# US 11,445,261 B2 · Multiple household management > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,445,261 B2 - Document ID: US11445261B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/340,370 - Filed: 2021-06-07 - Published: 2021-12-30 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-23 - Assignees: Sonos, Inc. - Applicants: Sonos, Inc. - Inventors: Ron Kuper; Arthur L. Coburn, IV; John Meyer; Mike Delaney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445261B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/4788: communicating with other users, e.g. chatting {(arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)} - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - G11B 27/105: {of operating discs} - G11B 27/34: Indicating arrangements {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)} - H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - H04N 21/43615: {Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805)} - H04N 21/4825: {using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a network interface; at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to perform functions comprising: causing, via the network interface, a first device associated with an owner account to display a first graphical user interface comprising (i) graphical representations of each media playback system in a particular group that includes multiple media playback systems, each media playback system comprising one or more zones that include one or more respective playback devices and (ii) graphical representations of one or more first playback queues, the one or more first playback queues corresponding to respective first zones of a first media playback system in the particular group; causing, via the network interface, a second device associated with a non-owner account to display a second graphical user interface comprising (i) graphical representations of a subset of the media playback systems in the particular group and (ii) graphical representations of one or more second playback queues, the one or more second playback queues corresponding to respective second zones of a second media playback system in the subset of the particular group; receiving, via the network interface from the first device, data representing instructions to grant playback permission to the non-owner account for the second media playback system, wherein the owner account has playback permission for each media playback system in the particular group; and modifying configuration data for the second media playback system to permit the non-owner account to modify the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: after modifying the configuration data for the second media playback system to permit the non-owner account to modify the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission, updating a portion of the first graphical user interface to indicate that the non-owner account has been granted the playback permission for the second media playback system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: receiving, via the network interface from the first device, data representing selection of a second media playback system of the particular group; and updating the first graphical user interface to include the graphical representations of one or more second playback queues in place of the graphical representations of one or more first playback queues. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: receiving, via the network interface from the first device, data representing instructions to withdraw playback permission from the non-owner account for the second media playback system; modifying the configuration data for the second media playback system to prevent the non-owner account from modifying the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission; and after modifying the configuration data for the second media playback system to prevent the non-owner account from modifying the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission, updating a portion of the first graphical user interface to indicate that playback permission has been withdrawn from the non-owner account. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second graphical user interface further comprises a control comprising graphical representations of the one or more zones; and wherein the functions further comprise: receiving, via the network interface from the second device, data representing selection of particular audio tracks for a playlist; and causing the playlist to be queued in a particular second playback queue corresponding to a particular second zone of the second media playback system according to the configuration data for the second media playback system permitting the non-owner account to modify the one or more second playback queues. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the functions further comprise: after causing the playlist to be queued in the particular second playback queue corresponding to the particular second zone, updating the first graphical user interface to display an indication of the playlist in association with the particular second playback queue corresponding to the particular second zone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first graphical user interface further comprises a control comprising graphical representations of multiple second zones in the second media playback system; and wherein the functions further comprise: receiving, via the network interface from the first device, data representing selection of two or more particular second zones for a synchrony group; and creating the synchrony group including the two or more particular second zones according to configuration data for the second media playback system granting group creation permission to the owner account, wherein the two or more particular second zones are configured in a synchrony group to play back audio in synchrony after creation of the synchrony group. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the functions further comprise: after creation of the synchrony group: updating the first graphical user interface and the second graphical user interface to display respective indications of the synchrony group in association with the second media playback system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: based on the configuration data for the second media playback system permitting the non-owner account to modify the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission, causing the second graphical user interface to include controls selectable to select audio content for playback on one or more first playback devices. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: maintaining a database comprising respective configuration data corresponding to multiple groups of media playback systems. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: causing, via a network interface, a first device associated with an owner account to display a first graphical user interface comprising (i) graphical representations of each media playback system in a particular group that includes multiple media playback systems, each media playback system comprising one or more zones that include one or more respective playback devices and (ii) graphical representations of one or more first playback queues, the one or more first playback queues corresponding to respective first zones of a first media playback system in the particular group; causing, via the network interface, a second device associated with a non-owner account to display a second graphical user interface comprising (i) graphical representations of a subset of the media playback systems in the particular group and (ii) graphical representations of one or more second playback queues, the one or more second playback queues corresponding to respective second zones of a second media playback system in the subset of the particular group; receiving, via the network interface from the first device, data representing instructions to grant playback permission to the non-owner account for the second media playback system, wherein the owner account has playback permission for each media playback system in the particular group; and modifying configuration data for the second media playback system to permit the non-owner account to modify the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: after modifying the configuration data for the second media playback system to permit the non-owner account to modify the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission, updating a portion of the first graphical user interface to indicate that the non-owner account has been granted the playback permission for the second media playback system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving, via the network interface from the first device, data representing selection of a second media playback system of the particular group; and updating the first graphical user interface to include the graphical representations of one or more second playback queues in place of the graphical representations of one or more first playback queues. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving, via the network interface from the first device, data representing instructions to withdraw playback permission from the non-owner account for the second media playback system; modifying the configuration data for the second media playback system to prevent the non-owner account from modifying the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission; and after modifying the configuration data for the second media playback system to prevent the non-owner account from modifying the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission, updating a portion of the first graphical user interface to indicate that playback permission has been withdrawn from the non-owner account. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the second graphical user interface further comprises a control comprising graphical representations of the one or more zones; and wherein the method further comprises: receiving, via the network interface from the second device, data representing selection of particular audio tracks for a playlist; and causing the playlist to be queued in a particular second playback queue corresponding to a particular second zone of the second media playback system according to the configuration data for the second media playback system permitting the non-owner account to modify the one or more second playback queues. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: after causing the playlist to be queued in the particular second playback queue corresponding to the particular second zone, updating the first graphical user interface to display an indication of the playlist in association with the particular second playback queue corresponding to the particular second zone. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first graphical user interface further comprises a control comprising graphical representations of multiple second zones in the second media playback system; and wherein the method further comprises: receiving, via the network interface from the first device, data representing selection of two or more particular second zones for a synchrony group; and creating the synchrony group including the two or more particular second zones according to configuration data for the second media playback system granting group creation permission to the owner account, wherein the two or more particular second zones are configured in a synchrony group to play back audio in synchrony after creation of the synchrony group. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: after creation of the synchrony group: updating the first graphical user interface and the second graphical user interface to display respective indications of the synchrony group in association with the second media playback system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: based on the configuration data for the second media playback system permitting the non-owner account to modify the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission, causing the second graphical user interface to include controls selectable to select audio content for playback on one or more first playback devices. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that are executable by at least one processor of a computing system such that the computing system is configured to perform functions comprising: causing, via a network interface, a first device associated with an owner account to display a first graphical user interface comprising (i) graphical representations of each media playback system in a particular group that includes multiple media playback systems, each media playback system comprising one or more zones that include one or more respective playback devices and (ii) graphical representations of one or more first playback queues, the one or more first playback queues corresponding to respective first zones of a first media playback system in the particular group; causing, via the network interface, a second device associated with a non-owner account to display a second graphical user interface comprising (i) graphical representations of a subset of the media playback systems in the particular group and (ii) graphical representations of one or more second playback queues, the one or more second playback queues corresponding to respective second zones of a second media playback system in the subset of the particular group; receiving, via the network interface from the first device, data representing instructions to grant playback permission to the non-owner account for the second media playback system, wherein the owner account has playback permission for each media playback system in the particular group; and modifying configuration data for the second media playback system to permit the non-owner account to modify the one or more second playback queues for the second media playback system according to the grant of playback permission.