Cloud queue playback policy

• US 9,654,536 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Coburn, IV, Arthur L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US14/616,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20150358380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• 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, from a media playback system, at least one request for an indication of one or more media items from a queue of media items. The implementation may also involve the computing system identifying one or more playback policies that are associated with the queue of media items. Each of the one or more playback policies may restrict at least one aspect of playback of at least one of the one or more media items. The implementation may further involve the computing system sending, to the media playback system, an indication of the identified one or more playback policies.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a computing system over a network interface from one or more media playback systems that each comprise one or more respective playback devices, at least one respective request for an indication of one or more media items from a given cloud queue of media items, wherein the given cloud queue of media items is one of a plurality of cloud queues that are accessible to each of the one or more media playback systems via a wide area network;

identifying, via the computing system, one or more playback policies that are associated with the given cloud queue of media items, wherein each of the identified one or more playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback of the media items queued in the given cloud queue; and

causing, via the computing system over the network interface, the identified one or more playback policies to be applied to respective local queues of the one or more media playback systems, wherein each local queue (i) is stored on at least one respective playback device of the one or more media playback systems and (ii) includes the one or more media items from the given cloud queue of media items, and wherein causing the identified one or more playback policies to be applied to the one or more media playback systems comprises sending, via the computing system to the one or more media playback systems over the network interface, an indication of the identified one or more playback policies.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more media playback systems comprise a first media playback system and a second media playback system, and wherein receiving the at least one respective request for an indication of one or more media items from the given cloud queue of media items comprises:

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

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

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying one or more playback policies that are associated with the given cloud queue of media items comprises:

identifying one or more first playback policies corresponding to the first media playback system, wherein each of the one or more first playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback by the first media playback system of the media items queued in the cloud queue; and

identifying one or more second playback policies corresponding to the second media playback system, wherein each of the one or more second playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback by the second media playback system of the media items queued in the cloud queue.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein sending the indication of the identified one or more playback policies comprises sending an indication of the one or more first playback policies to the first media playback system;

and wherein the method further comprises;

sending, over the network interface, an indication of the one or more second playback policies to the second media playback system.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying one or more playback policies are associated with the given cloud queue of media items comprises:

identifying one or more first playback policies corresponding to a first user account that is associated with the first media playback system, wherein each of the one or more first playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback by the first media playback system of the media items queued in the cloud queue; and

identifying one or more second playback policies corresponding to a second user account that is associated with the second media playback system, wherein each of the one or more second playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback by the second media playback system of the media items queued in the cloud queue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the given cloud queue is a first cloud queue of the plurality of cloud queues, and wherein receiving at least one respective request for an indication of one or more media items from the cloud queue comprises:

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

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving, from a second media playback system, a request for an indication of one or more second media items from a second cloud queue of the plurality of cloud queues.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein identifying one or more playback policies that are associated with the cloud queue comprises identifying one or more first playback policies corresponding to the first cloud queue, wherein each of the one or more first playback policies corresponding to the first cloud queue restrict at least one aspect of playback of the media items queued in the cloud queue;

and wherein the method further comprises;

identifying one or more second playback policies corresponding to the second cloud queue, wherein each of the one or more second playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback of the media items queued in the cloud queue.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more playback policies restrict at least one of (i) skipping playback of one of the one or more media items, (ii) replaying a previously played media item of the one or more media items, (iii) seeking forward during playback of one of the one or more media items, (iv) seeking backward during playback of one of the one or more media items, or (v) replaying a currently playing media item of the one or more media items.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more playback policies restrict at least one of a shuffle option, a repeat option, a skip forward option, a skip backwards option, a seek forward option, or a seek backward option.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud queue indicates a pre-determined playback order of the media items, and wherein the one or more playback policies restrict modification of the pre-determined playback order of the media items.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the given cloud queue is a first cloud queue of the plurality of cloud queues and the identified one or more playback policies are one or more first playback policies, wherein receiving at least one respective request for an indication of one or more media items from the given cloud queue of media items comprises receiving, from a particular media playback system, a request for an indication of one or more media items from the first cloud queue, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from the particular media playback system, a request for an indication of one or more media items from a second cloud queue of the plurality of cloud queues;

identifying one or more second playback policies that are associated with the second cloud queue, wherein each of the identified one or more second playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback of the media items queued in the second cloud queue, and wherein the one or more second playback policies are different from the one or more playback policies; and

causing, via the computing system over the network interface, the identified one or more second playback policies to be applied to a local queue of the particular media playback system.

