IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,474,777
Granted Patent B2
US 11,474,777 · App. 17/347,031 · Granted Oct 18, 2022

Audio track selection and playback

Inventors: Robert Reimann (Cambridge, MA); David Taylor (Santa Barbara, CA); Abhishek Kumar (Hayward, CA)
Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
G06F3/165G06F3/0484G06F16/635G06F16/60G06F16/683
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,474,777
App. No.
17/347,031
Granted
Oct 18, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example system is configured to: (i) receive data indicating a command to play back, via a playback device of a media playback system, media content; (ii) based on the data indicating the command, detect a first playback condition comprising a first user identity; (iii) identify, from one or more user accounts associated with the playback device, a first user account corresponding to the first user identity; (iv) based at least on (1) the command and (2) one or more properties of the first user account, determine first media content for playback by the playback device; and (v) cause the playback device to play back the first media content.

Claims (51)

1. A system comprising:

a playback device;

at least one processor;

at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

receive data indicating a command to play back media content;

based on the data indicating the command, determine a playback condition related to a geographic location of the playback device;

identify, from one or more user accounts associated with the playback device, a given user account associated with the data indicating the command;

based at least on (i) the determined playback condition and (ii) one or more properties of the given user account, determine media content for playback; and

cause the playback device to play back the media content.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

cause storage of data indicating playback of the media content in association with the given user account and the playback condition.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a location sensor, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to determine the playback condition related to the geographic location of the playback device comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

receive location data captured by the location sensor.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the location sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS).

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the geographic location comprises a given geographic region, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to determine the media content for playback comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

determine the media content for playback based on media content that is available in the given geographic region.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more properties of the given user account comprise a listening history of the given user account.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the listening history of the given user account indicates one or more of: (i) a given geographic location, (ii) a given time of day, or (iii) at least one given media property.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one given media property comprises a given tempo, a given rhythm, a given genre, a given artist, or given metadata indicating a listening preference associated with the playback condition.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more properties of the given user account comprise demographic information corresponding to the given user account, and wherein the demographic information includes one or more geographic or regional affinities of the given user account.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more properties of the given user account comprise an identification of a default cloud-based media service from one or more cloud-based media services associated with the given user account for playback of media content, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to cause the playback device to play back the media content further comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

retrieve the media content from the default cloud-based media service.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data indicating the command to play back media content is received via a voice input.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the system further comprises a controller device that is communicatively coupled to the playback device;

the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to receive the data indicating the command to play back media content comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

receive the data indicating the command to play back media content via the controller device; and

the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to identify, from the one or more user accounts associated with the playback device, the given user account associated with the data indicating the command comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

identify a given user account associated with the controller device.

13. At least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a system comprising a playback device to:

receive data indicating a command to play back media content;

based on the data indicating the command, determine a playback condition related to a geographic location of the playback device;

identify, from one or more user accounts associated with the playback device, a given user account associated with the data indicating the command;

based at least on (i) the determined playback condition and (ii) one or more properties of the given user account, determine media content for playback; and

cause the playback device to play back the media content.

14. The at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to:

cause storage of data indicating playback of the media content in association with the given user account and the playback condition.

15. The at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the system further comprises a location sensor, and wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to determine the playback condition related to the geographic location of the playback device comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive location data captured by the location sensor.

16. The at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the location sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS).

17. The at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the geographic location comprises a given geographic region, and wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to determine the media content for playback comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to:

determine the media content for playback based on media content that is available in the given geographic region.

18. The at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the one or more properties of the given user account comprise a listening history of the given user account.

19. The at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the listening history of the given user account indicates one or more of: (i) a given geographic location, (ii) a given time of day, or (iii) at least one given media property, wherein the at least one given media property comprises a given tempo, a given rhythm, a given genre, a given artist, or given metadata indicating a listening preference associated with the playback condition.

20. A method carried out by a system comprising a playback device, the method comprising:

receiving data indicating a command to play back media content;

based on the data indicating the command, determining a playback condition related to a geographic location of the playback device;

identifying, from one or more user accounts associated with the playback device, a given user account associated with the data indicating the command;

based at least on (i) the determined playback condition and (ii) one or more properties of the given user account, determining media content for playback; and

causing the playback device to play back the media content.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 30, 2026
From: SONOS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 074533/0615 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2021
From: REIMANN, ROBERT; TAYLOR, DAVID; KUMAR, ABHISHEK
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 057314/0667 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16895747 · Jun 8, 2020
Continuation 16447644 · Jun 20, 2019
Continuation 15205479 · Jul 8, 2016
Continuation 13338724 · Dec 28, 2011
Related Publication 20210303262A1 · Sep 30, 2021