Replacing media item

• US 9,537,915 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bates, Paul Andrew, Beckhardt, Steven, Reilly, Jonathon
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sultana, Afroza
• Application Number:
  US15/056,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20160182584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/00 Monitoring; Testing of line transmission systems H04B3/46; arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio waves H04B10/07
• 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 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• 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 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

An example implementation involves a playback device receiving, from a control device, data indicating an addition of a first media item to a queue that is playable by the playback device. This first media item is available to the first playback device at a first network location. The example implementation also involves determining that the first media item is unavailable to the playback device by determining that the control device has disconnected from the media playback system. Based on determining that the first media item is unavailable to the playback device, the playback device identifies a second media item that is equivalent to the first media item. This second media item is available to the playback device at a second network location that is different from the first network location and the playback device. The playback device replaces the first media item in the queue with the second media item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a first playback device of a media playback system from a first control device, data indicating an addition of a first media item to a queue that is playable by the first playback device, wherein the first media item corresponds to a first media source and is available to the first playback device at a first network location that is different from a network location of the first playback device;

determining, via the first playback device, that the first media item is unavailable to the first playback device, wherein determining that the first media item is unavailable to the first playback device comprises determining that the first control device has disconnected from the media playback system;

based on determining that the first media item is unavailable to the first playback device, (i) identifying a second media item that is equivalent to the first media item, wherein the second media item corresponds to a second media source and is available to the first playback device at a second network location that is different from the first network location and the network location of the first playback device, and (ii) replacing the first media item in the queue that is playable by the first playback device with the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item and playable by the first playback device; and

after replacing the first media item in the queue with the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item, initiating, via the first playback device, playback of the second media item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network location is accessible by the first playback device via wide area network (WAN).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second network location is accessible by the first playback device via the WAN.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data indicating the addition of the first media item to the queue that is playable by the first playback device comprises receiving data indicating a command to add a media item of a first streaming media service that is registered with the first control device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second media item corresponding to the second media source is a media item of a second streaming media service that is registered with a second control device connected to the media playback system, wherein the first streaming media service that is registered with the first control device is different from the second streaming media service that is registered with the second control device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, to a second control device connected to the media playback system, media availability data indicating the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item comprises initiating a query for media that matches the first media item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item comprises initiating a query for media that is a different version of the first media item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first control device has disconnected from the media playback system comprises determining that a strength of communication signal with the first control device is below a threshold.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

before initiating playback of the second media item, receiving one or more instructions to initiate playback of the second media item.

10. A first playback device comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform a method comprising;

receiving, from a first control device via a network interface, data indicating an addition of a first media item to a queue that is playable by the first playback device, wherein the first media item corresponds to a first media source and is available to the first playback device at a first network location that is different from a network location of the first playback device;

determining that the first media item is unavailable to the first playback device, wherein determining that the first media item is unavailable to the first playback device comprises determining that the first control device has disconnected from a media playback system comprising the first playback device;

based on determining that the first media item is unavailable to the first playback device, (i) identifying a second media item that is equivalent to the first media item, wherein the second media item corresponds to a second media source and is available to the first playback device at a second network location that is different from the first network location and the network location of the first playback device; and

(ii) replacing the first media item in the queue that is playable by the first playback device with the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item and playable by the first playback device; and

after replacing the first media item in the queue with the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item, initiating playback of the second media item.

11. The first playback device of claim 10, wherein the first network location is accessible by the first playback device via a wide area network (WAN), and wherein the second network location is accessible by the first playback device via the WAN.

12. The first playback device of claim 10, wherein receiving the data indicating the addition of the first media item to the queue that is playable by the first playback device comprises receiving data indicating a command to add a media item of a first streaming media service that is registered with the first control device.

13. The first playback device of claim 12, wherein the second media item corresponding to the second media source is a media item of a second streaming media service that is registered with a second control device connected to the media playback system, wherein the first streaming media service that is registered with the first control device is different from the second streaming media service that is registered with the second control device.

14. The first playback device of claim 10, wherein identifying the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item comprises initiating a query for media that matches the first media item.

15. The first playback device of claim 10, wherein identifying the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item comprises initiating a query for media that is a different version of the first media item.

22. The first playback device of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

before initiating playback of the second media item, receiving one or more instructions to initiate playback of the second media item.

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

receiving, from a first control device via a network interface, data indicating an addition of a first media item to a queue that is playable by the first playback device, wherein the first media item corresponds to a first media source and is available to the first playback device at a first network location that is different from a network location of the first playback device;

determining that the first media item is unavailable to the first playback device, wherein determining that the first media item is unavailable to the first playback device comprises determining that the first control device has disconnected from a media playback system comprising the first playback device;

based on determining that the first media item is unavailable to the first playback device, (i) identifying a second media item that is equivalent to the first media item, wherein the second media item corresponds to a second media source and is available to the first playback device at a second network location that is different from the first network location and the network location of the first playback device; and

(ii) replacing the first media item in the queue that is playable by the first playback device with the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item and playable by the first playback device; and

after replacing the first media item in the queue with the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item, initiating playback of the second media item.

17. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein receiving the data indicating the addition of the first media item to the queue that is playable by the first playback device comprises receiving data indicating a command to add a media item of a first streaming media service that is registered with the first control device.

18. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the second media item is a media item of a second streaming media service that is registered with a second control device connected to the media playback system, wherein the first streaming media service that is registered with the first control device is different from the second streaming media service that is registered with the second control device.

19. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein identifying the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item comprises initiating a query for media that matches the first media item.

20. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein identifying the second media item that is equivalent to the first media item comprises initiating a query for media that is a different version of the first media item.

23. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

before initiating playback of the second media item, receiving one or more instructions to initiate playback of the second media item.