Music service selection

• US 10,097,919 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Jarvis, Simon, Plagge, Mark, Butts, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N
• Application Number:
  US15/098,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20170242649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/14 using statistical models, e.g. Hidden Markov Models [HMMs] G10L15/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/02 Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 : Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for identifying a music service based on a user command. A content type is identified from a received user command and a music service is selected that supports the content type. A selected music service can then transmit audio content associated with the content type for playback.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, data indicating a request for audio content by a media playback system, wherein the media playback system comprises a plurality of playback zones, wherein each playback zone comprises at least one playback device, and wherein each playback device is configured to (i) receive and playback audio content in a radio format from a first music service provider and (ii) receive and playback audio content in a non-radio format from a second music service provider or a third music provider;

parsing by the computing device, the data to identify at least (i) a first segment indicating a content identification, (ii) a second segment indicating one of the radio format and the non-radio format, and (iii) a third segment indicating a particular playback zone of the plurality of playback zones;

selecting by the computing device, one of the first music service provider, the second music service provider, and the third music provider based on the second segment and the third segment, wherein if the second segment indicates the radio format, the computing device selects the first music service provider, and wherein if the second segment indicates the non-radio format, the computing device selects one of the second music service provider and the third music provider, wherein selecting one of the second music service provider and the third music service provider comprises;

determining a first confidence metric corresponding to the second music service provider and a second confidence metric corresponding to the third music service provider, wherein the first confidence metric is based on a history of accesses to the second music service provider at the particular playback zone of the plurality of playback zones indicated in the third segment and wherein the second confidence metric is based on a history of accesses to the third music service provider at the particular playback zone of the plurality of playback zones indicated in the third segment and

determining whether the first confidence metric or the second confidence metric satisfies a confidence condition;

after selecting one of the first music service provider, the second music service provider, and the third music provider based on the second segment and the third segment, identifying a uniform resource identifier corresponding to the content identification and the selected music service provider;

identifying a particular playback device in the particular playback zone indicated in the third segment; and

transmitting by the computing device to the particular playback device, the uniform resource identifier to cause the at least one playback device to retrieve audio content from the selected music service provider according to the uniform resource identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicating a request for audio content by a media playback system is received via a network microphone device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the second music service provider does not support audio content in the non-radio format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content identification indicates one or more of an Artist, Genre, Song, and Album of the requested audio content.

5. A network device comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate with a plurality of networked devices over a network;

a processor comprising instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to;

receive via the network interface, data indicating a request for audio content by a media playback system, wherein the media playback system comprises a plurality of playback zones, wherein each playback zone comprises at least one playback device, and wherein each playback device is configured to (i) receive and playback audio content in a radio format from a first music service provider and (ii) receive and playback audio content in a non-radio format from a second music service provider or a third music provider;

parse the data to identify at least (i) a first segment indicating a content identification, (ii) a second segment indicating one of the radio format and the non-radio format, and (iii) a third segment indicating a particular playback zone of the plurality of playback zones;

select one of the first music service provider, the second music service provider, and the third music provider based on the second segment and the third segment, wherein if the second segment indicates the radio format, the first music service provider is selected, and wherein if the second segment indicates the non-radio format, one of the second music service provider and the third music provider is selected, wherein selecting one of the second music service provider and the third music service provider comprises;

determine a first confidence metric corresponding to the second music service provider and a second confidence metric corresponding to the third music service provider, wherein the first confidence metric is based on a history of accesses to the second music service provider at the particular playback zone of the plurality of playback zones indicated in the third segment and wherein the second confidence metric is based on a history of accesses to the third music service provider at the particular playback zone of the plurality of playback zones indicated in the third segment and

determine whether the first confidence metric or the second confidence metric satisfies a confidence condition;

after selection of one of the first music service provider, the second music service provider, and the third music provider based on the second segment, identify a uniform resource identifier corresponding to the content identification and the selected music service provider;

identify a particular playback device in the particular playback zone indicated in the third segment; and

transmit via the network interface to the particular playback device, the uniform resource identifier to cause the at least one playback device to retrieve audio content from the selected music service provider according to the uniform resource identifier.

6. The network device of claim 5, wherein the data indicating a request for audio content by a media playback system is received via a network microphone device.

7. The network device of claim 5, further comprising instructions to determine that the second music service provider does not support audio content in the non-radio format.

8. The network device of claim 5, wherein the content identification indicates one or more of an of Artist, Genre, Song, and Album of the requested audio content.

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

receiving data indicating a request for audio content by a media playback system, wherein the media playback system comprises a plurality of playback zones, wherein each playback zone comprises at least one playback device, and wherein each playback device is configured to (i) receive and playback audio content in a radio format from a first music service provider and (ii) receive and playback audio content in a non-radio format from a second music service provider or a third music provider;

parsing the data to identify at least (i) a first segment indicating a content identification, (ii) a second segment indicating one of the radio format and the non-radio format, and (iii) a third segment indicating a particular playback zone of the plurality of playback zones;

selecting one of the first music service provider, the second music service provider, and the third music provider based on the second segment, wherein if the second segment indicates the radio format, the first music service provider is selected, and wherein if the second segment indicates the non-radio format, one of the second music service provider and the third music provider is selected, wherein selecting one of the second music service provider and the third music service provider comprises;

determining a first confidence metric corresponding to the second music service provider and a second confidence metric corresponding to the third music service provider, wherein the first confidence metric is based on a history of accesses to the second music service provider at the particular playback zone of the plurality of playback zones indicated in the third segment and wherein the second confidence metric is based on a history of accesses to the third music service provider at the particular playback zone of the plurality of playback zones indicated in the third segment and

determining whether the first confidence metric or the second confidence metric satisfies a confidence condition;

after selecting one of the first music service provider, the second music service provider, and the third music provider based on the second segment, identifying a uniform resource identifier corresponding to the content identification and the selected music service provider;

identifying a particular playback device in the particular playback zone indicated in the third segment; and

transmitting to the particular playback device, the uniform resource identifier to cause the at least one playback device to retrieve audio content from the selected music service provider according to the uniform resource identifier.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the data indicating a request for audio content by a media playback system is received via a network microphone device.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises determining that the second music service provider does not support audio content in the non-radio format.