Granted Patent B2

US 10,129,599 · App. 14/263,729 · Granted Nov 13, 2018

Inventor: Maarten van der Heide (Goleta, CA)

Assignee: Sonos, Inc.

H04N21/4756G06F3/0482G06F3/04817G06F3/165G06F3/167G06F17/30035G06F17/30867G06F17/30876H04R27/00G06F3/016H04R2227/005H04R2420/07

Abstract

Claims (67)

1. A method to be performed by a media playback system comprising one or more playback devices, the method comprising:

receiving, via the media playback system from a first control device connected to the one or more playback devices via a local area network, an instruction to play back a first audio track on the one or more playback devices, the first control device associated with a first user profile of the media playback system;

in response to the instruction, causing, via the media playback system, the one or more playback devices to play back the first audio track;

receiving, via the media playback system from the first control device, a first preference for the first audio track that is being played by the one or more playback devices, wherein the one or more playback devices of the media playback system are configured to stream the first audio track using a first user account of the particular streaming media service provider, and wherein the first user profile of the media playback system is associated with the first user account of the particular streaming media service;

sending, from the media playback system to a second control device connected to the one or more playback devices via the local area network, an indication of the first audio track that the one or more playback devices are playing back, the second control device associated with a second user profile of the media playback system, wherein the second user profile is associated with a second user account of the particular streaming media service provider;

while the one or more playback devices are streaming the first audio track from the particular streaming media service provider using the first user account and playing back the first audio track via one or more speakers, receiving, via the media playback system from the second control device, a second preference for the first audio track that the one or more playback devices are playing back;

storing, in a preference database affiliated with the media playback system, (i) the first preference for the first audio track in association with the first user account of the particular streaming media service provider, (ii) the first preference in association with the first user profile, and (iii) information associated with the first audio track, wherein the information associated with the first audio track comprises a service-provider identification for the first audio track corresponding to the particular streaming media service provider;

storing, in the preference database affiliated with the media playback system, (i) the second preference in association with the second user account of the particular streaming media service provider, (ii) the second preference in association with the second user profile, and (iii) the information associated with the first audio track;

sending, from the media playback system to the particular streaming media service provider, the first preference for the first audio track and an indication of the first user account, wherein sending the first preference for the first audio track causes the particular streaming media service provider to stream a recommended second audio track for the first user account based on the first preference for the first audio track; and

causing, via the media playback system, the one or more playback devices to play the recommended second audio track based on the first preference for the first audio track.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preference database affiliated with the media playback system is stored in a remote server.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, via the particular streaming media service provider, another audio track using the first preference.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

converting the first preference from a first preference format that is native to the media playback system to a second preference format that is used by the particular streaming audio service.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the first preference corresponding to the first audio track comprises receiving data indicating one or more of the following: (a) a positive preference for the first audio track, (b) a negative preference for the first audio track, (c) a selection of the first audio track, (d) a skipping of the first audio track, and (e) a rating of the first audio track.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, via the media playback system from the second control device, a first preference for a third audio track, wherein the third audio track is streamable to the media playback system from the particular streaming media service provider, and wherein the media playback system is configured to stream the third audio track using the second user account of the particular streaming media service provider;

while the one or more playback devices are streaming the third audio track from the particular streaming media service provider using the second user account and playing back the first audio track via one or more speakers, receiving, via the media playback system from the first control device, a second preference for the third audio track;

sending, from the media playback system to the particular streaming media service provider, the first preference for the third audio track and an indication of the second user account, wherein sending the first preference for the third audio track causes the particular streaming media service provider to stream a recommended fourth audio track for the second user account based on the first preference for the third audio track; and

causing, via the media playback system, the one or more playback devices to play the recommended fourth audio track based on the first preference for the third audio track.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing, via the media playback system, one or more playback devices to play the recommended second audio track based on the first preference corresponding to the first audio track comprises:

causing, via the media playback system, two or more playback device to synchronously play the recommended second audio track based on the first preference corresponding to the first audio track.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

when the second control device is connected to the media playback system, sending, from the media playback system to the particular streaming media service provider, the second preference for the first audio track, wherein sending the second preference for the first audio track causes the particular streaming media service provider to stream the recommended second audio track for the first user account based on the first preference for the first audio track and the second preference for the first audio track.

9. A computing device of a media playback system comprising one or more playback devices, the computing device comprising:

a network interface;

a processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable via the processor to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via the network interface from a first control device connected to the one or more playback devices via a local area network, an instruction to play back a first audio track on the one or more playback devices, the first control device associated with a first user profile of the media playback system;

in response to the instruction, causing the one or more playback devices to play back the first audio track;

receiving, via the network interface from the first control device, a first preference for the first audio track that is being played by the one or more playback devices, wherein the one or more playback devices of the media playback system are configured to stream the first audio track using a first user account of the particular streaming media service provider, and wherein the first user profile of the media playback system is associated with the first user account of the particular streaming media service;

causing the media playback system to send an indication of the first audio track that the one or more playback devices are playing back to a second control device, the second control device associated with a second user profile of the media playback system, wherein the second user profile is associated with a second user account of the particular streaming media service provider;

while the one or more playback devices are streaming the first audio track from the particular streaming media service provider using the first user account and playing back the first audio track via one or more speakers, receiving, via the network interface from the second control device, a second preference for the first audio track that the one or more playback devices are playing back;

