Proximity based temporary audio sharing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016162252-A1
Application number	US-201414564247-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2014
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products to perform an operation comprising upon determining that a first media device playing a first audio content and a second media device playing a second audio content are within a predefined distance, causing at least a segment of the first audio content to be played on the second media device, and causing at least a segment of the second audio content to be played on the first media device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
upon determining that a first media device playing a first audio content and a second media device playing a second audio content are within a predefined distance:
causing at least a segment of the first audio content to be played on the second media device; and
causing at least a segment of the second audio content to be played on the first media device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon determining that the first and second media devices are no longer within the predefined distance:
resuming playback of the first audio content on the first media device; and
resuming playback of the second audio content on the second media device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a duration of the segments of the first and second audio contents played on the second and first media devices, respectively, are less than a predefined time threshold.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first media device, the second media device, and a third media device are each within the predefined distance, wherein the third media device is playing a third audio content, the method further comprising:
selecting one of the first and second media devices based on at least one of: a preferred genre stored in the third media device, a preferred genre stored in the selected one of the first and second media devices, a number of shared social media connections between the third media device and the first and second media devices, that a relationship exists between a user of the third media device and a user of the selected one of the first and second media devices; and playing the respective audio content of the selected one of the first and second media devices on the third media device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second audio contents are transferred between the media devices by a wireless data connection.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request on the first media device to identify the second audio content; and outputting, on the first media device, identification information for the second audio content received via a wireless data connection of the first device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second media devices each comprise one of a smart phone, a set of headphones, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, an infotainment system in a vehicle, a smart watch, a head-mounted display device, and a portable media player.

8 . A computer program product, comprising:
computer-readable program code which when executed by a processor performs an operation comprising:
upon determining that a first media device playing a first audio content and a second media device playing a second audio content are within a predefined distance:
causing at least a segment of the first audio content to be played on the second media device; and
causing at least a segment of the second audio content to be played on the first media device.

9 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein causing the segment of the first audio content to be played on the second media device comprises:
fading a volume of the second audio content on the second media device while increasing a volume of the segment of the first audio content on the on the second media device.

10 . The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising:
sharing, by the first media device, the second audio content on at least one social networking site.

11 . The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising:
prior to causing the segment of the first audio content to be played on the second media device, receiving a request on the second device to enable playback of the segment of the first audio content on the second device.

12 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the segments of the first and second audio contents are received from the Internet via network connections of the respective media devices.

13 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the first media device is within the predefined range of a plurality of other media devices, each of the media devices playing a respective audio content, the operation further comprising:
subsequent to playing the second audio content on the first media device, sequentially playing a segment of the respective audio content played on each of the plurality of other media devices.

14 . The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising:
upon determining that a time threshold has elapsed:
resuming playback of the first audio content on the first media device; and
resuming playback of the second audio content on the second media device.

15 . A system, comprising:
a computer processor; and a memory containing a program, which when executed by the processor, performs an operation comprising:
upon determining that the system is within a predefined distance of a second system, wherein the system is playing a first audio content and the second system is playing a second audio content:
causing at least a segment of the first audio content to be played on the second system; and
causing at least a segment of the second audio content to be played on the system.

16 . The system of claim 15 , the operation further comprising:
prior to determining that the systems are within the predefined distance:
receiving, by the system, a request to search for nearby systems playing music.

17 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
providing an interface on the system to purchase the second audio content responsive to receiving a request on the system to purchase the second audio content.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the system is determined to be within the predefined distance of the second system by at least one of a Bluetooth beacon signal, a IEEE 802.11 wireless beacon signal, an infrared signal, and a location sharing application.

19 . The system of claim 15 , the operation further comprising:
responsive to receiving, by the system, a request to identify the second audio content:
receiving identification information for the second audio content; and
outputting, via the system, an audio indication of the identification information for the second audio content.

20 . The system of claim 15 , the operation further comprising:
stopping playback of the second audio content on the system upon determining at least one of:
that a time threshold has elapsed; and
that the systems are no longer within the predefined distance.

Assignees

• Harman Int Ind

Inventors

• Di Censo Davide
• Marti Stefan

Classifications

• G11B27/11 Primary

  by using information not detectable on the record carrier · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

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

• H04L67/52

  specially adapted for the location of the user terminal · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W4/023

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title