# US 10,873,612 B2 · Indicating an association between a social-media account and a media playback system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,873,612 B2 - Document ID: US10873612B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/607,267 - Filed: 2017-05-26 - Published: 2017-09-14 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-24 - Assignees: Sonos, Inc. - Applicants: Sonos, Inc. - Inventors: Jonathan Paul Lang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873612B2 ## CPC - G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services - H04L 65/61: for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - H04L 67/306: User profiles - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Examples disclosed herein include a social-media computing system receiving, from a first computing device, a first message indicating that a media playback system is associated with a first social-media account; and based on the received first message, sending, to a second computing device associated with a second social-media account, a second message indicating that the media playback system is associated with the first social-media account. The examples may also include the second computing device receiving, from the social-media computing system, the second message; and based on the received second message, causing display of an indication of the association between the media playback system and the second social-media account. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a social-media computing system, the method comprising: receiving, from a first computing device via a network interface, a first message indicating that a first media playback system corresponds to a first social-media account, wherein the first media playback system comprises a first playback device configured to play media content in a zone, and wherein the first computing device is distinct from the first playback device; receiving, from the first media playback system, a second message indicating that the first media playback system is currently playing particular media content in the zone; in response to receiving the second message from the first media playback system, sending a third message causing a second computing device to display an indication that the first media playback system is currently playing the particular media content in the zone, wherein the second computing device is associated with a second social-media account that is subscribed to the first media playback system, wherein the second social-media account is associated with media content preferences, and wherein the media content preferences indicate a positive preference for the particular media content; determining, via the social-media computing system, the second social-media account is associated with the media content preferences; and in response to determining the second social-media account is associated with the media content preferences, causing at least a second playback device of a second media playback system associated with the second social-media account to play the particular media content while the first media playback system is playing the particular media content. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, via the social-media computing system, that the second social-media account is subscribed to the first media playback system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: prior to receiving the second message, sending a request for a message indicating whether the first media playback system is playing back media content. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein sending the request comprises sending the request to a media system computing system and receiving the second message comprises receiving the second message from the media system computing system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein sending the request comprises sending the request to the first media playback system and receiving the second message comprises receiving the second message from the first media playback system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a fourth message indicating that the first media playback system is not playing back media content. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: causing a display of an indication at the second computing device representing that the first media playback system is not playing back media content. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the third message and the second message both identify the particular media content. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the particular media content is a first media content, the method further comprising: receiving a fourth message indicating that the first media playback system previously played a second media content in the zone; and in response to receiving the fourth message indicating that the first media playback system previously played the second media content in the zone, causing the second computing device to display an indication that the first media playback system previously played the second media content in the zone. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: causing display of an indication of an association between the first social-media account and the second social-media account. ### Claim 11 A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a social-media computing system to perform operations comprising: receiving, from a first computing device via a network interface, a first message indicating that a first media playback system corresponds to a first social-media account, wherein the first media playback system comprises a first playback device configured to play media content in a zone, and wherein the first computing device is distinct from the first playback device; receiving, from the first media playback system, a second message indicating that the first media playback system is currently playing particular media content in the zone; and in response to receiving the second message from the first media playback system, sending a third message causing a second computing device to display an indication that the first media playback system is currently playing the particular media content in the zone, wherein the second computing device is associated with a second social-media account that is subscribed to the first media playback system, wherein the second social-media account is associated with media content preferences, and wherein the media content preferences indicate a positive preference for the particular media content; determining, via the social-media computing system, the second social-media account is associated with the media content preferences; and in response to determining the second social-media account is associated with the media content preferences, causing at least a second playback device of a second media playback system associated with the second social-media account to play the particular media content while the first media playback system is playing the particular media content. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, the instructions further including instructions to perform operations comprising: determining, via the social-media computing system, that the second social-media account is subscribed to the first media playback system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, the instructions further including instructions to perform operations comprising: prior to receiving the second message, sending a request for a message indicating whether the first media playback system is playing back media content. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein sending the request comprises sending the request to a media system computing system and receiving the second message comprises receiving the second message from the media system computing system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein sending the request comprises sending the request to the first media playback system and receiving the second message comprises receiving the second message from the first media playback system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, the instructions further including instructions to perform operations comprising: receiving a fourth message indicating that the first media playback system is not playing back media content; and causing a display of an indication at the second computing device representing that the first media playback system is not playing back media content. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the third message and the second message both identify the particular media content. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the particular media content is a first media content, the instructions further including instructions to perform operations comprising: receiving a fourth message indicating that the first media playback system previously played a second media content in the zone; and in response to receiving the fourth message indicating that the first media playback system previously played the second media content in the zone, causing the second computing device to display an indication that the first media playback system previously played the second media content in the zone. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, the instructions further including instructions to perform operations comprising: causing display of an indication of an association between the first social-media account and the second social-media account. ### Claim 20 A method of operating a social-media computing system, the method comprising: receiving, from a first computing device via a network interface, a first message indicating that a first media playback system corresponds to a first social-media account, wherein the first media playback system comprises a first playback device configured to play media content in a zone, and wherein the first computing device is distinct from the first playback device; determining, via the social-media computing system, a subscription status of a second social-media account with respect to the first media playback system, wherein the second social-media account is associated with media content preferences; receiving, from the first media playback system, a second message indicating that the first media playback system is currently playing particular media content in the zone, wherein the media content preferences indicate a positive preference for the particular media content; and in response to determining the subscription status of the second social-media account and to receiving the second message from the first media playback system, sending a third message causing a second computing device associated with the second social-media account to display an indication that the first media playback system is currently playing the particular media content in the zone; determining, via the social-media computing system, the second social-media account is associated with the media content preferences; and in response to determining the second social-media account is associated with the media content preferences, causing at least a second playback device of a second media playback system associated with the second social-media account to play the particular media content while the first media playback system is playing the particular media content.