Playing media content in response to detecting items having corresponding media content associated therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12547369-B2
Application number	US-202318343865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2023
Priority date	Jan 20, 2019
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include one or more playback devices, server systems, and/or computing devices, individually or in combination determining that an item is present within an area comprising a playback device, wherein the item has corresponding media content associated therewith, and in response to determining that the item is present within the area comprising the playback device, causing the playback device to play the media content corresponding to the item, wherein the media content comprises one or both of audio content or video content.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A first playback device comprising:
one or more processors; and tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to: determine whether a virtual item is present within an augmented reality space at least partially coextensive with an area comprising a location of the first playback device, wherein the virtual item has corresponding media content associated therewith, wherein the media content comprises first content and second content, and wherein the media content comprises one or both of audio content or video content; and after determining that the virtual item is present within the augmented reality space at least partially coextensive with the area comprising the location of the first playback device, play the first content corresponding to the virtual item.

2 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to determine that the virtual item is present within the augmented reality space at least partially coextensive with the area comprising the location of the first playback device comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to:
receive an approximate physical position corresponding to a virtual position of the virtual item within the augmented reality space; and determine that the virtual item is present within the augmented reality space at least partially coextensive with the area comprising the location of the first playback device when the approximate physical position corresponding to the virtual position within the augmented reality space is within the area comprising the location of the first playback device.

3 . The first playback device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to determine that the virtual item is present within the augmented reality space at least partially coextensive with the area comprising the location of the first playback device when the approximate physical position corresponding to the virtual position within the augmented reality space is within the area comprising the location of the first playback device comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to:
receive an indication that the virtual position within the augmented reality space is within the area comprising the location of the first playback device.

4 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions comprise further program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to:
after determining that the virtual item is not present within the augmented reality space at least partially coextensive with the area comprising the location of the first playback device, play the second content corresponding to the virtual item.

5 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to play the first content corresponding to the virtual item comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to:
mix the first content with other media content; and play the mix of the first content and other media content.

6 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to play the first content corresponding to the virtual item comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to:
determine at least one of a virtual orientation or a virtual position of the virtual item within the augmented reality space; and play the first content corresponding to the virtual item based on the determined virtual orientation or virtual position of the virtual item within the augmented reality space.

7 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to determine at least one of a virtual orientation or a virtual position of the virtual item within the augmented reality space comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to:
receive an indication of a physical orientation corresponding to the virtual orientation of the virtual item; and receive an indication of a physical position corresponding to the virtual position of the virtual item.

8 . The first playback device of claim 6 , wherein the first playback device is part of a media playback system comprising the first playback device and a second playback device, and wherein the program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to play the media content based on the determined virtual orientation or virtual position of the item relative to the playback device comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to:
send a second portion of the media content to the second playback device; and play a first portion of the media content in synchrony with the second playback device playing the second portion of the media content.

9 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first playback device is part of a media playback system comprising the first playback device and a second playback device;
wherein the program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to determine at least one of a virtual orientation or a virtual position of the virtual item within the augmented reality space comprise program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to determine one or more of (i) at least one of a corresponding physical orientation or corresponding physical position of the virtual item relative to the first playback device and (ii) at least one of a corresponding physical orientation or corresponding physical position of the virtual item relative to the second playback device; and wherein the program instructions comprise further program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to: play at least a portion of the media content at a first volume level while the second playback device plays the at least a portion of the media content at a second volume level, wherein the first volume level is based on the corresponding physical orientation or corresponding physical position of the virtual item relative to the first playback device, and wherein the second volume level is based on the corresponding physical orientation or corresponding physical position of the virtual item relative to the second playback device.

10 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first playback device is part of a media playback system comprising the first playback device and a second playback device;
wherein the program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to determine at least one of a virtual orientation or a virtual position of the virtual item within the augmented reality space

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Torgerson Jeffrey
• Bates Paul
• Welch Matt
• Spivey Sanford
• Taylor Ryan

Classifications

• H04N21/43074

  of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV programme · CPC title

• H04N21/43615

  Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805) · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• H04N21/4302

  Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation · CPC title

• H04N21/4668

  for recommending content, e.g. movies · CPC title