Method and apparatus for displaying a list of tracks scheduled for playback by a synchrony group

• US 20140181271A1
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Millington, Nicholas A.J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,613,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• 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 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices that have independent clocking arrangements. The system includes a task distribution device that distributes tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices that are to perform the tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to the members of the synchrony group over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which the members of the synchrony group are to execute the task. Each member of the synchrony group periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of the current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device'"'"'s clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. In a network comprising a first zone player, a second zone player, and a user interface module, a method comprising:

receiving, at the user interface module, a command to establish a synchrony group, wherein the synchrony group comprises at least the first zone player and the second zone player; and

displaying, at the user interface module, information identifying a plurality of items queued for playback in the synchrony group, wherein (i) at least one of the items on the list has associated location data indicating that the at least one item is located on a device within the local area network and (ii) at least one other of the items on the list has associated location data indicating that the at least one other item is located on a wide area network, outside of the local area network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the information identifying a plurality of items comprises an item currently being played by the synchrony group.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the information identifying the plurality of items is received via a network interface.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the information identifying the plurality of items is received via the network interface from one of the members of the synchrony group.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein one of the items in the plurality of items is an internet radio broadcast accessible via a wide area network.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, at the user interface module, a command to re-order the plurality of items queued for playback in the synchrony group.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transmitting, to a member of the synchrony group, control information, wherein the control information enables the synchrony group to playback the plurality of items in accordance with the command to re-order the plurality of items queued for playback in the synchrony group.

28. A tangible computer-readable memory having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause a user interface module to:

receive a command to establish a synchrony group, wherein the synchrony group comprises at least the first zone player and the second zone player; and

display information identifying a plurality of items queued for playback in the synchrony group, wherein (i) at least one of the items on the list is located within the local area network, and (ii) at least one of the items on the list is accessible via a wide area network, outside of the local area network.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein one of the items displayed in the information identifying the plurality of items comprises an item currently being played by the synchrony group.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the information identifying the plurality of items is received via a network interface.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the information identifying the plurality of items is received via the network interface from one of the members of the synchrony group.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein one of the items displayed in the information identifying the plurality of items is an internet radio broadcast accessible via a wide area network.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed cause the user interface module to:

receive a command to re-order the plurality of items queued for playback in the synchrony group.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed cause the user interface module to:

transmit, to a member of the synchrony group, control information, wherein the control information enables the synchrony group to playback the plurality of items in accordance with the command to re-order the plurality of items queued for playback in the synchrony group.

35. A system comprising:

a user interface module;

a first zone player; and

a second zone player;

wherein the user interface module is arranged to (i) receive a command to establish a synchrony group, wherein the synchrony group comprises at least the first zone player and the second zone player, and (ii) display, at the user interface module, information identifying a plurality of items queued for playback in the synchrony group, wherein (a) at least one of the items on the list is located within the local area network, and (b) at least one of the items on the list is accessible via a wide area network, outside of the local area network.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the information identifying a plurality of items comprises an item currently being played by the synchrony group.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the information identifying a plurality of items is received via a network interface.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the information identifying a plurality of items is received via the network interface from one of the members of the synchrony group.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the user interface module is further arranged to receive a command to re-order the plurality of items queued for playback in the synchrony group.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the user interface module is further arranged to transmit, to a member of the synchrony group, control information, wherein the control information enables the synchrony group to playback the plurality of items in accordance with the command to re-order the plurality of items queued for playback in the synchrony group.