Accessing last-browsed information in a media playback system

• US 10,623,819 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2018
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kumar, Abhishek
• Primary Examiner(s): Klicos, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US16/036,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20180359531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

Embodiments are discussed for providing an indication of information previously accessed, or “browsed,” by a user on a control device of a media playback system, irrespective of a prior graphical display on the control device. The embodiments may involve causing a graphical display to provide a visual indication of a selectable region, receiving selection data that indicates a selection of the selectable region, irrespective of a prior graphical display and in response to receiving the selection data, identifying browse data that was most-recently accessed by the control device, where the browse data includes an indication of one or more playable media items, and causing the graphical display to provide a visual indication of the one or more playable media items indicated by the identified browse data.

Claims

1. A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a first control device of a media playback system to cause the first control device to perform a method comprising:

displaying, via a touch-screen display of the first control device, a first control interface for a playback device;

receiving, via a network interface of the first control device, browse data indicating a particular set of one or more first media items that were accessed by a second control device of the media playback system, wherein accessing the particular set of one or more first media items comprises at least one of;

(i) browsing to the particular set of one or more first media items via a second control interface for the playback device on the second control device or (ii) searching for the particular set of one or more first media items via the second control interface for the playback device on the second control device;

updating browse data to indicate that the particular set of one or more first media items was accessed by the second control device;

after updating the browse data and before accessing any second media items via the first control interface on the first control device, causing the touch-screen display of the first control device to display one or more first graphical displays of the first control interface for the playback device;

receiving, via the first control interface displayed by the first control device, selection data that indicates a selection of a particular selectable region within a given first graphical display displayed on the touch-screen display, the given first full-screen graphical display including (i) an indication of a given media item that is (a) being played back on the playback device or (b) queued for playback next in a playback queue and (ii) transport controls selectable to control playback by the playback device;

in response to the selection of the particular selectable region;

identifying within the updated browse data, irrespective of (i) the given media item and (ii) the one or more first graphical displays, a set of media items that was most recently accessed by (a) the first control device or (b) the second control device, wherein the browse data indicates that the set of media items that was most recently accessed is the particular set of one or more first media items accessed by the second control device; and

causing the first control interface to display, on the touch-screen display, a second graphical display that includes a list of the set of media items that was most recently accessed, wherein the set of media items that was most recently-accessed is the particular set of one or more first media items accessed by the second control device;

receiving, via the first control interface displayed by the first control device, selection data that indicates a selection, within the second graphical display, of at least one first media item from the set of media items that was most recently accessed; and

in response to the selection of the at least one first media item from the set of media items that was most recently accessed, causing, via the network interface of the first control device, the playback device to initiate playback of the selected at least one first media item from the set of media items that was most recently accessed.

2. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the particular set of one or more first media items comprises the given media item that is (a) being played back on the playback device or (b) queued for playback next in the playback queue.

3. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the given media item was selected for playback on the second control device.

4. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the particular set of one or more first media items excludes the given media item that is (a) being played back on the playback device or (b) queued for playback next in the playback queue.

5. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying the set of media items that was most recently accessed by (a) the first control device or (b) the second control device comprises:

identifying, as the set of one or more media items that was most-recently accessed, one of (a) the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device or (b) a set of one or more second media items was most recently accessed by the first control device.

6. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the browse data comprises (i) first browse data indicating the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device and (ii) second browse data indicating the set of one or more second media items that was most recently accessed by the first control device, and wherein identifying, as the set of one or more media items that was most-recently accessed, one of (a) the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device or (b) the set of one or more second media items was most recently accessed by the first control device comprises:

comparing the first browse data to the second browse data; and

determining, based on the comparison of the first browse data and the second browse data, which of (a) the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device or (b) the set of one or more second media items that was most recently accessed by the first control device was most recently accessed.

7. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more first graphical displays of the first control interface comprise a given first graphical display indicating a queue that includes at least one media item queued for playback at the playback device.

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

displaying, via a touch-screen display of the first control device, a first control interface for a playback device;

receiving, via a network interface of the first control device, browse data indicating a particular set of one or more first media items that were accessed by a second control device of the media playback system, wherein accessing the particular set of one or more first media items comprises at least one of;

(i) browsing to the particular set of one or more first media items via a second control interface for the playback device on the second control device or (ii) searching for the particular set of one or more first media items via the second control interface for the playback device on the second control device;

updating browse data to indicate that the particular set of one or more first media items was accessed by the second control device;

after updating the browse data and before accessing any second media items via the first control interface on the first control device, causing the touch-screen display of the first control device to display one or more first graphical displays of the first control interface for the playback device;

receiving, via the first control interface displayed by the first control device, selection data that indicates a selection of a particular selectable region within a given first graphical display displayed on the touch-screen display, the given first graphical display including (i) an indication of a given media item that is (a) being played back on the playback device or (b) queued for playback next in a playback queue and (ii) transport controls selectable to control playback by the playback device;

in response to the selection of the particular selectable region;

