Playlist Modification

• US 20140181656A1
• 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 9,495,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

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 of one or more playback devices in a network media system, 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 be taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue associated with the zone;

disconnecting the mobile device from the network media system such that the mobile device and the zone are no longer in the connected state;

providing the playlist for display on an user interface of the mobile device;

receiving via the mobile device, a first user input indicating a modification to the playlist on the mobile device;

determining that the connected state between the mobile device and the zone in the network media system is to be re-established; and

responsively, sending to the zone, an update message indicating the modification to the playlist on the mobile device to cause a corresponding modification to be made to the playback queue associated with the zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein disconnecting the mobile device from the network media system further comprises:

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the connected state between the mobile device and the zone in the network media system is to be re-established further comprises:

determining that the mobile device re-established communication with the network media system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the connected state between the mobile device and the zone in the network media system is to be re-established further comprises:

providing for display on the user interface of the mobile device a prompt for a user input to indicate whether the mobile device and the zone in the network media system is to be re-established; and

receiving via the mobile device, a second user input indicating that the connected state between the mobile device and the zone in the network media system is to be re-established.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the update message to the zone comprises:

sending the update message to at least one playback device of the one or more playback devices in the zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the update message includes a modified playlist generated from applying the modification to the playlist on the mobile device, the method further comprising:

causing the corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue to be replaced by one or more media items identified by the modified playlist.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the update message identifies one or more updates each associated with at least one of the one or more media items identified in the playlist, the method further comprising:

causing the one or more updates to be applied to a corresponding at least one of the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue associated with the zone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular corresponding media item in the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue is being played by the one or more playback devices in the zone, the method further comprising:

determining that the corresponding modification to be made to the playback queue associated with the zone does not involve the particular corresponding media item; and

causing the particular corresponding media item to continue to be played.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular corresponding media item in the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue is being played by the one or more playback devices in the zone, the method further comprising:

determining that the corresponding modification to be made to the playback queue associated with the zone involves the particular corresponding media item; and

causing the playback of the particular corresponding media item to be stopped.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular corresponding media item in the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue is being played by the one or more playback devices in the zone at a playback position in the playback queue, and wherein the corresponding modification to be made to the playback queue involves reordering the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue according to a new track order, the method further comprising:

while the particular corresponding media item continues to be played by the one or more playback devices in the zone, applying the corresponding modification to the playback queue such that the playback position of the particular corresponding media item is updated to a new playback position according to the new track order; and

causing the particular corresponding media item to continue to be played at the new playback position.

11. 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.

12. 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 of one or more playback devices in a network media system, 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 be taken by the zone on a corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue associated with the zone;

disconnecting the mobile device from the network media system such that the mobile device and the zone are no longer in the connected state;

providing the playlist for display on an user interface of the mobile device;

receiving via the mobile device, a first user input indicating a modification to the playlist on the mobile device;

determining that the connected state between the mobile device and the zone in the network media system is to be re-established; and

responsively, sending to the zone, an update message indicating the modification to the playlist on the mobile device to cause a corresponding modification to be made to the playback queue associated with the zone.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the function of determining that the connected state between the mobile device and the zone in the network media system is to be re-established further comprises:

providing for display on the user interface of the mobile device a prompt for a user input to indicate whether the mobile device and the zone in the network media system is to be re-established; and

receiving via the mobile device, a second user input indicating that the connected state between the mobile device and the zone in the network media system is to be re-established.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the function of sending the update message to the zone comprises:

sending the update message to at least one playback device of the one or more playback devices in the zone.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the update message includes a modified playlist generated from applying the modification to the playlist on the mobile device, and wherein the functions further comprise:

causing the corresponding one or more media items in a playback queue to be replaced by one or more media items identified by the modified playlist.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the update message identifies one or more updates each associated with at least one of the one or more media items identified in the playlist, and wherein the functions further comprise:

causing the one or more updates to be applied to a corresponding at least one of the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue associated with the zone.

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:

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

disconnecting the mobile device from the network media system such that the mobile device and the zone are no longer in the connected state;

providing the playlist for display on an user interface of the mobile device;

receiving via the mobile device, a first user input indicating a modification to the playlist on the mobile device;

determining that the connected state between the mobile device and the zone in the network media system is to be re-established; and

responsively, sending to the zone, an update message indicating the modification to the playlist on the mobile device to cause a corresponding modification to be made to the playback queue associated with the zone.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein a particular corresponding media item in the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue is being played by the one or more playback devices in the zone, and wherein the functions further comprise:

determining that the corresponding modification to be made to the playback queue associated with the zone does not involve the particular corresponding media item; and

causing the particular corresponding media item to continue to be played.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein a particular corresponding media item in the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue is being played by the one or more playback devices in the zone, and wherein the functions further comprise:

determining that the corresponding modification to be made to the playback queue associated with the zone involves the particular corresponding media item; and

causing the playback of the particular corresponding media item to be stopped.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein a particular corresponding media item in the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue is being played by the one or more playback devices in the zone at a playback position in the playback queue, and wherein the corresponding modification to be made to the playback queue involves reordering the corresponding one or more media items in the playback queue according to a new track order, and wherein the functions further comprise:

while the particular corresponding media item continues to be played by the one or more playback devices in the zone, applying the corresponding modification to the playback queue such that the playback position of the particular corresponding media item is updated to a new playback position according to the new track order; and

causing the particular corresponding media item to continue to be played at the new playback position.