Multiple household management

• US 10,587,928 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2019
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kuper, Ron, Coburn, IV, Arthur L., Meyer, John, Delaney, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Michelle
• Application Number:
  US16/458,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20190327530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include systems and methods for providing a management interface for controlling multiple households. The management interface may be provided as an application on a mobile device or as an Internet webpage. An example implementation involves a device displaying representations of: a plurality of households; an indication of a selected household; one or more zones within the selected household; and a representation of media being played by a selected zone of the one or more zones. While displaying the representations, the device receives, from a server, data indicating updated information associated with the plurality of households; and, in response, updates the graphical display to display at least an updated representation of media being played by the selected zone.

Claims

1. A method to be performed by a cloud computing system, the method comprising:

causing, via one or more networks including a wide area network, a controller interface on a graphical display of a computing device to display (i) representations of multiple households and (ii) a first control, the first control selectable to select among the multiple households, wherein each household comprises one or more respective playback devices;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data indicating a first household selected from among the multiple households;

causing, via the one or more networks, the controller interface on the graphical display to display (i) a representation of the first household and (ii) a second control, the second control selectable to select among multiple playlists of audio content;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing one or more instructions to cause the first household to play back a first playlist on one or more playback devices of the first household, the first playlist selected from among the multiple playlists of audio content;

based on receiving the data representing one or more instructions to cause the first household to play back the first playlist on one or more playback devices of the first household, causing, via the one or more networks, the first household to play back the first playlist on the one or more playback devices of the first household;

causing the controller interface on the graphical display to display a representation of the first household playing back audio content;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data indicating a second household selected from among the multiple households;

causing, via the one or more networks, the controller interface on the graphical display to display (i) a representation of the second household and (ii) the second control;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing one or more instructions to cause the second household to play back a second playlist on one or more playback devices of the second household;

based on receiving the data representing one or more instructions to cause the second household to play back the second playlist on one or more playback devices of the second household, causing, via the one or more networks, the second household to play back the second playlist on the one or more playback devices of the second household; and

causing the controller interface on the graphical display to display a representation of the second household playing back audio content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each household corresponds to a respective business location, and wherein causing the controller interface to display the representations of the multiple households comprises causing the controller interface to display respective names of business locations corresponding to each household.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

causing the controller interface to display respective playback indications in association with the representations of the multiple households, wherein each playback indication graphically indicates a playback status of a respective household of the multiple households.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first household comprises multiple zones that comprise at least respective playback device, and wherein the method further comprises:

causing the controller interface to display the representation of the first household and (ii) a third control, the third control selectable to select among the multiple zones; and

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing a particular zone selected from among the multiple zones, the particular zone comprising the one or more playback devices, wherein the one or more instructions cause the first household to play back the first playlist on the one or more playback devices of the particular zone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second control is further selectable to select audio tracks of a streaming music library, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, via the one or more networks, data indicating at least one particular audio track selected from among the audio tracks of the streaming music library; and

based on receiving the data indicating at least one particular audio track selected from among the audio tracks of the streaming music library, sending, via the one or more networks, one or more instructions that cause the first household to queue the at least one particular audio track in a queue of the one or more playback devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more playback devices comprise a network interface, and wherein causing the first household to play back the first playlist on the one or more playback devices of the first household comprises sending one or more instructions to the one or more playback devices to stream, via the network interface of the one or more playback devices, audio tracks of the first playlist from at least one network location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

while displaying the representation of the first household playing back audio content, receiving, via the one or more networks, status data indicating respective playback statuses of the multiple households; and

causing the computing device to update the controller interface on the graphical display to display representations of the respective playback statuses of the multiple households.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller interface further comprises a volume control selectable to control volume of the first household when the first household is currently selected, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing an adjustment of a volume level of the first household; and

based on receiving the data representing an adjustment of the volume level of the first household, sending, via one or more networks to the first household, one or more instructions that cause the first household to adjust the volume level of the first household.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller interface further comprises transport controls selectable to control playback by the first household when the first household is currently selected, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing a command to pause playback of the audio content on the one or more playback devices of the first household; and

based on receiving the data representing a command to pause playback of the audio content on the one or more playback devices of the first household, sending, via the one or more networks, one or more instructions that cause the first household to pause playback of the audio content.

