Media content based on playback zone awareness

• US 9,516,445 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2016
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bender, Kristen, Kuper, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Edun, Muhammad N
• Application Number:
  US15/072,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• 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 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing audio content based on playback zone awareness. In an example implementation, a computing system receives, from a media playback system, (i) zone data that identifies a particular zone of the media playback system and (ii) a request to identify audio content based on the zone data. In response to receiving the request to identify audio content, the computing device identifies audio content based on the zone data. The computing device sends, to the media playback system, an indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data, which may be played back by one or more playback devices of the media playback system.

Claims

1. A computing device configured to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device from a media playback system, (i) zone data that identifies a particular zone of the media playback system and (ii) a request to identify audio content based on the zone data, wherein the particular zone comprises one or more playback devices;

in response to receiving the request to identify audio content, identifying, by the computing device, audio content based on the zone data; and

sending, by the computing device to the media playback system, an indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein sending the indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data comprises sending metadata identifying one or more audio items identified based on the zone data.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein identifying the audio content based on the zone data comprises identifying one or more audio items based on the zone data, and wherein sending the indication of audio content identified based on the zone data comprises sending, to the media playback system, the one or more audio items identified based on the zone data.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein receiving, the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises receiving the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system from a controller device of the media playback system.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein receiving the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises receiving the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system from a playback device of the media playback system.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to identify audio content based on the zone data comprises receiving, from a given playback device that is associated with the particular zone, an indication that the particular zone received a command to initiate playback.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein receiving the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises receiving zone data that identifies a name of the particular zone, and wherein identifying the audio content based on the zone data comprises identifying audio content corresponding to a particular type of room that is indicated by the name of the particular zone.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein receiving the request to identify audio content based on the zone data comprises receiving a request to identify audio content corresponding to a particular genre of audio content that is preferred in the particular type of room.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from the media playback system, an indication of the current time of day in the particular zone, and wherein identifying audio content based on the zone data comprises identifying audio content that is preferred in the particular zone at the current time of day.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device from a media playback system, (i) zone data that identifies a particular zone of the media playback system and (ii) a request to identify audio content based on the zone data, wherein the particular zone comprises one or more playback devices;

in response to receiving the request to identify audio content, identifying, by the computing device, audio content based on the zone data; and

sending, by the computing device to the media playback system, an indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data comprises sending metadata identifying one or more audio items identified based on the zone data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying the audio content based on the zone data comprises identifying one or more audio items based on the zone data, and wherein sending the indication of audio content identified based on the zone data comprises sending, to the media playback system, the one or more audio items identified based on the zone data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving, the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises receiving the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system from a controller device of the media playback system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises receiving the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system from a playback device of the media playback system.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the request to identify audio content based on the zone data comprises receiving, from a given playback device that is associated with the particular zone, an indication that the particular zone received a command to initiate playback.

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

receiving, from a media playback system, (i) zone data that identifies a particular zone of the media playback system and (ii) a request to identify audio content based on the zone data, wherein the particular zone comprises one or more playback devices;

in response to receiving the request to identify audio content, identifying audio content based on the zone data; and

sending, to the media playback system, an indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data.

17. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein sending the indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data comprises sending metadata identifying one or more audio items identified based on the zone data.

18. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein identifying the audio content based on the zone data comprises identifying one or more audio items based on the zone data, and wherein sending the indication of audio content identified based on the zone data comprises sending, to the media playback system, the one or more audio items identified based on the zone data.

19. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein receiving, the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises receiving the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system from a controller device of the media playback system.

20. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein receiving the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises receiving the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system from a playback device of the media playback system.