Audio track selection and playback

• US 10,359,990 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reimann, Robert, Taylor, David, Kumar, Abhishek
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US15/205,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20160357511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 84601, 84604, 84609
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

A computing device detects a first playback condition indicating a presence of a user in a zone in a media playback system. The computing device determines a second playback condition that corresponds to the detected presence of the user in the zone. Characteristics of at least one audio track are compared to (i) the indication of the presence of the user in the zone and (ii) the second playback condition. Audio content is identified based on the comparison and the identified audio content is played in the zone.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

identifying a particular user of a media playback system comprising at least (1) a first playback device located at a first location of a given household and (2) a second playback device located at a second location of the given household;

detecting a presence of a first location-based playback condition and a first non-location-based playback condition that are each related to the particular user, the first location-based playback condition indicating that the particular user wishes to listen to audio in the first location of the given household;

identifying a first audio track having one or more characteristics that are associated with (i) the first location-based playback condition and (ii) the first non-location-based playback condition; and

causing the identified first audio track to be played by the first playback device;

detecting a presence of a second location-based playback condition and a second non-location-based playback condition that are each related to the particular user, the second location-based playback condition indicating that the particular user wishes to listen to audio in the second location of the given household;

identifying a second audio track having one or more characteristics that are associated with (i) the second location-based playback condition and (ii) the second non-location-based playback condition; and

causing the identified second audio track to be played by the second playback device.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular user of the media playback system comprises identifying the particular user of the media playback system based on an operation history of the media playback system.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first non-location-based playback condition or the second non-location-based playback condition related to the particular user comprises a certain time of day at which the particular user requests playback by a corresponding one of the first playback device or the second playback device, and wherein the characteristics of a corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track comprise an indication that the corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track has previously been played back at the certain time of day.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first non-location-based playback condition or the second non-location-based playback condition related to the particular user comprises a listening preference of the particular user, and wherein the characteristics of a corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track comprise at least one characteristic that matches the listening preference of the particular user.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first non-location-based playback condition or the second non-location-based playback condition related to the particular user comprises a weather condition at the location of the particular user, and wherein the characteristics of a corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track comprise an indication that the corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track has previously been played back during the presence of the weather condition.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first non-location-based playback condition or the second non-location-based playback condition comprises a certain day of the week at which the particular user requests playback by a corresponding one of the first playback device or the second playback device, and wherein the characteristics of a corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track comprise an indication that the corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track has previously been played back at the certain day of the week.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first non-location-based playback condition or the second non-location-based playback condition comprises a certain time of year at which the particular user requests playback by a corresponding one of the first playback device or the second playback device, and wherein the characteristics of a corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track comprise an indication that the corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track has previously been played back at the certain time of year.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

after identifying the first audio track, displaying on a graphical display of the first playback device, a graphical representation of the identified first audio track;

before causing the first audio track to be played by the first playback device, receiving a command to play the first audio track;

after identifying the second audio track, displaying on a graphical display of the second playback device, a graphical representation of the identified second audio track; and

before causing the second audio track to be played by the second playback device, receiving a command to play the second audio track.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular user of the media playback system comprises identifying the particular user of the media playback system based on a profile associated with the media playback system.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises the first playback device or the second playback device.

11. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first non-location-based playback condition and the second non-location-based playback condition each comprise one of:

a time related playback condition, a user related playback condition, a social network connection, or a weather-related condition.

12. The computing device of claim 1, wherein one of the first location-based playback condition or the second location-based playback condition related to the particular user comprises a location of the particular user when requesting playback by a corresponding one of the first playback device or the second playback device, and wherein the characteristics of a corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track comprise an indication that the corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track has previously been played back at a corresponding one of the first location of the given household or the second location of the given household.

13. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the second non-location-based playback condition is the same as the first non-location-based playback condition.

14. A method comprising:

identifying a particular user of a media playback system comprising at least (1) a first playback device located at a first location of a given household and (2) a second playback device located at a second location of the given household;

detecting a presence of a first location-based playback condition and a first non-location-based playback condition that are each related to the particular user, the first location-based playback condition indicating that the particular user wishes to listen to audio in the first location of the given household;

identifying a first audio track having one or more characteristics that are associated with (i) the first location-based playback condition and (ii) the first non-location-based playback condition; and

causing the identified first audio track to be played by the first playback device;

detecting a presence of a second location-based playback condition and a second non-location-based playback condition that are each related to the particular user, the second location-based playback condition indicating that the particular user wishes to listen to audio in the second location of the given household;

identifying a second audio track having one or more characteristics that are associated with (i) the second location-based playback condition and (ii) the second non-location-based playback condition; and

causing the identified second audio track to be played by the second playback device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the particular user of the media playback system comprises identifying the particular user of the media playback system based on an operation history of the media playback system.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the computing device comprises the first playback device or the second playback device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first non-location-based playback condition and the second non-location-based playback condition each comprise one of:

a time related playback condition, a user related playback condition, a social network connection, or a weather-related condition.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein one of the first location-based playback condition or the second location-based playback condition related to the particular user comprises a location of the particular user when requesting playback by a corresponding one of the first playback device or the second playback device, and wherein the characteristics of a corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track comprise an indication that the corresponding one of the first audio track or the second audio track has previously been played back at a corresponding one of the first location of the given household or the second location of the given household.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the second non-location-based playback condition is the same as the first non-location-based playback condition.

20. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

identifying a particular user of a media playback system comprising at least (1) a first playback device located at a first location of a given household and (2) a second playback device located at a second location of the given household;

detecting a presence of a first location-based playback condition and a second first non-location-based playback condition that are each related to the particular user, the first location-based playback condition indicating that the particular user wishes to listen to audio in the first location of the given household;

identifying a first audio track having one or more characteristics that are associated with (i) the first location-based playback condition and (ii) the first non-location-based playback condition; and

causing the identified first audio track to be played by the first playback device;

detecting a presence of a second location-based playback condition and a second non-location-based playback condition that are each related to the particular user, the second location-based playback condition indicating that the particular user wishes to listen to audio in the second location of the given household;

identifying a second audio track having one or more characteristics that are associated with (i) the second location-based playback condition and (ii) the second non-location-based playback condition; and

causing the identified second audio track to be played by the second playback device.

21. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 20, wherein the computing device comprises the first playback device or the second playback device.

22. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 20, wherein the first non-location-based playback condition and the second non-location-based playback condition each comprise one of:

a time related playback condition, a user related playback condition, a social network connection, or a weather-related condition.

23. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 20, wherein the second non-location-based playback condition is the same as the first non-location-based playback condition.