Location Based Playback System Control

• US 20160299669A1
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Published: 10/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bates, Paul Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 10,055,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13135 Using audio and-or video playback
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13144 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 : for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An example implementation may involve a device of a multi-zone media playback system displaying a control interface that is associated with a first zone of the media playback system, where the media playback system further includes a second zone. The implementation may also involve the device determining that it is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone. The method may further involve displaying (i) an indication that the first zone is under control of the device, and (ii) an indication that the device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform functions comprising:

displaying a control interface that is associated with a first zone of a media playback system, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices; and

wherein the media playback system further includes a second zone that comprises one or more second playback devices;

determining that the device is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone; and

displaying (i) an indication that the first zone is under control of the device, and (ii) an indication that the device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein displaying the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone comprises causing a graphical interface to highlight, with a pre-determined color, the indication that the first zone is under control of the control device.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining that the control device is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone comprises determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to the second zone.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein displaying the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone comprises causing a graphical interface to display an indication that the control device is within the threshold proximity to the second zone.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein causing the graphical interface to display the indication that the control device is within the threshold proximity to the second zone comprises causing the graphical interface to highlight the indication that the first zone is under control of the control device with a pre-determined color that corresponds to the second zone, wherein each of the first zone and the second zone correspond to a respective color.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the functions further comprise:

based on determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to the second zone, causing a graphical interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, causes the graphical interface to display a control interface that is associated with the second zone of the media playback system.

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

after displaying the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone;

determining that the control device is now within a threshold proximity to the first zone; and

removing from display the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining that the control device is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone comprises:

querying one or more playback devices of the media playback system for an indication of whether the control device is within the threshold proximity to the first zone; and

receiving, from at least one playback device, an indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform functions comprising:

receiving input data indicating a command to initiate control of a first zone of a media playback system, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices, and wherein the media playback system further includes a second zone that comprises one or more second playback devices;

before initiating control of the first zone;

determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to the second zone; and

causing a graphical interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein receiving the input data indicating the command to initiate control of the first zone of the media playback system comprises

receiving input data indicating a command to display a control interface that is associated with the first zone of the media playback system.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein causing the graphical interface to display the selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone comprises:

before displaying the control interface that is associated with the first zone, causing the graphical interface to display (i) a selectable control that, when selected, causes the graphical interface to display the control interface that is associated with the first zone, and (ii) a selectable control that, when selected, causes the graphical interface to display the control interface that is associated with the second zone.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein receiving the input data indicating the command to initiate control of the first zone of the media playback system comprises:

receiving input data indicating a command to initiate playback on the zone of the media playback system that is currently under control of the control device, wherein the first zone is the zone that is currently under the control of the control device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein causing the graphical interface to display the selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone comprises:

before initiating playback on the zone that is currently under control of the control device, causing the graphical interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, initiates playback on the one or more first playback devices of the first zone in synchrony.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein causing the graphical interface to display the selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone further comprises:

before initiating playback on the zone that is currently under control of the control device, causing the graphical interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, initiates playback on the one or more second playback devices of the second zone in synchrony.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein causing the graphical interface to display the selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone further comprises:

before initiating playback on the zone that is currently under control of the control device, causing the graphical interface to display (i) a selectable control, that when selected, (a) groups the first zone and the second zone into a zone group in which the first playback devices of the first zone and the second playback devices of the second zone are configured to play back in synchrony and (b) initiates playback on the first playback devices and the second playback devices in synchrony, and (ii) a selectable control that, when selected, initiates playback on the one or more first playback devices of the first zone in synchrony.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein determining that the control device is within the threshold proximity to at least one of one or more second playback devices of the second zone comprises receiving, via a network interface, a message indicating that the control device is within the threshold proximity to at least one of one or more second playback devices.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform functions comprising:

initiating playback in a first zone of a media playback system, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices;

after initiating playback in the first zone, determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to at least one of one or more second playback devices of a second zone of the media playback system; and

after determining that the control device is within the threshold proximity to at least one of one or more second playback devices, joining the first zone and the second zone into a zone group in which the one or more first playback devices of the first zone and the one or more second playback devices of the second zone are configured to play back in synchrony.

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

before joining the first zone and the second zone into the zone group, causing a graphical interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, joins the first zone and the second zone into a zone group in which the one or more first playback devices of the first zone and the one or more second playback devices of the second zone are configured to play back in synchrony; and

receiving input data indicating a selection of the displayed selectable control, that, when selected, joins the first zone and the second zone into the zone group.

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

before joining the first zone and the second zone into the zone group;

receiving input data indicating a command to display a control interface that is associated with the second zone of the media playback system; and

based on receiving the input data indicating the command to display the control interface that is associated with the second zone of the media playback system and before displaying the control interface that is associated with the second zone of the media playback system, causing a graphical interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, causes the control device to join the first zone and the second zone into the zone group.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the media playback system further includes a third zone that comprises one or more third playback devices, and wherein second zone and the third zone are joined into a zone group in which the one or more second playback devices of the second zone and the one or more third playback devices of the third zone are configured to play back in synchrony, and wherein joining the first zone and the second zone into the zone group in which the one or more first playback devices of the first zone and the one or more second playback devices of the second zone are configured to play back in synchrony comprises separating the second zone and the third zone from the zone group in which the one or more second playback devices of the second zone and the one or more third playback devices of the third zone are configured to play back in synchrony.