IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,316,966
Granted Patent B2
US 11,316,966 · App. 16/836,571 · Granted Apr 26, 2022

Methods and interfaces for detecting a proximity between devices and initiating playback of media

Inventors: Patrick L. Coffman (San Francisco, CA); David Chance Graham (Campbell, CA); Thomas S. Hulbert (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04M1/72442G06F3/0414G06F3/0482G06F3/0488G06F3/04847G06F3/165G06F2203/04104H04M1/72412
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,316,966
App. No.
16/836,571
Filed
Mar 31, 2020
Granted
Apr 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Examiner
YOON, ERIC
Art Unit
2143
USPC
715/717
Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to interfaces and techniques for media playback on one or more devices. In accordance with some embodiments, an electronic device includes a display, one or more processors, and memory. A proximity between the electronic device and a second device is detected and in response to detecting the proximity between the electronic device and the second device, the media playback status of the electronic device and/or the second device is modified.

Claims (163)

1. A first device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

detecting, while connected to a second device, that a physical proximity between the first device and the second device satisfies a proximity condition; and

in response to detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition, displaying, on the display, a media information interface, wherein:

a) the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition is performed while the first device is playing a third media item and while the second device is playing a fourth media item different than the third media item,

the displaying of the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a third affordance associated with the third media item currently playing on the first device, and

the one or more programs further include instructions for:

transmitting an instruction to the second device to initiate playback of the third media item in response to the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition.

2. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving a user input; and

in response to receiving the user input, ceasing playing the third media item on the first device.

3. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving a user input; and

in response to receiving the user input, displaying, on the display, playback control affordances that control the playback of the third media item on the second device.

4. The first device of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition is performed while the first device is playing a fifth media item and while the second device is not playing media content, and

wherein the displaying of the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a fourth affordance representing the fifth media item, and

wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

transmitting an instruction to the second device to initiate playback of the fifth media item; and

ceasing playback, on the first device, of the fifth media item.

5. The first device of claim 4 , wherein the first device ceases playback of the fifth media item at a playback time of the fifth media item, and

wherein the transmitting of the instruction to the second device to initiate playback of the fifth media item comprises transmitting an instruction to the second device to begin playback at approximately the playback time of the fifth media item.

6. The first device of claim 4 , wherein displaying the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a fifth affordance; and

wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving a user input;

determining whether the user input represents a selection of the fifth affordance; and

in response to receiving the user input:

in accordance with a determination that the user input represents a selection of the fifth affordance, displaying, on the display, a multi-device interface; and

in accordance with a determination that the user input does not represent a selection of the fifth affordance, forgoing displaying the multi-device interface.

7. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving a user input;

determining whether the user input represents a selection of the third affordance; and

in response to receiving the user input:

in accordance with a determination that the user input represents a selection of the third affordance, displaying, on the display, playback control affordances for controlling the playback of the third media item on the first device; and

in accordance with a determination that the user input does not represent a selection of the third affordance, forgoing displaying, on the display, playback control affordances for controlling the playback of the third media item on the first device.

8. The first device of claim 1 , wherein initiating playback, on the second device, of the third media item comprises displaying, on the display:

an identification of the third media item; and

playback control affordances for controlling playback of the third media item on the second device.

9. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first device is connected to a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes the second device, and wherein the displayed media information interface corresponds to the second device.

10. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first device is connected to the second device via a wireless communication link.

11. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the media information interface comprises an indication that media playing back on the first device can be transferred to the second device.

12. The first device of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the third media item and the fourth media item is selected from the group consisting of an audio file, an audio stream, a video file, a video stream, a phone call, and a video call.

13. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first device is associated with a first user account, and wherein the second device is associated with a set of user accounts, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in accordance with detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition:

in accordance with a determination that the first user account is a member of the set of user accounts, displaying an indication that media playback can be transferred between the first device and the second device; and

in accordance with a determination that the first user account is not a member of the set of user accounts, forgoing displaying the indication that media playback can be transferred between the first device and the second device.

14. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that the physical proximity between the first device and the second device has satisfied the proximity condition continuously for a threshold amount of time, automatically transferring playback of a media item between the first device and the second device; and

in accordance with a determination that the physical proximity between the first device and the second device has not satisfied the proximity condition continuously for the threshold amount of time, forgoing automatically transferring playback of a media item between the first device and the second device.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the third affordance is displayed with an indication of playback of the third media item on the first device.

16. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition is performed while the first device is not playing media content and while the second device is playing a sixth media item, and

wherein the displaying of the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a sixth affordance representing the sixth media item,

wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

transmitting an instruction to the second device to cease playback of the sixth media item in response to the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition; and

initiating playback, on the first device, of the sixth media item.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a first device with a display, the one or more programs including instructions for:

detecting, while connected to a second device, that a physical proximity between the first device and the second device satisfies a proximity condition; and

in response to detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition, displaying, on the display, a media information interface, wherein:

the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition is performed while the first device is playing a third media item and while the second device is playing a fourth media item different than the third media item, and

the displaying of the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a third affordance associated with the third media item currently playing on the first device, and

the one or more programs further including instructions for:

transmitting an instruction to the second device to initiate playback of the third media item in response to the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving a user input; and

in response to receiving the user input, ceasing playing the third media item on the first device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving a user input; and

in response to receiving the user input, displaying, on the display, playback control affordances that control the playback of the third media item on the second device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition is performed while the first device is playing a fifth media item and while the second device is not playing media content, and

wherein the displaying of the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a fourth affordance representing the fifth media item, and

wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

transmitting an instruction to the second device to initiate playback of the fifth media item; and

ceasing playback, on the first device, of the fifth media item.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the first device ceases playback of the fifth media item at a playback time of the fifth media item, and

wherein the transmitting of the instruction to the second device to initiate playback of the fifth media item comprises transmitting an instruction to the second device to begin playback at approximately the playback time of the fifth media item.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein displaying the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a fifth affordance; and

wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving a user input;

determining whether the user input represents a selection of the fifth affordance; and

in response to receiving the user input:

in accordance with a determination that the user input represents a selection of the fifth affordance, displaying, on the display, a multi-device interface; and

in accordance with a determination that the user input does not represent a selection of the fifth affordance, forgoing displaying the multi-device interface.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving a user input;

determining whether the user input represents a selection of the third affordance; and

in response to receiving the user input:

in accordance with a determination that the user input represents a selection of the third affordance, displaying, on the display, playback control affordances for controlling the playback of the third media item on the first device; and

in accordance with a determination that the user input does not represent a selection of the third affordance, forgoing displaying, on the display, playback control affordances for controlling the playback of the third media item on the first device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein initiating playback, on the second device, of the third media item comprises displaying, on the display:

an identification of the third media item; and

playback control affordances for controlling playback of the third media item on the second device.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first device is connected to a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes the second device, and wherein the displayed media information interface corresponds to the second device.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first device is connected to the second device via a wireless communication link.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the media information interface comprises an indication that media playing back on the first device can be transferred to the second device.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein one or more of the third media item and the fourth media item is selected from the group consisting of an audio file, an audio stream, a video file, a video stream, a phone call, and a video call.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first device is associated with a first user account, and wherein the second device is associated with a set of user accounts, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in accordance with detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition:

in accordance with a determination that the first user account is a member of the set of user accounts, displaying an indication that media playback can be transferred between the first device and the second device; and

in accordance with a determination that the first user account is not a member of the set of user accounts, forgoing displaying the indication that media playback can be transferred between the first device and the second device.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that the physical proximity between the first device and the second device has satisfied the proximity condition continuously for a threshold amount of time, automatically transferring playback of a media item between the first device and the second device; and

in accordance with a determination that the physical proximity between the first device and the second device has not satisfied the proximity condition continuously for the threshold amount of time, forgoing automatically transferring playback of a media item between the first device and the second device.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the third affordance is displayed with an indication of playback of the third media item on the second device.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition is performed while the first device is not playing media content and while the second device is playing a sixth media item,

wherein the displaying of the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a sixth affordance representing the sixth media item, and

wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

transmitting an instruction to the second device to cease playback of the sixth media item in response to the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition; and

initiating playback, on the first device, of the sixth media item.

33. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a first device with a display:

detecting, while connected to a second device, that a physical proximity between the first device and the second device satisfies a proximity condition; and

in response to detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition, displaying, on the display, a media information interface, wherein:

the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition is performed while the first device is playing a third media item and while the second device is playing a fourth media item different than the third media item,

the displaying of the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a third affordance associated with the third media item currently playing on the first device, and

the method further comprises:

transmitting an instruction to the second device to initiate playback of the third media item in response to the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition.

