Location Based Playback System Control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299669-A1
Application number	US-201514681735-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 8, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An example implementation may involve a device of a multi-zone media playback system displaying a control interface that is associated with a first zone of the media playback system, where the media playback system further includes a second zone. The implementation may also involve the device determining that it is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone. The method may further involve displaying (i) an indication that the first zone is under control of the device, and (ii) an indication that the device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform functions comprising:
displaying a control interface that is associated with a first zone of a media playback system, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices; and wherein the media playback system further includes a second zone that comprises one or more second playback devices; determining that the device is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone; and displaying (i) an indication that the first zone is under control of the device, and (ii) an indication that the device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

2 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein displaying the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone comprises causing a graphical interface to highlight, with a pre-determined color, the indication that the first zone is under control of the control device.

3 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein determining that the control device is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone comprises determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to the second zone.

4 . The computer-readable medium of claim 3 , wherein displaying the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone comprises causing a graphical interface to display an indication that the control device is within the threshold proximity to the second zone.

5 . The computer-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein causing the graphical interface to display the indication that the control device is within the threshold proximity to the second zone comprises causing the graphical interface to highlight the indication that the first zone is under control of the control device with a pre-determined color that corresponds to the second zone, wherein each of the first zone and the second zone correspond to a respective color.

6 . The computer-readable medium of claim 3 , wherein the functions further comprise:
based on determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to the second zone, causing a graphical interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, causes the graphical interface to display a control interface that is associated with the second zone of the media playback system.

7 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the functions further comprise:
after displaying the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone:
determining that the control device is now within a threshold proximity to the first zone; and
removing from display the indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

8 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein determining that the control device is outside of a threshold proximity to the first zone comprises:
querying one or more playback devices of the media playback system for an indication of whether the control device is within the threshold proximity to the first zone; and receiving, from at least one playback device, an indication that the control device is outside of the threshold proximity to the first zone.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform functions comprising:
receiving input data indicating a command to initiate control of a first zone of a media playback system, wherein the first zone comprises one or more first playback devices, and wherein the media playback system further includes a second zone that comprises one or more second playback devices; before initiating control of the first zone:
determining that the control device is within a threshold proximity to the second zone; and
causing a graphical interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone.

10 . The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein receiving the input data indicating the command to initiate control of the first zone of the media playback system comprises
receiving input data indicating a command to display a control interface that is associated with the first zone of the media playback system.

11 . The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein causing the graphical interface to display the selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone comprises:
before displaying the control interface that is associated with the first zone, causing the graphical interface to display (i) a selectable control that, when selected, causes the graphical interface to display the control interface that is associated with the first zone, and (ii) a selectable control that, when selected, causes the graphical interface to display the control interface that is associated with the second zone.

12 . The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein receiving the input data indicating the command to initiate control of the first zone of the media playback system comprises:
receiving input data indicating a command to initiate playback on the zone of the media playback system that is currently under control of the control device, wherein the first zone is the zone that is currently under the control of the control device.

13 . The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein causing the graphical interface to display the selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone comprises:
before initiating playback on the zone that is currently under control of the control device, causing the graphical interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, initiates playback on the one or more first playback devices of the first zone in synchrony.

14 . The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein causing the graphical interface to display the selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone further comprises:
before initiating playback on the zone that is currently under control of the control device, causing the graphical interface to display a selectable control that, when selected, initiates playback on the one or more second playback devices of the second zone in synchrony.

15 . The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein causing the graphical interface to display the selectable control that, when selected, initiates control of the first zone further comprises:
before initiating playback on the zone that is currently under control of the control device, causing the graphical interface to display (i) a selectable control, that when selected, (a) groups the first zone and the second zone into a zone group in which the first playback devices of the first zone and the second playback devices of the second zone are configured to play back in synchrony and (b) initiates playback on the first playback devices and the second playback devices in synchrony, and (ii) a selectable control that, when selected, initiates playback on the one or more first playback devices of the first zone in synchrony.

16 . The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining that the control device is within the threshold proximity to at least one of one or more second playback devices of the second zone comprises receiving, via a network interface, a message indicating that the control device is within the threshold proximity to at least one of one or more second play

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Bates Paul Andrew

Classifications

• H04N21/4325

  by playing back content from the storage medium (reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79) · CPC title

• H04N21/4825

  using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists · 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

• H04N21/485

  End-user interface for client configuration · CPC title

• H04N21/8113

  comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format · CPC title