IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,928,389
Granted Patent B2
US 11,928,389 · App. 18/070,063 · Granted Mar 12, 2024

Smart music services preferences

Inventor: Jonathan Lang (Santa Barbara, CA)
Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
G06F3/165
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,928,389
App. No.
18/070,063
Granted
Mar 12, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example computing device is configured to transmit playback preference tracking information to a media service registered with a media playback system and, after transmitting the playback preference information, (a) determine a first time boundary corresponding to a beginning of a zone scene that causes a first playback device in a first zone of the media playback system to be configured for synchronous playback of media with a second playback device in a second zone of the media playback system, (b) determine a second time boundary corresponding to an end of the zone scene, and (c) transmit, to the media service registered with the media playback system, a request to remove playback preference tracking information received between the first time boundary and the second time boundary.

Claims (51)

1. A computing system comprising:

least one processor; and

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

track playback preferences for a media playback system registered with a first account, wherein the playback preferences include a playback history indicating media items played back by the media playback system;

receive, from, the media playback system, data indicating that the media playback system has entered a guest mode, wherein the guest mode enables one or more guest computing devices that are not registered with the first account to cause one or more media items to be added for playback by the media playback system; and

based on the data, forgo tracking, for the media playback system, playback preferences associated with the one or more media items.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium farther comprises program instructions such that the computing system is configured to:

receive, from the media playback system, second data, indicating that the media playback system has exited the guest mode; and

resume playback preferences tracking for the media playback system based on the second data.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein:

the computing system is associated with a media streaming service; and

the first account is an account with the media streaming service.

4. The computing system of claim 3 , wherein:

the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises program instructions such that the computing system is configured to cause the media streaming service to provide media items for playback by the media playback system; and

the media items comprise the one or more media items.

5. The computing system of claim 3 , wherein tracking the playback preferences comprises tracking the playback preferences by the media streaming service.

6. The computing system of claim 3 , wherein the playback history indicates only media items played back by the media playback system via the media streaming service.

7. The computing system of claim 3 , wherein:

the media playback system is associated with one or more media content sources; and

the one or more media content sources comprise one or more of: the media streaming service, a second media streaming service, a server, a user device, a playback device of the media playback system, or a control device of the media playback system.

8. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein:

the media playback system comprises a control device registered with the first account; and

receiving the data from the media playback system comprises receiving the data from the control device.

9. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the media playback system comprises at least one playback device different than the control device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a computing system to perform functions comprising:

tracking playback preferences for a media playback system registered with a first account, wherein the playback preferences include a playback history indicating media items played back by the media playback system;

receiving, from the media playback system, data indicating that the media playback system has entered a guest mode, wherein the guest mode enables one or more guest computing devices that are not registered with the first account to cause one or more media items to be added for playback by the media playback system; and

based on the data, forgoing tracking, for the media playback system playback preferences associated with the one or more media items.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising instructions to cause the computing system to perform functions comprising:

receiving, from the media playback system, second data indicating that the media playback system has exited the guest mode; and

resuming playback preferences tracking for the media playback system based on the second data.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein:

the computing system is associated with a media streaming service; and

the first account is an account with the media streaming service.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , further comprising instructions to cause the computing system to cause the media streaming service to provide media items for playback by the media playback system, wherein the media items comprise the one or more media items.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein tracking the playback preferences comprises tracking the playback preferences by the media streaming service.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the playback history indicates only media items played back by the media playback system via the media streaming service.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein;

the media playback system is associated with one or more media content sources; and

the one or more media content sources comprise one or more of: the media streaming service, a second media streaming service, a server, a user device, a playback device of the media playback system, or a control device of the media playback system.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein:

the media playback system comprises a control device registered with the first account; and

receiving the data from the media playback system comprises receiving the data from the control device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the media playback system comprises at least one playback device different than the control device.

19. A method to be performed by a computing system, the method comprising:

tracking playback preferences for a media playback system registered with a first account, wherein the playback preferences include a playback history indicating media items played back by the media playback system;

receiving, from the media playback system, data indicating that the media playback system has entered a guest mode, wherein the guest mode enables one or more guest computing devices that are not registered with the first account to cause one or more media items to be added for playback by the media playback system; and

based on the data, forgoing tracking, for the media playback system, playback preferences associated with the one or more media items.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

receiving, from the media playback system, second data indicating that the media playback system has exited the guest mode; and

resuming playback preferences tracking for the media playback system based on the second data.

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 Mar 3, 2023
From: LANG, JONATHAN
To: SONOS, INC.,
Reel/Frame 062877/0371 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17129501 · Dec 21, 2020
Continuation 16659106 · Oct 21, 2019
Continuation 15953683 · Apr 16, 2018
Continuation 14871609 · Sep 30, 2015
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