Playback Queue Control
Example techniques involve control of a media playback system involving multiple zones. A control application may include different control interfaces for respective zones of the multiple zones. A control interface for a given zone may include transport controls to control playback in the zone, volume controls to control zone volume level, and an indication of media playing back in the zone. A user may utilize swipe inputs to switch between the control interfaces in order to control different zones.
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a touch screen to display a user interface;
a controller to control a first physical playback device of a first zone when in a first control context and to control a second physical playback device of a second zone when in a second control context;
a swipe detector to monitor a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of the touch screen; and
a context changer to change the controller from operating in the first control context to operating in the second control context in response to a detected swipe.
2 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a user interface communicator to facilitate a change in a display of the designated area in response to the detected swipe.
3 . An apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the display includes information related to a currently selected media item in the first or second zone.
4 . An apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the display includes an identifier of the first zone when in the first control context.
5 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a queue section including a queue of media items to be presented in connection with a current control context.
6 . An apparatus as defined in claim 5 , wherein the queue section includes a drop zone defined as a first side of the queue section, the drop zone having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein dropping a media item into the top portion causes the media to be placed at a top of the queue, and wherein dropping the media item into the bottom portion causes the media to be placed at a top of the queue.
7 . An apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first and second zones are part of an in-home whole house media system.
8 . A method, comprising:
monitoring a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of a touch screen; and
changing a controller from operating in a first control context to operating in a second control context in response to a detected swipe, wherein the controller controls a first physical playback device of a first zone when in the first control context, and wherein the controller controls a second physical playback device of a second zone when in the second control context.
9 . A method as defined in claim 8 , further comprising facilitating a change in a display of the designated area in response to the detected swipe.
10 . A method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the display includes information related to a currently selected media item in the first or second zone.
11 . A method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the display includes an identifier of the first zone when in the first control context.
12 . A method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the user interface includes an indicator reflective of a list of control contexts in which the controller operates.
13 . A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first and second physical playback devices are playback devices capable of generating a media presentation.
14 . A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first and second zones are part of an in-home whole house media system.
15 . A tangible machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
monitor a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of a touch screen; and
change a controller from operating in a first control context to operating in a second control context in response to a detected swipe, wherein the controller controls a first physical playback device of a first zone when in the first control context, and wherein the controller controls a second physical playback device of a second zone when in the second control context.
16 . A machine-readable medium as defined in claim 15 , the instructions to cause the machine to facilitate a change in a display of the designated area in response to the detected swipe.
17 . A machine-readable medium as defined in claim 16 , wherein the display includes information related to a currently selected media item in the first or second zone.
18 . A machine-readable medium as defined in claim 16 , wherein the display includes an identifier of the first zone when in the first control context.
19 . A machine-readable medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first and second physical playback devices are playback devices capable of generating a media presentation.
20 . A machine-readable medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first and second zones are part of an in-home whole house media system.