SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTI-CONTEXT MEDIA CONTROL AND PLAYBACK

• US 20140006483A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Original Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Inventors: Garmark, Sten, man, Andreas, Rs, Karl Magnus, Bengtsson, Per Gunnar Joachim, Vesterlund, Marcus Per
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/90 Wireless transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method for controlling media presentation is disclosed. In some implementations, the method is performed at a first electronic device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The first electronic device receives a media control command for a second electronic device. In response to receiving the media control command, the first electronic device sends a server media control request to a server system, and sends a local media control request to a second electronic device within a local network to which both the first electronic device and the second electronic device are connected. In some implementations, the server system is associated with an IP address outside an IP address space of the local network. In some implementations, the first electronic device and the second electronic device are associated with IP addresses within the same subnetwork.

Claims

1. A method for controlling media presentation performed at a first electronic device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving a media control command for a second electronic device; and

in response to receiving the media control command;

sending a server media control request to a server system; and

sending a local media control request to a second electronic device within a local network to which both the first electronic device and the second electronic device are connected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server media control request is sent to the server system over the Internet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the server system is associated with an IP address outside an IP address space of the local network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the local network is a Local Area Network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device are associated with IP addresses within the same subnetwork.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device provides a single user interface that allows a user both to select media content for presentation by the first electronic device and to generate media control requests configured to cause the media content to be presented by the second electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the media content is selected from the group consisting of:

an audio track;

a video;

an image;

an audio playlist; and

a video playlist.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the media content is a video, the method further comprising presenting the video on a display associated with the second electronic device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the media content is an audio track, the method further comprising presenting the audio track on a speaker associated with the second electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is selected from the group consisting of:

a computer;

a mobile phone;

a remote control device; and

a portable media player.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second electronic device is selected from the group consisting of:

a television;

a home media receiver;

a computer;

a home audio/visual system; and

a speaker.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the server and the local media control requests are both configured to cause a single media control operation to be implemented at the second electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the media control operation is selected from the group consisting of:

play;

pause;

skip;

fast-forward;

rewind;

adjust an audio volume;

change an order of items in a playlist;

add items to a playlist;

remove items from a playlist;

adjust audio equalizer settings; and

set a user setting.

14. A method for controlling media presentation, performed at a second electronic device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving, from a server system, a server media control request corresponding to a media control operation to be implemented at the second electronic device, wherein the server media control request was sent from the server in response to the server receiving the server media control request from a first electronic device; and

receiving, from the first electronic device, a local media control request sent within a local network to which both the first electronic device and the second electronic device are connected, wherein the local media control request corresponds to the media control operation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the server media control request is sent from the server system to the second electronic device over the Internet.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the server system is associated with an IP address outside an IP address space of the local network.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the local network is a Local Area Network.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device are associated with IP addresses within the same subnetwork.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the server media control request is received prior to the local media control request, the method further comprising:

in response to receiving the server media control request, performing the media control operation;

after receiving the local media control request, determining whether the server media control request and the local media control request correspond to the same media control operation; and

if the server media control request and the local media control request correspond to the same media control operation, ignoring the local media control request.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the media control operation is a request to begin presenting media content at the second electronic device, and wherein the media content is being presented by the first electronic device, the method further comprising:

at the second electronic device;

prior to receiving the server media control request or the local media control request, buffering an upcoming portion of the media content being presented by the first electronic device;

receiving one of the server media control request or the local media control request; and

initiating presentation of the buffered portion of the media content.

21. A method for controlling media presentation, performed at a second electronic device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first electronic device, a local media control request corresponding to a media control operation, wherein the local media control request is sent within a local network to which both the first electronic device and the second electronic device are connected; and

receiving a media stream from a server system, wherein the media stream was sent from the server in response to the server receiving a server media control request from the first electronic device, and wherein the server media control request corresponds to the media control operation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the media stream is received prior to receiving the local media control request, the method further comprising:

in response to a determination that the local media control request corresponds to a request to initiate presentation of the media stream, ignoring the local media control request.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the media stream includes a first timestamp, and the local media control request includes a second timestamp, and wherein determining that the local media control request corresponds to a request to initiate presentation of the media stream includes comparing the first and the second timestamps.

24. A method for controlling media presentation, performed at a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first electronic device, a server media control request, wherein the first electronic device also sends a local media control request to the second electronic device within a local network to which both the first electronic device and the second electronic device are connected, and wherein the server media control request and the local media control request are both configured to initiate a same media control operation by the second electronic device; and

sending at least one of the server media control request or a media stream corresponding to the server media control request to the second electronic device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the server system is associated with an IP address outside an IP address space of the local network.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the local network is a Local Area Network.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device are associated with IP addresses within the same subnetwork.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the first electronic device provides a single user interface that allows a user both to select media content for presentation by the first electronic device and to generate media control requests configured to cause the media content to be presented by the second electronic device.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the media control operation is selected from the group consisting of:

play;

pause;

skip;

fast-forward;

rewind;

adjust an audio volume;

change an order of items in a playlist;

add items to a playlist;

remove items from a playlist;

adjust audio equalizer settings; and

set a user setting.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the media content is selected from the group consisting of:

an audio track;

a video;

an image;

an audio playlist; and

a video playlist.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the media content is a video, the method further comprising presenting the video on a display associated with the second electronic device.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the media content is an audio track, the method further comprising presenting the audio track on a speaker associated with the second electronic device.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the first electronic device is selected from the group consisting of:

a computer;

a mobile phone;

a remote control device; and

a portable media player.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the second electronic device is selected from the group consisting of:

a television;

a home media receiver;

a computer;

a home audio/visual system; and

a speaker.