Playback Queue Control Transition

• US 20140181199A1
• 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, Schulert, Andrew, Lambourne, Robert Andrew, Coburn, Arther L. IV
• Granted Patent: US 10,715,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

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 a connected state between a mobile device and a zone in a network media system such 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 be taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue associated with the zone;

determining that the mobile device is no longer in communication with the network media system; and

subsequently, causing the mobile device to relinquish control of the network media system, such that a further action taken on the one or more media items identified in the playlist via the mobile device does not cause a corresponding further action to be taken by the zone on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue associated with the zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone of the media network system includes at least one playback device configured to play the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue associated with the zone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a connected state between the mobile device and the zone of the network media system comprises:

causing the playback queue associated with the zone of the network media system to be populated with at least one media item corresponding to at least one of the one or more media items identified in the playlist.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein causing the playback queue associated with the zone of the network media system to be populated with at least one media item corresponding to at least one of the one or more media items identified by the playlist comprises:

adding the information identifying one or more media items in the playlist to the playback queue.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information identifying one or more media items added to the playback queue is stored on one or more of the following:

(a) a remote server accessible over the Internet, (b) a second mobile device in communication with the network media system, and (c) a playback device in the zone of the network media system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to determining that the mobile device is no longer in communication with the network media system, receiving at the mobile device an input to cause the action on a media item in the one or more media items identified by the playlist; and

responsively, causing the corresponding action to be taken on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile device does not take the action on the media item in the one or media items identified by the playlist when the corresponding action is taken on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the corresponding action on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue 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.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the corresponding action taken on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue associated with the zone of the network media system continues after the mobile device relinquishes control of the network media system.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the action taken on the one or more media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device via the mobile device continues after the mobile device relinquishes control of the network media system.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing an indication that the action is taken on the one or more media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device, and that the corresponding action is taken on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue associated with a zone of the network media system.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the mobile device is no longer in communication with the network media system, modifying the action taken on the one or more media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying the action taken on the one or more media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device further comprises one or more of the following:

(a) playing playback of the one or more media items (b) adjusting a playback volume of the one or more media items, (c) pausing playback of the one or more media items, and (d) muting playback of the one or more media items.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication that the mobile device has relinquished control of the network media system.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to determining that the mobile device is no longer in communication with the network media system, determining that the mobile device will lose communication with the network media system; and

responsively, sending a message to the network media system to cause the network media system to be reconfigured when the mobile device is no longer in communication with the network media system such that the further action taken on the one or more media items via the mobile device does not cause the corresponding further action to be taken on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the message further causes the zone of the network media system to modify the corresponding action taken on the one or more corresponding media items in the playback queue, and wherein modifications to the corresponding action taken on the one or more corresponding media items in the playback queue comprises one or more of the following:

(a) adjusting a playback volume of the one or more media items, (b) pausing playback of the one or more media items, and (c) muting playback of the one or more media items.

17. A device comprising:

a processor; and

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

establishing a connected state between a mobile device and a zone in a network media system such 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 be taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue associated with the zone;

determining that the mobile device is no longer in communication with the network media system; and

subsequently, causing the mobile device to relinquish control of the network media system, such that a further action taken on the one or more media items identified in the playlist via the mobile device does not cause a corresponding further action to be taken by the zone on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue associated with the zone.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to determining that the mobile device is no longer in communication with the network media system, receiving at the mobile device an input to cause the action on a media item in the one or more media items identified by the playlist; and

responsively, causing the corresponding action to be taken on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.

19. 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 a connected state between a mobile device and a zone in a network media system such 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 be taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue associated with the zone;

determining that the mobile device is no longer in communication with the network media system; and

subsequently, causing the mobile device to relinquish control of the network media system, such that a further action taken on the one or more media items identified in the playlist via the mobile device does not cause a corresponding further action to be taken by the zone on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue associated with the zone.

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

prior to determining that the mobile device is no longer in communication with the network media system, determining that the mobile device will lose communication with the network media system; and

responsively, sending a message to the network media system to cause the network media system to be reconfigured when the mobile device is no longer in communication with the network media system such that the further action taken on the one or more media items via the mobile device does not cause the corresponding further action to be taken on the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue.