Systems and methods for networked music playback

• US 9,860,589 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Coburn, IV, Arthur, Hoadley, Joni Rafalski
• Primary Examiner(s): MONTOYA, OSCHTA I
• Application Number:
  US14/520,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20150040167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• 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 21/4307 Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• 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 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 : Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 : Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 : for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to facilitate connection to a multimedia playback network are disclosed. An example method provides content to a local playback network. The example method includes identifying multimedia content from a content provider. The example method includes passing information regarding the multimedia content to a local playback system including one or more multimedia playback devices in response to a trigger. The example method includes facilitating play of the multimedia content via a local playback network associated with the local playback system.

Claims

1. A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions for execution by a processor, the instructions, when executed, cause a control device to perform operations comprising:

displaying a control interface that includes one or more transport controls, wherein the transport controls control playback, by the control device, of a multimedia content from a streaming content service;

playing back the multimedia content from the streaming content service, wherein playing back the multimedia content from the streaming content service comprises obtaining the multimedia content from one or more first cloud servers;

after connecting to a local area network via a network interface, identifying playback devices connected to the local area network;

displaying, within the control interface, a selectable option for transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device;

while the multimedia content is playing back, detecting, via the control interface, a set of inputs to transfer playback of the multimedia content from the control device to one or more particular playback devices, wherein the set of inputs comprises (i) a selection of the selectable option for transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device and (ii) a selection of the one or more particular playback devices from the identified playback devices connected to the local area network;

in response to detecting the set of inputs to transfer playback of the multimedia content from the control device to the one or more particular playback devices, transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device to the one or more particular playback devices, wherein transferring the multimedia content comprises;

(a) causing one or more second cloud servers to add the multimedia content to a local playback queue on at least one of the one or more particular playback devices, wherein adding the multimedia conten to the local playback queue comprises the one or more second cloud servers adding, to the local playback queue, one or more resource locators corresponding to respective locations of the multimedia content at the one or more first cloud servers of the streaming content service;

(b) causing the one or more particular playback devices to play back the multimedia content from the local playback queue beginning at a particular play position within the multimedia content corresponding to when the set of inputs for transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device to the one or more particular playback devices was detected, wherein playing back the multimedia content comprises the one or more particular playback devices obtaining the multimedia content from the one or more first cloud servers; and

(c) stopping playback of the multimedia content by the control device; and

after transferring playback of the multimedia content to the one or more particular playback devices, causing the one or more transport controls of the control interface to control playback by the one or more particular playback devices.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the control device and the playback device are communicatively coupled via the local area network, and wherein the one or more first cloud servers of the streaming content service are outside of the local area network.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more second cloud servers to add the multimedia content to the local playback queue comprises causing an identifier of the multimedia content to be added to the local playback queue, wherein the identifier indicates a particular source of the multimedia content at the one or more first cloud servers of the streaming content service, wherein the one or more particular playback devices obtain the multimedia content from the particular source at the one or more first cloud servers of the streaming content service.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the identifier of the multimedia content comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) that identifies the particular source of the multimedia content at the one or more first cloud servers of the streaming content service.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the identifier of the multimedia content comprises one or more of an identifier of a single audio track, a playlist, a streaming radio station, or a programmed radio station.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1,

wherein causing one or more second cloud servers to add the multimedia content to the local playback queue comprises sending a message to the streaming content service that causes the one or more second cloud servers to add the multimedia content to the local playback queue.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a trigger, wherein displaying the selectable option comprises displaying the selectable option in response to the control device detecting the trigger.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising detecting a set of inputs to transfer playback from the one or more particular playback devices back to the control device;

and based on detecting the set of inputs, causing playback to be transferred from the one or more particular playback devices to the control device.

9. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more particular playback devices comprise a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein the selection of the one or more particular playback devices from the identified playback devices connected to the local area network comprises a selection of a particular zone of a media playback system, the particular zone comprising the first playback device and the second playback device, and wherein causing the one or more particular playback devices to play back the multimedia content beginning at the particular play position within the multimedia content comprises causing the first playback device and the second playback device to play back the multimedia content beginning at the particular play position in synchrony as respective channels of a stereo pair.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more particular playback devices comprise a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein the selection of the one or more particular playback devices from the identified playback devices connected to the local area network comprises a selection of a particular zone group of a media playback system, the particular zone group comprising a first zone and a second zone, wherein the first zone comprises the first playback device and the second zone comprises the second playback device, and wherein causing the one or more particular playback devices to play back the multimedia content beginning at the particular play position within the multimedia content comprises causing the first playback device and the second playback device to play back the multimedia content beginning at the particular play position in synchrony.

11. The tangible non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein displaying the control interface that includes one or more transport controls comprises displaying a particular control interface that includes the one or more transport controls and an indication of a set of multimedia content in a particular arrangement, wherein the set of multimedia content is playable by the control device from the streaming content service, and wherein causing the one or more transport controls of the control interface to control playback by the one or more particular playback devices comprises causing the one or more transport controls to control playback by the one or more particular playback devices while displayed in the particular arrangement, wherein the set of multimedia content is playable by the one or more particular playback devices.

