IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,886,769
Granted Patent B2
US 11,886,769 · App. 17/967,645 · Granted Jan 30, 2024

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 11,886,769
App. No.
17/967,645
Granted
Jan 30, 2024
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 (42)

1. A playback device comprising:

at least one processor;

a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

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

play back first audio content that was determined based on (i) receiving data indicating a command to play back audio content and (ii) one or more properties of a given user account associated with the playback device, wherein the given user account was identified from one or more user accounts associated with the playback device based on the data indicating the command;

determine a playback condition related to the playback device;

based on one or both of (i) at least one property of the given user account or (ii) at least one property of the playback condition, determine second audio content for playback; and

play back the second audio content.

2. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first audio content comprises one or more media items in a playback queue, the playback device further comprising program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:

determine a given time slot in the playback queue; and

play back the second audio content during the given time slot.

3. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the playback condition comprises a location-related playback condition, and wherein the at least one property of the playback condition comprises (i) a geographic location of the playback device, (ii) a playback zone associated with the playback device, or (iii) an indication of user presence within proximity of the playback device.

4. The playback device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one property comprises a playback zone associated with the playback device, and wherein the second audio content is associated with the playback zone.

5. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the playback condition comprises an operational history of the playback device.

6. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the playback condition comprises a model number, a configuration, or a playback setting of the playback device.

7. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the given user account comprises a listening history of the given user account.

8. The playback device of claim 7 , 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 that 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 playback device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the given user account comprises a social network service associated with the given user account, and wherein the second audio content comprises information related to the social network service.

10. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the given user account comprises a geographic location corresponding to the given user account, and wherein the second audio content comprises information related to the geographic location.

11. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the given user account comprises a demographic corresponding to the given user account, and wherein the second audio content comprises information related to the demographic.

12. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the second audio content comprises promotional audio content.

13. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine the second audio content for playback further comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:

retrieve, from a remote computing device configured to store information about activity for one or both of the given user account or the playback device, information about one or both of (i) the at least one property of the given user account or (ii) the at least one property of the playback condition.

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

play back first audio content that was determined based on (i) receiving data indicating a command to play back audio content and (ii) one or more properties of a given user account associated with the playback device, wherein the given user account was identified from one or more user accounts associated with the playback device based on the data indicating the command;

determine a playback condition related to the playback device;

based on one or both of (i) at least one property of the given user account or (ii) at least one property of the playback condition, determine second audio content for playback; and

play back the second audio content.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the first audio content comprises one or more media items in a playback queue, and wherein the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the playback device to:

determine a given time slot in the playback queue; and

play back the second audio content during the given time slot.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the playback condition comprises a location-related playback condition, and wherein the at least one property of the playback condition comprises (i) a geographic location of the playback device, (ii) a playback zone associated with the playback device, or (iii) an indication of user presence within proximity of the playback device.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the at least one property comprises a playback zone of the playback device, and wherein the second audio content is associated with the playback zone.

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

playing back first audio content that was determined based on (i) receiving data indicating a command to play back audio content and (ii) one or more properties of a given user account associated with the playback device, wherein the given user account was identified from one or more user accounts associated with the playback device based on the data indicating the command;

determining a playback condition related to the playback device;

based on one or both of (i) at least one property of the given user account or (ii) at least one property of the playback condition, determining second audio content for playback; and

playing back the second audio content.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first audio content comprises one or more media items in a playback queue, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a given time slot in the playback queue; and

playing back the second audio content during the given time slot.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the playback condition comprises a location-related playback condition, and wherein the at least one property of the playback condition comprises (i) a geographic location of the playback device, (ii) a playback zone associated with the playback device, or (iii) an indication of user presence within proximity of the playback device.

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 Nov 9, 2022
From: REIMANN, ROBERT; TAYLOR, DAVID; KUMAR, ABHISHEK
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 061700/0570 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 17570858 · Jan 7, 2022
Continuation 17347031 · Jun 14, 2021
Continuation 16895747 · Jun 8, 2020
Continuation 16447644 · Jun 20, 2019
Continuation 15205479 · Jul 8, 2016
Continuation 13338724 · Dec 28, 2011
Related Publication 20230038180A1 · Feb 9, 2023