Sonos, Inc.

Other

Joni Rafalski Hoadley

Arthur L Coburn, Iv

Robert Reimann

Ron Kuper

Robert Andrew Lambourne

Paul Andrew Bates

Lee Keyser-Allen

Diane Roberts

Yasser Rashid

Ben Tripoli

Arthur Coburn

Robert M Reimann

Embodiments including methods and apparatus to share file and file recommendations are disclosed. Data is received indicating a particular media item from a first service provider, where the particular media item is accessible from the first service provider according to a first pointer. A second pointer is identified in a database according to which the particular media item is accessible from a second service provider. Data indicating the second pointer is transmitted to a media playback system, via at least one of a WAN or a LAN.

Media sharing across service providers

Embodiments are provided for enabling a user to control multiple media playback systems with a single mobile device. The mobile device may connect with a first or second media playback system based on receiving a first or second household identifier (HHID), respectively. If the mobile device receives both the first and second HHIDs, the mobile device may connect with either the first or second media playback system based on a priority of the two systems. If neither the first nor second HHIDs are received by the mobile device, a user may be prompted to add a third media playback system if the mobile device receives a third HHID. The user interface of the mobile device may receive an input to connect the mobile device to the third media playback system, and a connection may be established between the mobile device and the third media playback system.

Multi-household support

A first network device is configured to (i) receive, using a first communication protocol, first media content from a second network device, (ii) transmit, using a second communication protocol, the first media content to a third network device, (iii) cause the third network device to play back the first media content, (iv) receive second media content from a fourth network device, (v) receive, via a microphone, microphone data, (vi) while transmitting the first media content to the third network device and causing the third network device to play back the first media content, play back the second media content via an audio transducer, and (vii) while transmitting the first media content to the third network device and causing the third network device to play back the first media content, transmit, to the fourth network device, audio content corresponding to the received microphone data.

Systems and methods for networked media playback

Some embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods include displaying a graphical user interface comprising a first section and a second section, wherein the first section includes a first media icon corresponding to a first media item, and wherein the second section includes a first zone icon corresponding to a first zone comprising a first set of one or more playback devices; and in response to detecting a drag of the first media icon to the first zone icon, instructing at least one playback device in the first set of one or more playback devices to play the first media item corresponding to the first media icon.

Playback zone management

A network device is configured to perform functions including (i) operating in a first playback-control mode including retrieving, via a first network interface, first media in a playback queue and streaming, via a second network interface to a headphone, the first media (ii) while streaming the first media to the headphone, displaying a representation of one or more playback devices in a media playback system, (iii) receiving input indicating a selection of a given playback device, (iv) based on the input, causing the given playback device to obtain data indicating the second media in the playback queue, use the obtained data to retrieve the second media, and play back the retrieved second media, and (v) after receiving the input, stopping streaming the retrieved first media and transitioning from operating in the first playback-control mode to operating in a second playback-control mode to control the given playback device's playback of the second media.

Systems and methods for networked music playback

A control device is configured to (i) display transport controls to control playback by the control device, (ii) after connecting to a LAN, determine that one or more playback devices are connected to the LAN, (iii) detect input(s) to transfer playback to a particular playback device connected to the LAN, (iv) cause playback to be transferred to the particular playback device, including: (a) causing first cloud server(s) to transmit, to the particular playback device, resource locator(s) maintained in a shared playback queue, the resource locator(s) corresponding to respective locations of media content at second cloud server(s) of a streaming content service, (b) causing playback at the control device to be stopped, and (c) modifying the transport controls to control playback by the particular playback device, and (v) cause the particular playback device to retrieve the media content from second cloud server(s) of a streaming content service and play back the retrieved media content.

In an example implementation, a method may involve sending a message that arranges a media playback system into a pre-defined state, wherein a first playback device is in a first zone having a first zone name, a second playback device is in a second zone having a second zone name, and a queue has a particular set of media items. The method may also involve detecting a trigger indicating a request to reset the media playback system. The method may further involve causing the media playback system to revert to the pre-defined state, wherein reverting may include assigning the first zone name to the first zone and joining the first playback device to the first zone, assigning the second zone name to the second zone and joining the second playback device to the second zone, and configuring the queue with the particular set of media items.

Activity reset

An example zone player is configured to receive, from a cloud-based computing system, (i) an instruction for the zone player to accept playback responsibility for a remote playback queue, and (ii) data for retrieving at least a first media item identified in the remote playback queue from a cloud-based media service. The zone player is also configured to retrieve, from the cloud-based media service, the first media item and begin to play back the first media item. The zone player is also configured to request at least one additional media item from the remote playback queue and then (i) receive, from the cloud-based computing system, data for retrieving at least a second media item identified in the remote playback queue from the cloud-based media service, (ii) retrieve from the cloud-based media service, the second media item, and (iii) begin to play back the second media item.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Joni Rafalski Hoadley