In-automobile audio system playout of saved media

• US 10,270,826 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gracenote Digital Ventures LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Gracenote Digital Ventures LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Panguluri, Venkatarama Anilkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng, Billy H
• Application Number:
  US16/002,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20180288123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An example embodiment may involve receiving an indication of media content selected by way of a first client device. The indication may specify that the media content has been flagged for audible playout at a later time (such as when the client device or its user is in an automobile). The example embodiment may further involve receiving a request to stream the audio file to a second client device. The second client device may be associated with the first client device. The example embodiment may further involve causing the audio file to be streamed to the second client device.

Claims

1. An in-automobile audio system comprising:

a speaker configured to produce audio output;

a first communication interface configured to access a local-area network;

a second communication interface configured to access a wide-area network;

a processor; and

memory containing program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the in-automobile audio system to;

transmit, by way of the first communication interface and to a client device, a request for a playlist, wherein the playlist contains references to audio files, the references previously stored on the client device using one or more save-to-automobile operations;

receive, by way of the first communication interface and from the client device, the playlist;

based on the references in the playlist, transmit, by way of the second communication interface and to an audio server device, a request for streaming of one or more of the audio files;

receive, by way of the second communication interface and from the audio server device, a stream of the requested audio files; and

play out, by way of the speaker, the requested audio files.

2. The in-automobile audio system of claim 1, wherein transmitting the request for the playlist is triggered by detecting that an automobile containing the in-automobile audio system is in motion.

3. The in-automobile audio system of claim 1, wherein the client device is associated with a user, and wherein transmitting the request for the playlist is triggered by detecting that the user is in an automobile containing the in-automobile audio system.

4. The in-automobile audio system of claim 3, wherein detecting that the user is in the automobile comprises determining that a key fob associated with the user was used to activate the automobile.

5. The in-automobile audio system of claim 3, wherein detecting that the user is in the automobile comprises estimating a weight of a person in a driver seat of the automobile by way of a pressure sensor.

6. The in-automobile audio system of claim 3, wherein detecting that the user is in the automobile is based on a position of a driver seat of the automobile.

7. The in-automobile audio system of claim 3, wherein detecting that the user is in the automobile comprises determining that the client device is in communication with the automobile.

8. The in-automobile audio system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface configured to control the in-automobile audio system,

wherein the program instructions further cause the in-automobile audio system to;

provide, by way of the user interface, a visual or audible indication that the in-automobile audio system can play out the audio files; and

receive, by way of the user interface, a command to play out the requested audio files.

9. The in-automobile audio system of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving the request for the playlist, the client device generates the playlist as a sequence of the references.

10. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a processor of an in-automobile audio system, cause the in-automobile audio system to perform operations comprising:

transmitting, by way of a local-area communication interface and to a client device, a request for a playlist, wherein the playlist contains references to audio files, the references previously stored on the client device using one or more save-to-automobile operations;

receiving, by way of the local-area communication interface and from the client device, the playlist;

based on the references in the playlist, transmitting, by way of a wide-area communication interface and to an audio server device, a request for streaming of one or more of the audio files;

receiving, by way of the wide-area communication interface and from the audio server device, a stream of the requested audio files; and

playing out, by way of a speaker, the requested audio files.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein transmitting the request for the playlist is triggered by detecting that an automobile containing the in-automobile audio system is in motion.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the client device is associated with a user, and wherein transmitting the request for the playlist is triggered by detecting that the user is in an automobile containing the in-automobile audio system.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein detecting that the user is in the automobile comprises determining that a key fob associated with the user was used to activate the automobile.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein detecting that the user is in the automobile comprises estimating a weight of a person in a driver seat of the automobile by way of a pressure sensor.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein detecting that the user is in the automobile is based on a position of a driver seat of the automobile.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein detecting that the user is in the automobile comprises determining that the client device is in communication with the automobile.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

providing, by way of a user interface of the in-automobile audio system, a visual or audible indication that the in-automobile audio system can play out the audio files; and

receiving, by way of the user interface, a command to play out the requested audio files.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting, by way of a local-area communication interface of an automobile and to a client device, a request for a playlist, wherein the playlist contains references to audio files, the references previously stored on the client device using one or more save-to-automobile operations;

receiving, by way of the local-area communication interface and from the client device, the playlist;

based on the references in the playlist, transmitting, by way of a wide-area communication interface of the automobile and to an audio server device, a request for streaming of one or more of the audio files;

receiving, by way of the wide-area communication interface and from the audio server device, a stream of the requested audio files; and

playing out, by way of a speaker of the automobile, the requested audio files.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the request for the playlist is triggered by detecting that the automobile is in motion.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the client device is associated with a user, and wherein transmitting the request for the playlist is triggered by detecting that the user is in the automobile.