Playback queue control indicator

• US 10,191,981 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kumar, Abhishek, Schulert, Andrew, Lambourne, Robert Andrew, Coburn, IV, Arthur L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Point, Rufus C
• Application Number:
  US16/107,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20190005131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 161 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• 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: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

A first connection state may be entered on a computing device. While the computing device is in the first connection state, actions taken on a playlist on the computing device may be applied to the playlist and not applied to a playback queue associated with a zone. An input may be received via the computing device, indicating a selection of the zone. In response to receiving the input, a second connection state may be entered. Entering the second connection state may comprise establishing a connected state between the computing device and the one or more playback devices. While the connected state is established, one or more actions taken on the playlist on the computing device may be applied to the playlist and transmitted, in a message to the zone over a network. The one or more actions may be one or more corresponding actions applied to the playback queue.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a user interface;

a network interface;

an audio output interface;

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the processor to cause the mobile device to perform functions comprising;

detecting that the mobile device is in a communication range of a network media system comprising one or more playback devices;

in response to the detecting, displaying, via the user interface of the mobile device, a status indicator having a first visual appearance, wherein the first visual appearance of the status indicator provides an indication that (i) the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system and (ii) the mobile device is not in a connected state with any playback device of the network media system such that the mobile device is configured to play back media items via the audio output interface of the mobile device rather than controlling playback of media items by any playback device of the network media system;

while the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system, entering into a connected state with at least one playback device in the network media system; and

in response to entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system, changing the display of the status indicator from the first visual appearance to a second visual appearance, wherein the second visual appearance of the status indicator provides an indication that (i) the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system and (ii) the mobile device is in the connected state with the at least one playback device of the network media system such that the mobile device is configured to control playback of media items by the at least one playback device of the network media system rather than playing back media items via the audio output interface of the mobile device.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first visual appearance of the status indicator comprises a first state of an icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device, and wherein the second visual appearance of the status indicator comprises a second state of the icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the first state of the icon comprises a first color scheme for the icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device, and wherein the second state of the icon comprises a second color scheme for the icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein detecting that the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system comprises detecting that the mobile device and the network media system are both connected to the same local area network.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

after entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system, disconnecting from the at least one playback device in the network media system; and

in response to disconnecting from the at least one playback device in the network media system, changing the display of the status indicator from the second visual appearance to a third visual appearance.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the third visual appearance of the status indicator is the same as the first visual appearance of the status indicator.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system comprises entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system in response to receiving a user request to connect with the at least one playback device in the network media system.

8. A method comprising:

detecting, by a mobile device, that the mobile device is in a communication range of a network media system comprising one or more playback devices;

in response to the detecting, displaying, via a user interface of the mobile device, a status indicator having a first visual appearance, wherein the first visual appearance of the status indicator provides an indication that (i) the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system and (ii) the mobile device is not in a connected state with any playback device of the network media system such that the mobile device is configured to play back media items via an audio output interface of the mobile device rather than controlling playback of media items by any playback device of the network media system,

while the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system, entering into a connected state with at least one playback device in the network media system; and

in response to entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system, changing the display of the status indicator from the first visual appearance to a second visual appearance, wherein the second visual appearance of the status indicator provides an indication that (i) the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system and (ii) the mobile device is in the connected state with the at least one playback device of the network media system such that the mobile device is configured to control playback of media items by the at least one playback device of the network media system rather than playing back media items via the audio output interface of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first visual appearance of the status indicator comprises a first state of an icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device, and wherein the second visual appearance of the status indicator comprises a second state of the icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first state of the icon comprises a first color scheme of the icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device, and wherein the second state of the icon comprises a second color scheme of the icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting that the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system comprises detecting that the mobile device and the network media system are both connected to the same local area network.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

after entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system, disconnecting from the at least one playback device in the network media system; and

in response to disconnecting from the at least one playback device in the network media system, changing the display of the status indicator from the second visual appearance to a third visual appearance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the third visual appearance of the status indicator is the same as the first visual appearance of the status indicator.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system comprises entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system in response to receiving a user request to connect with the at least one playback device in the network media system.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by a processor of a mobile device to cause the mobile device to perform functions comprising:

detecting that the mobile device is in a communication range of a network media system comprising one or more playback devices;

in response to the detecting, displaying, via a user interface of the mobile device, a status indicator having a first visual appearance, wherein the first visual appearance of the status indicator provides an indication that (i) the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system and (ii) the mobile device is not in a connected state with any playback device of the network media system such that the mobile device is configured to play back media items via an audio output interface of the mobile device rather than controlling playback of media items by any playback device of the network media system;

while the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system, entering into a connected state with at least one playback device in the network media system; and

in response to entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system, changing the display of the status indicator from the first visual appearance to a second visual appearance, wherein the second visual appearance of the status indicator provides an indication that (i) the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system and (ii) the mobile device is in the connected state with the at least one playback device of the network media system such that the mobile device is configured to control playback of media items by the at least one playback device of the network media system rather than playing back media items via the audio output interface of the mobile device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first visual appearance of the status indicator comprises a first state of an icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device, and wherein the second visual appearance of the status indicator comprises a second state of the icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first state of the icon comprises a first color scheme of the icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device, and wherein the second state of the icon comprises a second color scheme of the icon displayed on the user interface of the mobile device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein detecting that the mobile device is in the communication range of the network media system comprises detecting that the mobile device and the network media system are both connected to the same local area network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

after entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system, disconnecting from the at least one playback device in the network media system; and

in response to disconnecting from the at least one playback device in the network media system, changing the display of the status indicator from the second visual appearance to the first visual appearance.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system comprises entering into the connected state with the at least one playback device in the network media system in response to receiving a user request to connect with the at least one playback device in the network media system.