Sonos, Inc.

Other

Ryan Taylor

Jeffrey Michael Torgerson

Sanford William Spivey

Joseph Dawson

Dayn Wilberding

Benjamin M Rappoport

Nicholas D'Amato

Dmitri Siegel

Russell Dougherty

Andrew Kwatinetz

Helen McDermott

Paul Andrew Bates

Yogesh B Gianchandani

Allan Thomas Evans

Sanford A Klein

Gregory Francis Nellis

Matt Welch

John Moon Park

Tyler R Brosten

An example computing system may be configured to cause one or more playback devices located in a location of a commercial environment to play back an advertisement. The example computing system may also be configured to receive an indication that a user device is detected proximate to the location, during playback of the advertisement. The example computing system may also be configured to, after receiving the indication that the user device has been detected, receive an indication of a purchase of the subject of the advertisement, the purchase associated with the user profile. The example computing system may also be configured to, based on (i) the indication that the user device has been detected during play back of the advertisement and (ii) the indication of the purchase of the subject of the advertisement, cause a content service account associated with the computing system to be updated.

Adaptive media playback experiences for commercial environments

An example computing system that maintains a playlist of media items for playback by one or more playback devices receives, from a first playback device, a request to play back the playlist and first operational data and also receives, from a second playback device, a request to play back the playlist and second operational data. The computing system provides the media items in the playlist to the first and second playback devices for substantially synchronous playback and, based on the first and second operational data, determines respective first and second advertisements. The computing system provides the first advertisement to the first playback device for playback during a given time slot designated for advertisements, and also provides the second advertisement to the second playback device for playback during the given time slot, such that the second playback device plays the second advertisement while the first playback device plays the first advertisement.

Media content based on operational data

A computing device configured to (i) while a first playback device is playing back a playback session including a playback queue of media items, receive, from the first playback device: (a) an indication of media items in the playback queue, (b) audio content recorded at a time during playback of the playback queue, and (c) an indication of a playback position in a media item that corresponds to the time, (ii) cause storage of the recorded audio content and the indication of the playback position, (iii) after the playback session, receive a request from a second playback device for the media item, and (iv) transmit (a) the recorded audio content and (b) the indication of the playback position to the second playback device, thereby causing the second playback device to, while playing back the media item, play back the recorded audio content during the playback position in the media item.

Playback queues for shared experiences

A cloud-based computing system is configured to (i) maintain a scheduled playlist of media items, a current playback position within the scheduled playlist, and a priority media item for playback, (ii) receive, from a first playback device associated with an account, a first request to play back the scheduled playlist, (iii) transmit the priority media item to the first playback device for playback before any media item from the scheduled playlist, (iv) receive, from a second playback device associated with the account, a second request to play back the scheduled playlist, (v) determine that the priority media item should not be transmitted to the second playback device, and (vi) after determining that the priority media item should not be transmitted to the second playback device, transmit one or more media items from the scheduled playlist to the second playback device based on the current playback position within the scheduled playlist.

Priority media content

Content rules engines for playback devices are disclosed herein. A media playback system receives a first command to form a synchrony group comprising a plurality of playback devices. The system receives a second command for the synchrony group to play back first audio content. In response to the second command, the first audio content is played back via the synchrony group. The system receives (i) second audio content to be played back by one or more of the playback devices of the synchrony group and (ii) content source properties associated with an audio source of the second audio content. The system accesses a rules engine to determine playback restrictions based at least in part on the content source properties. Based at least in part on the playback restrictions, operation of one or more of the playback devices is restricted.

Content rules engines for audio playback devices

An example computing system may be configured to receive an indication that a user device has been detected in a commercial environment and to determine a first set of musical preferences associated with the commercial environment. The example computing system may also be configured to determine a user profile associated with the user device and to determine a second set of musical preferences associated with the user profile. The example computing system may also be configured to, based on at least (i) the first set of musical preferences associated with the commercial environment, and (ii) the second set of musical preferences associated with the user profile, determine one or more media items for playback and then cause one or more playback devices in the commercial environment to play back the one or more media items.

Embodiments disclosed herein include one or more playback devices, server systems, and/or computing devices, individually or in combination determining that an item is present within an area comprising a playback device, wherein the item has corresponding media content associated therewith, and in response to determining that the item is present within the area comprising the playback device, causing the playback device to play the media content corresponding to the item, wherein the media content comprises one or both of audio content or video content.

Playing media content in response to detecting items having corresponding media content associated therewith

A first playback device, while operating in a first media playback system, receives from a computing device over a WAN an indication that a second playback device operating in a second media playback system has initiated sharing of a playback session. The first playback device transmits a request to join the playback session, and then receives, from the computing device over the WAN, playback session information including indications of (i) one or more media items in a queue designated for playback by the second playback device and (ii) a playback position of the second playback device within the one or more media items. The first playback device retrieves, from a media service, the one or more media items in the queue designated for playback by the second playback device. The first playback device then plays back the one or more media items beginning at the playback position.

A cloud-based computing system is configured to (i) maintain a scheduled playlist of media items, a current playback position within the scheduled playlist, and a priority media item for playback, (ii) receive, from a first playback device associated with a user account, a first request to play back the scheduled playlist, (iii) transmit the priority media item to the first playback device for playback before any media item from the scheduled playlist, (iv) receive, from a second playback device associated with the user account, a second request to play back the scheduled playlist, (v) determine that the priority media item should not be transmitted to the second playback device, and (vi) after determining that the priority media item should not be transmitted to the second playback device, transmit one or more media items from the scheduled playlist to the second playback device based on the current playback position within the scheduled playlist.

An example method includes maintaining (i) a scheduled playlist of media items for playback by one or more playback devices, (ii) a current playback position within the scheduled playlist, and (iii) a priority media item having a playback length. The method also includes receiving, from a playback device, a request to play back the scheduled playlist and, based on the received request, transmitting the priority media item to the playback device for playback beginning at a first time. The method also includes determining a next media item from the scheduled playlist based on the current playback position within the scheduled playlist at a second time that follows the first time by at least the playback length of the priority media item and, beginning with the next media item, transmitting one or more media items from the scheduled playlist to the playback device for playback after the priority media item.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Ryan Taylor