Location based playback system control

• US 10,592,086 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2018
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bates, Paul Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Ell, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/999,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20190012069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13135 Using audio and-or video playback
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13144 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• 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 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 : for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Example implementations may involve using a prompt to prevent inadvertent control or playback of audio content. When a mobile device receives input data indicating a command to play back audio content on a first playback device, the mobile device determines whether the mobile device is in proximity to the first playback device. If the mobile device determines that the mobile device within a given proximity to the first playback device, the mobile device transmits, via the network interface, one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content. However, if the mobile device determines that the mobile device outside the proximity, the mobile device displays a prompt indicating that the mobile device is the outside the given proximity to the first playback device and a selectable control that, when selected, transmits the one or more commands to play back the audio content.

Claims

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

displaying, on a touch-screen graphical display within a first control interface of a controller application, a control to select among playback devices of a media playback system;

receiving, via the first control interface on the touch-screen graphical display, touch-input data indicating a selection of a first playback device for playback of audio content;

in response to the touch-input data indicating the selection of the first playback device, displaying, on the touch-screen graphical display, a second control interface of the controller application, the second control interface including one or more playback controls to control playback by the first playback device;

receiving, via the second control interface on the touch-screen graphical display, input data indicating a command to play back the audio content;

determining whether the mobile device is in proximity to the first playback device;

if the mobile device determines that the mobile device is within a given proximity to the first playback device, transmitting, via a network interface, one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content; and

if the mobile device determines that the mobile device is outside the proximity to the first playback device, displaying, on the touch-screen graphical display, a prompt indicating that the mobile device is the outside the given proximity to the first playback device and a selectable control that, when selected, transmits the one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more playback controls include a play/pause button, and wherein the input data indicating the command to play back the audio content comprises input data indicating selection of the play/pause button.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein one or more third control interfaces include a list of audio tracks available from a streaming media service, and wherein the input data indicating the command to play back the audio content comprises input data indicating selection of one or more particular audio tracks from the list of audio tracks.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second control interface is substantially full-screen, and wherein the controller application includes a substantially full-screen controller interface corresponding to each playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first playback device corresponds to a first zone.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mobile device is in proximity to the first playback device comprises determining that the mobile device is in proximity to a second playback device, wherein a first zone of the media playback system includes the first playback device and a second zone of the media playback system includes the second playback device.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the control to select among playback devices of the media playback system comprises a list of playback devices available in the media playback system, and wherein the touch-input data indicating the selection of the first playback device for playback of audio content comprises touch-input to select the first playback device from the list of playback devices available in the media playback system.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, via the prompt on the touch-screen graphical display, input data indicating selection of the selectable control that, when selected, transmits the one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content; and

in response to the input data indicating selection of the selectable control, transmitting the one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content.

8. A method comprising:

a mobile device displaying, on a touch-screen graphical display within a first control interface of a controller application, a control to select among playback devices of a media playback system;

the mobile device receiving, via the first control interface on the touch-screen graphical display, touch-input data indicating a selection of a first playback device for playback of audio content;

in response to the touch-input data indicating the selection of the first playback device, the mobile device displaying, on the touch-screen graphical display, a second control interface of

the controller application, the second control interface including one or more playback controls to control playback by the first playback device;

the mobile device receiving, via the second control interface on the touch-screen graphical display, input data indicating a command to play back the audio content;

the mobile device determining whether the mobile device is in proximity to the first playback device;

if the mobile device determines that the mobile device is within a given proximity to the first playback device, the mobile device transmitting, via a network interface, one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content; and

if the mobile device determines that the mobile device is outside the proximity to the first playback device, the mobile device displaying, on the touch-screen graphical display, a prompt indicating that the mobile device is the outside the given proximity to the first playback device and a selectable control that, when selected, transmits the one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more playback controls include a play/pause button, and wherein the input data indicating the command to play back the audio content comprises input data indicating selection of the play/pause button.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein one or more third control interfaces include a list of audio tracks available from a streaming media service, and wherein the input data indicating the command to play back the audio content comprises input data indicating selection of one or more particular audio tracks from the list of audio tracks.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second control interface is substantially full-screen, and wherein the controller application includes a substantially full-screen controller interface corresponding to each playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first playback device corresponds to a first zone.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the mobile device is in proximity to the first playback device comprises determining that the mobile device is in proximity to a second playback device, wherein a first zone of the media playback system includes the first playback device and a second zone of the media playback system includes the second playback device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the control to select among playback devices of the media playback system comprises a list of playback devices available in the media playback system, and wherein the touch-input data indicating the selection of the first playback device for playback of audio content comprises touch-input to select the first playback device from the list of playback devices available in the media playback system.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, via the prompt on the touch-screen graphical display, input data indicating selection of the selectable control that, when selected, transmits the one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content; and

in response to the input data indicating selection of the selectable control, transmitting the one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content.

15. A mobile device comprising:

a network interface;

a touch-screen graphical display;

one or more processors;

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

displaying, on the touch-screen graphical display within a first control interface of a controller application, a control to select among playback devices of a media playback system;

receiving, via the first control interface on the touch-screen graphical display, touch-input data indicating a selection of a first playback device for playback of audio content;

in response to the touch-input data indicating the selection of the first playback device, displaying, on the touch-screen graphical display, a second control interface of the controller application, the second control interface including one or more playback controls to control playback by the first playback device;

receiving, via the second control interface on the touch-screen graphical display, input data indicating a command to play back the audio content;

determining whether the mobile device is in proximity to the first playback device;

if the mobile device determines that the mobile device is within a given proximity to the first playback device, transmitting, via the network interface, one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content; and

if the mobile device determines that the mobile device is outside the proximity to the first playback device, displaying, on the touch-screen graphical display, a prompt indicating that the mobile device is the outside the given proximity to the first playback device and a selectable control that, when selected, transmits the one or more commands to instruct the first playback device to play back the audio content.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the one or more playback controls include a play/pause button, and wherein the input data indicating the command to play back the audio content comprises input data indicating selection of the play/pause button.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein one or more third control interfaces include a list of audio tracks available from a streaming media service, and wherein the input data indicating the command to play back the audio content comprises input data indicating selection of one or more particular audio tracks from the list of audio tracks.

18. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the second control interface is substantially full-screen, and wherein the controller application includes a substantially full-screen controller interface corresponding to each playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first playback device corresponds to a first zone.

19. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein determining whether the mobile device is in proximity to the first playback device comprises determining that the mobile device is in proximity to a second playback device, wherein a first zone of the media playback system includes the first playback device and a second zone of the media playback system includes the second playback device.

20. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the control to select among playback devices of the media playback system comprises a list of playback devices available in the media playback system, and wherein the touch-input data indicating the selection of the first playback device for playback of audio content comprises touch-input to select the first playback device from the list of playback devices available in the media playback system.