Wireless speaker for receiving from a mobile phone directions to receive and render a playlist from a content server on the internet

• US 9,554,405 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lecrew Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Black Hills Media, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Weel, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsieh, Ping
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yang, James
• Application Number:
  US14/835,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20150365987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

An apparatus for playing media includes a network transceiver for communicating with a remote control device and a server. The apparatus provides a device identifier to the remote control device, receives a playlist from the device, sends a media item identifier to a server, and receives a media item from the server. In some embodiments the apparatus is a standalone speaker device, the remote control is a touchscreen cellular phone, and the media item is an audio item. In other embodiments the apparatus is a television. In some embodiments the server comprises a playlist server and a content server. After joining a local network, the remote control is operable to control the apparatus without direct input at the device. In some embodiments the apparatus receives the media item from the content server. In other embodiments the media item flows through the remote control.

Claims

1. A standalone speaker device comprising:

a network transceiver facilitating communication between the standalone speaker device and a touchscreen cellular phone over a wireless network, wherein the standalone speaker device is operable to;

provide to the touchscreen cellular phone a device identifier that identifies the standalone speaker device;

receive from the touchscreen cellular phone a playlist received from a server over an Internet connection, the playlist comprising a plurality of audio item indicators, each audio item indicator indicating an audio item, the audio item indicators arranged in a predetermined sequence for audio items indicated by the audio item indicators to be played in the predetermined sequence;

send to the server, over the Internet, an audio item indicator;

receive from the server, over the Internet, without user input at the standalone speaker device, an audio item indicated by the audio item indicator;

render, by the standalone speaker device, without user input at the standalone speaker device, the audio item from the server;

send real-time activity information reflecting the audio item has been rendered,

wherein the standalone speaker device, the touchscreen cellular phone, and the server are all separate devices, wherein the standalone speaker device is not directly connected to one of a stereo, television, and computer, and wherein the standalone speaker device is not one of a stereo, television, and computer.

2. The standalone speaker device of claim 1 further comprising:

the standalone speaker device further operable to;

join the wireless network;

broadcast wirelessly the standalone speaker device identifier on the wireless network; and

discover at least one other wireless standalone speaker device on the wireless network.

3. The standalone speaker device of claim 1 wherein the server further comprises a playlist server and a content server, and wherein the playlist server and the content server are separate devices, and wherein the standalone speaker device is further operable to:

stream the audio item.

4. The standalone speaker device of claim 1 wherein the server further comprises a playlist server and a content server, and wherein the playlist server and the content server are separate devices, and wherein the standalone speaker device is further operable to:

download the audio item.

5. The standalone speaker device of claim 1 wherein the server further comprises a playlist server and a content server, and wherein the playlist server and the content server are separate devices, and wherein the standalone speaker device is further operable to:

cache the audio item.

6. The standalone speaker device of claim 1 wherein the playlist was identified based on a searchable playlist attribute, the playlist attribute chosen from the group consisting of a playlist name, a playlist number, a playlist unique identifier, a music type, a music genre, an artist, an audio item identifier identifying an audio item found in the playlist, an instrument, a record company, a region, a country, a state, a city, a school, a listening habit of the user, a listening habit of another user, and an ethnicity.

7. The standalone speaker device of claim 1 where in order to render the audio item from the server the standalone speaker device is further operable to:

receive, from the touchscreen cellular phone, a control message directing the standalone speaker device to alter one of a volume parameter, a tone parameter, and a balance parameter of the standalone speaker device.

8. The standalone speaker device of claim 1 wherein the playlist is a recommended playlist algorithmically generated based on a playlist attribute, the playlist attribute chosen from the group consisting of a playlist name, a playlist number, a playlist unique identifier, a music type, a music genre, an artist, an audio item identifier identifying an audio item found in the playlist, an instrument, a record company, a region, a country, a state, a city, a school, a listening habit of the user, a listening habit of another user, and an ethnicity.