34. The method of claim 33 , further comprising:

receiving a user input; and

in response to receiving the user input, ceasing playing the third media item on the first device.

35. The method of claim 33 , further comprising:

receiving a user input; and

in response to receiving the user input, displaying, on the display, playback control affordances that control the playback of the third media item on the second device.

36. The method of claim 33 , wherein detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition is performed while the first device is playing a fifth media item and while the second device is not playing media content, and

wherein the displaying of the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a fourth affordance representing the fifth media item, and

wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

transmitting an instruction to the second device to initiate playback of the fifth media item; and

ceasing playback, on the first device, of the fifth media item.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the first device ceases playback of the fifth media item at a playback time of the fifth media item, and

wherein the transmitting of the instruction to the second device to initiate playback of the fifth media item comprises transmitting an instruction to the second device to begin playback at approximately the playback time of the fifth media item.

38. The method of claim 36 , wherein displaying the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a fifth affordance, and

wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a user input;

determining whether the user input represents a selection of the fifth affordance; and

in response to receiving the user input:

in accordance with a determination that the user input represents a selection of the fifth affordance, displaying, on the display, a multi-device interface; and

in accordance with a determination that the user input does not represent a selection of the fifth affordance, forgoing displaying the multi-device interface.

39. The method of claim 36 , further comprising:

receiving a user input;

determining whether the user input represents a selection of the third affordance; and

in response to receiving the user input:

in accordance with a determination that the user input represents a selection of the third affordance, displaying, on the display, playback control affordances for controlling the playback of the third media item on the first device; and

in accordance with a determination that the user input does not represent a selection of the third affordance, forgoing displaying, on the display, playback control affordances for controlling the playback of the third media item on the first device.

40. The method of claim 33 , wherein initiating playback, on the second device, of the third media item comprises displaying, on the display:

an identification of the third media item; and

playback control affordances for controlling playback of the third media item on the second device.

41. The method of claim 33 , wherein the first device is connected to a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes the second device, and wherein the displayed media information interface corresponds to the second device.

42. The method of claim 33 , wherein the first device is connected to the second device via a wireless communication link.

43. The method of claim 33 , wherein the media information interface comprises an indication that the media playing back on the first device can be transferred to the second device.

44. The method of claim 33 , wherein one or more of the third media item and the fourth media item is selected from the group consisting of an audio file, an audio stream, a video file, a video stream, a phone call, and a video call.

45. The method of claim 33 , wherein the first device is associated with a first user account, and wherein the second device is associated with a set of user accounts, the method further comprising:

in accordance with detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition:

in accordance with a determination that the first user account is a member of the set of user accounts, displaying an indication that media playback can be transferred between the first device and the second device; and

in accordance with a determination that the first user account is not a member of the set of user accounts, forgoing displaying the indication that media playback can be transferred between the first device and the second device.

46. The method of claim 33 , further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that the physical proximity between the first device and the second device has satisfied the proximity condition continuously for a threshold amount of time, automatically transferring playback of a media item between the first device and the second device; and

in accordance with a determination that the physical proximity between the first device and the second device has not satisfied the proximity condition continuously for the threshold amount of time, forgoing automatically transferring playback of a media item between the first device and the second device.

47. The method of claim 33 , wherein the third affordance is displayed with an indication of playback of the third media item on the first device.

48. The method of claim 33 , wherein the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition is performed while the first device is not playing media content and while the second device is playing a sixth media item,

wherein the displaying of the media information interface comprises displaying, on the display, a sixth affordance representing the sixth media item, and

wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

transmitting an instruction to the second device to cease playback of the sixth media item in response to the detecting that the physical proximity satisfies the proximity condition; and

initiating playback, on the first device, of the sixth media item.

Continuity (7)
Continuation 16803749 · Feb 27, 2020
Continuation 15910263 · Mar 2, 2018
Provisional Application 62622122 · Jan 25, 2018
Provisional Application 62514932 · Jun 4, 2017
Provisional Application 62507202 · May 16, 2017
Provisional Application 62507208 · May 16, 2017
Related Publication 20200225817A1 · Jul 16, 2020
Cited By (3)
US 1,087,117 US 1,109,163 US 12,363,497