Media playback system controller having multiple graphical interfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9727219-B2
Application number	US-201414216439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments are described herein that provide a media playback system controller with multiple graphical interfaces. In one aspect, a method is provided that involves (a) causing a graphical display to provide a first graphical interface including at least (i) a first input region and (ii) a first representation of a media item, (b) receiving a first input data indicating a selection within the first input region, (c) based on the received first input data, causing the graphical display to provide a second graphical interface including at least (i) an active region, (ii) an inactive region, and (iii) a second representation of the media item, (d) receiving a second input data indicating a selection within the active region, and (e) based on the received second input data, causing the graphical display to provide one or more media playback controls.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
causing, via a computing device, a graphical display to provide a first graphical interface within a display region of the graphical display, wherein the first graphical interface comprises (i) a first input region and (ii) a first representation of a media item;
receiving a first input data indicating a selection within the first input region;
based on the received first input data, causing the graphical display to provide a second graphical interface within the display region of the graphical display at the same time as the first graphical interface, wherein the second graphical interface comprises (i) an active region, and (ii) a second representation of the media item, and wherein the second graphical interface within the display region is distinct from the first graphical interface within the display region;
receiving a second input data indicating a selection within the active region; and
based on the received second input data, causing the second graphical interface to display one or more media playback controls to control playback of the media item on one or more playback devices that are distinct from the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the second input data indicating the selection within the active region comprises receiving a representation of a hover over within the active region.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the second input data indicating the selection within the active region comprises receiving an indication of an input movement to the active region.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active region comprises a first size, the method further comprising, based on the received second input data, adjusting the active region to have a second size different from the first size.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second size is larger than the first size.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more media playback controls comprise at least one of a volume control, a skip to previous control, a skip to next control, a play control, a pause control, or an information control.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving a third input data indicating a selection of the information control; and
based on the received third input data, causing the graphical display to provide one or more media-item options within the display region of the graphical display.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while the graphical display is providing the second graphical interface within the display region of the graphical display at the same time as the first graphical interface, receiving data indicating a command to minimize the first graphical interface; and
based on receiving the data indicating the command to minimize the first graphical interface, causing the graphical display to provide the second graphical interface while the first graphical interface is minimized.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after causing the graphical display to provide the second graphical interface, receiving a third input data indicating a second selection within the second graphical interface; and
based on the received third input data, causing the graphical display to remove the second graphical interface from the display region of the graphical display.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a third input data indicating a selection of one of the one or more media playback controls, wherein the one or more media playback controls are each associated with a respective playback command; and
based on the received third input data, transmitting to a playback device the respective playback command associated with the selected one of the one or more media playback controls.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
causing the graphical display to provide a representation of a playback zone within the display region of the graphical display, and wherein the playback zone comprises the playback device.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more media-item options comprise at least one of an add media-item to favorites list option, an add media-item to playlist option, or a display media-item information option.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the display media-item information options comprises at least one of a display artist information option or a display album information option.

14. Tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to perform a method comprising:
causing a graphical display to provide a first graphical interface within a display region of the graphical display, wherein the first graphical interface comprises (i) a first input region and (ii) a first representation of a media item;
receiving a first input data indicating a selection within the first input region;
based on the received first input data, causing the graphical display to provide a second graphical interface within the display region of the graphical display at the same time as the first graphical interface, wherein the second graphical interface comprises (i) an active region, and (ii) a second representation of the media item, and wherein the second graphical interface within the display region is distinct from the first graphical interface within the display region;
receiving a second input data indicating a selection within the active region; and
based on the received second input data, causing the second graphical interface to display one or more media playback controls to control playback of the media item on one or more playback devices that are distinct from the computing device.

15. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein receiving the second input data indicating the selection within the active region comprises receiving an indication of an input movement to the active region.

16. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the active region comprises a first size, the method further comprising:
based on the received second input data, adjusting the active region to have a second size different from the first size.

17. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the second size is larger than the first size.

18. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 14 , the instructions further comprising:
after causing the graphical display to provide the second graphical interface, receiving a third input data indicating a second selection within the second graphical interface; and
based on the received third input data, causing the graphical display to remove the second graphical interface from the display region of the graphical display.

19. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the first graphical interface further comprises an indication that the media item is currently playing.

20. A computing device comprising:
a network interface;
a display;
one or more processors; and
computer-readable media having instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
causing the display to provide a first graphical interface within a display region of the display, wherein the first graphical interface comprises (i) a first input region and (ii) a first representation of a media item;

Assignees

• Kumar Abhishek
• Bates Paul
• Roberts Diane
• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Kumar Abhishek
• Bates Paul
• Roberts Diane

Classifications

• G11B27/34 Primary

  Indicating arrangements  {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)} · CPC title

• H04N21/47217

  for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks (specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312) · 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

• 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

• H04N5/44543

  Electricity · mapped topic