Apple Inc.

Edward T Schmidt

Gregory R Chapman

Deepak R Iyer

Astrid Yi

Jonathan Anderson Bennett

Kenneth Buffalo McNeil

Charles Magahern

David P Saracino

Jason P Ketterman

Nicholas James Paulson

Nitin Ganatra

Andrew M Wadycki

David Chance Graham

Sean Boland Kelly

Stephen Olivier Lemay

Patrick L Coffman

Thomas M Alsina

Gordon J Freedman

Cody D Jorgensen

Elena Leyfman

Adam A Sonnanstine

Shreyas Nandagudi Sreesha

Aparna S Akella

Joel M Lopes Da Silva

James Callender

Johannes P Schmidt

Richard Michael Powell

Jean-Pierre Ciudad

Julien F Freudiger

Todd R Fernandez

Christopher G Skogen

Joao Pedro De Almeida Forjaz De Lacerda

Eric Krugler

Cyrus Daboo

Taylor Gerard Carrigan

Ronald Keryuan Huang

Nathan De Vries

Benjamin S Phipps

Matthew Joseph Cielak

Jacob C Farkas

Marc E Weinberger

Craig Michael Federighi

Christopher John Sanders

Ying Chen

Arvind S Shenoy

Christopher R Wysocki

David Rahardja

Amandeep S Jawa

Szu-Wen Huang

Henry Graham Mason

Andre M Boule

Andrew J Sinesio

Paul C Irvine

Cesar De Camargo Barscevicius

Mufaddal Y Khumri

Betim Deva

Zhiyuan Zhao

Harry Simmonds

Aurie Bendahan

Keith G Henrickson

Owen Imholte

Thomas G Adcox

David Rahardia

George D Bottas

Michael Gachet

Jonathan T Cools-Lartigue

Noah C Hines

Kenneth B Mcneil

Nitin K Ganatra

One embodiment provides for a media playback device comprising a memory device to store instructions; one or more processors to execute the instructions stored on the memory device, the instructions to cause the one or more processors to provide a playback queue manager to manage one or more media playback queues including a set of media items associated with a scheduled event and a playback routing manager to determine an output destination for the set of media items based on context associated with the scheduled event, the playback routing manager to route output of playback of the set of media items to one or more of multiple different connected media playback devices based on the context associated with the scheduled event.

Alarms for a system of smart media playback devices

In some implementations a system can be configured to reduce the burden of pairing user devices with playback devices. For example, all users (or user devices) who commonly operate within a particular environment (e.g., a home) can be configured as authorized users of playback devices within the particular environment. When one of the authorized users pairs a user device with a playback device, all of the user devices for all authorized users can be automatically paired with the playback device as a result of the single pairing. Thus, only a single authorized user is burdened with the pairing process in order to pair all authorized users with the playback device.

Pairing devices by proxy

The subject disclosure provides systems and methods for providing access to media content from a server based on a user interface of a client device through which the access is requested. A user may access certain media content, such as a song, album, playlist, a radio station, etc., only if a request for that content is initiated via a specific user interface, and when the user is a subscriber to a reduced subscription tier to a service of the server. To restrict the access in this way, an interface-specific token is generated at a server for each media content. The interface-specific token is received by a user device and is used for further access to the media content from the server.

User interface-based restriction on content access

In some implementations, a system can be configured to allow remote control devices to quietly obtain status information related to various audio/video playback devices. For example, a streaming device (e.g., a user device, phone, etc.) can establish a streaming connection to a playback device. The playback device can be configured to only accept a single streaming connection (i.e., master connection). A remote control device (e.g., a user device, phone, etc.) can quietly connect (i.e., control connection) to the playback device without interrupting the master connection to obtain status information related to the playback device and or the media being streamed to the playback device. The remote control device can provide commands through the control connection to adjust the playback of the streamed media at the playback device.

Remotely controlling playback devices

A device implementing a multi-user content queue may include a memory and at least one processor configured to receive, on the device, a content query and retrieve, from the memory, user account credentials corresponding to user accounts associated with the device. The at least one processor may be further configured to provide, to a server, the user account credentials and the content query. The at least one processor may be further configured to receive, from the server and based on the content query, a user account identifier of one of the user accounts and a content identifier corresponding to content in a content library of the one of the user accounts. The at least one processor may be further configured to utilize the user account identifier and the content identifier for output, by the device, of the content from the content library of the one of the user accounts.

Multi-user content queue

A device receives a time-based restriction for usage by a first user with respect to an application, a website or a device-level function. The device receives encrypted data indicating a usage by the first user on a second device with respect to the application, website or device-level function. The device determines that at least one of the usage by the first user on the second device or a usage by the first user on the device with respect to the application, website or device-level function violates the time-based restriction. The device provides, in response to the determining, a notification that the time-based restriction has been violated by the first user.

Managing device usage

Techniques are disclosed for managing media playback among an ad hoc group of playback devices. Such techniques may involve building a session among the playback devices in which playback devices communicate information regarding their playback capabilities. Based on the playback capabilities of the devices, playback mode may be derived for the session. Playback operations may be synchronized among the devices that are members of the session, in which devices receive identification of asset(s) to be rendered pursuant to the playback operation and timing information of playback of the asset. The devices may stream the playback assets directly from media sources when they are capable of doing so. In this manner, communication resources are conserved.

Encapsulating and synchronizing state interactions between devices

One embodiment provides for a data processing system comprising a memory device to store instructions and one or more processors to execute the instructions stored on the memory device. The instructions cause the one or more processors to provide a virtual assistant to receive voice input at a media playback device associated with the data processing system. The virtual assistant, via the one or more processors, is configured to receive a voice command at the media playback device, where the voice command is to schedule an event, then determine a user account associated with the voice command, a type of command based on context information associated with the voice command, and a target device to which media playback associated with the event is to be scheduled.

In some implementations, a computing device can send a priming command to a media application to cause the media application to load media items and media item metadata into memory associated with the media application. The computing device can predict a media application that is likely to be invoked by a user. The computing device can launch the media application. The computing device can send the priming command to the media application to cause the media application to prepare media items for playback or presentation to the user. After the media application loads the media items, the computing device can receive metadata associated with the loaded media items and present the metadata and appropriate media application controls on a display of the computing device.

Priming media applications and presenting primed media application data

Growing community of inventors

Burlingame, CA, United States of America

Edward T Schmidt