Remote creation of a playback queue for a future event

• US 10,360,290 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Munoz, Jaime, Garn, Jonathan D., Lemmon, Michael, Taylor, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheffield, Hope C
• Application Number:
  US15/692,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20180004714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

Example embodiments involve remote creation of a playback queue for an event. An example implementation involves a cloud computing system receiving, from a first mobile device, one or more messages representing an instruction to create a playlist for an event. In response, the system creates the playlist in data storage. The system sends, to multiple second mobile devices, one or more respective invitations to the event, wherein each invitation indicates: a time and date for the event and a link to a web interface including controls to add audio tracks to the playlist for the event. The system receives respective sets of input data, each set indicating audio tracks selected via the web interface on a respective second mobile device and, in response, adds the respective audio tracks to the playlist. During the event, the system causes the playlist to be queued in a queue of a media playback system.

Claims

1. A cloud computing system comprising one or more cloud servers, the one or more cloud servers comprising:

a network interface;

one or more processors; and

data storage having stored therein instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the cloud computing system to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via the network interface from a first mobile device over a wide area network, one or more messages representing an instruction to create a playlist for an event, wherein the first mobile device comprises a display;

in response to receiving the one or more messages representing the instruction to create a playlist for an event, creating the playlist in the data storage;

sending, to multiple second mobile devices via the network interface over the wide area network, one or more respective invitations to the event, wherein each invitation indicates;

(i) a future time and date for the event and (ii) a link to a web interface, the web interface including user interface controls to add audio tracks from a media library of a streaming media service to the playlist for the event, wherein each second mobile device of the multiple second mobile devices comprises a display;

receiving, via the network interface before the event, respective sets of input data, each set of input data indicating one or more audio tracks selected via the web interface on a respective second mobile device of the multiple second mobile devices;

in response to receiving each set of input data indicating one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface, adding the one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface to the playlist; and

during the event, causing, via the network interface, the playlist to be queued in a queue of a media playback system for playback by one or more playback devices of the media playback system, wherein each playback device of the one or more playback devices (i) excludes a display and (ii) comprise a respective amplifier to drive one or more speakers.

2. The cloud computing system of claim 1, wherein the media playback system comprises multiple playback devices configured to play back the queue in synchrony in a party mode, wherein causing the playlist to be queued in the queue of the media playback system comprises causing the playlist to be queued in a local queue stored on at least one of the multiple playback devices for playback in synchrony by the multiple playback devices during the event, and wherein the multiple playback devices are interconnected via a local area network in a given household.

3. The cloud computing system of claim 1, wherein the web interface is hosted by the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the operations further comprise:

during the event, updating the web interface to include (i) an indication of the queue of the media playback system and (ii) an indication of the currently playing audio track of the queue.

4. The cloud computing system of claim 1, wherein the web interface is hosted by the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the operations further comprise:

during the event, updating the web interface to include controls to modify the queue of the media playback system.

5. The cloud computing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more messages representing the instruction to create a playlist for an event comprise a mood for the event;

and wherein the operations further comprise;

in response to receiving each set of input data indicating one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface, filtering audio tracks having attributes that are inconsistent with the mood for the event from the playlist.

6. The cloud computing system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

before sending the invitations to the event, receiving, from the first mobile device, input data indicating one or more initial audio tracks selected via the web interface; and

in response to receiving the input data indicating one or more initial audio tracks selected via the web interface, adding the one or more initial audio tracks selected via the web interface to the playlist.

7. The cloud computing system of claim 6, wherein the web interface is hosted by the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the operations further comprise:

after adding the one or more initial audio tracks selected via the web interface to the playlist, updating the web interface to include an indication of the playlist, the playlist including at least the one or more initial audio tracks.

8. The cloud computing system of claim 1, wherein the media library of the streaming media service is hosted by the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the operations further comprise:

during the event, streaming audio tracks queued in the queue of the media playback system to at least one playback device of the one or more playback devices for playback by the one or more playback devices.

