Multi-user media playback system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025024090-A1
Application number	US-202218710454-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 22, 2022
Priority date	Nov 24, 2021
Publication date	Jan 16, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for providing a multi-user media experience, comprising a jukebox service ( 4 ) running on a server ( 3 ) accessible through a data network, an entertainment system ( 1 ) connected to the server ( 3 ), and a hosting application ( 5 ) connected to the server ( 3 ). The jukebox service ( 4 ) is configured to receive instructions from the hosting application to create a jukebox session, communicate a session identifier to the hosting application, receive a connection request from at least one mobile device, each request including the session identifier, receive user input via the mobile devices ( 6 ), and communicate instructions to the entertainment system ( 1 ) to playback media content based on the user input. According to the invention, there is no need for dedicated jukebox hardware and no need for guests to connect to the host's IT environment.

First claim

1 . A system for providing a multi-user media experience, comprising:
a jukebox service running on a server accessible through a data network; an entertainment system connected to the server; a hosting application connected to the server and configured to allow a user to set up a jukebox session; said jukebox service being configured to: receive instructions from the hosting application to create a jukebox session, communicate a session identifier to the hosting application, receive a connection request from at least one mobile device, each request including the session identifier, grant each mobile device access to the jukebox session, receive user input via the mobile devices, and communicate instructions to the entertainment system to playback media content based on the user input.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions received from the hosting application includes an identifier of the entertainment system.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the jukebox session includes a dynamic list of media content items for playback, wherein the order of media content items in the list is based on requests received from the mobile devices.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the jukebox service is configured to interact bidirectionally with the at least one mobile device.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the entertainment system includes circuitry for wireless communication with the server.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the jukebox service communicates with the entertainment system via a communication hub allowing push communication with the entertainment system.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the communication hub is based on IoT technology.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the entertainment system includes a set of synchronized loudspeakers, one loudspeaker in the set being a leader loudspeaker, and other loudspeakers in the set being follower loudspeakers, wherein the leader loudspeaker is configured to communicate with the jukebox service, and wherein the follower loudspeakers are configured to communicate with the leader loudspeaker.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the entertainment system is separately connected to a media content provider, and configured to download requested media content from said media content provider.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the jukebox session further includes an interface for accessing the content provider, allowing a user to browse available media content to base requests on.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hosting application is configured to transmit the session identifier to the mobile devices.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hosting application is configured to display a QR code representing the session identifier, thereby allowing the mobile devices to receive the session identifier by scanning the QR code.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the session identifier includes a URL of the jukebox session.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein access is granted only after verifying the session identifier.

15 . A method for providing a multi-user media experience using a jukebox service running on a server accessible through a data network, the method comprising:
receiving instructions from a hosting application to set up a jukebox session, the instructions specifying an entertainment system; communicating a session identifier to the hosting application; receiving a connection request from at least one mobile device, each request including the session identifier; granting each mobile device access to the jukebox session; receiving user input via the mobile devices; and communicating instructions to the entertainment system to playback media content based on the user input.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the hosting application transmits the session identifier to the mobile devices.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the hosting application displays a QR code representing the session identifier, thereby allowing the mobile devices to receive the session identifier by scanning the QR code.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein access is granted only after verifying the session identifier.

19 . A computer program product comprising computer program code portions configured to perform the method according to claim 15 when executed on a computer processor.

Assignees

• Bang & Olufsen As

Inventors

• Damsgaard Morten

Classifications

• 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

• G06K19/06037

  multi-dimensional coding · CPC title

• H04N21/43076

  of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices · CPC title

• H04N21/26258 Primary

  for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list (retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40) · CPC title