Controlling and displaying zones in a multi-zone system

• US 10,775,973 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2017
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kumar, Abhishek, Brown, Amber
• Primary Examiner(s): Silverman, Seth A
• Application Number:
  US15/664,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20170329482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

A multimedia controller for controlling and displaying zones in a multi-zone system is provided. In one example the controller provides a user interface for multiple zones of a media playback system comprising multiple playback devices. The controller identifies respective states associated with each zone of the multiple zones and detects an input to display a list of the multiple zones. In response to detecting the input, the controller determines an order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones and displays, via the user interface, the list of the multiple zones, wherein the list of the multiple zones identifies each zone of the multiple zones in the determined order.

Claims

1. A control device including a processor, the control device configured to:

provide, via a control application, a user interface for multiple zones of a media playback system comprising multiple playback devices, wherein each zone of the multiple zones consists of one or more respective playback devices of the multiple playback devices, and wherein the multiple playback devices are controllable from one or more control devices that are separate and distinct from the multiple playback devices, the one or more control devices comprising the control device;

identify respective first states associated with each zone of the multiple zones, wherein state information indicating current states of the multiple zones is maintained in data storage on one or more particular playback devices, wherein identifying the respective first states comprises receiving, from at least one particular playback device of the one or more particular playback devices, one or more messages representing state information for the multiple zones, the state information indicating first states of the multiple zones;

detect, via the user interface for the multiple zones, a user input to display a list of the multiple zones;

in response to detecting the user input to display the list of the multiple zones, determine a first order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones, wherein determining the first order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering, within the list of the multiple zones, one or more first zones of the multiple zones before one or more second zones of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the one or more first zones are currently playing back media and that the one or more second zones are not currently playing back media;

display, via the user interface, the list of the multiple zones, wherein the list of the multiple zones identifies each zone of the multiple zones in the determined first order;

display, in association with the one or more first zones within the list of the multiple zones, respective graphical elements indicating that each of the one or more first zones of the multiple zones are currently playing back media;

detect, via the user interface for the multiple zones, a user input to play back particular audio content on a given zone, wherein the given zone is a second zone in the list of the multiple zones;

send, via a network interface, data representing instructions to play back the particular audio content on the given zone;

identify respective second states associated with each zone of the multiple zones, wherein identifying the respective second states comprises receiving, from at least one particular playback device of the one or more particular playback devices, one or more messages representing second state information for the multiple zones, the second state information indicating second states of the multiple zones, wherein a second state of the given zone is different from a first state of the given zone;

determine a second order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones, wherein determining the second order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering, within the list of the multiple zones, one or more third zones of the multiple zones before one or more fourth zones of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the one or more third zones are currently playing back media and that the one or more fourth zones are not currently playing back media;

display, via the user interface, a re-ordered list of the multiple zones, wherein the list of the multiple zones identifies each zone of the multiple zones in the determined second order; and

display, in association with the one or more third zones within the list of the multiple zones, respective graphical elements indicating that each of the one or more third zones of the multiple zones are currently playing back media.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the at least one particular playback device transmits the one or more messages representing state information for the multiple zones in response to detecting a change to the state information.

3. The control device of claim 1, wherein determining the order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering, within the list of the multiple zones, one or more fifth zones of the multiple zones before one or more sixth zones of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the one or more fifth zones have at least one media item queued for playback in respective playback queues associated with each fifth zone and that the one or more sixth zones do not have at least one media item queued for playback in respective playback queues associated with each sixth zone, the one or more fifth zones including the one or more first zones and a subset of the one or more second zones.

4. The control device of claim 3, wherein the control device is further configured to display, in association with the one or more fifth zones within the list of the multiple zones, metadata indicating current media items of the respective playback queues that are associated with each fifth zone.

5. The control device of claim 1, wherein determining the order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering a particular zone first within the list of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the particular zone was most-recently controlled by the control device among the multiple zones.

6. The control device of claim 1, wherein determining the order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering a particular zone first within the list of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the particular zone is most-frequently controlled by the control device among the multiple zones.

7. The control device of claim 1, wherein the state information indicating current states of the multiple zones comprises one or more state variables indicating respective current states of the multiple zones;

and wherein receiving one or more messages indicating current states of the multiple zones comprises receiving data representing the one or more state variables indicating respective current states of the multiple zones, the one or more state variables indicating that the one or more first zones of the multiple zones are currently playing back one or more particular media items.

8. The control device of claim 1, wherein detecting the input to display the list of the multiple zones comprises detecting a selection, on the user interface, of a zone name of a given zone of the multiple zones.

9. The control device of claim 1, wherein identifying the respective states further comprises sending, to one or more particular playback devices of the multiple playback devices, one or more requests for respective states of the multiple zones.

10. Tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform operations comprising:

providing, via a control application, a user interface for multiple zones of a media playback system comprising multiple playback devices, wherein each zone of the multiple zones consists of one or more respective playback devices of the multiple playback devices, and wherein the multiple playback devices are controllable from one or more control devices that are separate and distinct from the multiple playback devices, the one or more control devices comprising the control device;

identifying respective first states associated with each zone of the multiple zones, wherein state information indicating current states of the multiple zones is maintained in data storage on one or more particular playback devices, wherein identifying the respective first states comprises receiving, from at least one particular playback device of the one or more particular playback devices, one or more messages representing state information for the multiple zones, the state information indicating first states of the multiple zones;

detecting, via the user interface for the multiple zones, an input to display a list of the multiple zones;