9. The standalone speaker device of claim 1 wherein the audio item does not flow through the touchscreen cellular phone.

10. A system comprising:

a standalone speaker device comprising;

a first network transceiver facilitating communication between the standalone speaker device and a touchscreen cellular phone over a wireless network, wherein the standalone speaker device is operable to;

provide to the touchscreen cellular phone a device identifier that identifies the standalone speaker device;

receive from the touchscreen cellular phone a playlist, the playlist comprising a plurality of audio item indicators, each audio item indicator indicating an audio item, the audio item indicators arranged in a predetermined sequence for audio items indicated by the audio item indicators to be played in the predetermined sequence;

send to the touchscreen cellular phone an audio item indicator;

receive, from the touchscreen cellular phone, without user input at the standalone speaker device, an audio item indicated by the audio item indicator of the plurality of audio item indicators; and

render, by the standalone speaker device, without user input at the standalone speaker device, the audio item,

wherein the standalone speaker device is not directly connected to one of a stereo, television, and computer, and

wherein the standalone speaker device is not one of a stereo, television, and computer; and

the touchscreen cellular phone comprising;

a second network transceiver facilitating communication between the standalone speaker device and the touchscreen cellular phone over the wireless network, the touchscreen cellular phone and a server over the Internet, and

wherein the touchscreen cellular phone is operable to;

receive from the standalone speaker device a device identifier that identifies the standalone speaker device;

send to the standalone speaker device the playlist;

receive from the standalone speaker device an audio item indicator;

receive from the server the audio item indicated by the audio item indicator;

send to the standalone speaker device the audio item indicated by the audio item indicator; and

render, at the touchscreen cellular phone, the audio item indicated by the audio item indicator; and

the server comprising;

a third network transceiver facilitating communication between the touchscreen cellular phone and the server over the Internet, wherein the server is operable to;

receive from the touchscreen cellular phone a playlist attribute;

send to the touchscreen cellular phone the playlist indicated by the playlist attribute;

receive from the touchscreen cellular phone the audio item indicator;

send to the touchscreen cellular phone the audio item indicated by the audio item indicator;

receive real-time activity information from ones of a plurality of devices enabled to access the standalone speaker device, wherein the touchscreen cellular phone is one of the plurality of devices; and

send the real-time activity information to other ones of the plurality of devices, wherein the real-time activity information reflects audio items rendered at the standalone speaker device.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

the standalone speaker device further operable to;

join the wireless network;

broadcast wirelessly the standalone speaker device identifier on the wireless network; and

discover at least one other wireless standalone speaker device on the wireless network.

12. The system of claim 10 where in order to render the audio item from the server the standalone speaker device is further operable to:

receive, from the touchscreen cellular phone, a control message directing the standalone speaker device to alter one of a volume parameter, a tone parameter, and a balance parameter of the standalone speaker device.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the playlist is a recommended playlist algorithmically generated based on a playlist attribute, the playlist attribute chosen from the group consisting of a playlist name, a playlist number, a playlist unique identifier, a music type, a music genre, an artist, an audio item identifier identifying an audio item found in the playlist, an instrument, a record company, a region, a country, a state, a city, a school, a listening habit of the user, a listening habit of another user, and an ethnicity.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the server further comprises a playlist server and a content server, and wherein the playlist server and the content server are separate devices, and wherein the standalone speaker device is further operable to:

stream the audio item; and

cache the audio item.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

the server further operable to;

facilitate audio item browsing for the ones of the plurality of devices;

facilitate audio item searching for ones of the plurality of devices;

facilitate playlist browsing for ones of the plurality of devices; and

facilitate playlist searching for ones of the plurality of devices.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the playlist are searchable by a playlist attribute, the playlist attribute chosen from the group consisting of a playlist name, a playlist number, a playlist unique identifier, a music type, a music genre, an artist, an audio item identifier identifying an audio item found in the playlist, an instrument, a record company, a region, a country, a state, a city, a school, a listening habit of the user, a listening habit of another user, and an ethnicity.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

the server further operable to;

receive from the plurality of devices a plurality of requests to join a sharing service;

facilitate construction of a buddy list for ones of the plurality of devices; and

facilitate chat messaging between ones of the plurality of devices and other ones of the plurality of devices.

