Information display regarding playback queue subscriptions

• US 10,324,680 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bierbower, Chris, Vossel, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US15/890,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20180321897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/22 Arrangements for preventing the taking of data from a data transmission channel without authorisation means for verifying the identity or the authority of a user of a secure or secret communication system H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

An example non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions that, when executed by a control device, cause the control device to perform functions. The functions comprise configuring a first playback device associated with a first user-account to (i) play media content from a playback queue comprising one or more audio tracks stored at a network location and (ii) enable one or more other user-accounts associated with other playback devices to subscribe to the playback queue. The functions further comprise receiving an indication that a second user-account associated with a second playback device has subscribed to the playback queue. The functions further comprise in response to receiving the indication, displaying a subscriber indicator on the control device showing that the second user-account has subscribed to the playback queue. An example control device and an example method, both related to the example non-transitory computer-readable medium, are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A first media playback system comprising a first playback device, the first media playback system configured to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via a network interface from a first control device, an instruction to enable subscription to a first playback queue associated with the first playback device, wherein one or more first accounts are registered with the first media playback system in a first household;

in response to the instruction, enabling one or more second user accounts to subscribe to the first playback queue via one or more wide area networks, wherein the one or more second user accounts are registered with respective second media playback systems in respective second households;

after enabling the one or more second user accounts associated with one or more second playback devices to subscribe to the first playback queue, receiving, via the network interface from a particular second media playback system, a request to subscribe to the first playback queue; and

in response to the request to subscribe to the first playback queue;

(i) sending, via the network interface, one or more messages that update a control interface of the first control device to display a subscriber indication showing that a particular second user account registered with the particular second media playback system has subscribed to the first playback queue and (ii) sending, via the network interface, one or more messages that populate a second playback queue associated with a second playback device of the particular second media playback system with audio tracks of the first playback queue.

2. The first media playback system of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

while playing back a particular audio track of the first playback queue, sending a data stream with timing information to the particular second media playback system to configure the second playback device to play the particular audio track at the substantially same time as the first playback device.

3. The first media playback system of claim 1, wherein the first playback queue is hosted at one or more cloud servers, and wherein the first playback queue identifies respective network locations of the audio tracks indicated within the first playback queue, and wherein the first playback device streams the audio tracks indicated within the first playback queue from the respective network locations during playback.

4. The first media playback system of claim 3, wherein the second playback queue is hosted at the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the second playback device streams the audio tracks indicated within the second playback queue from the respective network locations during playback.

5. The first media playback system of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving, via the network interface, status information indicating whether the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue, and

when the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue, updating the control interface of the first control device to display a graphical indication that the particular second user account is playing back the first playback queue; and

when the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue, updating the control interface of the first control device to display the subscriber indication showing that the particular second user account has subscribed to the first playback queue.

6. The first media playback system of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

when the first playback device starts playing back the first playback queue, sending, via the network interface, an invitation for the particular second media playback system to start playing back the first playback queue with the first playback device.

7. The first media playback system of claim 1, wherein a network location of a first audio track indicated within the first playback queue is at one or more servers of a first streaming audio service, and wherein a network location of a second audio track indicated within the first playback queue is at one or more servers of a second streaming audio service.

8. A first playback device of a first media playback system, the first playback device comprising:

a network interface;

one or more processors;

data storage having stored therein instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the first playback device to perform a method comprising;

receiving, via the network interface from a first control device, an instruction to enable subscription to a first playback queue associated with the first playback device, wherein one or more first accounts are registered with the first media playback system in a first household;

in response to the instruction, enabling one or more second user accounts to subscribe to the first playback queue via one or more wide area networks, wherein the one or more second user accounts are registered with respective second media playback systems in respective second households;

after enabling the one or more second user accounts associated with one or more second playback devices to subscribe to the first playback queue, receiving, via the network interface from a particular second media playback system, a request to subscribe to the first playback queue; and

in response to the request to subscribe to the first playback queue;

(i) sending, via the network interface, one or more messages that update a control interface of the first control device to display a subscriber indication showing that a particular second user account registered with the particular second media playback system has subscribed to the first playback queue and (ii) sending, via the network interface, one or more messages that populate a second playback queue associated with a second playback device of the particular second media playback system with audio tracks of the first playback queue.

9. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

while playing back a particular audio track of the first playback queue, sending a data stream with timing information to the particular second media playback system to configure the second playback device to play the particular audio track at the substantially same time as the first playback device.

10. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the first playback queue is hosted at one or more cloud servers, and wherein the first playback queue identifies respective network locations of the audio tracks indicated within the first playback queue, and wherein the first playback device streams the audio tracks indicated within the first playback queue from the respective network locations during playback.

11. The first playback device of claim 10, wherein the second playback queue is hosted at the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the second playback device streams the audio tracks indicated within the second playback queue from the respective network locations during playback.

12. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, via the network interface, status information indicating whether the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue, and

when the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue, updating the control interface of the first control device to display a graphical indication that the particular second user account is playing back the first playback queue; and

when the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue, updating the control interface of the first control device to display the subscriber indication showing that the particular second user account has subscribed to the first playback queue.

13. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

when the first playback device starts playing back the first playback queue, sending, via the network interface, an invitation for the particular second media playback system to start playing back the first playback queue with the first playback device.

14. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein a network location of a first audio track indicated within the first playback queue is at one or more servers of a first streaming audio service, and wherein a network location of a second audio track indicated within the first playback queue is at one or more servers of a second streaming audio service.

15. A method to be performed by a first media playback system comprising a first playback device, the method comprising:

receiving, via a network interface from a first control device, an instruction to enable subscription to a first playback queue associated with the first playback device, wherein one or more first accounts are registered with the first media playback system in a first household;

in response to the instruction, enabling one or more second user accounts to subscribe to the first playback queue via one or more wide area networks, wherein the one or more second user accounts are registered with respective second media playback systems in respective second households;

after enabling the one or more second user accounts associated with one or more second playback devices to subscribe to the first playback queue, receiving, via the network interface from a particular second media playback system, a request to subscribe to the first playback queue; and

in response to the request to subscribe to the first playback queue;

(i) sending, via the network interface, one or more messages that update a control interface of the first control device to display a subscriber indication showing that a particular second user account registered with the particular second media playback system has subscribed to the first playback queue and (ii) sending, via the network interface, one or more messages that populate a second playback queue associated with a second playback device of the particular second media playback system with audio tracks of the first playback queue.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

while playing back a particular audio track of the first playback queue, sending a data stream with timing information to the particular second media playback system to configure the second playback device to play the particular audio track at the substantially same time as the first playback device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first playback queue is hosted at one or more cloud servers, and wherein the first playback queue identifies respective network locations of the audio tracks indicated within the first playback queue, and wherein the first playback device streams the audio tracks indicated within the first playback queue from the respective network locations during playback.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second playback queue is hosted at the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the second playback device streams the audio tracks indicated within the second playback queue from the respective network locations during playback.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, via the network interface, status information indicating whether the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue, and

when the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue, updating the control interface of the first control device to display a graphical indication that the particular second user account is playing back the first playback queue; and

when the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue, updating the control interface of the first control device to display the subscriber indication showing that the particular second user account has subscribed to the first playback queue.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

when the first playback device starts playing back the first playback queue, sending, via the network interface, an invitation for the particular second media playback system to start playing back the first playback queue with the first playback device.