# US 9,521,212 B2 · Service provider user accounts > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,212 B2 - Document ID: US9521212B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/501,947 - Filed: 2014-09-30 - Published: 2016-03-31 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-30 - Assignees: Sonos, Inc. - Applicants: Sonos, Inc. - Inventors: Abhishek Kumar; Ron Kuper; Jason Kendall; Emilio Arce - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521212B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/306: User profiles - G06F 3/16: Sound input; Sound output (speech processing G10L) - G06F 16/437: {Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution} - G06F 21/62: Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules - H04L 65/60: Network streaming of media packets - H04N 21/4627: Rights management {associated to the content (security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08)} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Examples described herein involve managing two or more user accounts via which a media playback system can access a service provider, and displaying on a graphical display, graphical representations of at least one of the two or more user accounts via which a media playback system can access a service provider. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A playback device comprising: a network interface comprising at least one of (i) a wired network interface or (ii) a wireless network interface; a processor; and memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising: maintaining data indicating (i) a first user account for a streaming media service provider and (ii) a first priority indicator corresponding to the first user account; receiving, via the network interface from one or more control devices that are configured to control playback by the playback device, data indicating a second user account for the streaming media service provider; based on the received data indicating the second user account for the streaming media service provider, determining a second priority indicator corresponding to the second user account; causing to be stored, data indicating (i) the second user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) the second priority indicator corresponding to the second user account; identifying a particular user account from among the first user account and the second user account based at least one of (i) the first priority indicator corresponding to the first user account and (ii) the second priority indicator corresponding to the second user account; receiving, via the network interface from a given control device of the one or more control devices, an instruction to play particular audio content from the streaming media service provider; and based on receiving the instruction to play the particular audio content, playing back the particular audio content from the streaming media service provider via at least one speaker, wherein playing back audio content from the streaming media service provider comprises obtaining, via the network interface, the particular audio content from the streaming media service provider using credentials of the particular user account, and wherein the at least one speaker is (a) housed in the playback device or (b) physically coupled to the playback device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the data indicating the second user account for the streaming media service provider further indicates that the second user account is registered with a media playback system that comprises the playback device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the second priority indicator comprises a time stamp corresponding to a time when the data indicating the second user account was received, and wherein identifying the particular user account from among the first user account and the second user account comprises: determining that the time stamp indicates that the first user account has a higher priority than the second user account; and selecting the first user account as the particular user account. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the second priority indicator comprises an incremental numeric value based on a number of user accounts previously registered with a media playback system that comprises the playback device, and wherein identifying the particular user account from among the first user account and the second user account comprises: determining that the incremental numeric value indicates that the first user account has a higher priority than the second user account; and selecting the first user account as the particular user account. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the data indicating the second user account for the streaming media service provider further indicates a user account name, and wherein the functions further comprise: causing to be stored, data indicating an association between the user account name and the second user account. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the data indicating the second user account for the streaming media service provider further indicates a network device from which the data was received, and wherein the functions further comprise: causing to be stored, data indicating an association between a device identifier of the network device and the second user account. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the playback device is a first playback device in a media playback system, and wherein the functions further comprise: transmitting, via the network interface to a second playback device in the media playback system, data indicating (i) the second user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) the second priority indicator corresponding to the second user account. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: receiving, via the network interface from a network device, a request for data indicating streaming media service providers associated with a media playback system that comprises the playback device; determining that the network device is configured to provide access to the streaming media service provider using multiple user accounts; and responsively, transmitting to the network device, data indicating (i) the streaming media service provider, (ii) the first user account, and (ii) the second user account. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise: receiving, from a network device, a request for data indicating streaming media service providers associated with a media playback system that comprises the playback device; determining that the network device is configured to provide access to the streaming media service provider using a single user account; responsively, identifying a default user account from at least the first user account and the second user account based on at least the first priority indicator and the second priority indicator; and transmitting to the network device, data indicating (i) the streaming media service provider, and (ii) the identified default user account. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the maintained data further indicates that the first user account is an active account, and wherein the functions further comprise: receiving an input indicating that the first user account is to be deactivated; and causing to be stored, data indicating that the first user account is an inactive account. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The playback device of claim 10, wherein the functions further comprise: receiving an input indicating that the first user account is to be activated; responsively, identifying the first priority indicator corresponding to the first user account; and causing to be stored, data indicating (i) the first user account for a streaming media service provider, (ii) the first priority indicator corresponding to the first user account, and (iii) that the first user account is an active account. ### Claim 12 A network device comprising: a processor; and memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the network device to perform functions comprising: A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform a method comprising: receiving, from a playback device via a network interface, data indicating (i) a streaming media service provider, (ii) a first user account for the streaming media service provider, and (iii) a second user account for the streaming media service provider, wherein the network interface comprises at least one of (i) a wired network interface or (ii) a wireless network interface; based on the received data, identifying the first user account as a default user account corresponding to the control network device; causing a graphical display to display a graphical representation that indicates the first user account is an active user account; and based on detecting input to play back particular audio content from the streaming media service provider, causing, via the network interface, the playback device to play back the particular audio content from the streaming media service provider via at least one speaker, wherein playing back audio content from the streaming media service provider comprises the playback device obtaining the particular audio content from the streaming media service provider using credentials of the active user account, and wherein the at least one speaker is (a) housed in the playback device or (b) physically coupled to the playback device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium network device of claim 12, wherein the received data further indicates (i) a first priority indicator corresponding to the first user account, and (ii) a second priority indicator corresponding to the second user account, and wherein identifying the first user account as the default user account comprises: determining that the first user account has a higher priority than the second user account; and responsively, identifying the first user account as the default user account. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium network device of claim 12, wherein the data further indicates an association between the first user account and the control network device, and wherein identifying the first user account as the default user account comprises: based on the association between the first user account and the control network device, identifying the first user account as the default user account. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium network device of claim 14, wherein the association between the first user account and the control network device indicates that data indicating the first user account was provided by the control network device to a media playback system comprising the playback device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium network device of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises functions further comprise: receiving an input to change the active user account from the first user account to the second user account; and modifying the graphical representation to indicate (i) the second user account is the active user account, and (ii) the graphical representation is selectable to access media content from the streaming media service provider using the second user account. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium network device of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises functions further comprise: receiving an input to change the default user account from the first user account to the second user account; and sending, to the playback device, data indicating that the second user account is the default user account corresponding to the control network device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium network device of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises functions further comprise: receiving an input to cause the playback device to play the particular audio content from the streaming media service provider, and wherein causing the playback device to play back audio content from the streaming media service provider comprises sending, via the network interface to the playback device, data indicating (i) the audio content from the streaming media service provider and (ii) the first user account via which the playback device is to retrieve the audio content from the streaming media service provider. ### Claim 19 A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a playback computing device to cause the playback computing device to perform functions comprising: maintaining data indicating (i) a first user account for a streaming media service provider and (ii) a first priority indicator corresponding to the first user account; receiving, via a network interface from one or more control devices that are configured to control playback by the playback device, data indicating a second user account for the streaming media service provider, wherein the network interface comprises at least one of (i) a wired network interface or (ii) a wireless network interface; based on the received data indicating the second user account for the streaming media service provider, determining a second priority indicator corresponding to the second user account; causing to be stored, data indicating (i) the second user account for the streaming media service provider and (ii) the second priority indicator corresponding to the second user account; identifying a particular user account from among the first user account and the second user account based at least one of (i) the first priority indicator corresponding to the first user account and (ii) the second priority indicator corresponding to the second user account; receiving, via the network interface from a given control device, an instruction to play particular audio content from the streaming media service provider; and based on receiving the instruction to play back audio content, playing back the audio content from the streaming media service provider via at least one speaker, wherein playing back audio content from the streaming media service provider comprises obtaining, via the network interface, the audio content from the streaming media service provider using credentials of the particular user account, and wherein the at least one speaker is (a) housed in the playback device or (b) physically coupled to the playback device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular user account from among the first user account and the second user account comprises: determining that the first priority indicator corresponding to the first user account indicates that the first user account is a default user account of a media playback system that comprises the playback device; and based on the determination, selecting the first user account as the particular user account. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular user account from among the first user account and the second user account comprises: determining that the first priority indicator corresponding to the first user account indicates that the first user account is an active user account of a media playback system that comprises the playback device; and based on the determination, selecting the first user account as the particular user account.