Webpage media playback

• US 9,679,054 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Ted M., Bass, Eric M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US14/197,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 715205, 715208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for facilitating playback of media content on a webpage by a playback zone in a media playback system. Upon, or subsequent to opening a web-browsing interface, one or more playback zones of a media playback system may be identified, and links to a playable media item may be identified on a webpage to be displayed by the web-browsing interface. The webpage may then be modified such that a representation associated with the link may be selected to prompt a display of the one or more identified playback zones. A selection of one of the one or more identified playback zones may then cause the media item to be played in the selected playback zone.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

upon opening a web-browsing interface, identifying, via a computing device, one or more playback zones of a media playback system;

transmitting, via the computing device, a request for a webpage via the web-browsing interface, the request comprising an address of the webpage;

receiving, via the computing device, the requested webpage comprising a link to a playable media item;

modifying, via the computing device, the received webpage such that a representation associated with the link is selectable to provide a first option to initiate playback of the media item in at least one playback zone of the one or more playback zones and a second option to add the media item to a playback queue associated with the at least one playback zone;

causing, via the computing device, display of the modified webpage on the web-browsing interface;

responsive to a selection of the representation, causing display of the first option and the second option; and

responsive to a selection of the first option, causing display of a list of the one or more playback zones, wherein the at least one playback zone of the one or more playback zones is selectable to initiate playback of the media item in the at least one playback zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more playback zones of the media playback system comprises:

identifying devices associated with the media playback system, wherein each of the one or more playback zones is associated with one or more of the devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of one or more playback zones further indicates respective playback states of the one or more playback zones.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing storage of data indicating the identified one or more playback zones of the media playback system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving an input to initiate playback of the media item in the at least one playback zone of the one or more playback zones, sending an indication to play the media item and the link to the media item to one or more playback devices associated with the at least one playback zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the received webpage comprises:

modifying the received webpage to add a graphical representation associated with the link that is selectable to cause display of the first option and the second option, and

the method further comprises;

responsive to receiving an indication of a selection of the graphical representation, causing display of the first option and the second option, wherein the first option is selectable to initiate playback of the media item in the at least one playback zone and the second option is selectable to add the media item to the playback queue associated with the at least one playback zone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of the one or more playback zones is ordered according to respective physical proximities between the computing device and the one or more playback zones.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a network device connected to a local area network (LAN), and wherein the one or more playback zones are associated with one or more respective playback devices connected to the LAN.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the web-browsing interface is associated with a user account, and wherein the one or more playback zones are associated with the user account.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one playback zone of the one or more playback zones is selectable to initiate playback of the media item in the at least one playback zone comprises the at least one playback zone of the one or more playback zones is selectable to cause the media item to be added to the playback queue associated with the at least one playback zone.

11. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

upon opening a web-browsing interface, identifying one or more playback zones of a media playback system;

transmitting a request for a webpage via the web-browsing interface, the request comprising an address of the webpage;

receiving the requested webpage comprising a link to a playable media item;

modifying the received webpage such that a representation associated with the link is selectable to cause the media item to be played in at least one playback zone of the one or more playback zones;

displaying, on the web-browsing interface, the modified webpage;

while displaying the modified webpage, responsive to a first input indicating a selection of the representation, displaying a list of the one or more playback zones in the media playback system;

while displaying the modified webpage, receiving a second input indicating a selection of the at least one playback zone in the list of the one or more playback zones; and

responsive to the second input indicating the selection of the at least one playback zone in the list of the one or more playback zones, causing one or more playback devices associated with the at least one playback zone to initiate playback of the media item.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein functions for identifying one or more playback zones of the media playback system comprises:

identifying devices associated with the media playback system, and

wherein functions for modifying the received webpage comprises;

modifying the received webpage to add a graphical representation associated with the link that is selectable to cause the media item to be played in the one or more playback zones.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the list of one or more playback zones further indicates a playback state of the one or more playback zones.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

storing data indicating the identified one or more playback zones in the media playback system.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the list of one or more playback zones is ordered according to respective physical proximities between the computing device and the one or more playback zones.

16. The computing device of claim 11, wherein causing the one or more playback devices associated with the at least one playback zone to initiate playback of the media item comprises:

sending the link to one or more given playback devices associated with the at least one playback zone.

17. The computing device of claim 11, wherein causing the one or more playback devices associated with the at least one playback zone to initiate playback of the media item comprises:

causing the media item to be added to a playback queue associated with the at least one playback zone.

18. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

upon opening a web-browsing interface, identifying one or more playback zones of a media playback system;

transmitting a request for a webpage via the web-browsing interface, the request comprising an address of the webpage;

receiving the requested webpage comprising a link to a playable media item;

modifying the received webpage such that a representation associated with the link is selectable to provide a first option to initiate playback of the media item in at least one playback zone of the one or more playback zones and a second option to add the media item to a playback queue associated with the at least one playback zone;

causing display of the modified webpage on the web-browsing interface;

responsive to a selection of the representation, causing display of the first option and the second option; and

responsive to a selection of the second option, causing display of a list of the one or more playback zones, wherein the at least one playback zone of the listed playback zones is selectable to cause the media item to be added to the playback queue associated with the at least one playback zone.

19. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein modifying the received webpage comprises:

modifying the received webpage to add a graphical representation associated with the link that is selectable to cause the media item to be played in the one or more playback zones, and

wherein the web-browsing interface is provided on the computing device and the computing device is connected to a local area network (LAN), and wherein the one or more playback zones are associated with one or more respective playback devices connected to the LAN.

20. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the web-browsing interface is associated with a user account, and wherein the one or more playback zones are associated with the user account.

21. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein identifying one or more playback zones of the media playback system comprises:

identifying devices associated with the media playback system, wherein each of the one or more playback zones is associated with one or more of the devices.

22. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the list of one or more playback zones further indicates respective playback states of the one or more playback zones.

23. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the functions further comprise:

responsive to receiving an input to add the media item to the playback queue associated with the at least one playback zone, sending an indication to add the media item to the playback queue and the link to the media item to one or more playback devices associated with the at least one playback zone.