Methods and apparatus to change control centexts of controllers

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to change control contexts of controllers are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a touch screen to display a user interface; a controller to control a first physical playback device of a first zone when in a first control context and to control a second physical playback device of a second zone when in a second control context; a swipe detector to monitor a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of the touch screen; and a context changer to change the controller from operating in the first control context to operating in the second control context in response to a detected swipe.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a touch screen to display a user interface;   a controller to control a first physical playback device of a first zone when in a first control context and to control a second physical playback device of a second zone when in a second control context;   a swipe detector to monitor a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of the touch screen; and   a context changer to change the controller from operating in the first control context to operating in the second control context in response to a detected swipe.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface communicator to facilitate a change in a display of the designated area in response to the detected swipe. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the display includes information related to a currently selected media item in the first or second zone. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the display includes an identifier of the first zone when in the first control context. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a queue section including a queue of media items to be presented in connection with a current control context. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the queue section includes a drop zone defined as a first side of the queue section, the drop zone having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein dropping a media item into the top portion causes the media to be placed at a top of the queue, and wherein dropping the media item into the bottom portion causes the media to be placed at a top of the queue. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second zones are part of an in-home whole house media system. 
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 monitoring a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of a touch screen; and   changing a controller from operating in a first control context to operating in a second control context in response to a detected swipe, wherein the controller controls a first physical playback device of a first zone when in the first control context, and wherein the controller controls a second physical playback device of a second zone when in the second control context.   
     
     
         9 . A method as defined in  claim 8 , further comprising facilitating a change in a display of the designated area in response to the detected swipe. 
     
     
         10 . A method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the display includes information related to a currently selected media item in the first or second zone. 
     
     
         11 . A method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the display includes an identifier of the first zone when in the first control context. 
     
     
         12 . A method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the user interface includes an indicator reflective of a list of control contexts in which the controller operates. 
     
     
         13 . A method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the first and second physical playback devices are playback devices capable of generating a media presentation. 
     
     
         14 . A method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the first and second zones are part of an in-home whole house media system. 
     
     
         15 . A tangible machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
 monitor a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of a touch screen; and   change a controller from operating in a first control context to operating in a second control context in response to a detected swipe, wherein the controller controls a first physical playback device of a first zone when in the first control context, and wherein the controller controls a second physical playback device of a second zone when in the second control context.   
     
     
         16 . A machine-readable medium as defined in  claim 15 , the instructions to cause the machine to facilitate a change in a display of the designated area in response to the detected swipe. 
     
     
         17 . A machine-readable medium as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the display includes information related to a currently selected media item in the first or second zone. 
     
     
         18 . A machine-readable medium as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the display includes an identifier of the first zone when in the first control context. 
     
     
         19 . A machine-readable medium as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the first and second physical playback devices are playback devices capable of generating a media presentation. 
     
     
         20 . A machine-readable medium as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the first and second zones are part of an in-home whole house media system.