identifying within the updated browse data, irrespective of (i) the given media item and (ii) the one or more first graphical displays, a set of media items that was most recently accessed by (a) the first control device or (b) the second control device, wherein the browse data indicates that the set of media items that was most recently accessed is the particular set of one or more first media items accessed by the second control device; and

causing the first control interface to display, on the touch-screen display, a second graphical display that includes a list of the set of media items that was most recently accessed, wherein the set of media items that was most recently-accessed is the particular set of one or more first media items accessed by the second control device;

receiving, via the first control interface displayed by the first control device, selection data that indicates a selection, within the second graphical display, of at least one first media item from the set of media items that was most recently accessed; and

in response to the selection of the at least one first media item from the set of media items that was most recently accessed, causing, via the network interface of the first control device, the playback device to initiate playback of the selected at least one first media item from the set of media items that was most recently accessed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the particular set of one or more first media items comprises the given media item that is (a) being played back on the playback device or (b) queued for playback next in the playback queue.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the given media item was selected for playback on the second control device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the particular set of one or more first media items excludes the given media item that is (a) being played back on the playback device or (b) queued for playback next in the playback queue.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the set of media items that was most recently accessed by (a) the first control device or (b) the second control device comprises:

identifying, as the set of one or more media items that was most-recently accessed, one of (a) the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device or (b) a set of one or more second media items was most recently accessed by the first control device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the browse data comprises (i) first browse data indicating the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device and (ii) second browse data indicating the set of one or more second media items that was most recently accessed by the first control device, and wherein identifying, as the set of one or more media items that was most-recently accessed, one of (a) the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device or (b) the set of one or more second media items was most recently accessed by the first control device comprises:

comparing the first browse data to the second browse data; and

determining, based on the comparison of the first browse data and the second browse data, which of (a) the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device or (b) the set of one or more second media items that was most recently accessed by the first control device was most recently accessed.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more first graphical displays of the first control interface comprise a given display indicating a queue that includes at least one media item queued for playback at the playback device.

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

a network interface;

a touch-screen display;

one or more processors; and

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

displaying, via the touch-screen display, a first control interface for a playback device;

receiving, via the network interface, browse data indicating a particular set of one or more first media items that were accessed by a second control device of the media playback system, wherein accessing the particular set of one or more first media items comprises at least one of;

(i) browsing to the particular set of one or more first media items via a second control interface for the playback device on the second control device or (ii) searching for the particular set of one or more first media items via the second control interface for the playback device on the second control device;

updating browse data to indicate that the particular set of one or more first media items was accessed by the second control device;

after updating the browse data and before accessing any second media items via the first control interface on the first control device, causing the touch-screen display of the first control device to display one or more first graphical displays of the first control interface for the playback device;

receiving, via the first control interface displayed by the first control device, selection data that indicates a selection of a particular selectable region within a given first graphical display displayed on the touch-screen display, the given first graphical display including (i) an indication of a given media item that is (a) being played back on the playback device or (b) queued for playback next in a playback queue and (ii) transport controls selectable to control playback by the playback device;

in response to the selection of the particular selectable region;

identifying within the updated browse data, irrespective of (i) the given media item and (ii) the one or more first graphical displays, a set of media items that was most recently accessed by (a) the first control device or (b) the second control device, wherein the browse data indicates that the set of media items that was most recently accessed is the particular set of one or more first media items accessed by the second control device; and

causing the first control interface to display, on the touch-screen display, a second graphical display that includes a list of the set of media items that was most recently accessed, wherein the set of media items that was most recently-accessed is the particular set of one or more first media items accessed by the second control device;

receiving, via the first control interface displayed by the first control device, selection data that indicates a selection, within the second graphical display, of at least one first media item from the set of media items that was most recently accessed; and

in response to the selection of the at least one first media item from the set of media items that was most recently accessed, causing, via the network interface of the first control device, the playback device to initiate playback of the selected at least one first media item from the set of media items that was most recently accessed.

16. The first control device of claim 15, wherein the particular set of one or more first media items comprises the given media item that is (a) being played back on the playback device or (b) queued for playback next in the playback queue.

17. The first control device of claim 16, wherein the given media item was selected for playback on the second control device.

18. The first control device of claim 15, wherein the particular set of one or more first media items excludes the given media item that is (a) being played back on the playback device or (b) queued for playback next in the playback queue.

19. The first control device of claim 15, wherein identifying the set of media items that was most recently accessed by (a) the first control device or (b) the second control device comprises:

identifying, as the set of one or more media items that was most-recently accessed, one of (a) the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device or (b) a set of one or more second media items was most recently accessed by the first control device.

20. The first control device of claim 19, wherein the browse data comprises (i) first browse data indicating the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device and (ii) second browse data indicating the set of one or more second media items that was most recently accessed by the first control device, and wherein identifying, as the set of one or more media items that was most-recently accessed, one of (a) the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device or (b) the set of one or more second media items was most recently accessed by the first control device comprises:

comparing the first browse data to the second browse data; and

determining, based on the comparison of the first browse data and the second browse data, which of (a) the set of one or more first media items that was most recently accessed by the second control device or (b) the set of one or more second media items that was most recently accessed by the first control device was most recently accessed.