Appending playback from multiple source devices to the same media stream

• US 10,244,281 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Childs, Philip Lee, Vanover, Michael Terrell, Wang, Hui, Chen, Shaowei
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Shirley X
• Application Number:
  US13/690,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,307 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

An aspect provides a method, including: receiving a play request at a first user device, the received play request being transmitted from at least one other user device; determining if a media file is currently being played at the first user device; and responsive to determining that a media file is currently being played at the first user device, appending, at the first user device, a media file associated with the received play request to a media play queue of the first user device. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a play request at a first user device, the received play request being transmitted from at least one other user device and the received play request comprising instructions for obtaining a media file associated with the received play request, wherein communication between the first user device and the at least one other user device is managed by a third device based upon associations between the first user device and the at least one other user device within the third device;

ascertaining that the play request was issued from an authorized device, wherein the authorization of a device is managed by the third device and based upon associations between the first user device and the at least one other user device within the third device; and

updating the media play queue of the first device, without interrupting a currently playing media file and based upon the play request being issued from an authorized device, by appending, at the first user device, a media file associated with the received play request to a media play queue of the first user device;

wherein the appending further comprises adding the media file associated with the received play request to a position within the media play queue according to an instruction included in the play request, wherein the instruction included in the play request comprises an instruction to override the media play queue issued from a device having override authorization and wherein the override authorization is managed by the third device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the play request received at the first user device comprises a media file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the play request received at the first user device comprises information for locating a media file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the play request received at the first user device comprises a media play override instruction.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining if the media play override instruction is effective via ascertaining if the media play override instruction was issued from an authorized device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the ascertaining if the media play override instruction was issued from an authorized device comprises ascertaining if a device issuing a media override instruction is authorized by a cloud account associated with the first user device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein appending, at the first user device, a media file associated with the received play request to a media play queue of the first user device further comprises adding a media file to an end of the media play queue.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user device comprises a device associated with a first cloud user account and the at least one other user device comprises a second user device associated with a second cloud user account.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one other user device comprises a third user device associated with a third cloud user account.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to at least one other user device an updated playlist based on the appending.

10. An information handling device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory in operative connection with the one or more processors that stores instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

receiving a play request at the information handling device, the received play request being transmitted from at least one other user device and the received play request comprising instructions for obtaining a media file associated with the received play request, wherein communication between the first user device and the at least one other user device is managed by a third device based upon associations between the first user device and the at least one other user device within the third device;

ascertaining that the play request was issued from an authorized device, wherein the authorization of a device is managed by the third device and based upon associations between the first user device and the at least one other user device within the third device; and

updating the media play queue of the first device, without interrupting a currently playing media file and based upon the play request being issued from an authorized device, by appending, at the information handling device, a media file associated with the received play request to a media play queue of the information handling device;

wherein the appending further comprises adding the media file associated with the received play request to a position within the media play queue according to the priority characteristic, wherein the instruction included in the play request comprises an instruction to override the media play queue issued from a device having override authorization and wherein the override authorization is managed by the third device.

11. The information handling device of claim 10, wherein the play request received at the information handling device comprises a media file.

12. The information handling device of claim 10, wherein the play request received at the information handling device comprises information for locating a media file.

13. The information handling device of claim 10, wherein the play request received at the information handling device comprises a media play override instruction.

14. The information handling device of claim 13, wherein the acts further comprise determining if the media play override instruction is effective via ascertaining if the media play override instruction was issued from an authorized device.

15. The information handling device of claim 14, wherein the ascertaining if the media play override instruction was issued from an authorized device comprises ascertaining if a device issuing a media override instruction is authorized by a cloud account associated with the information handling device.

16. The information handling device of claim 10, wherein appending, at the information handling device, a media file associated with the received play request to a media play queue of the information handling device further comprises adding a media file to an end of the media play queue.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the information handling device comprises a device associated with a first cloud user account and the at least one other user device comprises a second user device associated with a second cloud user account.

20. The information handling device of claim 10, wherein the acts further comprise transmitting to at least one other user device an updated playlist based on the appending.

18. A program product, comprising:

a storage device having computer program code embodied therewith, the computer program code comprising;

computer program code that receives a play request at a first user device, the received play request being transmitted from at least one other user device and the received play request comprising instructions for obtaining a media file associated with the received play request, wherein communication between the first user device and the at least one other user device is managed by a third device based upon associations between the first user device and the at least one other user device within the third device;

computer program code that ascertains that the play request was issued from an authorized device, wherein the authorization of a device is managed by the third device and based upon associations between the first user device and the at least one other user device within the third device; and

that updates the media play queue of the first device, without interrupting a currently playing media file and based upon the play request being issued from an authorized device, by appending, at the first user device, a media file associated with the received play request to a media play queue of the first user device;

wherein appending further comprises adding the media file associated with the received play request to a position within the media play queue according to instruction included in the play request, wherein the instruction included in the play request comprises an instruction to override the media play queue issued from a device having override authorization and wherein the override authorization is managed by the third device.