System, method and devices for bluetooth party-mode

• US 10,205,762 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen TCL Creative Cloud Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Leung, Po Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kassa, Elizabeth
• Application Number:
  US14/900,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20160156687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 709219
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• 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

A media system (100), a method, devices and software for managing playback of media content (112, 122) from multiple devices (110, 120) is disclosed. The media system comprises a coordinator device, a first content device (110), a second content device (120), and a playback device (150). The first and second content device being portable media devices that comprise and send a respective first and second playlist (115) and (125), based on a preference of a respective first and second user, to a coordinator device. The coordinator device determines a master playlist (135) based on the first and second playlist, selects a media content according to the master playlist, selects a content device corresponding to the selected media content, and sends a playback command to the selected content device. The selected content device retrieves the selected media content and plays the selected media content via the playback link on the playback device.

Claims

1. media system for managing playback of media content, the media system comprising:

a coordinator device;

a first content device comprising a first playlist based on a preference of a first user, the first playlist listing a reference to a first media content;

a second content device comprising a second playlist based on a preference of a second user, the second playlist listing a reference to a second media content; and

a playback device, wherein the playback device is different from the first content device and the second content device;

the first content device configured to;

establish a first link for communication with the coordinator device; and

send the first playlist to the coordinator device;

the second content device configured to;

establish a second link for communication with the coordinator device;

send the second playlist to the coordinator device;

the coordinator device configured to;

establish the first and second link for communication with the respective first content device and second content device;

receive the first and second playlist from the respective first and second content devices;

compose an intermediate playlist using the first playlist and second playlist,

send the intermediate playlist to the first content device,

receive from the first content device a selection of the media content selected from the intermediate playlist by the first user, and

list the media content selected by the first user at a top of a master playlist

comprising the media content of the first playlist and the second playlist,

select a media content listed by the master playlist;

select a content device listing the selected media content;

the selected content device being one of the first and second content device; and

send a playback command to the selected content device, wherein the selected content device is configured to;

receive the playback command from the coordinator device;

retrieve the selected media content;

establish a playback link with a playback device, that is different than the first content device and the second content device, wherein the playback device is configured to;

receive the selected media content from the selected content device; and

play the selected media content.

2. The media system of claim 1, wherein the coordinator device is configured to:

determine the master playlist based on the content of the first playlist and second playlist using a selection function that selects media content listed in the first and second playlist.

3. The media system of claim 2, wherein the selection function is one of:

an alternating selection and a random selection, from the first playlist and second playlist.

4. The media system of claim 1, wherein the coordinator device is configured to:

determined the master playlist based on a preference of a user of the coordinator device.

5. The media system of claim 1, wherein the playback device is configured to:

play the selected media content by streaming the selected media content via the playback link to the playback device.

6. The media system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first playlist and the second playlist comprises media content representative of audio content.

7. The media system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first playlist list and the second playlist comprises media content representative of video content.

8. A method for managing playback of media content, comprising a coordinator function,

a first content function,

a second content function;

and

a playback device;

the coordinator function, the first content function and a second content function being performed by a coordinator device, a first content device and a second content device, respectively, the first content device and the second content device being portable media devices, the playback device being different from the first content device and the second content device,

the first content function providing a first playlist based on a preference of a first user, the first playlist listing first media content, the first content function comprising

(a) establishing a first link for communication with the coordinator function,

(b) sending the first playlist to the coordinator function,

the second content function providing a second playlist based on a preference of a second user, the second playlist listing second media content, the second content function comprising

(a) establishing a second link for communication with the coordinator function,

(b) sending the second playlist to the coordinator function,

the coordinator function, operable in the coordinator device, performing;

receiving the first and second playlist from the respective first and second content devices over the first communication link and the second communication link, respectively,

determining a master playlist based on the first and second playlist,

selecting a media content according to the master playlist,

selecting a content device listing the selected media content, the selected content device being one of the first and second content device, and

sending a playback command to the selected content device,

the respective one of the first content function and the second content function performed by the selected content device further comprising;

receiving the playback command from the coordinator function,

retrieving the selected media content,

establishing a playback link with the playback device wherein the playback device is configured to;

receive and playback the selected media content.

9. A computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory propagating signal or wave comprising instructions when accessed by a processor instructs the processor to:

coordinate playback of a first media content and a second media content by;

receive a first playlist and a second playlist from the respective first and second content devices;

compose an intermediate playlist using the first playlist and second playlist,

send the intermediate playlist to the first content device,

receive from the first content device a selection of the media content selected from the intermediate playlist by the first user, and

list the media content selected by the first user at a top of a master playlist comprising the media content of the first playlist and the second playlist;

select a media content listed by the master playlist;

select a content device listing the selected media content;

the selected content device being one of the first and second content devices; and

send a playback command to the selected content device, wherein the selected content device is configured to;

receive the playback command from the coordinator device;

retrieve the selected media content;

establish a playback link with a playback device configured to;

receive the selected media content from the selected content device; and

play the selected media content.

10. A media system for managing playback of media content, the media system comprising:

a coordinator device;

a first content device comprising a first playlist based on a preference of a first user, the first playlist listing a reference to a first media content, the first content device configured to;

(a) establish a first link for communication with the coordinator device; and

(b) send the first playlist to the coordinator device;

a second content device comprising a second playlist based on a preference of a second user, the second playlist listing a reference to a second media content, the second content device configured to;

(a) establish a second link for communication with the coordinator device;

(b) send the second playlist to the coordinator device;

the coordinator device configured to;

receive the first and second playlist from the respective first and second content devices over the first link and the second link, respectively;

compose an intermediate playlist using at least one of the first and second playlist;

send the intermediate playlist to at least one of the first and second content device;

receive a user vote from the at least one first and second content device, the user vote being related to media content listed by the intermediate playlist, and

compose a master playlist including the media content of the first playlist and the second playlist

prioritized based on the intermediate playlist and the user vote,

select a media content listed by the master playlist;

select a content device listing the selected media content;

the selected content device being one of the first and second content device; and

send a playback command to the selected content device, wherein the selected content device is configured to;

receive the playback command from the coordinator device;

retrieve the selected media content;

establish a playback link with a playback device , wherein the playback device is configured to;

receive the selected media content from the selected content device; and

play the selected media content.