Audio content playback management

• US 9,078,010 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bates, Paul Andrew, Kumar, Abhishek
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US13/630,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for adding audio content to a playback queue. In one example, a method involves receiving a request to add automated streaming audio content to a particular playback position in a playback queue. The playback queue may indicate a plurality of audio content and a corresponding playback position associated with each of the plurality of audio content for playback. The method further involves determining a playback duration for the automated streaming audio content, adding the automated streaming audio content to the playback queue at the particular playback position, and causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration. The automated streaming audio content may include discrete automated streaming audio content and/or continuous automated streaming audio content. Respective examples for adding discrete and continuous automated streaming audio content are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to add automated streaming audio content to a playback queue, the playback queue indicating a plurality of audio content and a corresponding playback position associated with each of the plurality of audio content, wherein the automated streaming audio content comprises one or more discrete audio contents;

determining a playback duration for the automated streaming audio content;

adding the automated streaming audio content to the playback queue at a particular playback position; and

causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration, wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered comprises;

before rendering a given discrete audio content, comparing a duration of the given discrete audio content to a remaining time of the playback duration; and

(i) if the duration of the given discrete audio content is greater than the remaining time of the playback duration, terminating playback of the automated streaming audio content before an end of the playback duration, and (ii) otherwise, rendering the given discrete audio content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a playback duration of the automated streaming audio content comprises receiving an indication of a playback duration of the automated streaming audio content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration further comprises:

receiving a request to add subsequent audio content to a playback position after the particular playback position in the playback queue;

adding the subsequent audio content to the playback queue at the playback position after the particular playback position; and

after either (i) termination of the playback of the automated streaming audio content or (ii) the end of the playback duration, causing the subsequent audio content to be rendered.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the the one or more discrete audio contents comprise an automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration further comprises:

receiving a request to add subsequent audio content to a playback position after the particular playback position in the playback queue; and

based on receiving the request, terminating playback of the automated streaming audio content before the end of the playback duration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined playback duration comprises a playback time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a playback progress indicator representing a playback progress of the automated streaming audio content;

receiving input indicating a forward adjustment of the playback progress of the automated streaming audio content; and

causing the determined playback duration to be reduced according to the received input.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a playback progress indicator representing a playback progress of the automated streaming audio content;

receiving input indicating a backward adjustment of the playback progress of the automated streaming audio content; and

causing the determined playback duration to be increased according to the received input.

9. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to perform functions comprising;

receiving a request to add automated streaming audio content to a playback queue, the playback queue indicating a plurality of audio content and a corresponding playback position associated with each of the plurality of audio content, wherein the automated streaming audio content comprises one or more discrete audio contents;

determining a playback duration for the automated streaming audio content;

adding the automated streaming audio content to the playback queue at a particular playback position; and

causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration, wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered comprises;

before rendering a given discrete audio content, comparing a duration of the given discrete audio content to a remaining time of the playback duration; and

(i) if the duration of the given discrete audio content is greater than the remaining time of the playback duration, terminating playback of the automated streaming audio content before an end of the playback duration, and (ii) otherwise, rendering the given discrete audio content.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein determining a playback duration of the automated streaming audio content comprises receiving an indication of a playback duration of the automated streaming audio content.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration further comprises:

receiving a request to add subsequent audio content to a playback position after the particular playback position in the playback queue;

adding the subsequent audio content to the playback queue at the playback position after the particular playback position; and

after either (i) termination of the playback of the automated streaming audio content or (ii) the end of the playback duration, causing the subsequent audio content to be rendered.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the the one or more discrete audio contents comprise an automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the determined playback duration comprises a playback time.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration further comprises:

receiving a request to add subsequent audio content to a playback position after the particular playback position in the playback queue; and

terminating playback of the automated streaming audio content before the end of the playback duration based on the received request.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the particular playback position in the playback queue comprises a last position in the playback queue.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration further comprises:

before terminating playback of the automated streaming audio content before the end of the playback duration based on the received request, completing rendition of a current discrete audio content.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein comparing the duration of the given discrete audio content to the remaining time of the playback duration comprises comparing the duration of the given discrete audio content to the remaining time of the playback duration plus a predetermined additional amount of time.

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

receiving a request to add automated streaming audio content to a playback queue, the playback queue indicating a plurality of audio content and a corresponding playback position associated with each of the plurality of audio content, wherein the automated streaming audio content comprises one or more discrete audio contents;

determining a playback duration for the automated streaming audio content;

adding the automated streaming audio content to the playback queue at a particular playback position; and

causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration, wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered comprises;

before rendering a given discrete audio content, comparing a duration of the given discrete audio content to a remaining time of the playback duration; and

(i) if the duration of the given discrete audio content is greater than the remaining time of the playback duration, terminating playback of the automated streaming audio content before an end of the playback duration, and (ii) otherwise, rendering the given discrete audio content.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration further comprises:

receiving a request to add subsequent audio content to a playback position after the particular playback position in the playback queue; and

terminating playback of the automated streaming audio content before the end of the playback duration based on the received request.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration further comprises:

before terminating playback of the automated streaming audio content before the end of the playback duration based on the received request, completing rendition of a current discrete audio content.