METHODS AND APPARATUS TO CHANGE CONTROL CENTEXTS OF CONTROLLERS

• US 20130076651A1
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bates, Paul, Kumar, Abhishek, Reimann, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/247,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20130076651A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to change control contexts of controllers are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a touch screen to display a user interface; a controller to control a first physical playback device of a first zone when in a first control context and to control a second physical playback device of a second zone when in a second control context; a swipe detector to monitor a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of the touch screen; and a context changer to change the controller from operating in the first control context to operating in the second control context in response to a detected swipe.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch screen to display a user interface;

a controller to control a first physical playback device of a first zone when in a first control context and to control a second physical playback device of a second zone when in a second control context;

a swipe detector to monitor a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of the touch screen; and

a context changer to change the controller from operating in the first control context to operating in the second control context in response to a detected swipe.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a user interface communicator to facilitate a change in a display of the designated area in response to the detected swipe.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the display includes information related to a currently selected media item in the first or second zone.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the display includes an identifier of the first zone when in the first control context.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a queue section including a queue of media items to be presented in connection with a current control context.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the queue section includes a drop zone defined as a first side of the queue section, the drop zone having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein dropping a media item into the top portion causes the media to be placed at a top of the queue, and wherein dropping the media item into the bottom portion causes the media to be placed at a top of the queue.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second zones are part of an in-home whole house media system.

8. A method, comprising:

monitoring a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of a touch screen; and

changing a controller from operating in a first control context to operating in a second control context in response to a detected swipe, wherein the controller controls a first physical playback device of a first zone when in the first control context, and wherein the controller controls a second physical playback device of a second zone when in the second control context.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising facilitating a change in a display of the designated area in response to the detected swipe.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the display includes information related to a currently selected media item in the first or second zone.

11. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the display includes an identifier of the first zone when in the first control context.

12. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the user interface includes an indicator reflective of a list of control contexts in which the controller operates.

13. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the first and second physical playback devices are playback devices capable of generating a media presentation.

14. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the first and second zones are part of an in-home whole house media system.

15. A tangible machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

monitor a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of a touch screen; and

change a controller from operating in a first control context to operating in a second control context in response to a detected swipe, wherein the controller controls a first physical playback device of a first zone when in the first control context, and wherein the controller controls a second physical playback device of a second zone when in the second control context.

16. A machine-readable medium as defined in claim 15, the instructions to cause the machine to facilitate a change in a display of the designated area in response to the detected swipe.

17. A machine-readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the display includes information related to a currently selected media item in the first or second zone.

18. A machine-readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the display includes an identifier of the first zone when in the first control context.

19. A machine-readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the first and second physical playback devices are playback devices capable of generating a media presentation.

20. A machine-readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the first and second zones are part of an in-home whole house media system.