10. A cloud computing system comprising one or more servers, the one or more servers comprising one or more processors and data storage having stored therein instructions executable by the cloud computing system to cause the cloud computing system to perform operations comprising:

causing, via one or more networks including a wide area network, a controller interface on a graphical display of a computing device to display (i) representations of multiple households and (ii) a first control, the first control selectable to select among the multiple households, wherein each household comprises one or more respective playback devices;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data indicating a first household selected from among the multiple households;

causing, via the one or more networks, the controller interface on the graphical display to display (i) a representation of the first household and (ii) a second control, the second control selectable to select among multiple playlists of audio content;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing one or more instructions to cause the first household to play back a first playlist on one or more playback devices of the first household, the first playlist selected from among the multiple playlists of audio content;

based on receiving the data representing one or more instructions to cause the first household to play back the first playlist on one or more playback devices of the first household, causing, via the one or more networks, the first household to play back the first playlist on the one or more playback devices of the first household;

causing the controller interface on the graphical display to display a representation of the first household playing back audio content;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data indicating a second household selected from among the multiple households;

causing, via the one or more networks, the controller interface on the graphical display to display (i) a representation of the second household and (ii) the second control;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing one or more instructions to cause the second household to play back a second playlist on one or more playback devices of the second household;

based on receiving the data representing one or more instructions to cause the second household to play back the second playlist on one or more playback devices of the second household, causing, via the one or more networks, the second household to play back the second playlist on the one or more playback devices of the second household; and

causing the controller interface on the graphical display to display a representation of the second household playing back audio content.

11. The cloud computing system of claim 10, wherein each household corresponds to a respective business location, and wherein causing the controller interface to display the representations of the multiple households comprises causing the controller interface to display respective names of business locations corresponding to each household.

12. The cloud computing system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

causing the controller interface to display respective playback indications in association with the representations of the multiple households, wherein each playback indication graphically indicates a playback status of a respective household of the multiple households.

13. The cloud computing system of claim 10, wherein the first household comprises multiple zones that comprise at least respective playback device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

causing the controller interface to display the representation of the first household and (ii) a third control, the third control selectable to select among the multiple zones; and

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing a particular zone selected from among the multiple zones, the particular zone comprising the one or more playback devices, wherein the one or more instructions cause the first household to play back the first playlist on the one or more playback devices of the particular zone.

14. The cloud computing system of claim 10, wherein the second control is further selectable to select audio tracks of a streaming music library, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, via the one or more networks, data indicating at least one particular audio track selected from among the audio tracks of the streaming music library; and

based on receiving the data indicating at least one particular audio track selected from among the audio tracks of the streaming music library, sending, via the one or more networks, one or more instructions that cause the first household to queue the at least one particular audio track in a queue of the one or more playback devices.

15. The cloud computing system of claim 10, wherein the one or more playback devices comprise a network interface, and wherein causing the first household to play back the first playlist on the one or more playback devices of the first household comprises sending one or more instructions to the one or more playback devices to stream, via the network interface of the one or more playback devices, audio tracks of the first playlist from at least one network location.

16. The cloud computing system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

while displaying the representation of the first household playing back audio content, receiving, via the one or more networks, status data indicating respective playback statuses of the multiple households; and

causing the computing device to update the controller interface on the graphical display to display representations of the respective playback statuses of the multiple households.

17. The cloud computing system of claim 10, wherein the controller interface further comprises a volume control selectable to control volume of the first household when the first household is currently selected, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing an adjustment of a volume level of the first household; and

based on receiving the data representing an adjustment of the volume level of the first household, sending, via one or more networks to the first household, one or more instructions that cause the first household to adjust the volume level of the first household.

18. The cloud computing system of claim 10, wherein the controller interface further comprises transport controls selectable to control playback by the first household when the first household is currently selected, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing a command to pause playback of the audio content on the one or more playback devices of the first household; and

based on receiving the data representing a command to pause playback of the audio content on the one or more playback devices of the first household, sending, via the one or more networks, one or more instructions that cause the first household to pause playback of the audio content.

19. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a cloud computing system to cause the cloud computing system to perform a method comprising:

causing, via one or more networks including a wide area network, a controller interface on a graphical display of a computing device to display (i) representations of multiple households and (ii) a first control, the first control selectable to select among the multiple households, wherein each household comprises one or more respective playback devices;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data indicating a first household selected from among the multiple households;

causing, via the one or more networks, the controller interface on the graphical display to display (i) a representation of the first household and (ii) a second control, the second control selectable to select among multiple playlists of audio content;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing one or more instructions to cause the first household to play back a first playlist on one or more playback devices of the first household, the first playlist selected from among the multiple playlists of audio content;

based on receiving the data representing one or more instructions to cause the first household to play back the first playlist on one or more playback devices of the first household, causing, via the one or more networks, the first household to play back the first playlist on the one or more playback devices of the first household;

causing the controller interface on the graphical display to display a representation of the first household playing back audio content;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data indicating a second household selected from among the multiple households;

causing, via the one or more networks, the controller interface on the graphical display to display (i) a representation of the second household and (ii) the second control;

receiving, via the one or more networks, data representing one or more instructions to cause the second household to play back a second playlist on one or more playback devices of the second household;

based on receiving the data representing one or more instructions to cause the second household to play back the second playlist on one or more playback devices of the second household, causing, via the one or more networks, the second household to play back the second playlist on the one or more playback devices of the second household; and

causing the controller interface on the graphical display to display a representation of the second household playing back audio content.

20. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein each household corresponds to a respective business location, and wherein causing the controller interface to display the representations of the multiple households comprises causing the controller interface to display respective names of business locations corresponding to each household.