18. A system comprising:

a standalone speaker device comprising;

a first network transceiver facilitating communication between the standalone speaker device and a touchscreen cellular phone over a wireless network, wherein the standalone speaker device is operable to;

provide to the touchscreen cellular phone a device identifier that identifies the standalone speaker device;

receive from the touchscreen cellular phone a playlist, the playlist comprising a plurality of audio item indicators, each audio item indicator indicating an audio item, the audio item indicators arranged in a predetermined sequence for audio items indicated by the audio item indicators to be played in the predetermined sequence;

send to a server an audio item indicator;

receive, from the server, without user input at the standalone speaker device, an audio item indicated by the audio item indicator of the plurality of audio item indicators; and

render, by the standalone speaker device, without user input at the standalone speaker device, the audio item,

wherein the standalone speaker device is not directly connected to one of a stereo, television, and computer, and

wherein the standalone speaker device is not one of a stereo, television, and computer; and

the touchscreen cellular phone comprising;

a second network transceiver facilitating communication between the standalone speaker device and the touchscreen cellular phone over the wireless network, the touchscreen cellular phone and a server over the Internet, and wherein the touchscreen cellular phone is operable to;

receive from the standalone speaker device a device identifier that identifies the standalone speaker device; and

send to the standalone speaker device the playlist;

the server comprising;

a third network transceiver facilitating communication between the touchscreen cellular phone and the server over the Internet, wherein the server is operable to;

receive from the touchscreen cellular phone a playlist attribute;

send to the touchscreen cellular phone the playlist indicated by the playlist attribute;

receive from the standalone speaker device the audio item indicator;

send to the standalone speaker device the audio item indicated by the audio item indicator;

receive real-time activity information from ones of a plurality of devices enabled to access the standalone speaker device, wherein the touchscreen cellular phone is one of the plurality of devices; and

send the real-time activity information to other ones of the plurality of devices, wherein the real-time activity information reflects audio items rendered at the standalone speaker device.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

the standalone speaker device further operable to;

join the wireless network;

broadcast wirelessly the standalone speaker device identifier on the wireless network; and

discover at least one other wireless standalone speaker device on the wireless network.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the server further comprises a playlist server and a content server, and wherein the playlist server and the content server are separate devices, and wherein the standalone speaker device is further operable to:

stream the audio item; and

cache the audio item.

21. The system of claim 18 where in order to render the audio item from the server the standalone speaker device is further operable to:

receive, from the touchscreen cellular phone, a control message directing the standalone speaker device to alter one of a volume parameter, a tone parameter, and a balance parameter of the standalone speaker device.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the playlist is a recommended playlist algorithmically generated based on a playlist attribute, the playlist attribute chosen from the group consisting of a playlist name, a playlist number, a playlist unique identifier, a music type, a music genre, an artist, an audio item identifier identifying an audio item found in the playlist, an instrument, a record company, a region, a country, a state, a city, a school, a listening habit of the user, a listening habit of another user, and an ethnicity.

23. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

the server further operable to;

facilitate audio item browsing for the ones of a plurality of devices;

facilitate audio item searching for the ones of the plurality of devices;

facilitate playlist browsing for the ones of the plurality of devices; and

facilitate playlist searching for the ones of the plurality of devices.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the playlist are searchable by a playlist attribute, the playlist attribute chosen from the group consisting of a playlist name, a playlist number, a playlist unique identifier, a music type, a music genre, an artist, an audio item identifier identifying an audio item found in the playlist, an instrument, a record company, a region, a country, a state, a city, a school, a listening habit of the user, a listening habit of another user, and an ethnicity.

25. The system of claim 23 further comprising:

the server further operable to;

receive from the plurality of devices a plurality of requests to join a sharing service;

facilitate construction of a buddy list for ones of the plurality of devices; and

facilitate chat messaging between ones of the plurality of devices and other ones of the plurality of devices.