Cloud queue playback policy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9654536-B2
Application number	US-201514616341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2015
Priority date	Jun 4, 2014
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

An example implementation may involve a computing system receiving, from a media playback system, at least one request for an indication of one or more media items from a queue of media items. The implementation may also involve the computing system identifying one or more playback policies that are associated with the queue of media items. Each of the one or more playback policies may restrict at least one aspect of playback of at least one of the one or more media items. The implementation may further involve the computing system sending, to the media playback system, an indication of the identified one or more playback policies.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, via a computing system over a network interface from one or more media playback systems that each comprise one or more respective playback devices, at least one respective request for an indication of one or more media items from a given cloud queue of media items, wherein the given cloud queue of media items is one of a plurality of cloud queues that are accessible to each of the one or more media playback systems via a wide area network;
identifying, via the computing system, one or more playback policies that are associated with the given cloud queue of media items, wherein each of the identified one or more playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback of the media items queued in the given cloud queue; and
causing, via the computing system over the network interface, the identified one or more playback policies to be applied to respective local queues of the one or more media playback systems, wherein each local queue (i) is stored on at least one respective playback device of the one or more media playback systems and (ii) includes the one or more media items from the given cloud queue of media items, and wherein causing the identified one or more playback policies to be applied to the one or more media playback systems comprises sending, via the computing system to the one or more media playback systems over the network interface, an indication of the identified one or more playback policies.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more media playback systems comprise a first media playback system and a second media playback system, and wherein receiving the at least one respective request for an indication of one or more media items from the given cloud queue of media items comprises:
receiving, from the first media playback system, a request for an indication one or more media items from the given cloud queue of media items; and
receiving, from the second media playback system, a request for an indication of one or more media items from the given cloud queue of media items.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying one or more playback policies that are associated with the given cloud queue of media items comprises:
identifying one or more first playback policies corresponding to the first media playback system, wherein each of the one or more first playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback by the first media playback system of the media items queued in the cloud queue; and
identifying one or more second playback policies corresponding to the second media playback system, wherein each of the one or more second playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback by the second media playback system of the media items queued in the cloud queue.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein sending the indication of the identified one or more playback policies comprises sending an indication of the one or more first playback policies to the first media playback system; and wherein the method further comprises:
sending, over the network interface, an indication of the one or more second playback policies to the second media playback system.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying one or more playback policies are associated with the given cloud queue of media items comprises:
identifying one or more first playback policies corresponding to a first user account that is associated with the first media playback system, wherein each of the one or more first playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback by the first media playback system of the media items queued in the cloud queue; and
identifying one or more second playback policies corresponding to a second user account that is associated with the second media playback system, wherein each of the one or more second playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback by the second media playback system of the media items queued in the cloud queue.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the given cloud queue is a first cloud queue of the plurality of cloud queues, and wherein receiving at least one respective request for an indication of one or more media items from the cloud queue comprises:
receiving, from a first media playback system, a request for an indication of one or more first media items from the first cloud queue; and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from a second media playback system, a request for an indication of one or more second media items from a second cloud queue of the plurality of cloud queues.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein identifying one or more playback policies that are associated with the cloud queue comprises identifying one or more first playback policies corresponding to the first cloud queue, wherein each of the one or more first playback policies corresponding to the first cloud queue restrict at least one aspect of playback of the media items queued in the cloud queue; and wherein the method further comprises:
identifying one or more second playback policies corresponding to the second cloud queue, wherein each of the one or more second playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback of the media items queued in the cloud queue.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more playback policies restrict at least one of (i) skipping playback of one of the one or more media items, (ii) replaying a previously played media item of the one or more media items, (iii) seeking forward during playback of one of the one or more media items, (iv) seeking backward during playback of one of the one or more media items, or (v) replaying a currently playing media item of the one or more media items.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more playback policies restrict at least one of a shuffle option, a repeat option, a skip forward option, a skip backwards option, a seek forward option, or a seek backward option.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloud queue indicates a pre-determined playback order of the media items, and wherein the one or more playback policies restrict modification of the pre-determined playback order of the media items.

11. A computing system comprising
a network interface;
at least one processor;
a data storage; and
a program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the at least one processor to:
receive, over the network interface from one or more media playback systems that each comprise one or more respective playback devices, at least one respective request for an indication of one or more media items from a given cloud queue of media items, wherein the given cloud queue of media items is one of a plurality of cloud queues that are accessible to each of the one or more media playback systems via a wide area network;
identify one or more playback policies that are associated with the given cloud queue of media items, wherein each of the identified one or more playback policies restrict at least one aspect of playback of the media items queued in the given cloud queue; and
causing, via the computing system over the network interface, the identified one or more playback policies to be applied to respective local queues of the one or more media playback systems, wherein each local queue (i) is stored on at least one respective playback device of the one or more media playback systems and (ii) includes the one or more media items from the given cloud queue of media items, and wherein causing the identified one or more playback policies to be applied to the one or more media playback systems comprises sending, via the computing system to the one or more media playback systems over the network interface, an indication of the identified

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Coburn Iv Arthur L

Classifications

• H04N21/654

  Transmission by server directed to the client · CPC title

• H04H60/80

  characterised by transmission among terminal devices · CPC title

• G06F21/44

  Program or device authentication · CPC title

• H04N21/25816

  involving client authentication (restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06) · CPC title

• 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