Music discovery dial

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12093605-B2
Application number	US-202318474778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2023
Priority date	Mar 5, 2018
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

Example techniques may involve tuning a music discovery dial. An implementation may include displaying, on the touch-sensitive circular graphical display, a circular graphical user interface including multiple wedge-shaped selectable regions arranged around the circumference of the circular graphical user interface, each wedge-shaped selectable region corresponding to a respective streaming audio channel. The implementation may include detecting a touch input in a circular motion to the touch-sensitive circular graphical display and causing a paired playback device to play back an audio content snippet corresponding to each selectable regions that the touch input enters. The implementation may further include switching the playback device from playing back a given pre-cached audio content snippet to playing back the full audio track from one or more servers of a streaming audio service.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control device comprising:
a display;
at least one network interface;
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium collectively comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to:
display a user interface comprising a set of selectable regions, the set of selectable regions comprising at least a first region and a second region, wherein each region in the set of selectable regions corresponds to respective media content streamable from one or more servers of a streaming media service;
based on a first input corresponding to a selection of the first region in the set of selectable regions, cause, via the at least one network interface, a media playback system to stream respective first media content from the one or more servers of the streaming media service, wherein the first respective first media content comprises media content previously saved for playback by the media playback system; and
based on a second input corresponding to a selection of the second region in the set of selectable regions, cause, via the at least one network interface, the media playback system to stream respective second media content from the one or more servers of the streaming media service, wherein the respective second media content comprises media content different than the media content previously saved for playback by the media playback system.

2. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to cause the media playback system to stream the respective first media content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to:
cause at least one playback device of the media playback system to play back the respective first media content.

3. The control device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to cause the media playback system to stream the respective first media content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to:
cause at least one second playback device of the media playback system to play back the respective first media content in synchrony with the at least one playback device.

4. The control device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to cause the media playback system to stream the respective first media content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to:
cause the at least one playback device of the media playback system to play back the respective first media content without causing at least one second playback device of the media playback system to play back the respective first media content.

5. The control device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to cause the media playback system to stream the respective first media content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to:
cause the at least one playback device of the media playback system to play back the respective second media content.

6. The control device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to cause the media playback system to stream the respective first media content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to:
cause at least one second playback device of the media playback system to play back the respective second media content.

7. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the media playback system comprises the control device.

8. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises program instructions such that the control device is configured to:
based on a third input corresponding to a selection of a third region in the set of selectable regions, cause, via the at least one network interface, the media playback system to stream respective third media content from the one or more servers of the streaming media service, wherein the third media content comprises sponsored media content.

9. The control device of claim 8 , wherein the sponsored media content comprises advertisement.

10. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the media content previously saved for playback comprises one or more of: an audio track, a playlist, or an album.

11. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium collectively comprising program instructions that are executable by at least one processor such that a control device is configured to:
display, via a display of the control device, a user interface comprising a set of selectable regions, the set of selectable regions comprising at least a first region and a second region, wherein each region in the set of selectable regions corresponds to respective media content streamable from one or more servers of a streaming media service;
based on a first input corresponding to a selection of the first region in the set of selectable regions, cause, via at least one network interface, a media playback system to stream respective first media content from the one or more servers of the streaming media service, wherein the first respective first media content comprises media content previously saved for playback by the media playback system; and
based on a second input corresponding to a selection of the second region in the set of selectable regions, cause, via the at least one network interface, the media playback system to stream respective second media content from the one or more servers of the streaming media service, wherein the respective second media content comprises media content different than the media content previously saved for playback by the media playback system.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to cause the media playback system to stream the respective first media content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to:
cause at least one playback device of the media playback system to play back the respective first media content.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to cause the media playback system to stream the respective first media content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control device is configured to:
cause at least one second playback device of the media playback system to play back the respective first media content in synchrony with the at least one playback device.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Kotelly Christopher Alexis
• Wilberding Dayn
• Kuper Ron
• Mendonca Heather

Classifications

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• H04R27/00

  Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• H04R2227/005

  Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title