Cloud queue access control

• US 9,363,254 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Beckhardt, Steven, Schulert, Andrew J., Ramsperger, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US14/616,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20150355879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 : Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• 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 21/25816 : involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/4325 : 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 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content 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 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 : directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 : Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 : Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 : involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• 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

An example implementation may involve a computing system receiving a request to establish a queue of media items. The computing system may assign a first access status to the queue. The first access status may indicate that at least one media playback system is authorized to perform a first set of queue operations. After assigning the first access status to the queue, the computing system may detect a trigger that indicates a change in access status of the queue. Based on the detected trigger, the computing system may modify the access status of the queue from the first access status to a second access status. The second access status may indicate that the at least one media playback system is authorized to perform a second set of queue operations. The computing system may send an indication of the second access status to a media playback system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a computing system over a network interface, a request to establish a cloud queue of media items;

causing the cloud queue to be established, wherein the established cloud queue is accessible via a wide area network by two or more media playback systems that each comprise a respective one or more playback devices;

assigning, via the computing system, a first access status to the cloud queue, wherein the first access status indicates that all media playback systems that access the cloud queue are authorized to perform a first set of queue operations on the cloud queue;

after assigning the first access status to the cloud queue, detecting, via the computing system, a trigger that indicates a change in access status of the cloud queue, wherein detecting the trigger that indicates the change in access status of the cloud queue comprises detecting that the cloud queue has been accessed by more than a threshold extent;

based on the detected trigger, modifying, via the computing system, the access status of the cloud queue from the first access status to a second access status, wherein the second access status indicates that all media playback systems that access the cloud queue are authorized to perform a second set of queue operations on the cloud queue, wherein the second set of queue operations is different from the first set of queue operations; and

sending, via the computing system over the network interface, an indication of the second access status to a given media playback system.

2. The method of claim 1, detecting that the cloud queue has been accessed by more than the threshold extent comprises:

determining that a threshold duration of time has elapsed since the cloud queue was established.

3. The method of claim 1, detecting that the cloud queue has been accessed by more than the threshold extent comprises:

determining that a duration of time that the cloud queue has been played back exceeds a threshold duration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud queue includes one or more particular media items, and detecting that the cloud queue has been accessed by more than the threshold extent comprises:

determining that one or more media playback systems have played back the one or more particular media items of the cloud queue on more than a threshold number of occasions.

5. The method of claim 1, detecting that the cloud queue has been accessed by more than the threshold extent comprises:

determining that a threshold number of media playback systems have accessed the cloud queue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of queue operations include modification of the cloud queue, the method further comprising:

receiving a request from the given media playback system to modify the cloud queue by inserting one or more additional media items;

determining that the cloud queue is assigned the first access status such that media playback systems are authorized to modify the cloud queue; and

based on determining that the cloud queue is assigned the first access status such that media playback systems are authorized to modify the cloud queue, modifying the cloud queue and sending an indication of the one or more additional media items from the cloud queue to the given media playback system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of queue operations includes playback, the method further comprising:

receiving a request from the given media playback system for an indication of one or more media items from the cloud queue for playback;

determining that the cloud queue is assigned the first access status such that media playback systems are authorized to playback the cloud queue; and

based on determining that the cloud queue is assigned the first access status such that media playback systems are authorized to playback the cloud queue, sending, to the given media playback system, (i) the indication of the one or more media items from the cloud queue, and (ii) an indication of respective sources of the one or more media items.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of queue operations excludes playback, the method further comprising:

receiving a request from the given media playback system for an indication of one or more media items from the cloud queue for playback;

determining that the cloud queue is assigned the second access status such that media playback systems are unauthorized to playback the cloud queue; and

based on determining that the cloud queue is assigned the second access status such that media playback systems are unauthorized to playback the cloud queue, sending, to the given media playback system, an indication that the cloud queue is assigned the second access status.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, to the given media playback system, an indication that the access status of the cloud queue may be modified from the second access status to a first access status.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after sending the indication that the access status of the cloud queue may be modified, receiving, from the given media playback system, a request to modify the cloud queue from the second access status to a first access status;

determining that the given media playback system is authorized to modify the cloud queue from the second access status to a first access status; and

modifying the cloud queue from the second access status to a first access status.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein sending the indication that the cloud queue is assigned the second access status comprises:

sending, to the given media playback system, instructions that cause the given media playback system to remove a local instance of the cloud queue from one or more playback devices that store the local instance of the cloud queue.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of queue operations includes playback of the cloud queue and exclude modification of the cloud queue, the method further comprising:

receiving a request from the given media playback system to modify the cloud queue by including one or more additional media items in the cloud queue;

determining that the cloud queue is assigned the second access status such that media playback systems are unauthorized to modify the cloud queue; and

based on determining that the cloud queue is assigned the second access status such that media playback systems are unauthorized to modify the cloud queue, sending, to the given media playback system, an indication that media playback systems are unauthorized to modify the cloud queue.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of queue operations includes playback of a subset of the cloud queue, the method further comprising:

receiving a request from the given media playback system for an indication of one or more media items from the cloud queue for playback by one or more playback devices of the given media playback system;

determining that the cloud queue is assigned the second access status such that media playback systems are authorized to playback the subset of the cloud queue;

identifying at least one media item that is included in the subset of the cloud queue; and

sending, to the given media playback system, (i) an indication of the least one media item, and (ii) an indication of respective sources of the least one media item.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of queue operations includes display of the cloud queue, the method further comprising:

receiving, from the given media playback system, a request for an indication of one or more media items from the cloud queue for display;

determining that the cloud queue is assigned the second access status such that media playback systems are authorized to display the cloud queue; and

sending an indication of the least one media item in the cloud queue to the given media playback system.

15. A computing system comprising:

a network interface;

at least one processor;

a data storage; and

a program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the at least one processor to;

receive, via the network interface, a request to establish a cloud queue of media items;

causing the cloud queue to be established, wherein the cloud queue is accessible via a wide area network by two or more media playback systems that each comprise a respective one or more playback devices, and wherein the media items of the cloud queue are playable by the respective one or more playback devices;

assign a first access status to the cloud queue, wherein the first access status indicates that all media playback systems that access the cloud queue are authorized to perform a first set of queue operations on the cloud queue;

after assigning the first access status to the cloud queue, detect a trigger that indicates a change in access status of the cloud queue, wherein detecting the trigger that indicates the change in access status of the cloud queue comprises detecting that the cloud queue has been accessed by more than a threshold extent;

based on the detected trigger, modify the access status of the cloud queue from the first access status to a second access status, wherein the second access status indicates that all media playback systems that access the cloud queue are authorized to perform a second set of queue operations on the cloud queue, wherein the second set of queue operations is different from the first set of queue operations; and

send an indication of the second access status to a given media playback system.

16. A playback device comprising:

a network interface;

at least one processor;

a data storage; and

a program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the at least one processor to;

receive, from a computing system via the network interface, (i) an indication of a cloud queue of media items that is accessible to the playback device via a wide area network, and (ii) an indication that the cloud queue has a first access status, wherein the first access status indicates that the playback device is authorized to perform a first set of queue operations on the cloud queue;

establish a local instance of the cloud queue having the first access status;

receive, from the computing system via the network interface, an indication that the cloud queue has been assigned a second access status, wherein the computing system assigns the second access status to the cloud queue upon the cloud queue being accessed by more than a threshold extent, wherein the second access status indicates that the playback device is authorized to perform a second set of queue operations on the cloud queue, wherein the second set of queue operations is different from the first set of queue operations; and

based on the cloud queue being assigned the second access status, restrict the local instance of the cloud queue to the second set of queue operations.

17. The playback device of claim 16, wherein the program logic is further executable to:

based on receiving the indication that the cloud queue has been assigned a second access status, delete the local instance of the cloud queue.

18. The playback device of claim 16, wherein the playback device is a device of a media playback system, and wherein the program logic is further executable to:

send, to one or more additional devices of the media playback system, an indication that the cloud queue has been assigned the second access status, wherein the one or more additional devices include at least one of (i) one or more additional playback devices or (ii) one or more control devices that are configured to control the playback device.

19. The playback device of claim 16, wherein the playback device is a device of a media playback system, wherein the second set of queue operations includes playback of a subset of the cloud queue, and wherein the program logic is further executable to:

receive, from a controller device of the media playback system via a network interface, a request to playback the cloud queue;

send, to the controller device via the network interface, an indication of the subset of the cloud queue; and

initiate playback of the subset of the cloud queue.

20. The playback device of claim 16, wherein the playback device is a device of a media playback system, wherein the second set of queue operations includes display of the cloud queue, and wherein the program logic is further executable to:

receive, from a controller device of the media playback system via the network interface, a request for an indication of one or more media items from the cloud queue for display;

based on receiving the requested indication of one or more media items from the cloud queue for display, send, to the computing system via a network interface, a request for an indication of at least one media item from the cloud queue for display; and

send an indication of the at least one media item from the cloud queue to the controller device.