Location based playback system control

• US 10,055,108 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bates, Paul Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Ell, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US14/681,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13135 Using audio and-or video playback
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13144 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface
• 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: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 : for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An example implementation may involve a device of a multi-zone media playback system displaying a control interface that is associated with a first zone of the media playback system, where the media playback system further includes a second zone. The implementation may also involve the device determining that it is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone. The method may further involve displaying (i) an indication that the first zone is under control of the device, and (ii) an indication that the device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform functions comprising:

displaying, on a graphical user interface, a first substantially-full screen control interface of a control application, the first substantially-full screen control interface including (i) one or more playback controls to control playback by a first zone of a media playback system and (ii) a control that is selectable to switch the control application among a plurality of substantially-full screen control interfaces, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices, wherein the media playback system further includes one or more second zones that comprises one or more respective second playback devices, and wherein each substantially-full screen control interface of the control application includes (i) one or more playback controls to control playback by a respective zone and (ii) the control that is selectable to switch the control application among the plurality of substantially-full screen control interfaces;

while displaying the first substantially-full screen control interface, determining that the control device is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone; and

in response to determining that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone, updating the first substantially-full screen control interface to concurrently display (i) an indication that the first zone is under control of the control device, and (ii) an indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein updating the first substantially-full screen control interface to display the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone comprises causing the graphical user interface to highlight, with a pre-determined color, the indication that the first zone is under control of the control device.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining that the control device is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone comprises:

determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to a particular second zone; and

based on the determination that the control device is within the threshold proximity to the particular second zone, determining that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone comprises an indication that the control device is within the threshold proximity to the particular second zone, and wherein updating the first substantially-full screen control interface to display the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone comprises causing the graphical user interface to display, within the first substantially-full screen control interface, an indication that the control device is within the threshold proximity to the particular second zone.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein causing the graphical user interface to display the indication that the control device is within the threshold proximity to the particular second zone comprises causing the graphical user interface to highlight the indication that the first zone is under control of the control device with a pre-determined color that corresponds to the particular second zone, wherein each of the first zone and the particular second zone correspond to a respective color.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the functions further comprise:

based on determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to the particular second zone, causing the graphical user interface to display, within the first substantially-full screen control interface, a selectable control that, when selected, causes the graphical user interface to display a particular substantially-full screen control interface that is associated with the particular second zone of the media playback system.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

after displaying the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone, determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to the first zone; and

in response to determining that the control device is within the threshold proximity to the first zone, removing from display the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone comprises:

querying, via a network interface of the control device, one or more playback devices of the media playback system for an indication of whether the control device is within the threshold proximity to the first zone; and

in response to querying the one or more playback devices, receiving, from at least one playback device of the media playback system, an indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

9. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via a control application displayed on a graphical user interface, input data indicating a command to initiate control of a first zone of a media playback system by displaying a first substantially-full screen control interface of the control application, the first substantially-full screen control interface including one or more playback controls to control playback by the first zone, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices, wherein the media playback system further includes one or more second zones that comprises one or more respective second playback devices, and wherein each substantially-full screen control interface of the control application includes (i) one or more playback controls to control playback by a respective zone and (ii) a control that is selectable to switch the control application among a plurality of substantially-full screen control interfaces;

in response to receiving input data indicating the command to initiate control of the first zone, determining whether the control device is within a threshold proximity to any zones; and

when the control device determines that the control device is within the threshold proximity to a given second zone and before initiating control of the first zone in response to the input data indicating the command to initiate control of the first zone, causing the graphical user interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, the command to initiate control of the first zone of the media playback system is a command to display the first substantially-full screen control interface that includes one or more controls to control playback by the first zone of the media playback system.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the functions further comprise:

before displaying the first substantially-full screen control interface, causing the graphical user interface to display, concurrently with the selectable control that, when selected, causes the graphical user interface to display the first substantially-full screen control interface, a selectable control that, when selected, causes the graphical user interface to display a second substantially-full screen control interface that includes one or more controls to control playback by the given second zone.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the command to initiate control of the first zone of the media playback system is a command to initiate playback on a particular zone of the media playback system that is currently under control of the control device, and wherein the first zone is the particular zone that is currently under the control of the control device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone is a selectable control that, when selected, initiates playback on the one or more first playback devices of the first zone.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the functions further comprise:

before initiating playback on the particular zone that is currently under control of the control device, causing the graphical user interface to display, concurrently with the selectable control that, when selected, initiates playback on the one or more first playback devices of the first zone in synchrony, a selectable control that, when selected, initiates playback on one or more second playback devices of the given second zone in synchrony.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the functions further comprise:

before initiating playback on the particular zone that is currently under control of the control device, causing the graphical user interface to display, concurrently with the selectable control that, when selected, initiates playback on the one or more first playback devices of the first zone in synchrony, (i) a selectable control, that when selected, (a) groups the first zone and the given second zone into a zone group in which the first playback devices of the first zone and the second playback devices of the given second zone are configured to play back in synchrony and (b) initiates playback on the first playback devices and the second playback devices in synchrony.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein determining whether the control device is within the threshold proximity to any zones comprises receiving, via a network interface, a message indicating that the control device is within the threshold proximity to at least one second zone.

17. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform functions comprising:

transmitting, via a network interface, a command to initiate playback of audio content in a first zone of a media playback system, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices, and wherein a second zone of the media playback system comprises one or more second playback devices;

after initiating playback of the audio content in the first zone and while the first zone is playing back the audio content, determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to at least one second playback device of the second zone; and

after determining that the control device is within the threshold proximity to at least one second playback device of the second zone, joining the first zone and the second zone into a zone group in which the one or more first playback devices of the first zone and the one or more second playback devices of the second zone are configured to play back audio content in synchrony.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

before joining the first zone and the second zone into the zone group, causing a graphical user interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, joins the first zone and the second zone into the zone group; and

receiving input data indicating a selection of the displayed selectable control, that, when selected, joins the first zone and the second zone into the zone group;

and wherein joining the first zone and the second zone into the zone group comprises joining the first zone and the second zone into the zone group in response to the received input data indicating the selection of the displayed selectable control.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

before joining the first zone and the second zone into the zone group;

receiving, via a first substantially full-screen control interface of a control application, input data indicating a command to display a second substantially full-screen control interface that includes one or more controls to control playback by the second zone of the media playback system; and

based on receiving the input data indicating the command to display the second substantially full-screen control interface that includes one or more controls to control playback by the second zone of the media playback system and before displaying the second substantially full-screen control interface, causing a graphical user interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, causes the control device to join the first zone and the second zone into the zone group.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the media playback system further includes a third zone that comprises one or more third playback devices, and wherein second zone and the third zone are joined into a zone group in which the one or more second playback devices of the second zone and the one or more third playback devices of the third zone are configured to play back in synchrony, and wherein joining the first zone and the second zone into the zone group in which the one or more first playback devices of the first zone and the one or more second playback devices of the second zone are configured to play back in synchrony comprises separating the second zone and the third zone from the zone group in which the one or more second playback devices of the second zone and the one or more third playback devices of the third zone are configured to play back in synchrony.