Media content based on playback zone awareness

• US 9,723,418 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bender, Kristen, Kuper, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Edun, Muhammad N
• Application Number:
  US15/339,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20170048632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing media content based on playback zone awareness. In one aspect a server associated with a service provider may be configured to receive zone data identifying a name of a zone associated with a playback device, identify, based on the zone data, media content based on the zone data, and provide the media content to the playback device. In another aspect, a playback device may be configured to associate the playback device with a zone, and provide to a service provider zone data identifying a name of the zone associated with the playback device. In yet another aspect, a controller device may be configured to receive an input identifying a playback zone, and sending to a service provider, a message including zone data identifying the playback zone.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

a network interface;

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the playback device to perform a method comprising;

assigning the playback device to a particular zone of a media playback system, wherein the media playback system comprises one or more zones, and wherein each of the one or more zones comprise at least one respective playback device;

sending, via the network interface to a service provider, (i) zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system and (ii) a request to identify audio content based on the zone data; and

receiving, via the network interface from the service provider, an indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data.

2. The playback device of claim 1, the method further comprising:

adding the audio content identified based on the zone data to a playback queue; and

playing back, via one or more speakers, at least a portion of the audio content identified based on the zone data from the playback queue.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein assigning the playback device to the particular zone of the media playback system comprises storing a state variable in the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory.

4. The playback device of claim 1, the method further comprising:

assigning the playback device to another particular zone of the one or more zones of the media playback system;

sending, via the network interface to the service provider, (i) zone data that identifies the another particular zone of the media playback system; and

receiving, via the network interface from the service provider, an indication of audio content identified based on the zone data that identifies the another particular zone of the media playback system.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein sending the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises sending, periodically, the zone data that identifies the particular zone.

6. The playback device of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, via the network interface from the service provider, a request for the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system, wherein sending the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises sending the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system based on receiving the request for the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system.

7. The playback device of claim 1, the method further comprising:

sending, to another service provider, the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system; and

receiving, via the network interface from the another service provider, an indication of audio content identified based on the zone data.

8. The playback device of claim 1, the method further comprising:

sending, to the service provider, feedback data indicating a preference rating for a particular media content played in the particular zone of the media playback system, wherein receiving the indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data comprises receiving an indication of audio content corresponding to the particular media content played in the particular zone of the media playback system.

9. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the zone data further comprises a time of day, and wherein receiving the indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data comprises receiving an indication of audio content corresponding to the time of day.

10. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the zone data further comprises a configuration of the playback device.

11. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causes a playback device to perform a method comprising:

assigning the playback device to a particular zone of a media playback system, wherein the media playback system comprises one or more zones, and wherein each of the one or more zones comprise at least one respective playback device;

sending, via a network interface to a service provider, (i) zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system and (ii) a request to identify audio content based on the zone data; and

receiving, via the network interface from the service provider, an indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, the method further comprising:

adding the audio content identified based on the zone data to a playback queue; and

playing back, via one or more speakers, at least a portion of the audio content identified based on the zone data from the playback queue.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein assigning the playback device to the particular zone of the media playback system comprises storing a state variable in the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory, the stored state variable causing the playback device to be assigned to the zone.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, the method further comprising:

assigning the playback device to another particular zone of the one or more zones of the media playback system;

sending, via the network interface to the service provider, (i) zone data that identifies the another particular zone of the media playback system; and

receiving, via the network interface from the service provider, an indication of audio content identified based on the zone data that identifies the another particular zone of the media playback system.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, the method further comprising:

receiving, via the network interface from the service provider, a request for the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system, wherein sending the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises sending the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system based on receiving the request for the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system.

16. A method comprising:

assigning, via a playback device, the playback device to a particular zone of a media playback system, wherein the media playback system comprises one or more zones, and wherein each of the one or more zones comprise at least one respective playback device;

sending, via a network interface of the playback device to a service provider, (i) zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system and (ii) a request to identify audio content based on the zone data; and

receiving, via the network interface of the playback device from the service provider, an indication of the audio content identified based on the zone data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

adding the audio content identified based on the zone data to a playback queue; and

playing back, via one or more speakers, at least a portion of the audio content identified based on the zone data from the playback queue.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein assigning the playback device to the particular zone of the media playback system comprises storing a state variable in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory, the stored state variable causing the playback device to be assigned to the zone.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

assigning the playback device to another particular zone of the one or more zones of the media playback system;

sending, via the network interface to the service provider, (i) zone data that identifies the another particular zone of the media playback system; and

receiving, via the network interface from the service provider, an indication of audio content identified based on the zone data that identifies the another particular zone of the media playback system.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, via the network interface from the service provider, a request for the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system, wherein sending the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system comprises sending the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system based on receiving the request for the zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system.