Systems and methods for networked music playback including remote add to queue

• US 9,674,587 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Gossain, Hrishikesh, Triplett, Mark, Lang, Jonathan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Leshui
• Application Number:
  US13/533,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20130343567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 455 201, 455 301, 455 303, 455 304, 455 305, 455 306, 381 77, 381 80, 381 81, 381 82, 381 86, 381 92, 381 26, 381122, 381119, 381332, 381334, 381306, 381302, 381303, 381311, 381 56, 381 61, 381124, 709238, 709219, 707769, 707E17014, 725 44- 46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to facilitate discovery and remote configuration of content for playback via a multimedia playback network are disclosed. An example method includes facilitating identification of multimedia content being played, the identification including at least one of a content identifier associated with the content and the content itself. An example method includes relaying at least one of the content identifier and the content to a playback system located remotely from a location of the multimedia content playback, at least one of the content identifier and the content remotely added for playback at the playback system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, via a computing device at a first location, a media item corresponding to audio content being played at the first location, wherein the audio content is being played independent of the computing device;

in response to identifying the media item, (i) searching, via the computing device, a plurality of content provider services for the media item corresponding to the identified audio content, and (ii) determining via the computing device, a content identifier specifying a network location from where the media item is obtainable from one of the plurality of content provider services;

determining at a first time, whether a playback queue stored on a playback device of a playback system is accessible by the computing device, wherein the playback system is at a second location remote from the first location,

providing, to the playback system via the computing device over a wide area network, the content identifier, wherein providing the content identifier comprises;

if the computing device determines, at the first time, that the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system is accessible by the computing device, providing, to the playback system via the computing device over the wide area network, the content identifier; and

if the computing device determines, at the first time, that the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system is not accessible by the computing device;

storing the content identifier;

determining, at a second time, that the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system is accessible by the computing device; and

based on determining, at the second time, that the playback queue stored on the playback system is accessible by the computing device, providing, to the playback system via the computing device over the wide area network, the content identifier; and

causing, via the computing device, the media item to be remotely added to the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system for playback at the second location, wherein adding the media item to the playback queue comprises storing, by the playback device of the playback system, the content identifier in the playback queue, wherein the playback device is configured to obtain the media item for playback according to the content identifier in the playback queue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the content identifier to be remotely added to a playlist at the playback system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the content identifier in a cloud for playback at the playback system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the content identifier comprises:

providing the content identifier and a copy of the audio content to the playback system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback system comprises a first playback system, and wherein providing the content identifier comprises:

providing the content identifier and a copy of the audio content to a second playback system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting the one content provider service to relay the audio content to the playback system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying authorization to add the audio content to the playback system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the authorization is configured based on a group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a portable device, and wherein the identifying the media content and providing the content identifier are facilitated via the portable device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the portable device is configured to store the media item until the portable device is within a range of a playback network associated with the playback system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the content identifier further includes determining a content provider from which the playback system is able to access the audio content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the computing device at the first location includes an indication of one or more content providers accessible by the playback system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the content identifier to be remotely added to the playback queue comprises at least one of (a) causing a copy of the audio content to be remotely added to the playback queue and (b) causing a pointer to a location of the audio content at a source to be remotely added to the playback queue.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio content comprises at least one of an audio sample, metadata associated with the audio content, and a tag associated with the audio content.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the wide area network comprises at least one of a cellular network, a public switched telephone network, and a cloud server.

16. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions for execution by a processor, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause a computing device to implement a method, the method comprising:

identifying, via the computing device at a first location, a media item corresponding to audio content being played at the first location, wherein the audio content is being played independent of the computing device;

in response to identifying the media item, (i) searching a plurality of content provider services for the media item corresponding to the identified audio content, and (ii) determining a content identifier specifying a network location from where the media item is obtainable from one of the plurality of content provider services;

determining, at a first time, whether the playback queue stored on a playback device of a paybacks system is accessible by the computing device, wherein the playback system is at a second location remote from the first location;

providing, to the playback system via the computing device over a wide area network, the content identifier, wherein providing the content identifier comprises,

if the computing device determines, at the first time, that the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system is accessible by the computing device, providing, to the playback system via the computing device over the wide area network, the content identifier; and

if the computing device determines, at the first time, that the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system is not accessible by the computing device;

storing the content identifier;

determining, at a second time, that the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system is accessible by the computing device, and

based on determining, at the second time, that the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system is accessible by the computing device, providing, to the playback system via the computing device over the wide area network, the content identifier; and

causing the media item to be remotely added to the playback queue associated with the playback system for playback at the second location, wherein adding the media item to the playback queue comprises storing, by the playback device of the playback system, the content identifier in the playback queue, wherein the playback device is configured to obtain the media item for playback according to the content identifier in the playback queue.

17. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises causing the content identifier to be remotely added to a playlist at the playback system.

18. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises storing the content identifier in a cloud for playback at the playback system.

19. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein providing the content identifier comprises:

providing the content identifier and a copy of the audio content to the playback system.

20. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the playback system comprises a first playback system and wherein providing the content identifier comprises:

providing the content identifier and a copy of the audio content to a second playback system.

21. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

requesting the one content provider service to relay the audio content to the playback system.

22. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises verifying authorization to add the media item to the playback system.

23. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein authorization is configured based on a group.

24. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computing device is a portable device, and wherein the identifying the audio content and providing the content identifier are facilitated via the portable device.

25. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the portable device is configured to store the media item until the portable device is within a range of a playback network associated with the playback system.

26. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless communication interface configured to communicate with a local playback network and a multimedia content source; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory comprising instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

identify, via the computing device at a first location, a media item corresponding to audio content being played at the first location, wherein the audio content is being played independent of the computing device;

in response to identifying the media item, (i) searching a plurality of content provider services for the media item corresponding to the identified audio content, and (ii) determining a content identifier specifying a network location from where the media item is obtainable from one of a plurality of content provider services;

determining, at a first time, whether a playback queue stored on a playback device of a playback system is accessible by the computing device, wherein the playback system is at a second location remote from the first location;

provide, to the playback system via the computing device over a wide area network, the content identifier, wherein providing the content identifier comprises;

if the computing device determines, at the first time, that the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system is accessible by the computing device, providing, to the playback system via the computing device over the wide area network, the content identifier; and

if the computing device determines, at the first time, that the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system is not accessible by the computing device;

storing the content identifier;

determining, at a second time, that the playback queue stared on the playback device of the playback system is accessible by the computing device; and

based on determining, at the second time, that the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system is accessible by the computing device, providing, to the playback system via the computing device over the wide area network, the content identifier; and

cause the media item to be remotely added to the playback queue stored on the playback device of the playback system for playback at the second location, wherein adding the media item to the playback queue comprises storing, by the playback device of the playback system, the content identifier in the playback queue, wherein the playback device is configured to obtain the media item for playback according to the content identifier in the playback queue.