Audio Content Playback Management

• US 20140094943A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bates, Paul Andrew, Kumar, Abhishek
• Granted Patent: US 9,078,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• 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: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• 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 for adding audio content to a playback queue. In one example, a method involves receiving a request to add automated streaming audio content to a particular playback position in a playback queue. The playback queue may indicate a plurality of audio content and a corresponding playback position associated with each of the plurality of audio content for playback. The method further involves determining a playback duration for the automated streaming audio content, adding the automated streaming audio content to the playback queue at the particular playback position, and causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration. The automated streaming audio content may include discrete automated streaming audio content and/or continuous automated streaming audio content. Respective examples for adding discrete and continuous automated streaming audio content are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to add automated streaming audio content to a playback queue, the playback queue indicating a plurality of audio content and a corresponding playback position associated with each of the plurality of audio content;

determining a playback duration for the automated streaming audio content;

adding the automated streaming audio content to the playback queue at a particular playback position; and

causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a playback duration of the automated streaming audio content comprises receiving an indication of a playback duration of the automated streaming audio content.

3. The method of claim 1, causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration further comprises:

determining that the particular playback position is a last playback position in the playback queue; and

causing the automated streaming audio content to continue to be rendered beyond the determined playback duration.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a request to add subsequent audio content to a playback position after the particular playback position in the playback queue;

adding the subsequent audio content to the playback queue at the playback position after the particular playback position; and

causing the rendering of the automated streaming audio content to be terminated, and the subsequent audio content to be rendered.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated streaming audio content comprises discrete automated streaming audio content, the discrete automated streaming audio content comprising an automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration comprises:

upon rendering the discrete automated streaming audio content for the determined playback duration, continue rendering the discrete automated streaming audio content until playback of a presently rendered discrete audio content of the discrete automated streaming audio content is completed.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the determined playback duration indicates a number of discrete audio content in the discrete automated streaming audio content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated streaming audio content comprises continuous automated audio content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the particular playback position indicates a playback time, and wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration comprises:

upon completion of a presently rendered audio content, determining that complete rendition of an audio content subsequent to the presently rendered audio content in the playback queue will occur after the playback time;

causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered until at least the determined playback duration after the playback time; and

causing the subsequent audio content to be rendered upon complete rendition of the automated streaming audio content.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a playback progress indicator representing a playback progress of the automated streaming audio content;

receiving input indicating a forward adjustment of the playback progress of the automated streaming audio content; and

causing the determined playback duration to be reduced according to the received input.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a playback progress indicator representing a playback progress of the automated streaming audio content;

receiving input indicating a backward adjustment of the playback progress of the automated streaming audio content; and

causing the determined playback duration to be increased according to the received input.

12. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to perform functions comprising;

receiving a request to add automated streaming audio content to a particular playback position in a playback queue, the playback queue indicating a plurality of audio content and a corresponding playback position associated with each of the plurality of audio content;

determining a playback duration for the automated streaming audio content;

adding the automated streaming audio content to the playback queue at the particular playback position; and

causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein program instructions for determining a playback duration of the automated streaming audio content comprises program instruction executable by the at least one processor to further perform functions comprising:

receiving an indication of a playback duration of the automated streaming audio content.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein program instructions for causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration comprises program instruction executable by the at least one processor to further perform functions comprising:

determining that the particular playback position is a last playback position in the playback queue; and

causing the automated streaming audio content to continue to be rendered beyond the determined playback duration.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising program instruction executable by the at least one processor to perform functions comprising:

receiving a request to add subsequent audio content to a playback position after the particular playback position in the playback queue;

adding the subsequent audio content to the playback queue at the playback position after the particular playback position; and

causing the rendering of the automated streaming audio content to be terminated, and the subsequent audio content to be rendered.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the automated streaming audio content comprises discrete automated streaming audio content, the discrete automated streaming audio content comprising an automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the determined playback duration indicates a number of discrete audio content in the discrete automated streaming audio content.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving a request to add automated streaming audio content to a particular playback position in a playback queue, the playback queue indicating a plurality of audio content and a corresponding playback position associated with each of the plurality of audio content;

determining a playback duration for the automated streaming audio content;

adding the automated streaming audio content to the playback queue at the particular playback position; and

causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the automated streaming audio content comprises continuous automated audio content.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the particular playback position indicates a playback time, and wherein instructions for causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration comprises instructions to further cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

upon completion of a presently rendered audio content, determining that complete rendition of an audio content subsequent to the presently rendered audio content in the playback queue will occur after the playback time;

causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered until at least the determined playback duration after the playback time; and

causing the subsequent audio content to be rendered upon complete rendition of the automated streaming audio content.