Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130014015 | User Interfaces for Controlling and Manipulating Groupings in a Multi-Zone Media System - In general, user interfaces for controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a user interface is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network. The user interface is further configured to illustrate graphically a size of a group, the larger the group appears relatively, the more plays there are in the group. | 01-10-2013 |
20130191749 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING A PLAYLIST BY METADATA - Techniques for managing a playlist in a multimedia system are disclosed. According to one aspect of the techniques, the playlist is structured to be able to include as many items as desired. To facilitate the manageability of such playlist, the playlist is built with a plurality of items. Each of the items is associated with metadata that includes information related to, for example, artist, album, genre, composer, and track number. The metadata for each item may be parsed, updated or logically operated upon to facilitate the management of the playlist. In another embodiment, each of the items is either a single item or a group item. A single item contains metadata of a corresponding source. A group item contains metadata of accessing other constituent items, which again may be single items or group items. As a result, the playlist can accommodate as many items as desired in a limited memory space without compromising the manageability of the playlist. Each of the items can be removed from, added to, or moved around in the playlist without concerning that an item may further include many items therein. | 07-25-2013 |
20130219273 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING SINGLE AND INTERNET RADIO ITEMS IN A PLAY QUEUE - Techniques for managing a playlist in a multimedia system are disclosed. According to one aspect of the techniques, the playlist is structured to be able to include as many items as desired. To facilitate the manageability of such playlist, the playlist is built with a plurality of items. Each of the items is associated with metadata that includes information related to, for example, artist, album, genre, composer, and track number. The metadata for each item may be parsed, updated or logically operated upon to facilitate the management of the playlist. In another embodiment, each of the items is either a single item or a group item. A single item contains metadata of a corresponding source. A group item contains metadata of accessing other constituent items, which again may be single items or group items. As a result, the playlist can accommodate as many items as desired in a limited memory space without compromising the manageability of the playlist. Each of the items can be removed from, added to, or moved around in the playlist without concerning that an item may further include many items therein. | 08-22-2013 |
20130243199 | Controlling and grouping in a multi-zone media system - Techniques for grouping or pairing individual audio products with network capability (players) to stimulate a multi-channel listening environment are disclosed. In instead of grouping selected players to play back an audio item, a user is allowed to activate one of the players to process the data of the audio item, essentially separating the data into individual streams, each of the streams representing a single-sound track and being played back in one of the players, thus creating a multi-channel listening environment with the selected players. | 09-19-2013 |
20130251174 | Controlling and manipulating groupings in a multi-zone media system - In general, techniques of controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network. | 09-26-2013 |
20130253679 | Controlling and manipulating groupings in a multi-zone media system - In general, techniques of controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network. | 09-26-2013 |
20130254207 | Method and apparatus for managing a playlist by metadata - Techniques for managing a playlist in a multimedia system are disclosed. According to one aspect of the techniques, the playlist is structured to be able to include as many items as desired. To facilitate the manageability of such playlist, the playlist is built with a plurality of items. Each of the items is associated with metadata that includes information related to, for example, artist, album, genre, composer, and track number. The metadata for each item may be parsed, updated or logically operated upon to facilitate the management of the playlist. In another embodiment, each of the items is either a single item or a group item. A single item contains metadata of a corresponding source. A group item contains metadata of accessing other constituent items, which again may be single items or group items. As a result, the playlist can accommodate as many items as desired in a limited memory space without compromising the manageability of the playlist. Each of the items can be removed from, added to, or moved around in the playlist without concerning that an item may further include many items therein. | 09-26-2013 |
20130254695 | User Interface to provide additional information on a selected item in a list - Techniques pertaining to efficient scrolling a list are disclosed. One of the features of the efficient scrolling is to provide a graphic user interface that displays items in the list so that a user may scroll the list using a scroll wheel. After an item is highlighted for a predefined time, an information panel is automatically displayed to show hidden information associated with the item. The information panel is superimposed in an area of the graphic user interface, without obstructing the highlighted item. | 09-26-2013 |
20130254707 | User Interface to enable users to scroll through a large list of items - Techniques pertaining to efficient scrolling are disclosed. One of the features of the efficient scrolling is the enablement of a search right at an appropriate item in a large list of items, thus avoiding going through the long list and wandering back and forth around a desired item. According to one embodiment, an indexing display is used. The indexing display includes a list of indexes, each corresponding to a group of items that sharing one or more common characteristics (e.g., a character or a kind). The indexing display is allowed first to be scrolled for a desired index. Once the desired index is confirmed, searching for a desired item in the large list starts at an item indexed by the desired index. | 09-26-2013 |
20130288802 | User Interfaces for Controlling and Manipulating Groupings in a Multi-Zone Media System - In general, user interfaces for controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a user interface is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network. The user interface is further configured to illustrate graphically a size of a group, the larger the group appears relatively, the more plays there are in the group. | 10-31-2013 |
20130293345 | Controlling and manipulating groupings in a multi-zone media system - In general, techniques of controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network. | 11-07-2013 |
20140181661 | USER INTERFACE TO ENABLE USERS TO SCROLL THROUGH A LARGE LIST OF ITEMS - Techniques pertaining to efficient scrolling are disclosed. One of the features of the efficient scrolling is the enablement of a search right at an appropriate item in a large list of items, thus avoiding going through the long list and wandering back and forth around a desired item. According to one embodiment, an indexing display is used. The indexing display includes a list of indexes, each corresponding to a group of items that sharing one or more common characteristics (e.g., a character or a kind). The indexing display is allowed first to be scrolled for a desired index. Once the desired index is confirmed, searching for a desired item in the large list starts at an item indexed by the desired index. | 06-26-2014 |
20140201197 | Dynamic Display of Filter Criteria - Embodiments are described herein that provide a dynamic display of filter criteria on a control device of a media playback system. In one aspect, a method is provided that involves (a) causing a graphical display of a computing device to display (i) a first set of filter criteria and (ii) search results that include at least a plurality of media-source identifiers that identify a plurality of respective media sources, (b) receiving by the computing device selection data that indicates a selection of one of the plurality of media-source identifiers, (c) determining by the computing device a second set of filter criteria based on the selected media-source identifier, where the second set of filter criteria is different from the first set of filter criteria, and (d) causing the graphical display to display the determined second set of filter criteria. | 07-17-2014 |
20140286507 | Multi-Channel Pairing in a Media System - Technology for grouping, consolidating, and pairing individual playback devices with network capability (players) to stimulate a multi-channel listening environment is disclosed. Particularly, the embodiments described herein enable two or more playback devices to be paired, such that multi-channel audio is achieved. Such embodiments may be used to produce stereo and multi-channel audio environments for television and movies. | 09-25-2014 |
20140361867 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR UPDATING ZONE CONFIGURATIONS IN A MULTI-ZONE SYSTEM - In general, techniques of controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network. | 12-11-2014 |
20150058727 | Zone Configuration Based on Playback Selections - An example method includes displaying zone names via a display interface. Each zone name represents a respective particular zone of a plurality of zones, and each zone contains at least one player configured for multimedia playback in that zone. The method includes displaying playback selections including a first playback selection that identifies first multimedia content for playback by the first zone and a second playback selection that identifies second multimedia content for playback by the second zone. The method includes receiving a command for a zone group to play one of the first playback selection or the second playback selection. The method includes transmitting a zone group configuration to one of the first zone and the second zone. The zone group configuration includes instructions to facilitate synchronized playback, between the first zone and the second zone, of the identified one of the first playback selection and the second playback selection. | 02-26-2015 |