Patents by Inventor Ron Kuper

Ron Kuper has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230260050
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing media content based on playback zone awareness. In one aspect, a computing system receives, via a network interface, zone data from the media playback system, wherein the zone data includes an indication of a particular zone of the media playback system, and wherein the particular zone comprises at least one playback device. The computing system identifies audio content based on (i) the indication of the particular zone and (ii) contextual data associated with the particular zone, and provides, via the network interface, an indication of the identified audio content to the media playback system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Kristen Bender, Ron Kuper
  • Patent number: 11706566
    Abstract: Examples described herein relate to transitioning a playback session between portable playback devices such as “smart” headphones, earbuds, and handheld speakers with playback devices of a zone-based media playback system. Exemplary techniques facilitate continuity of playback when transitioning between locations (e.g., from at home to on-the-go or vice versa) or between listening paradigms (e.g., personal or out-loud playback of audio content). An example implementation includes detecting a swap trigger, determining the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s), and performing a playback session swap between the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Dayn Wilberding, Youjin Nam, Tadeo T. Toulis, Jonathan Cole Harris, Patrick Devine, Nicholas A. J. Millington, Jodi Vautrin, Maria-Jose Ramos, Richard Bannon, Michael Sheldon, Ted Lin, Ron Kuper, Kirsten Lewis, Jake Harwood, Jonathan Herbst
  • Publication number: 20230205810
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Ron Kuper, Joni Hoadley
  • Publication number: 20230199043
    Abstract: Embodiments are described herein that involve a computing device initiating playback of a particular media item on a media playback system that is registered to a particular account of a social media service. The computing device may query the social media service for one or more accounts of the social media service that are registered to respective media playback systems that have played the particular media item on at least a threshold number of occasions and have not yet been connected to the particular account of the social media service within the social network. The computing device may receive the queried one or more accounts of the social media service and cause a graphical interface to display one or more respective selectable indications of the received one or more accounts of the social media service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Keith Corbin, Abhishek Kumar, Ron Kuper, Gregory Paul Ramsperger, Andrej Sarkic
  • Patent number: 11683304
    Abstract: Examples provided herein are directed to a computing device and media playback system sharing access to a media service corresponding to a media application installed on the computing device. In one example, a media playback system may be configured to (i) receive from the computing device an authorization code that corresponds to a media application installed on the computing device that is authorized to access media from a media service, (ii) transmit to the media service an authorization request with the authorization code, (iii) receive from the media service an authorization token that facilitates obtaining media from the media service, and (iv) transmit to the media service a request for media for playback by the media playback system, where the request for media includes the authorization token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Ron Kuper, Sherwin Liu, Emilio Arce, Arthur L. Coburn, IV
  • Publication number: 20230188798
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include systems and methods for providing a management interface for controlling multiple households. The management interface may be provided as an application on a mobile device or as an Internet webpage. An example implementation involves a device displaying representations of: a plurality of households; an indication of a selected household; one or more zones within the selected household; and a representation of media being played by a selected zone of the one or more zones. While displaying the representations, the device receives, from a server, data indicating updated information associated with the plurality of households; and, in response, updates the graphical display to display at least an updated representation of media being played by the selected zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Ron Kuper, Arthur L. Coburn, IV, John Meyer, Mike Delaney
  • Publication number: 20230179666
    Abstract: Examples described herein involve switching between two user accounts of a streaming media service. In an example implementation, a playback device stores data representing credentials for multiple user accounts including a first user account of a first streaming audio service and a second user account of the first streaming audio service. The playback device receives instructions to play first audio content from the first streaming audio service and plays back the first audio content by streaming data representing the first audio content from one or more servers of the first streaming audio service using credentials of the first user account. The playback device detects a trigger associated with the first user account of the first streaming audio service and switches from streaming data representing the first audio content using credentials of the first user account to streaming data representing the first audio content using credentials of the second user account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Abhishek Kumar, Ron Kuper, Jason Kendall, Emilio Arce
  • Publication number: 20230179813
