Media Playback Dashboard With Segmented Control Regions

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional media playback system control frameworks are cumbersome for users, requiring multiple navigations between different graphical user interfaces to access media content, services, or controls, making it challenging to rapidly and conveniently manage various organizational domains.

Innovation Solution

A media dashboard interface with navigable regions (recently played, services, favorites, sources) and a compact now playing bar that allows simultaneous access to different organizational domains and media controls, reducing the need for page changes and minimizing spatial footprint.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional graphical user interfaces with multiple pages are used to access different organizational domains, then users can access media content, services, and controls, but the interface becomes cumbersome and requires multiple navigations between pages

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of access to organizational domainsVSAvoidtime for page navigations

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The interface is segmented into distinct navigable regions (recently played, services, favorites, sources) that can be independently accessed within a single dashboard interface, eliminating the need for separate page navigations while maintaining organized access to different functional domains

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If a comprehensive control interface is provided to access all media content and controls, then users can manage all organizational domains, but the interface occupies excessive screen space

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to multiple organizational domainsVSAvoidspatial footprint of interface

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The interface transitions from a traditional horizontal page-based navigation to a vertical dashboard layout with stacked navigable regions, utilizing the vertical dimension of the screen to accommodate multiple organizational domains without expanding the horizontal footprint, thereby maintaining comprehensive functionality while minimizing screen space occupation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20250321664A1Systems and methods for facilitating media playback system control

Publication Date: 2025.10.16 SONOS INC

AI summary

A device can be configurable to present a media dashboard interface that includes one or more of: (i) a recently played region, the recently played region comprising one or more selectable elements corresponding to one or more individual media items recently played by one or more playback devices of a media playback system associated with the device; (ii) a services region, the services region comprising one or more selectable elements corresponding to one or more individual media streaming services associated with a user profile; (iii) a favorites region, the favorites region comprising one or more selectable elements corresponding to one or more flagged media items associated with the user profile; or (iv) a sources region, the sources region comprising one or more selectable elements corresponding to one or more individual audio signal sources connected to one or more components of the media playback system.