Media Sharing Across Service Providers

• US 20160140129A1
• Filed: 01/07/2016
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kuper, Ron, Hoadley, Joni
• Granted Patent: US 10,229,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24562 Pointer or reference processing operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments including methods and apparatus to share file and file recommendations are disclosed. Data is received indicating a particular media item from a first service provider is to be played by a playback device, where the particular media item is accessible from the first service provider according to a first pointer. A determination is made that the playback device is unable to access the first service provider. In response to determining that the playback device is unable to access the first service provider, a second pointer is identified according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider. Playback of the particular media item is facilitated by the playback device according to the second pointer.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving data indicating a particular media item from a first service provider is to be played by a playback device, wherein the particular media item is accessible from the first service provider according to a first pointer;

determining that the playback device is unable to access the first service provider;

in response to determining that the playback device is unable to access the first service provider, identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider; and

facilitating playback of the particular media item by the playback device according to the second pointer.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to identifying the second pointer, determining that that the playback device can access the second service provider.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein facilitating playback of the particular media item by the playback device according to the second pointer comprises:

adding the second pointer to a playback queue corresponding to the playback device.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider comprises:

identifying in a database, the second pointer based on (i) an association in the database between the second pointer and the particular media item, and (ii) an association in the database between the first pointer and the particular media item.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider comprises:

transmitting to a server, a message indicating the particular media item and a request for a pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from the second service provider; and

receiving from the server, a message indicating the second pointer.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data indicating the particular media item comprises metadata associated with the particular media item, and wherein identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider comprises:

identifying on the second service provider, the particular media item based on the metadata; and

determining the second pointer as a pointer according to which the identified particular media item is accessible from the second service provider.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the playback device is a playback device of a first household, and wherein receiving data indicating a particular media item from a first service provider is to be played by a playback device comprises:

receiving from a computing device of a second household, the data indicating the particular media item from the first service provider is to be played by the playback device.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to identifying in the database, the second pointer, determining that the playback device is configured to access the second service provider.

9. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

receiving data indicating a particular media item from a first service provider is to be played by a playback device, wherein the particular media item is accessible from the first service provider according to a first pointer;

determining that the playback device is unable to access the first service provider;

in response to determining that the playback device is unable to access the first service provider, identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider; and

facilitating playback of the particular media item by the playback device according to the second pointer.

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

prior to identifying the second pointer, determining that that the playback device can access the second service provider.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein facilitating playback of the particular media item by the playback device according to the second pointer comprises:

adding the second pointer to a playback queue corresponding to the playback device.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider comprises:

identifying in a database, the second pointer based on (i) an association in the database between the second pointer and the particular media item, and (ii) an association in the database between the first pointer and the particular media item.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider comprises:

transmitting to a server, a message indicating the particular media item and a request for a pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from the second service provider; and

receiving from the server, a message indicating the second pointer.

14. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the data indicating the particular media item comprises metadata associated with the particular media item, and wherein identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider comprises:

identifying on the second service provider, the particular media item based on the metadata; and

determining the second pointer as a pointer according to which the identified particular media item is accessible from the second service provider.

15. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the playback device is a playback device of a first household, and wherein receiving data indicating a particular media item from a first service provider is to be played by a playback device comprises:

receiving from a computing device of a second household, the data indicating the particular media item from the first service provider is to be played by the playback device.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, data indicating a particular media item from a first service provider is to be played by a playback device, wherein the particular media item is accessible from the first service provider according to a first pointer;

determining, by the computing device, that the playback device is unable to access the first service provider;

in response to determining that the playback device is unable to access the first service provider, identifying, by the computing device, a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider; and

facilitating, by the computing device, playback of the particular media item by the playback device according to the second pointer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein facilitating playback of the particular media item by the playback device according to the second pointer comprises:

adding, by the computing device, the second pointer to a playback queue corresponding to the playback device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider comprises:

identifying in a database by the computing device, the second pointer based on (i) an association in the database between the second pointer and the particular media item, and (ii) an association in the database between the first pointer and the particular media item.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider comprises:

transmitting, by the computing device to a server, a message indicating the particular media item and a request for a pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from the second service provider; and

receiving, by the computing device from the server, a message indicating the second pointer.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the data indicating the particular media item comprises metadata associated with the particular media item, and wherein identifying a second pointer according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider comprises:

identifying on the second service provider, by the computing device, the particular media item based on the metadata; and

determining, by the computing device, the second pointer as a pointer according to which the identified particular media item is accessible from the second service provider.