Methods and apparatus to manage zones of a multi-zone media playback system

• US 9,052,810 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reimann, Robert, Hoadley, Joni
• Primary Examiner(s): ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US13/247,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to manage zones of a multi-zone media playback system are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a user interface; a controller to configure one or more zone groups each associated with one or more media playback devices; a detector to monitor the user interface for a drag of an icon representative of a first one of the zone groups on the user interface from a first position to a second position; and a configuration implementer to change a configuration of the one or more zone groups in response to a detected drag of the icon.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, by a controller device, a plurality of zone icons, including a first zone icon and a second zone icon, each of the plurality of zone icons identifying one or more zone players operable to play back multimedia content in a local area network, wherein the first zone icon is displayed in a first zone group display region and the second zone icon is displayed outside of the first zone group display region;

receiving, by the controller device, a first drag and drop input, wherein the first drag and drop input selects the second zone icon and drags the second zone icon inside the first zone group display region; and

based on the first drag and drop input, causing, by the controller device, the zone players identified by the first and second zone icons to be grouped in a first zone group and the second zone icon to be displayed in the first zone group display region, wherein the zone players in the first zone group synchronously play back a first multimedia content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first zone group display region comprises a first zone group icon.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the controller device, a first status indicator associated with the first zone group display region, wherein the first status indicator identifies the first multimedia content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the controller device, a third zone icon, wherein the third zone icon is displayed in a second zone group display region.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, by the controller device, a second drag and drop input, wherein the second drag and drop input selects the second zone icon and drags the second zone icon from the first zone group display region to the second zone group display region; and

based on the second drag and drop input, causing, by the controller device, the zone players identified by the second and third zone icons to be grouped in a second zone group, wherein the zone players in the second zone group synchronously play back a second multimedia content, wherein the second multimedia content is different than the first multimedia content.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the controller device, a third drag and drop input, wherein the third drag and drop input selects the second zone group display region and drags the second zone group display region to the first zone group display region; and

based on the third drag and drop input, causing, by the controller device, the zone players identified by the zone icons in the first and second zone group display regions to be grouped into the first zone group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first zone group is associated with a queue of media items to be played back.

8. A controller device including a processor, the controller device configured to:

display a plurality of zone icons, including a first zone icon and a second zone icon, each of the plurality of zone icons identifying one or more zone players operable to play back multimedia content in a local area network, wherein the first zone icon is displayed in a first zone group display region and the second zone icon is displayed outside of the first zone group display region;

receive a first drag and drop input, wherein the first drag and drop input selects the second zone icon and drags the second zone icon inside the first zone group display region; and

based on the first drag and drop input, cause the zone players identified by the first and second zone icons to be grouped in a first zone group and the second zone icon to be displayed in the first zone group display region, wherein the zone players in the first zone group synchronously play back a first multimedia content.

9. The controller device of claim 8, wherein the first zone group display region comprises a first zone group icon.

10. The controller device of claim 8, wherein the controller device is further configured to:

display a first status indicator associated with the first zone group display region, wherein the first status indicator identifies the first multimedia content.

11. The controller device of claim 8, wherein the controller device is further configured to:

display a third zone icon, wherein the third zone icon is displayed in a second zone group display region.

12. The controller device of claim 11, wherein the controller device is further configured to:

receive a second drag and drop input, wherein the second drag and drop input selects the second zone icon and drags the second zone icon from the first zone group display region to the second zone group display region; and

based on the second drag and drop input, cause the zone players identified by the second and third zone icons to be grouped in a second zone group, wherein the zone players in the second zone group synchronously play back a second multimedia content, wherein the second multimedia content is different than the first multimedia content.

13. The controller device of claim 12, wherein the controller device is further configured to:

receive a third drag and drop input, wherein the third drag and drop input selects the second zone group display region and drags the second zone group display region to the first zone group display region; and

based on the third drag and drop input, cause the zone players identified by the zone icons in the first and second zone group display regions to be grouped into the first zone group.

14. The controller device of claim 8, wherein the first zone group is associated with a queue of media items to be played back.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed, implement a controller device configured to:

display a plurality of zone icons, including a first zone icon and a second zone icon, each of the plurality of zone icons identifying one or more zone players operable to play back multimedia content in a local area network, wherein the first zone icon is displayed in a first zone group display region and the second zone icon is displayed outside of the first zone group display region;

receive a first drag and drop input, wherein the first drag and drop input selects the second zone icon and drags the second zone icon inside the first zone group display region; and

based on the first drag and drop input, cause the zone players identified by the first and second zone icons to be grouped in a first zone group and the second zone icon to be displayed in the first zone group display region, wherein the zone players in the first zone group synchronously play back a first multimedia content.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first zone group display region comprises a first zone group icon.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the controller device to:

display a first status indicator associated with the first zone group display region, wherein the first status indicator identifies the first multimedia content.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the controller device to:

display a third zone icon, wherein the third zone icon is displayed in a second zone group display region.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the controller device to:

receive a second drag and drop input, wherein the second drag and drop input selects the second zone icon and drags the second zone icon from the first zone group display region to the second zone group display region; and

based on the second drag and drop input, cause the zone players identified by the second and third zone icons to be grouped in a second zone group, wherein the zone players of the second zone group synchronously play back a second multimedia content, wherein the second multimedia content is different than the first multimedia content.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the controller device to:

receive a third drag and drop input, wherein the third drag and drop input selects the second zone group display region and drags the second zone group display region to the first zone group display region; and

based on the third drag and drop input, cause the zone players identified by the zone icons in the first and second zone group display regions to be grouped into the first zone group.