storing, in a preference database, (i) the first preference for the first audio track in association with a user account of the particular streaming media service provider, (ii) the first preference in association with the first user profile, and (iii) information associated with the first audio track, wherein the information associated with the first audio track comprises a service-provider identification for the first audio track corresponding to the particular streaming media service provider;

storing, in the preference database affiliated with the media playback system, (i) the second preference in association with the second user account of the particular streaming media service provider, (ii) the second preference in association with the second user profile, and (iii) the information associated with the first audio track;

sending, from the media playback system to the particular streaming media service provider, the first preference for the first audio track and an indication of the first user account, wherein sending the first preference for the first audio track causes the particular streaming media service provider to stream a recommended second audio track for the first user account based on the first preference for the first audio track; and

causing the one or more playback devices to play the recommended second audio track based on the first preference for the first audio track.

10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the functions further comprise:

converting the first preference from a first preference format that is native to the media playback system to a second preference format that is used by the particular streaming audio service.

11. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein causing, via the media playback system, one or more playback devices to play the recommended second audio track based on the first preference corresponding to the first audio track comprises:

causing, via the media playback system, two or more playback device to synchronously play the recommended second audio track based on the first preference corresponding to the first audio track.

12. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the functions further comprise:

when the second control device is connected to the media playback system, sending, from the media playback system to the particular streaming media service provider, the second preference for the first audio track, wherein sending the second preference for the first audio track causes the particular streaming media service provider to stream the recommended second audio track for the first user account based on the first preference for the first audio track and the second preference for the first audio track.

13. Tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device of a media playback system to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via a network interface from a first control device connected to one or more playback devices of the media playback system via a local area network, an instruction to play back a first audio track on one or more playback devices of the media playback system, the first control device associated with a first user profile of the media playback system;

in response to the instruction, causing the one or more playback devices to play back the first audio track;

receiving, via the network interface from the first control device, a first preference for the first audio track that is being played by the one or more playback devices, wherein the one or more playback devices of the media playback system are configured to stream the first audio track using a first user account of the particular streaming media service provider, and wherein the first user profile of the media playback system is associated with the first user account of the particular streaming media service;

causing the media playback system to send an indication of the first audio track that the one or more playback devices are playing back to a second control device, the second control device associated with a second user profile of the media playback system, wherein the second user profile is associated with a second user account of the particular streaming media service provider;

while the one or more playback devices are streaming the first audio track from the particular streaming media service provider using the first user account and playing back the first audio track via one or more speakers, receiving, via the network interface from the second control device, a second preference for the first audio track that the one or more playback devices are playing back;

storing, in a preference database, (i) the first preference for the first audio track in association with a user account of the particular streaming media service provider, (ii) the first preference in association with the first user profile, and (iii) information associated with the first audio track;

storing, in the preference database affiliated with the media playback system, (i) the second preference in association with the second user account of the particular streaming media service provider, (ii) the second preference in association with the second user profile, and (iii) the information associated with the first audio track, wherein the information associated with the first audio track comprises a service-provider identification for the first audio track corresponding to the particular streaming media service provider;

sending, from the media playback system to the particular streaming media service provider, the first preference for the first audio track and an indication of the first user account, wherein sending the first preference for the first audio track causes the particular streaming media service provider to stream a recommended second audio track for the first user account based on the first preference for the first audio track; and

causing the one or more playback devices to play the recommended second audio track based on the first preference for the first audio track.

14. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media of claim 13 , wherein the functions further comprise:

converting the first preference from a first preference format that is native to the media playback system to a second preference format that is used by the particular streaming audio service.

15. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media of claim 13 , wherein the preference database is stored in a remote server.

16. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media of claim 13 , wherein the information associated with the first audio track comprises a service-provider identification for the first audio track corresponding to the particular streaming media service provider.

17. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media of claim 13 , wherein causing, via the media playback system, one or more playback devices to play the recommended second audio track based on the first preference corresponding to the first audio track comprises:

causing, via the media playback system, two or more playback device to synchronously play the recommended second audio track based on the first preference corresponding to the first audio track.

18. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media of claim 13 , wherein the functions further comprise:

when the second control device is connected to the media playback system, sending, from the media playback system to the particular streaming media service provider, the second preference for the first audio track, wherein sending the second preference for the first audio track causes the particular streaming media service provider to stream the recommended second audio track for the first user account based on the first preference for the first audio track and the second preference for the first audio track.

19. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media of claim 13 , wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving, from the second control device, a first preference for a third audio track, wherein the third audio track is streamable to the media playback system from the particular streaming media service provider, and wherein the media playback system is configured to stream the third audio track using the second user account of the particular streaming media service provider;

while the one or more playback devices are streaming the third audio track from the particular streaming media service provider using the second user account and playing back the first audio track via one or more speakers, receiving, from the first control device, a second preference for the third audio track;

sending, to the particular streaming media service provider, the first preference for the third audio track and an indication of the second user account, wherein sending the first preference for the third audio track causes the particular streaming media service provider to stream a recommended fourth audio track for the second user account based on the first preference for the third audio track; and

causing the one or more playback devices to play the recommended fourth audio track based on the first preference for the third audio track.

Assignments (6)

Continuity (1)

Cited By (10)

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