    Abstract: Example techniques related to polices for media playback systems. An example implementation involves a computing system receiving data representing a request to play back first audio tracks on one or more first playback devices of a first media playback system. The first media playback system is associated with a first subscriber to a streaming media service and the first media playback system is physically located in a first commercial establishment. The computing system determines that the first subscriber is associated with one or more first subscriber policies of the streaming media service and sends instructions to play back the first audio tracks on the one or more first playback devices according to the one or more first subscriber policies of the streaming media service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Arthur Coburn, IV, Ron Kuper, Ted M. Lin, Sherwin W. Liu, Luis Vega
  • Publication number: 20230156001
    Abstract: An example system is configured to (i) receive, from a user device over a WAN, a request for an authorization code corresponding to a media application on the user device, (ii) based on the request, transmit, to the user device over the WAN, the authorization code, (iii) receive, from a media playback system over the WAN, an authorization request that includes the authorization code, (iv) determine that the authorization code in the authorization request is valid, (v) based on determining that the authorization code is valid, generate an authorization token, (vi) transmit, to the media playback system over the WAN, the authorization token, (vii) receive, from the media playback system over the WAN, a media request including the authorization token, and (viii) responsive to the media request and a determination that the authorization token is valid, transmit, over the WAN, media content to the media playback system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Ron Kuper, Sherwin Liu, Emilio Arce, Arthur L. Coburn, IV
  • Publication number: 20230108506
    Abstract: Examples described herein relate to transitioning a playback session between portable playback devices such as “smart” headphones, earbuds, and handheld speakers with playback devices of a zone-based media playback system. Exemplary techniques facilitate continuity of playback when transitioning between locations (e.g., from at home to on-the-go or vice versa) or between listening paradigms (e.g., personal or out-loud playback of audio content). An example implementation includes detecting a swap trigger, determining the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s), and performing a playback session swap between the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Dayn Wilberding, Youjin Nam, Tadeo T. Toulis, Jonathan Cole Harris, Patrick Devine, Nicholas A.J. Millington, Jason Yore, Maria-Jose Ramos, Richard Bannon, Michael Sheldon, Ted Lin, Ron Kuper, Kirsten Lewis, Jake Harwood, Jonathan Herbst, Henry Sia
  • Publication number: 20230077661
    Abstract: Embodiments are described herein that involve receiving, by a social-media computing system from a media playback system, playback data indicating media that is being played back by the media playback system, where the playback data comprises an indication of at least one zone of the media playback system in which the media is being played back; and based on the received playback data, updating social-media data in a social-media account, where the updated social-media data comprises an indication of the at least one zone in which the media is currently being played back.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Keith Corbin, Abhishek Kumar, Ron Kuper, Gregory Paul Ramsperger, Andrej Sarkic
  • Patent number: 11593066
    Abstract: Example techniques may involve tuning a music discovery dial. An implementation may include displaying, on the touch-sensitive circular graphical display, a circular graphical user interface including multiple wedge-shaped selectable regions arranged around the circumference of the circular graphical user interface, each wedge-shaped selectable region corresponding to a respective streaming audio channel. The implementation may include detecting a touch input in a circular motion to the touch-sensitive circular graphical display and causing a paired playback device to play back an audio content snippet corresponding to each selectable regions that the touch input enters. The implementation may further include switching the playback device from playing back a given pre-cached audio content snippet to playing back the full audio track from one or more servers of a streaming audio service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Alexis Kotelly, Dayn Wilberding, Ron Kuper, Heather Mendonca
  • Publication number: 20230030625
    Abstract: Examples involve a control device using a social networking service to facilitate registration of a streaming media service with a media playback system. An example implementation receives (i) data indicating login credentials for a given account of a social networking service, and (ii) input data to configure streaming media services with a media playback system. Based on receiving the input data to configure the media playback system, the implementation queries the social networking service for streaming media services associated with the given account, and in response to the query, receives data indicating a first streaming media service associated with the given account. The implementation configures the media playback system to playback audio content from the first streaming media service that is associated with the given account and causes the media playback system to playback audio content from the first streaming media service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Andrej Sarkic, Danielle Storlie, Diane Roberts, Ron Kuper, Dayn Wilberding, Carl Fristrom
  • Patent number: 11556998
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing media content based on playback zone awareness. In one aspect, a computing system receives, via a network interface, zone data from the media playback system, wherein the zone data includes an indication of a particular zone of the media playback system, and wherein the particular zone comprises at least one playback device. The computing system identifies audio content based on (i) the indication of the particular zone and (ii) contextual data associated with the particular zone, and provides, via the network interface, an indication of the identified audio content to the media playback system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristen Bender, Ron Kuper
