Transferring Playback Queues Between Devices

• US 20190320221A1
• Filed: 06/21/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Graham, David C., Carrigan, Taylor G., Paulson, Nicholas J., Schmidt, Johannes P., Alsina, Thomas, Bradley, Bob, Ye, Haishan, Grandy, James C., De Lastic, Pierre, Lerouge, Julien
• Granted Patent: US 11,122,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25 Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• 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

In some implementations, a computing device can transfer a playback queue between the computing device and a playback device. For example, the computing device can detect when the computing device is within a threshold distance of a playback device. The computing device can establish a connection to the playback device and receive state information describing the media playback state of the playback device. The computing device can determine the media playback state of the computing device. The computing device can present graphical user interfaces for initiating a transfer of a playback queue between the computing device and the playback device based on the playback state of the devices. The computing device can initiate a transfer of the playback queue in response to user input to one of the graphical user interfaces or automatically based on the context of the computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that the computing device is within a threshold distance of a playback device;

determining, by the computing device, a media playback state of the computing device; and

in response to determining that;

     1) the computing device is proximate to the playback device, and

     2) the computing device is currently playing media from a playback queue, automatically transfer playback of the playback queue to a media application on the playback device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a broadcast signal from the playback device, the broadcast signal comprising a device identifier of the playback device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein playback of the playback queue is automatically transferred to the media application on the playback device in further response to recognizing the device identifier of the playback device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the computing device, state information of the playback device, wherein the computing device determines that the playback device is in the resting position based on the state information of the playback device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein playback of the playback queue is automatically transferred to the media application on the playback device in further response to the computing device being in a resting position.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting a position and orientation of the computing device using one or more motion sensors.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, prior to automatically transferring playback of the playback queue to the media application on the playback device:

stopping, by the computing device, playback of a currently playing media item;

recording, by the computing device, a time offset in the currently playing media item where playback is stopped; and

storing, by the computing device, the time offset in corresponding media item data in the playback queue.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that the computing device is within a threshold distance of a playback device;

determining, by the computing device, a media playback state of the computing device; and

in response to determining that;

     1) the computing device is proximate to the playback device, and

     2) the computing device is currently playing media from a playback queue, automatically transfer playback of the playback queue to a media application on the playback device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause to processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a broadcast signal from the playback device, the broadcast signal comprising a device identifier of the playback device.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein playback of the playback queue is automatically transferred to the media application on the playback device in further response to recognizing the device identifier of the playback device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause to processors to perform operations comprising:

determining, by the computing device, state information of the playback device, wherein the computing device determines that the playback device is in the resting position based on the state information of the playback device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein playback of the playback queue is automatically transferred to the media application on the playback device in further response to the computing device being in a resting position.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause to processors to perform operations comprising detecting a position and orientation of the computing device using one or more motion sensors.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause to processors to perform operations comprising, prior to automatically transferring playback of the playback queue to the media application on the playback device:

stopping, by the computing device, playback of a currently playing media item;

recording, by the computing device, a time offset in the currently playing media item where playback is stopped; and

storing, by the computing device, the time offset in corresponding media item data in the playback queue.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

determining, by a computing device, that the computing device is within a threshold distance of a playback device;

determining, by the computing device, a media playback state of the computing device; and

in response to determining that;

     1) the computing device is proximate to the playback device, and

     2) the computing device is currently playing media from a playback queue, automatically transfer playback of the playback queue to a media application on the playback device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause to processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a broadcast signal from the playback device, the broadcast signal comprising a device identifier of the playback device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein playback of the playback queue is automatically transferred to the media application on the playback device in further response to recognizing the device identifier of the playback device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause to processors to perform operations comprising:

determining, by the computing device, state information of the playback device, wherein the computing device determines that the playback device is in the resting position based on the state information of the playback device.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the instructions cause to processors to perform operations comprising detecting a position and orientation of the computing device using one or more motion sensors, and wherein playback of the playback queue is automatically transferred to the media application on the playback device in further response to the computing device being in a resting position.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause to processors to perform operations comprising, prior to automatically transferring playback of the playback queue to the media application on the playback device:

stopping, by the computing device, playback of a currently playing media item;

recording, by the computing device, a time offset in the currently playing media item where playback is stopped; and

storing, by the computing device, the time offset in corresponding media item data in the playback queue.