, the third media item to be added to the playback queue of the one or more playback devices.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying a media preference for the fourth media item based on the media preferences associated with the user profile;

based on the identified media preference for the fourth media item being a negative preference, determining that the fourth media item is not to be played; and

responsive to determining that the fourth media item is not to be played, causing the fourth media item to not be added to the playback queue of the one or more playback devices.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the collection of suggested media items comprises at least one of an album, a playlist, and a radio station.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving, from the third media streaming service, the indication of the collection of suggested media items to be added to the playback queue for playback by the media playback system comprises:

receiving an identifier indicating a network location for retrieval of the collection of suggested media items.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first user account is used to access the first media streaming service and the second user account is used to access the second media streaming service.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the third media streaming service is the same as the first media streaming service, and wherein the second media streaming service is different from the third media streaming service.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving metadata for the third media item; and

wherein identifying the media preference for the third media item based on the media preferences associated with the user profile comprises;

identifying the media preference for the third media item based on the media preferences associated with the user profile and the metadata for the third media item.

15. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

receiving an indication of a user profile associated with a media playback system and an indication of a plurality of user accounts associated with the user profile, wherein the plurality of user accounts comprises a first user account associated with a first media streaming service and a second user account associated with a second media streaming service;

transmitting, to at least the first media streaming service and the second media streaming service, one or more respective messages requesting media preferences associated with the plurality of user accounts;

receiving, in response to the one or more respective messages requesting media preferences, from one or more servers of the first media streaming service, first media preferences associated with the first user account for a plurality of first media items, wherein the plurality of first media items are available for playback from the first media streaming service by the media playback system;

receiving, in response to the one or more respective messages requesting media preferences, from one or more servers of the second media streaming service, second media preferences associated with the second user account for a plurality of second media items, wherein the plurality of second media items are available for playback from the second media streaming service by the media playback system;

storing the first media preferences and the second media preferences as media preferences associated with the user profile;

receiving, from a third media streaming service, an indication of a collection of suggested media items to be added to a playback queue for playback by the media playback system, wherein the collection of suggested media items comprises a third media item and a fourth media item, and wherein the media playback system comprises one or more playback devices configured to play back media according to the playback queue;

identifying a media preference for the third media item based on the media preferences associated with the user profile;

based on the identified media preference for the third media item being a positive preference, determining that the third media item is to be played; and

responsive to determining that the third media item is to be played, causing the third media item to be added to the playback queue of the one or more playback devices.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the functions further comprise:

identifying a media preference for the fourth media item based on the media preferences associated with the user profile;

based on the identified media preference for the fourth media item being a negative preference, determining that the fourth media item is not to be played; and

responsive to determining that the fourth media item is not to be played, causing the fourth media item to not be added to the playback queue of the one or more playback devices.

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the collection of suggested media items comprises at least one of an album, a playlist, and a radio station.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein receiving, from the third media streaming service, the indication of the collection of suggested media items to be added to the playback queue for playback by the media playback system comprises:

receiving an identifier indicating a network location for retrieval of the collection of suggested media items.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the first user account is used to access the first media streaming service and the second user account is used to access the second media streaming service.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the third media streaming service is the same as the first media streaming service, and wherein the second media streaming service is different from the third media streaming service.