Moving a playback queue to a new zone

• US 9,703,521 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lambourne, Robert Andrew, Kumar, Abhishek
• Primary Examiner(s): Georgandellis, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/904,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 709232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

Embodiments provided herein involve connected states between a mobile device and one or more zones in a network media system and different interactions between the mobile device and the network media system involving the connected states. The connected states may be established between the mobile device and the one or more zones such that further actions taken on media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device may also be taken on corresponding media items in a playback queue associated with the one or more zones. The interface on the mobile device may display various graphical representations to indicate the different interactions involving the connected states, including when a connected state is established, when a connected state is lost, and when a reconnected state is reestablished. The interface may further provide selectable icons to allow a user to navigate among the different media playback options involving the connected states.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting, via a control device, a playlist identifying one or more media items selected for playback;

receiving, via the control device, a first input indicating a selection of a first zone for playback of the one or more media items identified in the playlist, the first zone comprising one or more first playback devices in a network media system, wherein the first zone is configured to play back media according to a first playback queue;

establishing a first connected state between the control device and the first zone, wherein establishing the first connected state comprises;

automatically causing the first playback queue to be populated with information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist presented on the control device, the information comprising one or more identifiers corresponding to a respective media item identified in the playlist;

while the first connected state is established, causing, via the control device, (a) each modification to the playlist presented on the control device to be applied as a corresponding modification to the first playback queue and (b) the playlist presented on the control device to be updated to indicate a currently played media item of the one or more media items, wherein the currently played media item is currently played by the first zone;

displaying, on the control device, a graphical representation of a second zone comprising one or more second playback devices in the network media system, wherein the second zone is configured to play back media according to a second playback queue;

while the first connected state is established, receiving a second input via the control device indicating a selection of the second zone;

responsive to receiving the second input, establishing a second connected state between the control device and the second zone, wherein establishing the second connected state comprises;

automatically causing the second playback queue to be populated with information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist presented on the control device, the information comprising the one or more identifiers corresponding to the respective media item in the playlist; and

while the second connected state is established, causing, via the control device, each modification received on the playlist presented on the control device to be applied as a corresponding modification to the second playback queue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to establishing the second connected state between the control device and the second zone, causing the second zone to stop any previous playback.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to establishing the second connected state, causing the second zone to playback a media item in synchrony with playback of the media item by the first zone.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein causing the second zone to playback the media item in synchrony with playback of the media item by the first zone comprises:

causing playback of the media item by the second zone to fade in.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to causing the second zone to playback the media item in synchrony with playback of the media item by the first zone, causing playback of the media item by the first zone to stop.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein causing playback of the media item by the first zone to stop comprises:

causing playback of the media item by the first zone to fade out.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing each modification received on the playlist to be applied as a corresponding modification to the second playback queue comprises:

receiving, via the control device, a second input to cause a particular modification to be taken on the playlist; and

causing a corresponding particular modification to be taken on the second playback queue.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

prior to causing the corresponding particular modification to be taken, causing the second zone to stop any previous playback.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein while the first connected state is established, causing each modification received on the playlist to be applied as a corresponding modification to the first playback queue comprises:

causing the corresponding particular modification to be taken on the first playback queue.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the second input comprises receiving the second input at a particular time;

wherein establishing the second connected state comprises;

transferring the first connected state from the first zone to the second zone, wherein the second zone continues playback of a media item indicated in the playlist as the currently played media item at the particular time the second input was received; and

wherein the method further comprises;

responsive to transferring the first connected state, causing the control device to relinquish control of the network media system such that a further modification taken on the playlist via the control device does not cause a corresponding further modification to be taken by the first zone on the first playback queue.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification to the playlist via the control device comprises one or more of the following:

(a) adding a media item to the one or more media items in the playlist;

(b) removing a media item from the one or more media items in the playlist; and

(c) reordering a media item from the one or more media items in the playlist.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while the second connected state is established, in response to receiving a playback control action on the playlist, transmitting an instruction to apply the playback control action to the second playback queue.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while the first connected state is established, displaying, on the control device, a first connected state icon indicating that the first connected state is established.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the first input, transmitting, via the control device to the second zone, media information identifying one or more media items from the playlist to add to the second playback queue.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the playlist is private to the control device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically causing the second playback queue to be populated with information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist on the control device comprises:

replacing information of existing media items in the second playback queue with the information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist on the control device, and

wherein the method comprises;

causing, via the control device, the second zone to play the second playback queue.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

leaving the second connected state;

while the second connected state is not established, receiving one or more additional modifications to the playlist; and

in response to re-establishing the second connected state, transmitting, via the control device, an update message comprising information indicating the one or more additional modifications to be applied as one or more corresponding additional modifications to the second playback queue.

