Continuous Playback Queue

Abstract

Embodiments are described herein that involve a media playback system playing back a playback queue according to a continuous-playback mode. In one aspect, a playback device is provided that includes a network interface, one or more media processing components, a non-transitory computer-readable medium with program instructions stored thereon. The program instructions are executable by at least one processor to cause the media playback device to: add one or more items to a playback queue of the media playback device, where the one or more items include a continuous-playback item including at least one media item, and based on one or more characteristics of the continuous-playback item, play back the playback queue according to a continuous-playback mode, where playing back the playback queue according to the continuous-playback mode involves: detecting a continuous-playback trigger, and based on the detected continuous-playback trigger, adding at least one additional media item to the continuous-playback item.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A media playback device comprising:
 a network interface configured to communicatively couple the media playback device to one or more networks;   one or more media processing components;   a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and   program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by at least one processor to cause the media playback device to:
 add one or more items to a playback queue of the media playback device, wherein the one or more items comprise a continuous-playback item comprising at least one media item; and 
 based on one or more characteristics of the continuous-playback item, play back the playback queue according to a continuous-playback mode, wherein playing back the playback queue according to the continuous-playback mode comprises:
 detecting a continuous-playback trigger; and 
 based on the detected continuous-playback trigger, adding at least one additional media item to the continuous-playback item. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The media playback device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one media item comprises a first predetermined number of media items, and wherein the at least one additional media item comprises a second predetermined number of media items. 
     
     
         3 . The media playback device of  claim 2 , wherein the first predetermined number of media items is equivalent to the second predetermined number of media items. 
     
     
         4 . The media playback device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the continuous-playback item comprise a source associated with the continuous-playback item, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the media playback device to:
 before playing back the playback queue according to a continuous-playback mode, determine that the source of the at least one media item is a continuous-playback source.   
     
     
         5 . The media playback device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the continuous-playback item comprise a playback indicator instructing the media playback device to play back the continuous-playback item according to the continuous-playback mode. 
     
     
         6 . The media playback device of  claim 1 , wherein the playback queue comprises a queue size, and wherein playing back the playback queue according to the continuous-playback mode comprises:
 determining that the queue size exceeds a predetermined threshold size; and   based on determining that the queue size exceeds the predetermined threshold size, removing one or more media items from the playback queue.   
     
     
         7 . The media playback device of  claim 6 , wherein the queue size comprises one of (i) a number of media items of the playback queue or (ii) a storage measurement indicating an amount of storage space occupied by the playback queue. 
     
     
         8 . The media playback device of  claim 6 , wherein removing the one or more media items from the playback queue comprises removing one or more media items from the continuous-playback item 
     
     
         9 . The media playback device of  claim 6 , wherein the playback queue comprises a plurality of played media items and a plurality of corresponding timestamps indicating respective playback times of the played media items, and wherein the removed one or more media items correspond to the played media items corresponding to the oldest timestamps. 
     
     
         10 . The media playback device of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the continuous-playback trigger comprises determining that play back of the playback queue is within a predetermined threshold number of items from an end of the continuous-playback item. 
     
     
         11 . The media playback device of  claim 1 , wherein playing back the playback queue according to the continuous-playback mode further comprises:
 after adding the at least one additional media item to the continuous-playback item, transmit playback-queue-state data indicating the addition of the at least one additional media item.   
     
     
         12 . The media playback device of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the media playback device to:
 modify the playback queue based on a playback-queue-modification command; and   thereafter, transmit playback-queue-state data indicating the modification to the playback queue.   
     
     
         13 . The media playback device of  claim 12 , wherein modifying the playback queue comprises at least one of (i) adding an external media item to the continuous-playback item, wherein the external media item comprises a media item associated with a source different from that of the at least one media item of the continuous-playback item, or (ii) modifying an order of the continuous-playback item. 
     
     
         14 . The media playback device of  claim 12 , wherein the playback-queue-state data comprises a modification location, wherein the modification location indicates one or more playback-queue positions corresponding to the modification to the playback queue. 
     
     
         15 . The media playback device of  claim 12 , wherein modifying the playback queue comprises adding an external media item to the continuous-playback item, wherein the external media item comprises a media item associated with a source different from that of the at least one media item of the continuous-playback item, and wherein the playback-queue-state data comprises metadata of the external media item. 
     
     
         16 . The media playback device of  claim 15 , wherein the metadata of the external media item indicates at least one of (i) a title, (ii) an artist name, (iii) an album name, or (iv) a media item length. 
     
     
         17 . The media playback device of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the media playback device to:
 while playing back the playback queue according to the continuous-playback mode, transmit mode-indicator data to facilitate causing a graphical display to display an indication that the media playback device is operating in the continuous-playback mode.   
     
     
         18 . The media playback device of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the media playback device to:
 monitor a duration of time during which the media playback device plays back the playback queue according to the continuous-playback mode; and   based on a determination that the duration of time exceeds a predetermined threshold duration of time, cease playing back the playback queue according to the continuous-playback mode.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a playback device of a media playback system to cause the playback device to:
 add one or more items to a playback queue of the playback device, wherein the one or more items comprise a continuous-playback item comprising at least one media item; and   based on one or more characteristics of the continuous-playback item, play back the playback queue according to a continuous-playback mode, wherein playing back the playback queue according to the continuous-playback mode comprises:
 detecting a continuous-playback trigger; and 
 based on the detected continuous-playback trigger, adding at least one additional media item to the continuous-playback item. 
   
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 adding, by a playback device of a media playback system, one or more items to a playback queue of the media playback device, wherein the one or more items comprise a continuous-playback item comprising at least one media item;   based on one or more characteristics of the continuous-playback item, playing back, by the playback device, the playback queue according to a continuous-playback mode;   while playing back the playback queue according to the continuous-playback mode, detecting, by the playback device, a continuous-playback trigger; and   based on the detected continuous-playback trigger, adding, by the playback device, at least one additional media item to the continuous-playback item.