Systems, Methods, Apparatus, and Articles of Manufacture to Provide a Crowd-Sourced Playlist with Guest Access

• US 20130346859A1
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bates, Paul, Keyser-Allen, Lee, Roberts, Diane, Lang, Jonathan P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,374,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to offer a restricted playback mode playlist mode to allow one or more participating users to access a host'"'"'s media playback system and interact with a reduced subset of functions in that system. An example method includes providing, via a local media playback system, a restricted playback mode open to a plurality of participating users, the restricted playback mode providing a subset of playback functions from the local media playback system to the participating users, the subset including addition of content to a playlist for playback via the local media playback system. The example method includes facilitating addition of content to the playlist by at least one participating user. The example method includes facilitating playback of content from the playlist in the restricted playback mode.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing, via a local media playback system, a restricted playback mode open to a plurality of participating users, the restricted playback mode providing a subset of playback functions from the local media playback system to the participating users, the subset including addition of content to a playlist for playback via the local media playback system;

facilitating addition of content to the playlist by at least one participating user; and

facilitating playback of content from the playlist in the restricted playback mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein playback of content from the playlist in the restricted playback mode comprises random play of content from the playlist.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating the at least one participating user to enable the at least one participating user to add content to the playlist in the restricted playback mode.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting a vote of the participating users to determine whether content is to be added to the playlist.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating addition of content further comprises accepting user selection of the content from a list of available content via a graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the list of available content includes a library of shared music available via a network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the restricted playback mode is initiated and ended by a host user according to user authorization.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the restricted playback mode for a fixed time interval.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the restricted playback mode includes a specified configuration of zones.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of playback functions further includes limited user interaction with at least one of zone configuration and content playback parameters.

11. A tangible computer readable storage medium including instructions which, when executed by a processor, are to implement at least a method, the method comprising:

providing, via a local media playback system, a restricted playback mode open to a plurality of participating users, the restricted playback mode providing a subset of playback functions from the local media playback system to the participating users, the subset including addition of content to a playlist for playback via the local media playback system;

facilitating addition of content to the playlist by at least one participating user; and

facilitating playback of content from the playlist in the restricted playback mode.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein playback of content from the playlist in the restricted playback mode comprises random play of content from the playlist.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises authenticating the at least one participating user to enable the at least one participating user to add content to the playlist in the restricted playback mode.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises accepting a vote of the participating users to determine whether content is to be added to the playlist.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein facilitating addition of content further comprises accepting user selection of the content from a list of available content via a graphical user interface.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the list of available content includes a library of shared music available via a network.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the restricted playback mode is initiated and ended by a host user according to user authorization.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises configuring the restricted playback mode for a fixed time interval.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the restricted playback mode includes a specified configuration of zones.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the subset of playback functions further includes limited user interaction with at least one of zone configuration and content playback parameters.

21. A media playback system comprising:

one or more playback devices, each playback device including a processor, a memory and a speaker to output audio content provided to the playback device;

one or more controllers, each controller to facilitate review and addition of audio content for playback via the one or more playback devices,

wherein at least one controller is to configure the media playback system in a restricted playback mode open to a plurality of participating users, the restricted playback mode to provide a subset of playback functions from the media playback system to the participating users, the subset including addition of content to a playlist for playback via the media playback system, the controller to facilitate addition of content to the playlist by at least one participating user and facilitate playback of content from the playlist in the restricted playback mode.