Methods and Systems for Prioritizing Playback of Media Content in a Playback Queue

• US 20170169858A1
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Original Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Inventors: Lee, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 10,115,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• 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: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

Methods and systems for prioritizing playback of media content in a playback queue are described herein. In one aspect, a client device plays a first media item from a playback queue. The playback queue includes a first portion having a plurality of media items with respective positions that define an order in which the media items are to be played. While playing the first media item, a first user input indicating selection of a second media item is detected. In response to the first user input, the second media item is assigned to a second portion of the playback queue, wherein the second portion has playback priority over the first portion. After playing the first media item, the second media item is played before playing other media items of the plurality of media items in the first portion.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a client device having one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors;

playing a first media item from a playback queue, the playback queue comprising a first portion having a plurality of media items with respective positions that define an order in which the media items are to be played;

while playing the first media item, detecting a first user input indicating selection of a second media item;

in response to the first user input, assigning the second media item to a second portion of the playback queue, wherein the second portion has playback priority over the first portion; and

after playing the first media item, playing the second media item before playing other media items of the plurality of media items in the first portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion corresponds to a predefined sequence of media items distinct from the second portion, the predefined sequence of media items including the first media item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second portion of the playback queue comprises one or more prioritized media items in addition to the second media item; and

the method further comprises, at the client device, playing the one or more prioritized media items after playing the first media item and before playing the other media items of the plurality of media items in the first portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second media item is a media item from the plurality of media items of the first portion; and

assigning the second media item to the second portion comprises reassigning the second media item from the first portion of the playback queue to the second portion of the playback queue.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the second media item to the second portion comprises adding the second media item to the second portion from a list of search query results.

6. The method of claims 1, further comprising, at the client device:

detecting a second user input indicating selection of a third media item to be played from the second portion of the playback queue, wherein the third media item and the second media item are distinct; and

in response to detecting the second user input;

ceasing playback of a current media item;

playing the third media item; and

removing the third media item from the second portion of the playback queue.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein playing the second media item comprises playing the second media item after playing the third media item.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the client device:

detecting a third user input indicating selection of a fourth media item to be played from the first portion of the playback queue, wherein the fourth media item is a media item from the plurality of media items of the first portion; and

in response to detecting the third user input;

ceasing playback of a current media item;

playing the fourth media item; and

removing the fourth media item from the first portion of the playback queue.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the first portion includes one or more additional media items that precede the fourth media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played; and

the method further comprises, at the client device, removing the one or more additional media items from the first portion of the playback queue in response to detecting the third user input.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the third user input is detected after the first user input; and

playing the second media item comprises playing the second media item after playing the fourth media item.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the client device:

after assigning the second media item to the second portion and prior to playing the second media item;

detecting a fourth user input indicating selection of a fifth media item; and

assigning the fifth media item to the second portion of the playback queue, the second media item having a respective position in the second portion that precedes a respective position of the fifth media item in the second portion.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second media item and a sixth media item are media items from the plurality of media items of the first portion of the playback queue, the second media item having a previous position in the first portion that precedes a previous position of the sixth media item in the first portion;

the first user input further indicates selection of the sixth media item; and

the method further comprises, at the client device, assigning the sixth media item to the second portion of the playback queue concurrently with the second media item, wherein a position of the second media item in the second portion precedes a position of the sixth media item in the second portion.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the client device:

displaying the first portion of the playback queue in a first region of a display of the client device, including displaying respective media items of the first portion in the first region; and

displaying the second portion of the playback queue in a second region of the display distinct from the first region, including displaying respective media items of the second portion in the second region.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, at the client device, displaying a division between the first and second regions.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the respective one or more media items of the second portion include the second media item only; and

displaying the second portion in the second region is performed in response to assigning the second media item to the second portion of the playback queue.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

before assigning the second media item to the second portion, displaying the first portion in the first region comprises displaying the second media item in the first region; and

assigning the second media item to the second portion comprises;

ceasing display of the second media item in the first region; and

displaying the second media item in the second region.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying the respective media items of the first portion in the first region comprises displaying a seventh media item in the first region, the method further comprising, at the client device:

detecting a sixth user input indicating selection of the seventh media item from the first portion of the playback queue to be played; and

in response to detecting the sixth user input, playing the seventh media item and ceasing display of the seventh media item in the first region.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying the first portion in the first region comprises displaying one or more media items in the first region, wherein the one or more media items precede the seventh media item with respect to the order in which the media items of the first portion are to be played,

the method further comprising, at the client device, in response to detecting the sixth user input, removing the one or more media items from the first portion and ceasing display of the one or more media items in the first region while leaving the content of the second portion unchanged.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the client device:

switching from a first context to a second context, wherein the first context corresponds to playback of media items in the playback queue;

while switching from the first context to the second context, querying a user associated with the client device whether to maintain the second portion of the playback queue; and

in accordance with detecting a user input for maintaining the second portion, maintaining the second portion of the playback queue upon switching from the first context to the second context.

20. A client device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

playing a first media item from a playback queue, the playback queue comprising a first portion having a plurality of media items with respective positions that define an order in which the media items are to be played;

while playing the first media item, detecting a first user input indicating selection of a second media item;

in response to the first user input, assigning the second media item to a second portion of the playback queue, wherein the second portion has playback priority over the first portion; and

after playing the first media item, playing the second media item before playing other media items of the plurality of media items in the first portion.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a client device, the one or more programs including instructions for:

playing a first media item from a playback queue, the playback queue comprising a first portion having a plurality of media items with respective positions that define an order in which the media items are to be played;

while playing the first media item, detecting a first user input indicating selection of a second media item;

in response to the first user input, assigning the second media item to a second portion of the playback queue, wherein the second portion has playback priority over the first portion; and

after playing the first media item, playing the second media item before playing other media items of the plurality of media items in the first portion.