Playback modification based on proximity

• US 10,761,710 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2019
• Issued: 09/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Vega, Luis, Bates, Paul, Kendall, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Daeho D
• Application Number:
  US16/383,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20190243534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 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

Techniques described herein may involve modification of playback based on the proximity of a user to a playback device. An example technique involves a device determining that a listener is within a given proximity of a first playback device and based on determining that the listener is within the given proximity of the first playback device, causing the first playback device to begin playback of first media and causing a second playback device to modify playback of second media.

Claims

1. A media playback system comprising

a controller comprising a processor and a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to control an operation of at least one playback device;

a first playback device; and

a second playback device;

wherein the media playback system is configured to perform functions comprising;

the first playback device playing back a first media;

the controller receiving, from the first playback device, an identifier of the first playback device and a characteristic of the first playback device, wherein the characteristic of the first playback device indicates at least one media item of the first media queued for play back by the first playback device;

the controller displaying, via a graphical user interface, a first control interface, wherein the first control interface comprises an indication of the identifier of the first playback device and the characteristic of the first playback device currently playing back the at least one media item of the first media;

the second playback device sending, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device and a characteristic of the second playback device, wherein the characteristic of the second playback device indicates at least one media item of a second media queued for play back by the second playback device;

the second playback device receiving, from the controller, an indication of proximity to the controller, wherein the indication of proximity is based, at least in part, on the controller receiving the identifier of the second playback device; and

in response to the received indication of proximity, the second playback device;

(a) beginning play back of the second media; and

(b) transmitting instructions that cause the first playback device to modify play back of the first media and transitioning the graphical user interface on the controller from displaying the first control interface to displaying a second control interface comprising an indication of the identifier of the second playback device and the characteristic of the second playback device currently playing back the at least one media item of the second media, such that the graphical user interface ceases to display the first control interface to replace with the second control interface.

2. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the second playback device comprises information indicating that the second playback device is within a particular zone of the media playback system.

3. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the second playback device comprises a media access control address assigned to a network interface of the second playback device.

4. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the second playback device comprises information indicating an assigned name of the second playback device.

5. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the second playback device sending, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device comprises the second playback device periodically sending, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device.

6. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the second playback device sending, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device comprises broadcasting, by the second playback device, the identifier of the second playback device.

7. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the second playback device sending, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device is based on the second playback device receiving a transmission from the controller.

8. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the media playback system is further configured to perform functions comprising the first playback device receiving, from the controller, an indication of non-proximity, wherein the indication of non-proximity is based, at least in part, on the controller receiving the identifier of the first playback device and the identifier of the second playback device.

9. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the second playback device transmitting instructions that cause the first playback device to modify play back of the first media comprises transmitting instructions that cause the first playback device to stop play back of the first media.

10. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the second playback device transmitting instructions that cause the first playback device to modify play back of the first media comprises transmitting instructions that cause the first playback device to reduce a volume of play back of the first media.

11. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the first media and the second media are the same media.

12. The media playback system of claim 1, wherein the first media and the second media are different media.

13. A method comprising

playing back, by a first playback device, a first media;

receiving, by a controller, from the first playback device, an identifier of the first playback device and a characteristic of the first playback device, wherein the characteristic of the first playback device indicates at least one media item of the first media queued for play back by the first playback device;

displaying, via a graphical user interface of the controller, a first control interface, wherein the first control interface comprises an indication of the identifier of the first playback device and the characteristic of the first playback device currently playing back the at least one media item of the first media;

sending, by a second playback device, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device and a characteristic of the second playback device, wherein the characteristic of the second playback device indicates at least one media item of a second media queued for play back by the second playback device;

receiving, by the second playback device, from the controller, an indication of proximity to the controller, wherein the indication of proximity is based, at least in part, on the controller receiving the identifier of the second playback device; and

in response to the received indication of proximity, beginning, by the second playback device, play back of the second media and transmitting, by the second playback device, instructions that cause the first playback device to modify play back of the first media and transitioning the graphical user interface on the controller from displaying the first control interface to displaying a second control interface comprising an indication of the identifier of the second playback device and the characteristic of the second playback device currently playing back the at least one media item of the second media, such that the graphical user interface ceases to display the first control interface to replace with the second control interface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the identifier of the second playback device comprises information indicating that the second playback device is within a particular zone of a media playback system.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the identifier of the second playback device comprises a media access control address assigned to a network interface of the second playback device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the identifier of the second playback device comprises information indicating an assigned name of the second playback device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein sending, by a second playback device, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device comprises periodically sending, by the second playback device, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein sending, by a second playback device, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device comprises broadcasting, by the second playback device, an identifier of the second playback device.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein sending, by a second playback device, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device is based on the second playback device receiving a transmission from the controller.

20. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a media playback system to perform functions comprising:

playing back, by a first playback device, a first audio content;

receiving, by a controller, from the first playback device, an identifier of the first playback device and a characteristic of the first playback device, wherein the characteristic of the first playback device indicates at least one audio content item of the first audio content queued for play back by the first playback device;

displaying, via a graphical user interface of the controller, a first control interface, wherein the first control interface comprises an indication of the identifier of the first playback device and the characteristic of the first playback device currently playing back the at least one audio content item of the first audio content;

sending, by a second playback device, to the controller, an identifier of the second playback device and a characteristic of the second playback device, wherein the characteristic of the second playback device indicates at least one audio content item of a second audio content queued for play back by the second playback device;

receiving, by the second playback device, from the controller, an indication of proximity to the controller, wherein the indication of proximity is based, at least in part, on the controller receiving the identifier of the second playback device; and

in response to the received indication of proximity, beginning, by the second playback device, play back of the second audio content and transmitting, by the second playback device, instructions that cause the first playback device to modify play back of the first audio content and transitioning the graphical user interface on the controller from displaying the first control interface to displaying a second control interface comprising an indication of the identifier of the second playback device and the characteristic of the second playback device currently playing back the at least one audio content item of the second audio content, such that the graphical user interface ceases to display the first control interface to replace with the second control interface.