Information display regarding playback queue subscriptions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10795636-B2
Application number	US-201916441908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2019
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

Example techniques relate to playback queue subscriptions. An example implementation involves a computing system receiving, from a first computing device associated with a first user account, an instruction to enable subscription to a first playback queue associated with a first media playback system. In response to the instruction, the computing system enables second user accounts to subscribe to the first playback queue. The second user accounts are registered with respective second media playback systems in respective second household. The computing system receives, from a particular second media playback system, a request to subscribe to the first playback queue; and in response, sends one or more messages that update a control interface of the first control device to display a subscriber indication and (ii) sends one or more messages that populate a second playback queue of the particular second media playback system with audio tracks of the first playback queue.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method to be performed by one or more servers of a computing system, the method comprising:
receiving, via a network interface from a first computing device, an instruction to enable subscription to a first playback queue associated with a first media playback system, wherein the first media playback system comprises a first playback device, and wherein one or more first accounts are registered with the first media playback system;
in response to the instruction, enabling one or more second user accounts to subscribe to the first playback queue via one or more wide area networks, wherein the one or more second user accounts are registered with respective second media playback systems in respective second households;
after enabling the one or more second user accounts associated with one or more second playback devices to subscribe to the first playback queue, receiving, via the network interface from a particular second media playback system, a request to subscribe to the first playback queue; and
in response to the request to subscribe to the first playback queue: (i) sending, via the network interface, one or more messages that update a control interface of the first computing device to display a subscriber indication showing that a particular second user account registered with the particular second media playback system has subscribed to the first playback queue and (ii) sending, via the network interface, one or more messages that populate a second playback queue associated with a second playback device of the particular second media playback system with audio tracks of the first playback queue.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while the first playback device is playing back a particular audio track of the first playback queue, receiving a first data stream with timing information corresponding to the playback of the particular audio track by the first playback device; and
sending, to the particular second media playback system, a second data stream with the timing information corresponding to the playback of the particular audio track by the first playback device, wherein the second playback device plays the particular audio track according to the timing information at the substantially same time as the first playback device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
hosting the first playback queue, and wherein the first playback queue identifies respective network locations of the audio tracks indicated within the first playback queue, and wherein the first playback device streams the audio tracks indicated within the first playback queue from the respective network locations during playback.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
hosting the second playback queue, wherein the second playback device streams the audio tracks indicated within the second playback queue from the respective network locations during playback.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via the network interface, status information indicating whether the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue,
when the particular second media playback system is currently playing back the first playback queue, sending one or more instructions to update the control interface of the first computing device to display a graphical indication that the particular second user account is playing back the first playback queue; and
when the particular second media playback system is not currently playing back the first playback queue, sending one or more instructions to update the control interface of the first computing device to display the subscriber indication showing that the particular second user account has subscribed to the first playback queue.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the first media playback system, one or more message indicating that the first playback device is playing back the first playback queue; and
sending, via the network interface, an invitation for the particular second media playback system to start playing back the first playback queue with the first playback device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a network location of a first audio track indicated within the first playback queue is at one or more servers of a first streaming audio service, and wherein a network location of a second audio track indicated within the first playback queue is at one or more servers of a second streaming audio service.

8. A computing system comprising:
a network interface;
one or more processors;
data storage having stored therein instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing system to perform a method comprising
receiving, via the network interface from a first computing device, an instruction to enable subscription to a first playback queue associated with a first media playback system, wherein the first media playback system comprises a first playback device, and wherein one or more first accounts are registered with the first media playback system;
in response to the instruction, enabling one or more second user accounts to subscribe to the first playback queue via one or more wide area networks, wherein the one or more second user accounts are registered with respective second media playback systems in respective second households;
after enabling the one or more second user accounts associated with one or more second playback devices to subscribe to the first playback queue, receiving, via the network interface from a particular second media playback system, a request to subscribe to the first playback queue; and
in response to the request to subscribe to the first playback queue: (i) sending, via the network interface, one or more messages that update a control interface of the first computing device to display a subscriber indication showing that a particular second user account registered with the particular second media playback system has subscribed to the first playback queue and (ii) sending, via the network interface, one or more messages that populate a second playback queue associated with a second playback device of the particular second media playback system with audio tracks of the first playback queue.

9. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
while the first playback device is playing back a particular audio track of the first playback queue, receiving a first data stream with timing information corresponding to the playback of the particular audio track by the first playback device; and
sending, to the particular second media playback system, a second data stream with the timing information corresponding to the playback of the particular audio track by the first playback device, wherein the second playback device plays the particular audio track according to the timing information at the substantially same time as the first playback device.

10. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
hosting the first playback queue, and wherein the first playback queue identifies respective network locations of the audio tracks indicated within the first playback queue, and wherein the first playback device streams the audio tracks indicated within the first playback queue from the respective network locations during playback.

11. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
hosting the second playback queue, wherein the second playback device streams the audio tracks indicated within the second playback queue from the respective network locations during playback.

12. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the method

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Bierbower Chris
• Vossel Philippe

Classifications

• H04N21/2541 Primary

  Rights Management (protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08) · CPC title

• G11B2020/10546

  specifically adapted for audio data · CPC title

• H04L2012/2849

  Audio/video appliances · CPC title

• H04L12/2827

  Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality · CPC title

• H04N21/25875

  involving end-user authentication (restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06) · CPC title