Audio content auditioning

• US 9,395,951 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bates, Paul Andrew, Kumar, Abhishek, Lang, Jonathan Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): ELBIN, JESSE A
• Application Number:
  US14/682,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20150220301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 381/119, 381/79, 381/80, 381/81, 715/716, 715/727, 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5038 considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10972 Management of interruptions, e.g. due to editing
• 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: 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 21/43615 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 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• 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 include causing a group of one or more playback devices to render first audio content. The example implementation may also include displaying an indication of second audio content, the second audio content comprising two or more songs. The example implementation may further include receiving first input data indicating a request to audition the second audio content; and in response to the request to audition the second audio content, rendering at least one of the two or more songs while the group of one or more playback devices is rendering the first audio content.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions executable by a processor to cause a network device to perform operations comprising:

causing a first one or more playback devices to render first audio content wherein causing the first one or more playback devices to render first audio content comprises sending, by the network device, to at least one of the first one or more playback devices via a network, a command to render the first audio content;

displaying an indication of second audio content, the second audio content comprising two or more songs, wherein the indication is both (a) selectable to cause the network device to audition the second audio content based on first input data and (b) selectable to cause the first one or more playback devices to playback the second audio content based on second input data;

receiving the first input data indicating a request to audition the second audio content; and

in response to receiving the first input data indicating the request to audition the second audio content, rendering at least one of the two or more songs of the second content on the network device while the first one or more playback devices is rendering the first audio content based on the command sent by the network device via the network.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first one or more playback devices is a group of two or more playback devices.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

after receiving the first input data, receiving second input data indicating a request for the second audio content to be played by the first one or more playback devices; and

causing the first one or more playback devices to render at least one of the two or more songs.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

after receiving the first input data, receiving second input data indicating a request for the second audio content to be played by a second one or more playback devices; and

causing the second one or more playback devices to render at least one of the two or more songs.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein rendering the at least one of the two or more songs comprises rendering the at least one of the two or more songs for a predetermined duration of time.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein rendering the at least one of the two or more songs comprises rendering the at least one of the two or more songs until receiving third input data, wherein the third input data indicates a request to stop auditioning the at least one of the two or more songs.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

before receiving the first input data, receiving, by the network device, second input data identifying the first one or more playback devices.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second audio content comprises a playlist of audio content.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the second audio content comprises an album of audio content.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein rendering at least one of the two or more songs comprises rendering each of the two or more songs.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein rendering at least one of the two or more songs comprises rendering a portion of the at least one of the two or more songs.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for:

receiving the second input data indicating a request to playback the second audio content; and

in response to receiving the second input data, causing the first one or more playback devices to render the second audio content.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a song of the first audio content rendered by the first one or more playback devices is in a first playlist and the two or more songs of the second audio content auditioned by the network device are in a second playlist different from the first playlist.

14. A method comprising:

causing, by a network device, a first one or more playback devices to render first audio content wherein causing the first one or more playback devices to render first audio content comprises sending, by the network device, to at least one of the first one or more playback devices via a network, a command to render the first audio content;

displaying, by the network device, an indication of second audio content, the second audio content comprising two or more songs, wherein the indication is both (a) selectable to cause the network device to audition the second audio content based on first input data and (b) selectable to cause the first one or more playback devices to playback the second audio content based on second input data;

receiving, by the network device, the first input data indicating a request to audition the second audio content; and

in response to receiving the first input data indicating the request to audition the second audio content, rendering, by the network device, at least one of the two or more songs of the second content on the network device while the first one or more playback devices is rendering the first audio content based on the command sent by the network device via the network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first one or more playback devices is a group of two or more playback devices.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

after receiving the first input data, receiving, by the network device, second input data indicating a request for the second audio content to be played by the first one or more playback devices; and

causing, by the network device, the first one or more playback devices to render at least one of the two or more songs.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

after receiving the first input data, receiving, by the network device, second input data indicating a request for the second audio content to be played by a second one or more playback devices; and

causing, by the network device, the second one or more playback devices to render at least one of the two or more songs.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein rendering the at least one of the two or more songs comprises rendering the at least one of the two or more songs until receiving, by the network device, third input data, wherein the third input data indicates a request to stop auditioning the at least one of the two or more songs.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

before receiving the first input data, receiving, by the network device, second input data identifying the first one or more playback devices.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the second audio content comprises a playlist of audio content.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein rendering at least one of the two or more songs comprises rendering each of the two or more songs.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving the second input data indicating a request to playback the second audio content; and

in response to receiving the second input data, causing the first one or more playback devices to render the second audio content.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein a song of the first audio content rendered by the first one or more playback devices is in a first playlist and the two or more songs of the second audio content auditioned by the network device are in a second playlist different from the first playlist.

24. A network device comprising:

a processor; and

memory including instructions stored therein executable by the processor to perform functions comprising;

causing a first one or more playback devices to render first audio content wherein causing the first one or more playback devices to render first audio content comprises sending, by the network device, to at least one of the first one or more playback devices via a network, a command to render the first audio content;

displaying an indication of second audio content, the second audio content comprising two or more songs, wherein the indication is both (a) selectable to cause the network device to audition the second audio content based on first input data and (b) selectable to cause the first one or more playback devices to playback the second audio content based on second input data;

receiving the first input data indicating a request to audition the second audio content; and

in response to receiving the first input data indicating the request to audition the second audio content, rendering at least one of the two or more songs of the second content on the network device while the first one or more playback devices is rendering the first audio content based on the command sent by the network device via the network.