18. A control device comprising:

a processor; and

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

presenting a playlist identifying one or more media items selected for playback;

receiving a first input indicating a selection of a first zone for playback of the one or more media items identified in the playlist, the first zone comprising one or more first playback devices in a network media system, wherein the first zone is configured to play back media according to a first playback queue;

establishing a first connected state between the control device and the first zone, wherein establishing the first connected state comprises;

automatically causing the first playback queue to be populated with information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist presented on the control device, the information comprising one or more identifiers corresponding to a respective media item identified in the playlist;

while the first connected state is established causing (a) each modification to a playlist presented on the control device to be applied as a corresponding modification to the first playback queue and (b) the playlist presented on the control device to be updated to indicate a currently played media item of the one or more media items, wherein the currently played media item is currently played by the first zone;

displaying, on the control device, a graphical representation of a second zone comprising one or more second playback devices in the network media system, wherein the second zone is configured to play back media according to a second playback queue;

while the first connected state is established, receiving a second input via the control device indicating a selection of the second zone;

responsive to receiving the second input, establishing a second connected state between the control device and the second zone, wherein establishing the second connected state comprises;

automatically causing the second playback queue to be populated with information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist presented on the control device, the information comprising the one or more identifiers corresponding to the respective media item in the playlist; and

while the second connected state is established, causing, via the control device, each modification received on the playlist presented on the control device to be applied as a corresponding modification to the second playback queue.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein causing each modification received on the playlist to be applied as a corresponding modification to the second playback queue comprises:

receiving, via the control device, a second input to cause a particular modification to be taken on the playlist; and

causing a corresponding particular modification to be taken on the second playback queue.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the functions further comprise:

responsive to establishing the second connected state between the control device and the second zone, causing any previous playback by the second zone to stop.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a control device to cause the control device to perform functions comprising:

presenting a playlist identifying one or more media items selected for playback;

receiving a first input indicating a selection of a first zone for playback of the one or more media items identified in the playlist, the first zone comprising one or more first playback devices in a network media system, wherein the first zone is configured to play back media according to a first playback queue;

establishing a first connected state between the control device and the first zone, wherein establishing the first connected state comprises;

automatically causing the first playback queue to be populated with information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist on the control device, the information comprising one or more identifiers corresponding to a respective media item identified in the playlist;

while the first connected state is established causing, (a) each modification to a playlist presented on the control device to be applied as a corresponding modification to the first playback queue and (b) the playlist presented on the control device to be updated to indicate a currently played media item of the one or more media items, wherein the currently played media item is currently played by the first zone;

displaying, on the control device, a graphical representation of a second zone comprising one or more second playback devices in the network media system, wherein the second zone is configured to play back media according to a second playback queue;

while the first connected state is established, receiving a second input via the control device indicating a selection of the second zone;

responsive to receiving the second input, establishing the second connected state between the control device and the second zone, wherein establishing the second connected state comprises;

automatically causing the second playback queue to be populated with information identifying the one or more media items in the playlist presented on the control device, the information comprising the one or more identifiers corresponding to the respective media item in the playlist; and

while the second connected state is established, causing, via the control device, each modification received on the playlist presented on the control device to be applied as a corresponding modification to the second playback queue.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein establishing the second connected state comprises:

transferring the first connected state from the first zone to the second zone; and

wherein the functions further comprise;

responsive to transferring the first connected state, causing the control device to relinquish control of the network media system such that a further modification taken on the playlist via the control device does not cause a corresponding further modification to be taken by the first zone on the first playback queue.