Systems and methods for multi-context media control and playback

• US 10,440,075 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2013
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Original Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Inventors: Garmark, Sten, Roos, Karl Magnus, Oman, Andreas, Bengtsson, Per Gunnar Joachim, Vesterlund, Marcus Per
• Primary Examiner(s): Tank, Andrew L
• Application Number:
  US14/411,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20150199122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,290 Days
• Field of Search: 715740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/90 Wireless transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method of remotely controlling an electronic device is disclosed. In some implementations, the method is performed on a server system. The server system receives, from a first electronic device, a first media control request, wherein the first electronic device provides a single user interface that allows a user to both select media content for presentation by the first electronic device and to generate media control requests for transmission to the server system; and the first electronic device also sends a second media control request to a second electronic device over a local area network to which both the first electronic device and the second electronic device are connected. The server system then sends the received first media control request to the second electronic device, distinct from the first electronic device, wherein the server system and the second electronic device are not on the same local area network.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a first electronic device, comprising:

at a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

while a media content stream is paused at a second electronic device, distinct from the first electronic device;

receiving, at the server system, from the second electronic device, a transfer request to transmit the media content stream to the first electronic device, wherein the transfer request is generated without user input at an input device of the second electronic device and the transfer request is generated in response to a determination that a wireless communication connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device has been disconnected;

in response to receiving, at the server system, the transfer request that is generated without the user input at the input device of the second electronic device, determining whether the media content stream was paused at the second electronic device within a time period;

in accordance with a determination that the media content stream was paused at the second electronic device within the time period, transmitting, to the first electronic device, the media content stream from the paused position; and

in accordance with a determination that the media content stream was not paused within the time period at the second electronic device, transmitting, to the first electronic device, a second media content stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer request includes an identifier of the media content paused at the second electronic device and current playback position of the media content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the time period corresponds to the media content being paused at the second electronic device within five minutes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the time period is a time period before receiving the transfer request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer request is generated based on a detection of a change of state of the second electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer request is generated based on detection, by a location sensor of the second electronic device, of movement of the second electronic device with regard to a predefined area.

7. A server system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

while a media content stream is paused at a second electronic device, distinct from a first electronic device;

receiving, at the server system, from the second electronic device a transfer request to transmit the media content stream to the first electronic device, wherein the transfer request is generated without user input at an input device of the second electronic device and the transfer request is generated in response to a determination that a wireless communication connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device has been disconnected;

in response to receiving, at the server system, the transfer request that is generated without the user input at the input device of the second electronic device, determining whether the media content stream was paused at the second electronic device within a time period;

in accordance with a determination that the media content stream was paused at the second electronic device within the time period, transmitting, to the first electronic device, the media content stream from the paused position; and

in accordance with a determination that the media content stream was not paused within the time period at the second electronic device, transmitting, to the first electronic device, a second media content stream.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which, when executed by a server system, the server system having one or more processors, cause the server system to:

while a media content stream is paused at a second electronic device, distinct from a first electronic device;

receive, at the server system, from the second electronic device, a transfer request to transmit the media content stream to the first electronic device, wherein the transfer request is generated without user input at an input device of the second electronic device and the transfer request is generated in response to a determination that a wireless communication connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device has been disconnected;

in response to receiving, at the server system, the transfer request that is generated without the user input at the input device of the second electronic device, determine whether the media content stream was paused at the second electronic device within a time period;

in accordance with a determination that the media content stream was paused at the second electronic device within the time period, transmit, to the first electronic device, the media content stream from the paused position; and

in accordance with a determination that the media content stream was not paused within the time period at the second electronic device, transmit, to the first electronic device, a second media content stream.