Connected State Indicator

• US 20140176298A1
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kumar, Abhishek, Lambourne, Robert Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,798,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/4.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge

Abstract

Embodiments provided herein involve connected states between a mobile device and one or more zones in a network media system and different interactions between the mobile device and the network media system involving the connected states. The connected states may be established between the mobile device and the one or more zones such that further actions taken on media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device may also be taken on corresponding media items in a playback queue associated with the one or more zones. The interface on the mobile device may display various graphical representations to indicate the different interactions involving the connected states, including when a connected state is established, when a connected state is lost, and when a reconnected state is reestablished. The interface may further provide selectable icons to allow a user to navigate among the different media playback options involving the connected states.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining that a mobile device is in a connected state with a zone of one or more playback devices in a network media system, wherein the zone is associated with a playback queue, and wherein the connected state of the mobile device with the zone indicates that an action taken on one or more media items identified in a playlist on the mobile device via the mobile device causes a corresponding action to the taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue; and

displaying on a user interface of the mobile device, a first status representation indicating that the mobile device is in the connected state with the zone of the networked media system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback queue is populated with information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that a mobile device is in the connected state with the zone comprises:

receiving a state variable from one or more playback devices in the zone of the network media system, the state variable indicating that an action taken on one or more media items identified in a playlist on the mobile device via the mobile device causes a corresponding action to the taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the mobile device is no longer in the connected state with the zone; and

responsively, displaying on the user interface of the mobile device, a second status representation indicating that the mobile device is not in the connected state with the zone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying on the user interface of the mobile device, a second status representation indicating that the mobile device is not in the connected state with the zone further comprises:

replacing the first status representation on the mobile device with the second status representation.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second status representation further indicates that the action taken on the one or more media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device via the mobile device will not cause the corresponding action to the taken by the zone on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the second status representation is a modified version of the first status representation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface of the mobile device is provided on a touch-sensitive screen.

9. A device comprising:

a processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the device to perform functions comprising;

determining that a mobile device is in a connected state with a zone of one or more playback devices in a network media system, wherein the zone is associated with a playback queue, and wherein the connected state of the mobile device with the zone indicates that an action taken on one or more media items identified in a playlist on the mobile device via the mobile device causes a corresponding action to the taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue; and

displaying on a user interface of the mobile device, a first status representation indicating that the mobile device is in the connected state with the zone of the networked media system.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the playback queue is populated with information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist on the mobile device.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the function of determining that a mobile device is in the connected state with the zone further comprises:

receiving a state variable from one or more playback devices in the zone of the network media system, the state variable indicating that an action taken on one or more media items identified in a playlist on the mobile device via the mobile device causes a corresponding action to the taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining that the mobile device is no longer in the connected state with the zone; and

responsively, displaying on the user interface of the mobile device, a second status representation indicating that the mobile device is not in the connected state with the zone.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the function of displaying on the user interface of the mobile device, a second status representation indicating that the mobile device is not in the connected state with the zone further comprises:

replacing the first status representation on the mobile device with the second status representation.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second status representation further indicates that the action taken on the one or more media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device via the mobile device will not cause the corresponding action to the taken by the zone on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the second status representation is a modified version of the first status representation.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the user interface of the mobile device is provided on a touch-sensitive screen.

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

determining that a mobile device is in a connected state with a zone of one or more playback devices in a network media system, wherein the zone is associated with a playback queue, and wherein the connected state of the mobile device with the zone indicates that an action taken on one or more media items identified in a playlist on the mobile device via the mobile device causes a corresponding action to the taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue; and

displaying on a user interface of the mobile device, a first status representation indicating that the mobile device is in the connected state with the zone of the networked media system.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the playback queue is populated with information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist on the mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the function of determining that a mobile device is in the connected state with the zone comprises:

receiving a state variable from one or more playback devices in the zone of the network media system, the state variable indicating that an action taken on one or more media items identified in a playlist on the mobile device via the mobile device causes a corresponding action to the taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining that the mobile device is no longer in the connected state with the zone; and

responsively, displaying on the user interface of the mobile device, a second status representation indicating that the mobile device is not in the connected state with the zone.