9. The cloud computing system of claim 1, wherein the web interface is hosted by the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from a given second mobile device, input data indicating the selection of the link to the web interface; and

in response to receiving input data indicating the selection of the link to the web interface, causing the given second mobile device to display the web interface, the web interface including (1) user interface controls to search a media library of a streaming media service for audio tracks to add to the playlist for the event and (2) user interface controls to browse a media library of a streaming media service for audio tracks.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, via a network interface of a cloud computing system from a first mobile device over a wide area network, one or more messages representing an instruction to create a playlist for an event, wherein the first mobile device comprises a display, wherein the cloud computing system comprises one or more cloud servers;

in response to receiving the one or more messages representing the instruction to create a playlist for an event, creating, via the cloud computing system, the playlist in data storage;

sending, to multiple second mobile devices via the network interface of the cloud computing system over the wide area network, one or more respective invitations to the event, wherein each invitation indicates;

(i) a future time and date for the event and (ii) a link to a web interface, the web interface including user interface controls to add audio tracks from a media library of a streaming media service to the playlist for the event, wherein each second mobile device of the multiple second mobile devices comprises a display;

receiving, via the network interface of the cloud computing system before the event, respective sets of input data, each set of input data indicating one or more audio tracks selected via the web interface on a respective second mobile device of the multiple second mobile devices;

in response to receiving each set of input data indicating one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface, adding, via the cloud computing system, the one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface to the playlist; and

during the event, causing, via the network interface of the cloud computing system, the playlist to be queued in a queue of a media playback system for playback by one or more playback devices of the media playback system, wherein each playback device of the one or more playback devices (i) excludes a display and (ii) comprise a respective amplifier to drive one or more speakers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the media playback system comprises multiple playback devices configured to play back the queue in synchrony in a party mode, wherein causing the playlist to be queued in the queue of the media playback system comprises causing the playlist to be queued in a local queue stored on at least one of the multiple playback devices for playback in synchrony by the multiple playback devices during the event, and wherein the multiple playback devices are interconnected via a local area network in a given household.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the web interface is hosted by the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the method further comprises:

during the event, updating the web interface to include (i) an indication of the queue of the media playback system and (ii) an indication of the currently playing audio track of the queue.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the web interface is hosted by the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the method further comprises:

during the event, updating the web interface to include controls to modify the queue of the media playback system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more messages representing the instruction to create a playlist for an event comprise a mood for the event;

and wherein the method further comprises;

in response to receiving each set of input data indicating one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface, filtering audio tracks having attributes that are inconsistent with the mood for the event from the playlist.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

before sending the invitations to the event, receiving, from the first mobile device, input data indicating one or more initial audio tracks selected via the web interface; and

in response to receiving the input data indicating one or more initial audio tracks selected via the web interface, adding the one or more initial audio tracks selected via the web interface to the playlist.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the web interface is hosted by the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the method further comprises:

after adding the one or more initial audio tracks selected via the web interface to the playlist, updating the web interface to include an indication of the playlist, the playlist including at least the one or more initial audio tracks.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the media library of the streaming media service is hosted by the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the method further comprises:

during the event, streaming audio tracks queued in the queue of the media playback system to at least one playback device of the one or more playback devices for playback by the one or more playback devices.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the web interface is hosted by the one or more cloud servers, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from a given second mobile device, input data indicating the selection of the link to the web interface; and

in response to receiving input data indicating the selection of the link to the web interface, causing the given second mobile device to display the web interface, the web interface including (1) user interface controls to search a media library of a streaming media service for audio tracks to add to the playlist for the event and (2) user interface controls to browse a media library of a streaming media service for audio tracks.

19. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a cloud computing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via a network interface from a first mobile device over a wide area network, one or more messages representing an instruction to create a playlist for an event, wherein the first mobile device comprises a display;

in response to receiving the one or more messages representing the instruction to create a playlist for an event, creating the playlist in data storage;

sending, to multiple second mobile devices via the network interface over the wide area network, one or more respective invitations to the event, wherein each invitation indicates;

(i) a future time and date for the event and (ii) a link to a web interface, the web interface including user interface controls to add audio tracks from a media library of a streaming media service to the playlist for the event, wherein each second mobile device of the multiple second mobile devices comprises a display;

receiving, via the network interface before the event, respective sets of input data, each set of input data indicating one or more audio tracks selected via the web interface on a respective second mobile device of the multiple second mobile devices;

in response to receiving each set of input data indicating one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface, adding the one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface to the playlist; and

during the event, causing, via the network interface, the playlist to be queued in a queue of a media playback system for playback by one or more playback devices of the media playback system, wherein each playback device of the one or more playback devices (i) excludes a display and (ii) comprise a respective amplifier to drive one or more speakers, and wherein the one or more playback devices are connected via a local area network.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the web interface is hosted by one or more cloud servers of the cloud computing system, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from a given second mobile device, input data indicating the selection of the link to the web interface; and

in response to receiving input data indicating the selection of the link to the web interface, causing the given second mobile device to display the web interface, the web interface including (1) user interface controls to search a media library of a streaming media service for audio tracks to add to the playlist for the event and (2) user interface controls to browse a media library of a streaming media service for audio tracks.