Shift to corresponding media in a playback queue

• US 10,268,441 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reimann, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Saunders, Jr., Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/979,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20180349085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• 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 21/43615 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide for extending media playback. In an example implementation, during playback of one or more first media items populated in a queue, a control device extends playback time of the queue. Extending playback time of the queue may involve determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and before the first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that play time of the queue is extended.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform operations comprising:

sending an instruction that causes a first playback device to populate a queue with one or more first media items, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device, and wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone group that includes a second playback device;

sending an instruction that causes the first playback device and the second playback device to initiate playback of the queue in synchrony; and

during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue, extending a playback time of the queue, wherein extending the playback time of the queue comprises;

determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and

before the one or more first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items, and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that the playback time of the queue is extended.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein extending the playback time of the queue comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to send the one or more second media items to the second playback device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to send the one or more second media items to the second playback device comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to indicate a source of the one or more second media items to the second playback device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

causing a graphical interface to display an indication of the queue, wherein the queue includes the one or more first media items and the one or more second media items.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone, and wherein determining one or more second media items that corresponds in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items comprises determining one or more media items that have been previously played back in the zone.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining one or more second media items that corresponds in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items comprises:

determining a current time of day; and

determining one or more media items that have been previously played back by the first playback device in a window of time that encompasses the current time of day.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert a given one of the one or more second media items into the queue between two of the one or more first media items.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items comprises querying a streaming music service for a channel of one or more second media items that correspond to the one or more first media items, and wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to include the channel of one or more second media items in the queue.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to populate the queue with the one or more first media items comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to populate a queue that is stored on a computing device with the one or more first media items, wherein the computing device is different from the first and second playback devices.

10. A method comprising:

sending, by a control device of a media playback system, an instruction that causes a first playback device to populate a queue with one or more first media items, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device, and wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone group that includes a second playback device;

sending, by the control device, an instruction that causes the first playback device and the second playback device to initiate playback of the queue in synchrony; and

during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue, extending a playback time of the queue, wherein extending the playback time of the queue comprises;

determining, by the first playback device, when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and

before the one or more first media items are finished playing, determining, by first the playback device, one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items, and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that the playback time of the queue is extended.

11. A control device comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible non-transitory computer-readable memory having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the control device to perform a method comprising;

sending an instruction that causes a first playback device to populate a queue with one or more first media items, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device, and wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone group that includes a second playback device;

sending an instruction that causes the first playback device and the second playback device to initiate playback of the queue in synchrony; and

during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue, extending a playback time of the queue, wherein extending the playback time of the queue comprises;

determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and

before the one or more first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items, and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that the playback time of the queue is extended.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication of one or more first media items that are populated in a queue of a first playback device, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device, and wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone group that includes a second playback device; and

during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue, extending a playback time of the queue, wherein the playback of the one or more first media items is performed by the first playback device in synchrony with the second playback device, and wherein extending the playback time of the queue comprises;

determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and

before the one or more first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items, and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that the playback time of the queue is extended.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone group that includes a second playback device, and wherein the operations further comprising sending an instruction that causes the first playback device and the second playback device of the zone group to initiate playback of the queue in synchrony.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein extending the playback time of the queue comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to send the one or more second media items to the second playback device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to send the one or more second media items to the second playback device comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to indicate a source of the one or more second media items to the second playback device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone, and wherein determining one or more second media items that corresponds in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items comprises determining one or more media items that have been previously played back in the zone.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to populate the queue with the one or more first media items comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to populate a queue that is stored on a computing device with the one or more first media items, wherein the computing device is different from the first and second playback devices.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, by a control device of a media playback system, an indication of one or more first media items that are populated in a queue of a first playback device, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device, and wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone group that includes a second playback device; and

during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue, extending a playback time of the queue, wherein the playback of the one or more first media items is performed by the first playback device in synchrony with the second playback device, and wherein extending the playback time of the queue comprises;

determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and

before the one or more first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items, and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that the playback time of the queue is extended.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to populate the queue with the one or more first media items.

20. A control device comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible non-transitory computer-readable memory have instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the control device to perform a method comprising;

receiving, by a control device of a media playback system, an indication of one or more first media items that are populated in a queue of a first playback device, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device, and wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone group that includes a second playback device; and

during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue, extending a playback time of the queue, wherein the playback of the one or more first media items is performed by the first playback device in synchrony with the second playback device, and wherein extending the playback time of the queue comprises;

determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and

before the one or more first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items, and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that the playback time of the queue is extended.