Providing Media Items from Playback History

• US 20150356080A1
• Filed: 06/10/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Amber, Triplett, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,672,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312

Abstract

Embodiments are described for providing media items from a playback history for media items played by one or more playback zones in a media playback system. A computing device maintains the playback history. The playback history includes, for each of the media items, (i) an indication of a playback zone in which the media item was played, (ii) a time at which the media item was played, and (iii) metadata associated with the media item. The metadata may include, among others, at least one of an album associated with the media item, a genre associated with the media item, and a track name associated with the media item. The computing device, in response to a request, may transmit a portion of the playback history based on the request. The portion of the playback history identifies media items played by one of the playback zones at a given time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining, by a computing device, a playback history for media items played by a media playback system, the media playback system comprising one or more playback zones, wherein the playback history comprises, for each of the media items, (i) an indication of a playback zone in which the media item was played, (ii) a time at which the media item was played, and (iii) metadata associated with the media item, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of an album associated with the media item, a genre associated with the media item, and a track name associated with the media item;

receiving, by the computing device, a request; and

based on the request, transmitting, by the computing device, a portion of the playback history, wherein the portion of the playback history identifies media items played by one of the playback zones at a given time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a playback device, wherein the playback device is part of the media playback system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a server device remote from the media playback system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request requests media items having specified metadata that were played over the given time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the request further requests media items that were played in the one of the playback zones.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the playback history is transmitted to a controller device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding, by the computing device, the portion of the playback history to a playback queue associated with one or more of the playback zones of the media playback system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the given time comprises a period of time.

9. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

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

maintaining a playback history for media items played by a media playback system, the media playback system comprising one or more playback zones, wherein the playback history comprises, for each of the media items, (i) an indication of a playback zone in which the media item was played, (ii) a time at which the media item was played, and (iii) metadata associated with the media item, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of an album associated with the media item, a genre associated with the media item, and a track name associated with the media item;

receiving a request; and

based on the request, transmitting a portion of the playback history, wherein the portion of the playback history identifies media items played by one of the playback zones at a given time.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the computing device comprises a playback device, wherein the playback device is part of the media playback system.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the computing device comprises a server device remote from the media playback system.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the request requests media items having specified metadata that were played over the given time.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the request further requests media items that were played in the one of the playback zones.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the portion of the playback history is transmitted to a controller device.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

adding the portion of the playback history to a playback queue associated with one or more of the playback zones of the media playback system.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the given time comprises a period of time.

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:

maintaining a playback history for media items played by a media playback system, the media playback system comprising one or more playback zones, wherein the playback history comprises, for each of the media items, (i) an indication of a playback zone in which the media item was played, (ii) a time at which the media item was played, and (iii) metadata associated with the media item, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of an album associated with the media item, a genre associated with the media item, and a track name associated with the media item;

receiving a request; and

based on the request, transmitting a portion of the playback history, wherein the portion of the playback history identifies media items played by one of the playback zones at a given time.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computing device comprises a playback device, wherein the playback device is part of the media playback system.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computing device comprises a server device remote from the media playback system.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

adding the portion of the playback history to a playback queue associated with one or more of the playback zones of the media playback system.