Account aware media preferences

• US 9,338,514 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kumar, Abhishek, Kuper, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US14/229,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20150277851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/637 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialization, adaptation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

Embodiments described herein involve providing media item preferences according to a user account of a user providing the preference, rather than a user account providing the media item. When a user indicates a preference for a media item, the preference are associated with that particular user, rather than with another user whose account the media item may have been accessed and played through when the particular user indicated the preference. As a result, a media preference history associated with the account providing the media item will not be disrupted by other users indicating preferences for the media item. Further, users may build on their respective media preference histories even when listening to music provided by someone else.

Claims

1. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving information identifying media content that a playback device is currently playing via a first user account with a media content provider while the media content provider is streaming the media content to the playback device;

receiving an input indicating a preference associated with the media content, wherein the preference associated with the media content is associated with a second user account with the media content provider; and

after receiving the input indicating the preference associated with the media content that the playback device is currently playing via the first user account with the media content provider, sending an indication of the preference associated with the media content for the second user account with the media content provider from the computing device to the media content provider.

2. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the input indicating the preference associated with the media content comprises a command to skip the media content.

3. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

after receiving the input indicating the preference associated with the media content, causing the playback device to change from playing the media content to playing a next media content.

4. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the second user account is associated with the computing device and the first user account is not associated with the computing device.

5. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the second user account is associated with the computing device and the first user account is associated with the computing device.

6. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a controller device configured to control the playback device.

7. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the input indicating the preference associated with the media content is an explicit indication of the preference associated with the media content.

8. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the input indicating the preference associated with the media content comprises one of a thumb up input, like input, thumb down input, or dislike input.

9. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the input indicating the preference associated with the media content indicates a rating of the media content.

10. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the media content is received from the media content provider.

11. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein sending the indication of the preference associated with the media content for the second user account with the media content provider from the computing device to the media content provider comprises sending information associated with the media content from the computing device to the media content provider.

12. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

receiving information identifying media content that a playback device is currently playing via a first user account with a media content provider while the media content provider is streaming the media content to the playback device;

receiving an input indicating a preference associated with the media content, wherein the preference associated with the media content is associated with a second user account with the media content provider; and

after receiving the input indicating the preference associated with the media content that the playback device is currently playing via the first user account with the media content provider, sending an indication of the preference associated with the media content for the second user account with the media content provider from the computing device to the media content provider.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the input indicating the preference associated with the media content comprises a command to skip the media content.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the functions further comprise:

after receiving the input indicating the preference associated with the media content, causing the playback device to change from playing the media content to playing a next media content.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the second user account is associated with the computing device and the first user account is not associated with the computing device.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the input indicating the preference associated with the media content is an explicit indication of the preference associated with the media content.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the input indicating the preference associated with the media content comprises one of a thumb up input, like input, thumb down input, dislike input, or a rating of the media content.

18. A method performed by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving information identifying media content that a playback device is currently playing via a first user account with a media content provider while the media content provider is streaming the media content to the playback device;

receiving an input indicating a preference associated with the media content, wherein the preference associated with the media content is associated with a second user account with the media content provider; and

after receiving the input indicating the preference associated with the media content that the playback device is currently playing via the first user account with the media content provider, sending an indication of the preference associated with the media content for the second user account with the media content provider from the computing device to the media content provider.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the input indicating the preference associated with the media content comprises a command to skip the media content, wherein the method further comprises:

after receiving the input indicating the preference associated with the media content, causing the playback device to change from playing the media content to playing a next media content.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the input indicating the preference associated with the media content is an explicit indication of the preference associated with the media content.