  • Patent number: 11539688
    Abstract: An example system is configured to (i) generate an authorization code that has an expiration time, (ii) transmit at least one first message including the authorization code over a WAN, (iii) receive at least one second message including the authorization code from a playback device over the WAN, (iv) determine that the received authorization code is valid based at least on the expiration time, (v) after determining that the authorization code is valid, generate a first authorization token, (vi) transmit at least one third message including the first authorization token to the playback device over the WAN, (vii) receive at least one fourth message including a second authorization token and a request from the playback device over the WAN, (viii) determine that the second authorization token is valid, and (ix) after determining that the second authorization token is valid, provide the playback device with audio content based on the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Ron Kuper, Sherwin Liu, Emilio Arce, Arthur L. Coburn, IV
  • Patent number: 11539767
    Abstract: Embodiments are described herein that involve a computing device initiating playback of a particular media item on a media playback system that is registered to a particular account of a social media service. The computing device may query the social media service for one or more accounts of the social media service that are registered to respective media playback systems that have played the particular media item on at least a threshold number of occasions and have not yet been connected to the particular account of the social media service within the social network. The computing device may receive the queried one or more accounts of the social media service and cause a graphical interface to display one or more respective selectable indications of the received one or more accounts of the social media service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Corbin, Abhishek Kumar, Ron Kuper, Gregory Paul Ramsperger, Andrej Sarkic
  • Patent number: 11539995
    Abstract: Example techniques describe may facilitate a playback device applying a determined audio setting. An example implementation involves a first playback device receiving, over an unsecure network, a message indicating that a second playback device is available to join a playback network, wherein the first playback device is connected to the playback network. Based on a pre-existing configuration table, the first playback device determines an audio setting corresponding to a playback configuration for the second playback device, the playback configuration including the second playback device playing back audio synchronously with the first playback device in the playback network. The first playback device transmits, to the second playback device, one or more messages instructing the second playback device to apply the determined audio setting upon joining the playback network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Beckhardt, Andrew Schulert, Ron Kuper, Jonathan Lang
  • Patent number: 11533378
    Abstract: Examples described herein involve switching between two user accounts of a streaming media service. In an example implementation, a playback device stores data representing credentials for multiple user accounts including a first user account of a first streaming audio service and a second user account of the first streaming audio service. The playback device receives instructions to play first audio content from the first streaming audio service and plays back the first audio content by streaming data representing the first audio content from one or more servers of the first streaming audio service using credentials of the first user account. The playback device detects a trigger associated with the first user account of the first streaming audio service and switches from streaming data representing the first audio content using credentials of the first user account to streaming data representing the first audio content using credentials of the second user account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Kumar, Ron Kuper, Jason Kendall, Emilio Arce
  • Publication number: 20220400342
    Abstract: Examples described herein relate to transitioning a playback session between portable playback devices such as “smart” headphones, earbuds, and handheld speakers with playback devices of a zone-based media playback system. Exemplary techniques facilitate continuity of playback when transitioning between locations (e.g., from at home to on-the-go or vice versa) or between listening paradigms (e.g., personal or out-loud playback of audio content). An example implementation includes detecting a swap trigger, determining the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s), and performing a playback session swap between the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Dayn Wilberding, Youjin Nam, Tadeo T. Toulis, Jonathan Cole Harris, Patrick Devine, Nicholas A.J. Millington, Jodi Vautrin, Maria-Jose Ramos, Richard Bannon, Michael Sheldon, Ted Lin, Ron Kuper, Kirsten Lewis, Jake Harwood, Jonathan Herbst
  • Patent number: 11528522
    Abstract: Example techniques related to polices for media playback systems. An example implementation involves a computing system receiving data representing a request to play back first audio tracks on one or more first playback devices of a first media playback system. The first media playback system is associated with a first subscriber to a streaming media service and the first media playback system is physically located in a first commercial establishment. The computing system determines that the first subscriber is associated with one or more first subscriber policies of the streaming media service and sends instructions to play back the first audio tracks on the one or more first playback devices according to the one or more first subscriber policies of the streaming media service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Coburn, IV, Ron Kuper, Ted M. Lin, Sherwin Liu, Luis Vega