Playback Zone Silent Connect

• US 20140176299A1
• 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, Schulert, Andrew, Coburn, Arther L. IV
• Granted Patent: US 9,684,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/4.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• 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 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

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:

establishing communication between a mobile device and a network media system;

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

receiving from the zone, information identifying the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue;

retrieving by the mobile device an updated playlist identifying the corresponding one or more media items received from the zone; and

establishing a new connected state between the mobile device and the zone such that an action taken on one or more media items identified in the updated playlist via the mobile device causes a corresponding action to the taken by the zone on the corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue associated with the zone.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing for display on an user interface of the mobile device, a graphical representation indicating that the new connected state between the mobile device and the zone has been established.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving information identifying the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue, determining that the mobile device is not playing any media item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to establishing communication between the mobile device and the network media system, determining that the zone is playing a particular media item from the corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

causing the mobile device to play a corresponding particular media item from the updated playlist in synchrony with the playback of the particular media by the zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving from the zone information identifying the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue comprises:

receiving from the one or more playback devices of the zone the information identifying the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding action taken on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue of the zone comprises one or more of the following:

(a) playing the corresponding one or more media items, (b) pausing playback of the corresponding one or more media items, (c) muting playback of the corresponding one or more media items, (d) removing the corresponding one or more media items from the playback queue, (e) adding a new media item to the one or more corresponding media items in the playback queue, and (f) playing a next media item in the one or more corresponding media items in the playback queue.

8. A method comprising:

establishing communication between a mobile device and a network media system, wherein the mobile device is playing back a media item;

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

providing for display on an user interface of the mobile device, a graphical representation indicating that the first zone was in a previous connected state with the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving at the mobile device, an input indicating a selection of a second zone of one or more playback devices in the network media system, wherein the second zone is associated with a second playback queue;

responsively, causing the second playback queue be populated with a second one or more media items corresponding to the one or more media items identified by the playlist; and

causing the network media system to be configured such that an action taken on the one or more media items identified by the playlist via the mobile device causes a corresponding action to be taken on the second corresponding one or more media items in a first playback queue associated with the second zone.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second zone is the first zone.

11. A device comprising:

a processor; and

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

establishing communication between a mobile device and a network media system;

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

receiving from the zone, information identifying the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue;

retrieving by the mobile device an updated playlist identifying the corresponding one or more media items received from the zone; and

establishing a new connected state between the mobile device and the zone such that an action taken on one or more media items identified in the updated playlist via the mobile device causes a corresponding action to the taken by the zone on the corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue associated with the zone.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

providing for display on an user interface of the mobile device, a graphical representation indicating that the new connected state between the mobile device and the zone has been established.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to receiving information identifying the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue, determining that the mobile device is not playing any media item.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

responsive to establishing communication between the mobile device and the network media system, determining that the zone is playing a particular media item from the corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the functions further comprise:

causing the mobile device to play a corresponding particular media item from the updated playlist in synchrony with the playback of the particular media by the zone.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the function of receiving from the zone information identifying the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue further comprises:

receiving from the one or more playback devices of the zone the information identifying the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the corresponding action taken on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue of the zone comprises one or more of the following:

(a) playing the corresponding one or more media items, (b) pausing playback of the corresponding one or more media items, (c) muting playback of the corresponding one or more media items, (d) removing the corresponding one or more media items from the playback queue, (e) adding a new media item to the one or more corresponding media items in the playback queue, and (f) playing a next media item in the one or more corresponding media items in the playback queue.

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:

establishing communication between a mobile device and a network media system, wherein the mobile device is playing back a media item;

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

providing for display on an user interface of the mobile device, a graphical representation indicating that the first zone was in a previous connected state with the mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 18, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving at the mobile device, an input indicating a selection of a second zone of one or more playback devices in the network media system, wherein the second zone is associated with a second playback queue;

responsively, causing the second playback queue be populated with a second one or more media items corresponding to the one or more media items identified by the playlist; and

causing the network media system to be configured such that an action taken on the one or more media items identified by the playlist via the mobile device causes a corresponding action to be taken on the second corresponding one or more media items in a first playback queue associated with the second zone.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 18, wherein the second zone is the first zone.