Playback queue control connection

• US 10,248,724 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• 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:
  US16/107,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20190005132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 224 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 playback device comprising:

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 playback device to perform functions comprising;

while the playback device does not have an existing connection session with any mobile device, playing back media in a first playback queue;

receiving a request to connect with a given mobile device in a communication range of the playback device; and

after receiving the request, entering into a new connection session with the given mobile device during which the playback device either (i) continues playing back media items in the first playback queue if the given mobile device had a prior connection session with the playback device using the first playback queue that was terminated due to the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device or (ii) otherwise begins playing back media items in a second playback queue that is associated with the given mobile device at the time of the request.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprise program instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

after receiving the request and before entering into the new connection session with the given mobile device, determining whether the given mobile device had a prior connection session with the playback device using the first playback queue that was terminated due to the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the request to connect with the given mobile device comprises an instruction for the playback device to either (i) continue playing back media items in the first playback queue because the given mobile device had the prior connection session with the playback device using the first playback queue that was terminated due to the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device or (ii) begin playing back media items in the second playback queue that is associated with the given mobile device at the time of the request.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the given mobile device is considered to be in the communication range of the playback device when the playback device and the mobile device are both connected to the same local area network.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprise program instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

before playing back media in a first playback queue, (i) entering into the prior connection session with the given mobile device at a time when the given mobile station was associated with the first playback queue, wherein the first playback queue became associated with the playback device as a result of entering into the prior connection session with the given mobile device, and (ii) subsequently disconnecting from the given mobile device as a result of the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprise program instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

before receiving the request to connect with the given mobile device in the communication range of the playback device, detecting that the given mobile device has moved into the communication range of the playback device.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein beginning to play back media items in the second playback queue that is associated with the given mobile device at the time of the request further comprises:

suspending use of the first playback queue.

8. A method comprising:

while a playback device does not have an existing connection session with any mobile device, playing back media in a first playback queue by the playback device;

receiving a request, by the playback device, to connect with a given mobile device in a communication range of the playback device; and

after receiving the request, entering into a new connection session with the given mobile device and the playback device, during which the playback device either (i) continues playing back media items in the first playback queue if the given mobile device had a prior connection session with the playback device using the first playback queue that was terminated due to the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device or (ii) otherwise begins playing back media items in a second playback queue that is associated with the given mobile device at the time of the request.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

after receiving the request and before entering into the new connection session with the given mobile device, determining whether the given mobile device had a prior connection session with the playback device using the first playback queue that was terminated due to the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the request to connect with the given mobile device comprises an instruction for the playback device to either (i) continue playing back media items in the first playback queue because the given mobile device had the prior connection session with the playback device using the first playback queue that was terminated due to the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device or (ii) begin playing back media items in the second playback queue that is associated with the given mobile device at the time of the request.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the given mobile device is considered to be in the communication range of the playback device when the playback device and the mobile device are both connected to the same local area network.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein before playing back media in a first playback queue, (i) entering into the prior connection session with the given mobile device at a time when the given mobile station was associated with the first playback queue, wherein the first playback queue became associated with the playback device as a result of entering into the prior connection session with the given mobile device, and (ii) subsequently disconnecting from the given mobile device as a result of the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein before receiving the request to connect with the given mobile device in the communication range of the playback device, detecting, by the playback device, that the given mobile device has moved into the communication range of the playback device.

14. The method of claim 8, Wherein beginning to play back media items in the second playback queue that is associated with the given mobile device at the time of the request further comprises:

suspending use of the first playback queue.

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 playback device to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

while the playback device does not have an existing connection session with any mobile device, playing back media in a first playback queue;

receiving a request to connect with a given mobile device in a communication range of the playback device; and

after receiving the request, entering into a new connection session with the given mobile device during which the playback device either (i) continues playing back media items in the first playback queue if the given mobile device had a prior connection session with the playback device using the first playback queue that was terminated due to the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device or (ii) otherwise begins playing back media items in a second playback queue that is associated with the given mobile device at the time of the request.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprise program instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

after receiving the request and before entering into the new connection session with the given mobile device, determining whether the given mobile device had a prior connection session with the playback device using the first playback queue that was terminated due to the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the request to connect with the given mobile device comprises an instruction for the playback device to either (i) continue playing back media items in the first playback queue because the given mobile device had the prior connection session with the playback device using the first playback queue that was terminated due to the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device or (ii) begin playing back media items in the second playback queue that is associated with the given mobile device at the time of the request.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the given mobile device is considered to be in the communication range of the playback device when the playback device and the mobile device are both connected to the same local area network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprise program instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

before playing back media in a first playback queue, (i) entering into the prior connection session with the given mobile device at a time when the given mobile station was associated with the first playback queue, wherein the first playback queue became associated with the playback device as a result of entering into the prior connection session with the given mobile device, and (ii) subsequently disconnecting from the given mobile device as a result of the given mobile device moving outside of the communication range of the playback device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein beginning to play back media items in the second playback queue that is associated with the given mobile device at the time of the request further comprises:

suspending use of the first playback queue.