19. The method of claim 3, wherein causing, via the computing system over the network interface, the identified one or more playback policies to be applied to the one or more media playback systems comprises facilitating (i) first independent playback of the media items in the given cloud queue by the first media playback system according to the one or more first playback policies and, concurrently, (ii) second independent playback of the media items in the given cloud queue by the second media playback system according to the one or more second playback policies.

11. 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, over the network interface from one or more media playback systems that each comprise one or more respective playback devices, at least one respective request for an indication of one or more media items from a given cloud queue of media items, wherein the given cloud queue of media items is one of a plurality of cloud queues that are accessible to each of the one or more media playback systems via a wide area network;

identify one or more playback policies that are associated with the given cloud queue of media items, wherein each of the identified one or more playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback of the media items queued in the given cloud queue; and

causing, via the computing system over the network interface, the identified one or more playback policies to be applied to respective local queues of the one or more media playback systems, wherein each local queue (i) is stored on at least one respective playback device of the one or more media playback systems and (ii) includes the one or more media items from the given cloud queue of media items, and wherein causing the identified one or more playback policies to be applied to the one or more media playback systems comprises sending, via the computing system to the one or more media playback systems over the network interface, an indication of the identified one or more playback policies.

12. 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 input data indicating a request to playback a particular cloud queue of media items on a given playback device that is different from the computing device, wherein the particular cloud queue is one of a plurality of cloud queues that are accessible to the given playback device via a wide area network;

sending, over a network interface to a cloud computing system, a request for an indication of one or more media items from the particular cloud queue of media items, wherein the request indicates a current track;

receiving, over the network interface from the cloud computing system, (i) an indication of at least one media item from the particular cloud queue, wherein the at least one media item includes the current track; and

(ii) an indication of one or more playback policies that are associated with the particular cloud queue of media items, wherein each of the one or more playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback of the at least one media item from the cloud queue; and

causing a graphical interface to display (i) a graphical indication of the at least one media item, and (ii) a graphical indication that at least one playback policy is associated with the at least one media item.

13. The tangible non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein causing the graphical interface to display the graphical indication that at least one playback policy is associated with the at least one media item comprises causing the graphical interface to display a graphical indication of the at least one playback policy that is associated with the at least one media item.

14. The tangible non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein causing the graphical interface to display the graphical indication that at least one playback policy is associated with the at least one media item comprises displaying a graphical indication that one or more graphical controls that enable respective playback options are restricted, wherein the at least one playback policy restricts the playback options.

15. The tangible non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises determining that at least one of the one or more playback policies restricts display of media items from the cloud queue to (i) the current track of the cloud queue and (ii) one or more additional media items of the cloud queue;

and wherein causing the graphical interface to display the graphical indication of the at least one media item comprises displaying a graphical indication of the current track and the one or more additional media items.

16. The tangible non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting that the current track has changed from a first media item to a second media item; and

based on detecting that the current track has changed from a first media item to a second media item, causing the graphical interface to display an indication of at least one playback policy that is associated with the second media item.

17. The tangible non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein causing the graphical interface to display (i) the indication of the at least one media item, and (ii) an indication that at least one playback policy is associated with the at least one media item comprises:

causing the graphical interface to display (i) a graphical indication of at least one first media item and at least one second media item, and (ii) a graphical indication of one or more first playback policies that are associated with the at least one first media item and a graphical indication of one or more second playback policies that are associated with the at least one second media item, wherein the one or more first playback policies are different from the one or more second playback policies.