Audio content playback management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12513360-B2
Application number	US-202217722212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2022
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

An example implementation involves a playback device receiving a request to add continuous automated streaming audio content to a playback queue, the request indicating a playback start time, and the playback queue indicating a plurality of audio content. The implementation further involves the playback device adding the continuous automated streaming audio content to the playback queue. The example implementation also involves the playback device determining that a duration until the playback start time is less than a duration of the given audio content before playing a given audio content in the playback queue. The example implementation involves the playback device responsively, playing the continuous automated streaming audio content.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A playback device comprising:
at least one processor; at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to: receive an indication of a playback duration for an automated streaming audio content that plays indefinitely unless explicitly stopped, wherein the automated streaming audio content comprises an automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents; cause a number of one or more discrete audio contents from the automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents of the automated streaming audio content to be added to a playback queue, wherein the playback duration indicates the number of one or more discrete audio contents in the automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents that are added to the playback queue; while rendering the automated streaming audio content in the playback queue, receive an input indicating an adjustment in the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content; and after receiving the input, change the number of one or more discrete audio contents in the playback queue, wherein changing the number of one or more discrete audio contents in the playback queue comprises:
determining that a time left in the playback duration is less than a duration of a discrete audio content to be rendered next; and
stopping the rendering of the automated streaming audio content in the playback queue before an end of the playback duration.

2 . The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment causes a reduction in the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content.

3 . The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment causes an advancement in the rendering progress of the automated streaming audio content.

4 . The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment causes an increase in the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content.

5 . The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment causes a rewind in the rendering progress of the automated streaming audio content.

6 . The playback device of claim 1 , wherein receiving the indication of the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content comprises receiving the indication of the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content from a user associated with the playback device.

7 . The playback device of claim 6 , wherein:
the playback device further comprises a user interface; and the indication of the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content is received via the user interface.

8 . The playback device of claim 6 , wherein:
the playback device further comprises a wireless communication interface; the at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises program instructions such that the playback device is configured to communicate with at least one control device via the wireless communication interface; and the indication of the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content is received from the control device via the wireless communication interface.

9 . The playback device of claim 1 , wherein receiving the indication of the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content comprises receiving a selection of a time duration for the automated streaming audio content from a user associated with the playback device, wherein the time duration is separate from any implicit playback durations of the automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents.

10 . A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a playback device to perform functions comprising:
receiving an indication of a playback duration for an automated streaming audio content that plays indefinitely unless explicitly stopped, wherein the automated streaming audio content comprises an automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents; causing a number of one or more discrete audio contents from the automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents of the automated streaming audio content to be added to a playback queue, wherein the playback duration indicates the number of one or more discrete audio contents in the automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents that are added to the playback queue; while rendering the automated streaming audio content in the playback queue, receiving an input indicating an adjustment in the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content; and after receiving the input, changing the number of one or more discrete audio contents in the playback queue, wherein changing the number of one or more discrete audio contents in the playback queue comprises:
determining that a time left in the playback duration is less than a duration of a discrete audio content to be rendered next; and
stopping the rendering of the automated streaming audio content in the playback queue before an end of the playback duration.

11 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the adjustment causes a reduction in the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content.

12 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the adjustment causes an advancement in the rendering progress of the automated streaming audio content.

13 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the adjustment causes an increase in the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content.

14 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the adjustment causes a rewind in the rendering progress of the automated streaming audio content.

15 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein receiving the indication of the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content comprises receiving the indication of the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content from a user associated with the playback device.

16 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:
the playback device further comprises a user interface; and the indication of the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content is received via the user interface.

17 . A method to be performed by a playback device, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of a playback duration for an automated streaming audio content that plays indefinitely unless explicitly stopped, wherein the automated streaming audio content comprises an automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents; causing a number of one or more discrete audio contents from the automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents of the automated streaming audio content to be added to a playback queue, wherein the playback duration indicates the number of one or more discrete audio contents in the automatically compiled series of one or more discrete audio contents that are added to the playback queue; while rendering the automated streaming audio content in the playback queue, receiving an input indicating an adjustment in the playback duration of the automated streaming audio content; and after receiving the input, changing the number of one or more discrete audio contents in the playback queue, wherein chang

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Bates Paul Andrew
• Kumar Abhishek

Classifications

• H04L49/90

  Buffering arrangements · CPC title

• H04N21/00

  Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] (real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 {; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18}) · CPC title

• H04L65/613

  for the control of the source by the destination (control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637) · CPC title

• G11B27/031

  Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals · CPC title

• G06F16/60

  of audio data · CPC title