Information display regarding playback queue subscriptions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11822853-B2
Application number	US-202017062987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2020
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

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

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising a first network device and a computing system, the first network device comprising:
a first network interface;
at least one first processor; and
a first tangible, computer-readable media;
first instructions stored in the first tangible, computer-readable media, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the first network device to perform first functions comprising:
displaying a control interface;
while accessing a streaming audio service via a first user account, receiving, via the displayed control interface, input data representing instructions to play back an audio track of the streaming audio service;
receiving, via the control interface, input data representing instructions to create a group session corresponding to a queue of audio tracks that include the audio track and at least one additional audio track; and
after one or more second user accounts join the group session via respective second network devices, displaying a graphical representation indicating a count of the second user accounts that are joined to the group session;

wherein the computing system comprises:
a second network interface;
at least one second processor; and
a second tangible, computer-readable media; and
second instructions stored in the second tangible, computer-readable media, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause the computing system to perform second functions comprising:
causing the respective second network devices to play back the queue concurrently with playback of the queue via the first network device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein causing the respective second network devices to play back the queue in concurrently with playback of the queue via the first network device comprises:
while the first network device is playing back a particular audio track of the queue, receiving first data with timing information corresponding to the playback of the particular audio track via the first network device; and
sending, to the respective second network devices, second data indicating the timing information corresponding to the playback of the particular audio track via the first network device, wherein the respective second network devices play the particular audio track according to the timing information at the substantially same time as the first network device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a playback device comprising at least one audio amplifier configured to drive at least one audio transducer, and wherein the first functions further comprise:
receiving input data representing instructions to select the playback device for playback of the queue; and
sending, via the first network interface, data representing instructions to play back the queue, wherein playback of the queue via the first network device comprises playback of the queue by the playback device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the queue indicates uniform resource locators representing respective sources of the audio tracks in the queue at the streaming audio service, and wherein the first network device and the respective second network devices stream data representing the audio tracks from the respective sources during playback of the queue.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second functions further comprise:
hosting the queue, wherein the first network device and the respective second network devices are configured to display respective graphical representations of at least a portion of the queue.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second functions further comprise:
streaming, via one or more servers, the audio tracks of the queue to the respective second network devices.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first functions further comprise:
based on receiving the input data representing instructions to create the group session corresponding to the queue, sending, via the first network interface to the computing system, data representing instructions to enable the second user accounts to join the group session.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first functions further comprise:
receiving input data representing instructions to end the group session corresponding to the queue; and
based on receiving the input data representing instructions to end the group session corresponding to the queue, sending, via the first network interface to the computing system, data representing instructions to disable the second user accounts from joining the group session.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first functions further comprise:
sending, via the first network interface, data representing at least one invitation to join the group session.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a particular second network device of the respective second network devices, wherein the particular second network device comprises:
an audio amplifier configured to drive at least one audio transducer;
a third network interface;
at least one third processor; and
a third tangible, computer-readable media; and
third instructions stored in the third tangible, computer-readable media, wherein the third instructions, when executed by the at least one third processor, cause the computing system to perform third functions comprising:
playing back the queue concurrently with the first network device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the third functions further comprise:
receiving input data representing a command to join the group session; and
sending, via the third network interface, a request to join the group session.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the third functions further comprise:
receiving input data representing a command to leave the group session; and
sending, via the third network interface, a request to leave the group session.

13. A system comprising a first network device, a playback device, and a computing system, the first network device comprising:
a first network interface;
at least one first processor; and
a first tangible, computer-readable media; and
first instructions stored in the first tangible, computer-readable media, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the first network device to perform first functions comprising:
displaying a control interface;
while accessing a streaming audio service via a first user account, receiving, via the displayed control interface, input data representing instructions to play back an audio track of the streaming audio service;
receiving, via the control interface, input data representing instructions to create a group session corresponding to a queue of audio tracks that include the audio track and at least one additional audio track; and
after one or more second user accounts join the group session via respective second network devices, displaying a graphical representation indicating a count of the second user accounts that are joined to the group session;

wherein the computing system comprises:
a second network interface;
at least one second processor; and
a second tangible, computer-readable media; and
second instructions stored in the second tangible, computer-readable media, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause the computing system to perform second functions comprising:
causing the respective second network devices to play back the queue concurrently with playback of the queue by the playback device; and

wherein the playback device comprises:
at least one a

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Bierbower Chris
• Vossel Philippe

Classifications

• G06F3/16 Primary

  Sound input; Sound output (speech processing G10L) · CPC title

• G06F16/4387

  by the use of playlists · CPC title

• G11B20/10527

  Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements (G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04L12/22

  Arrangements for preventing the taking of data from a data transmission channel without authorisation (means for verifying the identity or the authority of a user of a secure or secret communication system H04L9/32) · 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