Systems and methods for networked music playback

• US 10,779,033 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2019
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Coburn, IV, Arthur, Hoadley, Joni Rafalski
• Primary Examiner(s): Elbin, Jesse A
• Application Number:
  US16/389,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20190332349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 715716, 715727, 715765, 715771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4307 Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen
• 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 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 : Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 : Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 : for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

An example computing device in a first mode is configured for playback of given audio content. While in the first mode, the computing device displays a representation of one or more playback devices in a media playback system that are available to accept playback responsibility for the given audio content and receives user input indicating a selection of a given playback device. The computing device transmits an instruction for playback responsibility to be transferred to the given playback device such that i) an identifier of the given audio content and a playback position for the given audio content are provided to the given playback device and ii) the given playback device becomes configured for playback of the given audio content. The computing device transitions from the first mode to a second mode in which the computing device is configured to control the given playback device'"'"'s playback of the given audio content.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

operating in a first mode in which the computing device is configured for playback of a remote playback queue provided by a cloud-based computing system associated with a cloud-based media service;

while operating in the first mode, displaying a representation of one or more playback devices in a media playback system that are each i) communicatively coupled to the computing device over a data network and ii) available to accept playback responsibility for the remote playback queue;

while displaying the representation of the one or more playback devices, receiving user input indicating a selection of at least one given playback device from the one or more playback devices;

based on receiving the user input, transmitting an instruction for the at least one given playback device to take over responsibility for playback of the remote playback queue from the computing device, wherein the instruction configures the at least one given playback device to (i) communicate with the cloud-based computing system in order to obtain data identifying a next one or more media items that are in the remote playback queue, (ii) use the obtained data to retrieve at least one media item in the remote playback queue from the cloud-based media service; and

(iii) play back the retrieved at least one media item;

detecting an indication that playback responsibility for the remote playback queue has been successfully transferred from the computing device to the at least one given playback device; and

after detecting the indication, transitioning from i) the first mode in which the computing device is configured for playback of the remote playback queue to ii) a second mode in which the computing device is configured to control the at least one given playback device'"'"'s playback of the remote playback queue and the computing device is no longer configured for playback of the remote playback queue.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the cloud-based computing system associated with the media service to provide the data identifying the next one or more media items to the given playback device for use in retrieving the at least one media item from the cloud-based computing system associated with the cloud-based media service.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the cloud-based computing system associated with the cloud-based media service to provide the at least one media item to the given playback device.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the representation of the one or more playback devices comprises at least one selectable indicator for a group of playback devices that includes the given playback device and one or more other playback devices that are to be configured for synchronous playback of the remote playback queue, and wherein the user input indicating the selection of at least one given playback device from the one or more playback devices comprises user input indicating a selection of the group of playback devices.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein operating in a first mode in which the computing device is configured for playback of the remote playback queue comprises operating in the first mode in which the computing device has received user input indicating a selection of the remote playback queue for playback by the computing device but the computing device has not yet begun playback of the remote playback queue.

6. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

beginning to operate in the first mode after i) launching a media application associated with the cloud-based media service and ii) receiving user input indicating a selection of the remote playback queue.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein:

operating in the first mode further involves providing a control interface comprising one or more selectable control icons that are configured to control playback of the remote playback queue by the computing device;

transitioning from the first mode to the second mode further involves modifying the control interface such that the one or more selectable control icons are configured to control playback of the remote playback queue by the at least one playback device instead of the computing device.

8. The computing device of claim 7, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

after transitioning to the second mode, receiving user input indicating a selection of a given control icon of the one or more selectable control icons, wherein the given control icon corresponds to a given transport control operation; and

based on receiving the user input indicating the selection of the given control icon, causing the corresponding transport control operation to be executed by the given playback device.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the transport control operation comprises one of a play operation, a pause operation, a skip forward operation, or a skip back operation.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the cloud-based computing system associated with the cloud-based media service includes one or more cloud servers.

11. The computing device of claim 1, wherein displaying the representation of the one or more playback devices comprises:

displaying the representation of the one or more playback devices in response to receiving a selection of a displayed icon indicating that playback responsibility for the remote playback queue can be transferred.

16. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

before displaying the representation of the one or more playback devices, receiving an indication that the one or more playback devices in the media playback system are available to accept playback responsibility for the remote playback queue.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to perform functions comprising:

operating in a first mode in which the computing device is configured for playback of a remote playback queue provided by a cloud-based computing system associated with a cloud-based media service;

while operating in the first mode, displaying a representation of one or more playback devices in a media playback system that are each i) communicatively coupled to the computing device over a data network and ii) available to accept playback responsibility for the remote playback queue;

while displaying the representation of the one or more playback devices, receiving user input indicating a selection of at least one given playback device from the one or more playback devices;

based on receiving the user input, transmitting an instruction for the at least one given playback device to take over responsibility for playback of the remote playback queue from the computing device, wherein the instruction configures the at least one given playback device to (i) communicate with the cloud-based computing system in order to obtain data identifying a next one or more media items that are in the remote playback queue, (ii) use the obtained data to retrieve at least one media item in the remote playback queue from the cloud-based media service; and

(iii) play back the retrieved at least one media item;

detecting an indication that playback responsibility for the remote playback queue has been successfully transferred from the computing device to the at least one given playback device; and

after detecting the indication, transitioning from i) the first mode in which the computing device is configured for playback of the remote playback queue to ii) a second mode in which the computing device is configured to control the at least one given playback device'"'"'s playback of the remote playback queue and the computing device is no longer configured for playback of the remote playback queue.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the cloud-based computing system associated with the cloud-based media service to provide the data identifying the next one or more media items to the given playback device for use in obtaining the at least one media item from the cloud-based computing system associated with the cloud-based media service.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the cloud-based computing system associated with the media service to provide the at least one media item to the given playback device.

15. A method carried out by a computing device, the method comprising:

operating in a first mode in which the computing device is configured for playback of a remote playback queue provided by a cloud-based computing system associated with a cloud-based media service;

while operating in the first mode, displaying a representation of one or more playback devices in a media playback system that are each i) communicatively coupled to the computing device over a data network and ii) available to accept playback responsibility for the remote playback queue;

while displaying the representation of the one or more playback devices, receiving user input indicating a selection of at least one given playback device from the one or more playback devices;

based on receiving the user input, transmitting an instruction for the at least one given playback device to take over responsibility for playback of the remote playback queue from the computing device, wherein the instruction configures the at least one given playback device to (i) communicate with the cloud-based computing system in order to obtain data identifying a next one or more media items that are in the remote playback queue, (ii) use the obtained data to retrieve at least one media item in the remote playback queue from the cloud-based media service; and

(iii) play back the retrieved at least one media item;

detecting an indication that playback responsibility for the remote playback queue has been successfully transferred from the computing device to the at least one given playback device; and

after detecting the indication, transitioning from i) the first mode in which the computing device is configured for playback of the remote playback queue to ii) a second mode in which the computing device is configured to control the at least one given playback device'"'"'s playback of the remote playback queue and the computing device is no longer configured for playback of the remote playback queue.