12. The tangible non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the control device comprises one of:

a smartphone or a tablet computer, and wherein the playback device is not one of a smartphone or a tablet computer.

13. The tangible non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more particular playback devices to play back the multimedia content beginning at the particular play position within the multimedia content comprises causing the one or more particular playback devices to play the multimedia content beginning at the particular play position within the multimedia content as the control device stops playing the multimedia content.

14. The tangible non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the streaming content service provides at least one of:

(1) a music library of streaming audio tracks or (2) streaming radio stations.

15. A method comprising:

causing a control device to display a control interface that includes-one or more transport controls, wherein the transport controls control playback, by the control device, of a multimedia content from a streaming content service;

causing the control device to play back the multimedia content from the streaming content service, wherein playing back the multimedia content from the streaming content service comprises obtaining the multimedia content from one or more first cloud servers;

after connecting to a local area network via a network interface, identifying, via the control device, playback devices connected to the local area network;

causing the control device to display, within the control interface, a selectable option for transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device;

while the multimedia content is playing back, detecting, via the control interface displayed by the control device, a set of inputs to transfer playback of the multimedia content from the control device to one or more particular playback devices, wherein the set of inputs comprises (i) a selection of the selectable option for transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device and (ii) a selection of the one or more particular playback devices from the identified playback devices connected to the local area network;

in response to detecting the set of inputs to transfer playback of the multimedia content from the control device to the one or more particular playback devices, transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device to the one or more particular playback devices, wherein transferring the multimedia content comprises;

(a) causing one or more second cloud servers to add the multimedia content to a local playback queue on at least one of the one or more particular playback devices, wherein adding the multimedia content to the local playback queue comprises the one or more second cloud servers adding, to the local playback queue, one or more resource locators corresponding to respective locations of the multimedia content at the one or more first cloud servers of the streaming content service;

(b) causing the one or more particular playback devices to play back the multimedia content from the local playback queue beginning at a particular play position within the multimedia content corresponding to when the set of inputs for transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device to the one or more particular playback devices was detected, wherein playing back the multimedia content comprises the one or more particular playback devices obtaining the multimedia content from the one or more first cloud servers; and

(c) causing the control device to stop playback of the multimedia content; and

after transferring playback of the multimedia content to the one or more particular playback devices, causing the one or more transport controls of the control interface to control playback by the one or more particular playback devices.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein causing the one or more second cloud servers to add the multimedia content to the local playback queue comprises causing an identifier of the multimedia content to be added to the local playback queue, wherein the identifier indicates a particular source of the multimedia content at the one or more first cloud servers of the streaming content service, wherein the one or more particular playback devices obtain the multimedia content from the particular source at the one or more first cloud servers of the streaming content service.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier of the multimedia content comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) that identifies the particular source of the multimedia content at the one or more first cloud servers of the streaming content service.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier of the multimedia content comprises one or more of an identifier of a single audio track, a playlist, a streaming radio station, or a programmed radio station.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting, via the control device, a trigger, wherein displaying the selectable option comprises displaying the selectable option in response to the control device detecting the trigger.

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

displaying a control interface that includes one or more transport controls, wherein the transport controls control playback, by the control device, of a multimedia content from a streaming content service

playing back the multimedia content from the streaming content service, wherein playing back the multimedia content from the streaming content service comprises obtaining the multimedia content from one or more first cloud servers;

after connecting to a local area network via a network interface, identifying playback devices connected to the local area network;

displaying, within the control interface, a selectable option for transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device;

while the multimedia content is playing back, detecting, via the control interface, a set of inputs to transfer playback of the multimedia content from the control device to one or more particular playback devices, wherein the set of inputs comprises (i) a selection of the selectable option for transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device and (ii) a selection of the one or more particular playback devices from the identified playback devices connected to the local area network;

in response to detecting the set of inputs to transfer playback of the multimedia content from the control device to the one or more particular playback devices, transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device to the one or more particular playback devices, wherein transferring the multimedia content comprises;

(a) causing one or more second cloud servers to add the multimedia content to a local playback queue on at least one of the one or more particular playback devices, wherein adding the multimedia content to the local playback queue comprises the one or more second cloud servers adding, to the local playback queue, one or more resource locators corresponding to respective locations of the multimedia content at the one or more first cloud servers of the streaming content service;

(b) causing the one or more particular playback devices to play back the multimedia content from the local playback queue beginning at a particular play position within the multimedia content corresponding to when the set of inputs for transferring playback of the multimedia content from the control device to the one or more particular playback devices was detected, wherein playing back the multimedia content comprises the one or more particular playback devices obtaining the multimedia content from the one or more first cloud servers; and

(c) stopping playback of the multimedia content by the control device; and

after transferring playback of the multimedia content to the one or more particular playback devices, causing the one or more transport controls of the control interface to control playback by the one or more particular playback devices.