Mirrored Queues

• US 20150278322A1
• Filed: 04/01/2014
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Beckhardt, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 10,587,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/686 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein involve a first playback device, associated with a first household, where the first playback device is configured to mirror a playback queue that is associated with a second playback device, where the second playback device is associated with a second household. For instance, a device associated with the first household, such as a controller, may send a command to the first playback device to mirror the playback queue associated with the second playback device. Based on the received command, the first playback device may mirror the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device such that contents of a playback queue that is associated with the first playback device are the same as contents of the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device.

Claims

1. A first playback device comprising:

a processor;

a network interface;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; and

program logic stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by the processor to;

receive a command, the command indicating that the first playback device is to mirror a playback queue that is associated with a second playback device, wherein the first playback device is associated with a first household, and wherein the second playback device is associated with a second household; and

based on the command, mirror the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device such that contents of a playback queue that is associated with the first playback device are the same as contents of the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device.

2. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

before receiving the command, send a request to mirror the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device.

3. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

based on the command, limit control of the mirrored playback queue that is associated with the first playback device by devices associated with the first household.

4. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

receive a message indicating that the first playback device is to update the mirrored playback queue that is associated with the first playback device based on updates to the contents of the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device; and

based on the received message, update the mirrored playback queue that is associated with the first playback device.

5. The first playback device of claim 4, wherein the message is received from a remote server device.

6. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

receive a playback command to modify playback of a multimedia item identified in the mirrored playback queue that is associated with the first playback device; and

based on the received playback command, modify playback of the multimedia item.

7. The first playback device of claim 6, wherein modifying playback of the multimedia item comprises one or more of:

(i) playing the multimedia item, (ii) skipping the multimedia item, (iii) stopping playback of the multimedia item, and (iv) pausing playback of the multimedia item.

8. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

maintain a list of friends, wherein each friend is associated with a playback queue that is available for mirroring; and

transmit the list of friends to a controller device.

9. The first playback device of claim 8, wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

receive, from the controller device, a second command indicating that the first playback device is to transmit a review of a playback queue; and

based on the second command, transmit the review of a playback queue.

10. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

receive a second command, the second command indicating that the first playback device is to stop mirroring of the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device;

in response to the second command, stop mirroring of the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device; and

restore a prior playback queue that is associated with the first playback device.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a command, at a first playback device that is associated with a first household, the command indicating that the first playback device is to mirror a playback queue that is associated with a second playback device, wherein the second playback device is associated with a second household; and

based on the command, mirroring the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device such that contents of a playback queue that is associated with the first playback device are the same as contents of the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

before receiving the command, sending a request to mirror the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

based on the command, limiting control of the mirrored playback queue that is associated with the first playback device by devices associated with the first household.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a message indicating that the first playback device is to update the mirrored playback queue that is associated with the first playback device based on updates to the contents of the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device; and

based on the received message, updating the mirrored playback queue that is associated with the first playback device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the message is received from a remote server device.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a playback command to modify playback of a multimedia item identified in the mirrored playback queue that is associated with the first playback device; and

based on the received playback command, modifying playback of the multimedia item.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

maintaining a list of friends, wherein each friend is associated with a playback queue that is available for mirroring; and

transmitting the list of friends to a controller device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, from the controller device, a second command indicating that the first playback device is to transmit a review of a playback queue; and

based on the second command, transmitting the review of a playback queue.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a second command, the second command indicating that the first playback device is to stop mirroring of the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device;

in response to the second command, stopping mirroring of the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device; and

restoring a prior playback queue that is associated with the first playback device.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform functions comprising:

receiving a command, at a first playback device that is associated with a first household, the command indicating that the first playback device is to mirror a playback queue that is associated with a second playback device, wherein the second playback device is associated with a second household; and

based on the command, mirroring the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device such that contents of a playback queue that is associated with the first playback device is the same as contents of the playback queue that is associated with the second playback device.