Guest Access Media Playlist System with Voting Moderation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing media playback systems lack a flexible and user-friendly way to configure multiple zones for synchronized audio playback, especially in social settings like parties, where users want to share and discover new music without interruptions or access restrictions.

Innovation Solution

A media playback system with zone players and controllers that allow for dynamic configuration of zones, synchronization of audio across multiple zones, and a party playlist mode enabling authorized users to add content while moderating playback through voting, ensuring seamless and coordinated music experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a media playback system allows multiple users to freely add content to playlists in social settings, then music discovery and sharing are facilitated, but access control and content moderation become difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemusic discovery and sharingVSAvoidaccess control and content moderation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts user access rights based on the playback mode. In restricted playback mode, only authorized users can add content while other users can only vote on content additions. The system transitions between different access states (restricted vs. unrestrict ed) based on user authentication and mode selection, resolving the contradiction between open music sharing and controlled access

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Different users are assigned different access rights and capabilities within the same system based on their authorization status. Authorized users gain full content addition rights while guest users receive limited voting rights only. This localized differentiation of permissions allows the system to simultaneously support both open music discovery and controlled content moderation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If a media playback system configures multiple zones for synchronized audio playback, then seamless audio experience is achieved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronized audio playback experienceVSAvoidzone configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple playback zones are merged into a synchronized audio system where all zones play the same content simultaneously. The system combines multiple independent playback devices into a unified zone group that shares a common playlist and playback state, achieving seamless synchronized audio across zones while abstracting away the individual device complexities through a unified control interface

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If a media playback system implements restricted playback mode with authentication, then content moderation is improved, but user accessibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent moderationVSAvoiduser accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism that verifies user identities and assigns appropriate access rights without preventing guest participation. The authentication system acts as a mediator between content owners and guests, enabling controlled access where authorized users can add content and guest users can vote, thus maintaining both content moderation reliability and user accessibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4489404A1Systems, methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to provide a crowd-sourced playlist with guest access
Publication Date: 2025.01.08 SONOS INC
  • EP4489404A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4489404A1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP4489404A1 patent drawingFigure 2C~3

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided to offer a restricted playback mode playlist mode to allow one or more participating users to access a host's media playback system and interact with a reduced subset of functions in that system. An example method includes providing, via a local media playback system, a restricted playback mode open to a plurality of participating users, the restricted playback mode providing a subset of playback functions from the local media playback system to the participating users, the subset including addition of content to a playlist for playback via the local media playback system. The example method includes facilitating addition of content to the playlist by at least one participating user. The example method includes facilitating playback of content from the playlist in the restricted playback mode.