in response to detecting the user input to display the list of the multiple zones, determining a first order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones, wherein determining the first order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering, within the list of the multiple zones, one or more first zones of the multiple zones before one or more second zones of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the one or more first zones are currently playing back media and that the one or more second zones are not currently playing back media;

displaying, via the user interface, the list of the multiple zones, wherein the list of the multiple zones identifies each zone of the multiple zones in the determined first order;

displaying, in association with the one or more first zones within the list of the multiple zones, respective graphical elements indicating that each of the one or more first zones of the multiple zones are currently playing back media;

detecting, via the user interface for the multiple zones, a user input to play back particular audio content on a given zone, wherein the given zone is a second zone in the list of the multiple zones;

sending, via a network interface, data representing instructions to play back the particular audio content on the given zone;

identifying respective second states associated with each zone of the multiple zones, wherein identifying the respective second states comprises receiving, from at least one particular playback device of the one or more particular playback devices, one or more messages representing second state information for the multiple zones, the second state information indicating second states of the multiple zones, wherein a second state of the given zone is different from a first state of the given zone;

determining a second order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones, wherein determining the second order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering, within the list of the multiple zones, one or more third zones of the multiple zones before one or more fourth zones of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the one or more third zones are currently playing back media and that the one or more fourth zones are not currently playing back media;

displaying, via the user interface, a re-ordered list of the multiple zones, wherein the list of the multiple zones identifies each zone of the multiple zones in the determined second order; and

displaying, in association with the one or more third zones within the list of the multiple zones, respective graphical elements indicating that each of the one or more third zones of the multiple zones are currently playing back media.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the at least one particular playback device transmits the one or more messages representing state information for the multiple zones in response to detecting a change to the state information.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining the order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering, within the list of the multiple zones, one or more fifth zones of the multiple zones before one or more sixth zones of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the one or more fifth zones have at least one media item queued for playback in respective playback queues associated with each fifth zone and that the one or more sixth zones do not have at least one media item queued for playback in respective playback queues associated with each sixth zone, the one or more fifth zones including the one or more first zones and a subset of the one or more second zones.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the control device is further configured to display, in association with the one or more fifth zones within the list of the multiple zones, metadata indicating current media items of the respective playback queues that are associated with each fifth zone.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering a particular zone first within the list of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the particular zone was most-recently controlled by the control device among the multiple zones.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining the order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering a particular zone first within the list of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the particular zone is most-frequently controlled by the control device among the multiple zones.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the state information indicating current states of the multiple zones comprises one or more state variables indicating respective current states of the multiple zones;

and wherein receiving one or more messages indicating current states of the multiple zones comprises receiving data representing the one or more state variables indicating respective current states of the multiple zones, the one or more state variables indicating that the one or more first zones of the multiple zones are currently playing back one or more particular media items.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein detecting the input to display the list of the multiple zones comprises detecting a selection, on the user interface, of a zone name of a given zone of the multiple zones.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein identifying the respective states further comprises sending, to one or more particular playback devices of the multiple playback devices, one or more requests for respective states of the multiple zones.

19. A method comprising:

providing, via a control application on a control device, a user interface for multiple zones of a media playback system comprising multiple playback devices, wherein each zone of the multiple zones consists of one or more respective playback devices of the multiple playback devices, and wherein the multiple playback devices are controllable from one or more control devices that are separate and distinct from the multiple playback devices, the one or more control devices comprising the control device;

identifying, via the control device, respective first states associated with each zone of the multiple zones, wherein state information indicating current states of the multiple zones is maintained in data storage on one or more particular playback devices, wherein identifying the respective first states comprises receiving, from at least one particular playback device of the one or more particular playback devices, one or more messages representing state information for the multiple zones, the state information indicating first states of the multiple zones;

detecting, via the user interface for the multiple zones, a user input to display a list of the multiple zones;

in response to detecting the user input to display the list of the multiple zones, determining, via the control device, a first order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones, wherein determining the first order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering, within the list of the multiple zones, one or more first zones of the multiple zones before one or more second zones of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the one or more first zones are currently playing back media and that the one or more second zones are not currently playing back media;

displaying, via the user interface, the list of the multiple zones, wherein the list of the multiple zones identifies each zone of the multiple zones in the determined first order;

displaying, in association with the one or more first zones within the list of the multiple zones, respective graphical elements indicating that each of the one or more first zones of the multiple zones are currently playing back media;

detecting, via the user interface for the multiple zones, a user input to play back particular audio content on a given zone, wherein the given zone is a second zone in the list of the multiple zones;

sending, via a network interface, data representing instructions to play back the particular audio content on the given zone;

identifying respective second states associated with each zone of the multiple zones, wherein identifying the respective second states comprises receiving, from at least one particular playback device of the one or more particular playback devices, one or more messages representing second state information for the multiple zones, the second state information indicating second states of the multiple zones, wherein a second state of the given zone is different from a first state of the given zone;

determining a second order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones, wherein determining the second order of the multiple zones within the list of the multiple zones comprises ordering, within the list of the multiple zones, one or more third zones of the multiple zones before one or more fourth zones of the multiple zones based on the state information in the one or more received messages indicating that the one or more third zones are currently playing back media and that the one or more fourth zones are not currently playing back media;

displaying, via the user interface, a re-ordered list of the multiple zones, wherein the list of the multiple zones identifies each zone of the multiple zones in the determined second order; and

displaying, in association with the one or more third zones within the list of the multiple zones, respective graphical elements indicating that each of the one or more third zones of the multiple zones are currently playing back media.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one particular playback device transmits the one or more messages representing state information for the multiple zones in response to detecting a change to the state information.