Playback modification based on proximity

• US 10,268,357 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Vega, Luis, Bates, Paul, Kendall, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Daeho D
• Application Number:
  US15/147,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20160246568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13135 Using audio and-or video playback
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13144 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• 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: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 : for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Techniques described herein may involve modification of playback based on the proximity of a user to a playback device. An example technique involves a device determining that a listener is within a given proximity of a first playback device and based on determining that the listener is within the given proximity of the first playback device, causing the first playback device to begin playback of first media and causing a second playback device to modify playback of second media.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

at least one processor;

data storage; and

a program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the at least one processor to perform functions comprising;

causing a graphical user interface on the mobile device to display a first control interface comprising an indication of (i) an identifier of a first playback device and (ii) a characteristic of the first playback device, wherein the characteristic is an indication of at least one media item queued from the first playback device;

determining that the mobile device is within a given proximity of a second playback device; and

based on determining that the mobile device is within the given proximity of the second playback device;

(a) causing the second playback device to begin playback of second media;

(b) causing the first playback device to modify playback of first media; and

(c) based on causing the second playback device to begin playback of the second media, transitioning the graphical user interface on the mobile device from displaying the first control interface to displaying a second control interface comprising an indication of (i) an identifier of the second playback device and (ii) a characteristic of the second playback device, wherein the characteristic is an indication of at least one media item queued from the second playback device, such that the graphical user interface ceases to display the (i) the identifier of the first playback device and (ii) the characteristic of the first playback device.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, the functions further comprising:

determining that the mobile device is not within a given proximity of the first playback device.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, the functions further comprising:

receiving, via a radio interface, a radio transmission indicating the second playback device, wherein determining that the mobile device is within the given proximity of the second playback device comprises determining that the mobile device is within the given proximity of the second playback device based on the received radio transmission.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein causing the first playback device to modify playback of the first media comprises causing the first playback device to stop playback of the first media.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein causing the first playback device to modify playback of the first media comprises causing the first playback device to reduce a volume of playback of the first media.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first media and the second media are the same media.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein causing the second playback device to begin playback of second media comprising causing a group of playback devices comprising the second playback device to begin playback of second media.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first control interface and the second control interface are substantially full-screen control interfaces.

9. Tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a mobile device to perform a method comprising:

causing a graphical user interface on the mobile device to display a first control interface comprising an indication of (i) an identifier of a first playback device and (ii) a characteristic of the first playback device, wherein the characteristic is an indication of at least one media item queued from the first playback device;

determining that the mobile device is within a given proximity of a second playback device; and

based on determining that the mobile device is within the given proximity of the second playback device;

(a) causing the second playback device to begin playback of second media;

(b) causing the first playback device to modify playback of first media; and

(c) based on causing the second playback device to begin playback of the second media, transitioning the graphical user interface on the mobile device from displaying the first control interface to displaying a second control interface comprising an indication of (i) an identifier of the second playback device and (ii) a characteristic of the second playback device, wherein the characteristic is an indication of at least one media item queued from the second playback device, such that the graphical user interface ceases to display the (i) the identifier of the first playback device and (ii) the characteristic of the first playback device.

10. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9, the method further comprising:

receiving, via a radio interface, a radio transmission indicating the second playback device, wherein determining that the mobile device is within the given proximity of the second playback device comprises determining that the mobile device is within the given proximity of the second playback device based on the received radio transmission.

11. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein causing the first playback device to modify playback of the first media comprises causing the first playback device to stop playback of the first media.

12. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the first media and the second media are the same media.

13. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the first control interface and the second control interface are substantially full-screen control interfaces.

14. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein causing the first playback device to modify playback of the first media comprises:

causing the first playback device to reduce a volume of playback of the first media.

15. A method comprising:

causing a graphical user interface on a mobile device to display a first control interface comprising an indication of (i) an identifier of a first playback device and (ii) a characteristic of the first playback device, wherein the characteristic is an indication of at least one media item queued from the first playback device;

determining, via the mobile device, that the mobile device is within a given proximity of a second playback device; and

based on determining that the mobile device is within the given proximity of the second playback device;

(a) causing the second playback device to begin playback of second media;

(b) causing the first playback device to modify playback of first media; and

(c) based on causing the second playback device to begin playback of the second media, transitioning the graphical user interface on the mobile device from displaying the first control interface to displaying a second control interface comprising an indication of (i) an identifier of the second playback device and (ii) a characteristic of the second playback device, wherein the characteristic is an indication of at least one media item queued from the second playback device, such that the graphical user interface ceases to display the (i) the identifier of the first playback device and (ii) the characteristic of the first playback device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, via a radio interface, a radio transmission indicating the second playback device, wherein determining that the mobile device is within the given proximity of the second playback device comprises determining that the mobile device is within the given proximity of the second playback device based on the received radio transmission.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein causing the first playback device to modify playback of the second media comprises causing the first playback device to stop playback of the first media.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first media and the second media are the same media.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first control interface and the second control interface are substantially full-screen control interfaces.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein causing the first playback device to modify playback of the first media comprises:

causing the first playback device to reduce a volume of playback of the first media.