Intelligent media queue

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for intelligently managing a playlist of digital media provide an intelligent dynamic queue that is configured to manage the playback of digital media. The queue can transition between passive playback mode, active playback mode, and mixed playback mode. The queue can handle the playback of the songs in the queue according to the playback mode and/or a queue status field that is associated with each song in the queue.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions causing a processor to:
 present, on a graphical user interface, a queue including a plurality of entries configured to represent a playback sequence for a plurality of media items, wherein each entry is associated with a media item and includes a queue status field, the queue status field indicating whether the media item is queued automatically or manually;   receive a triggering event;   purge the queue after receiving the triggering event, whereby a first entry associated with a first media item is deleted from the queue when the queue status field of the first entry indicates that the first media item is queued automatically; and   output content from the queue by playing one of the plurality of media items in the queue on an output device in accordance with the playback sequence.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the queue is a persistent data structure stored in a memory associated with said processor. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the triggering event is a change in a media source. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 3 , wherein the media source is one of a personal music library, a remote streaming service, another user's music library, and cloud storage. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the triggering event is adding a collection of media items to the queue. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the queue is dynamically updated when one or more media items are added to the queue. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the queue status field of an entry is set to manual entry when the one or more media items are added in the queue following the entry. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the queue status field of the one or more media items in the queue are set to automatic entry when the one or more media items belong to a playlist. 
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 presenting, on a graphical user interface, a queue including a plurality of entries being configured to represent a playback sequence for a plurality of media items, wherein each entry includes a queue status field, the queue status field indicating whether the media item was entered into said queue automatically or manually;   receiving a triggering event; and   purging the queue after receiving the triggering event, whereby a first entry associated with a first media item is deleted from the queue when the queue status field of the first entry indicates that the first media item is queued automatically; and   outputting content from the queue by playing one of the plurality of media items in the queue on an output device in accordance with the playback sequence.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the queue is a persistent data structure stored in a memory associated with said processor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the triggering event is a change in a media source. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the media source is one of a personal music library, a remote streaming service, another user's music library, and cloud storage. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the triggering event is adding a collection of media items to the queue. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the queue is dynamically updated when one or more media items are added to the queue. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the queue status field of an entry is set to manual entry when the one or more media items are added in the queue following the entry. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the queue status field of the one or more media items in the queue are set to automatic entry when the one or more media items belong to a playlist. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a request to modify a queue containing a plurality of entries representing a playback sequence for a plurality of media items, wherein each entry is associated with a media item and includes a queue status field; and   updating the queue status field of an entry in the queue when the modification alters the playback sequence.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the modification is reorganizing the playback sequence. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the modification is adding another entry associated with a new media item to the playback sequence. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the queue status field of the entry is updated according to the another entry's position in the queue. 
     
     
         21 . A computer-readable medium, comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 receive a request to modify a queue containing a plurality of entries representing a playback sequence for a plurality of media items, wherein each entry is associated with a media item and includes a queue status field; and   update the queue status field of an entry in the queue when the modification alters the playback sequence.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the modification is reorganizing the playback sequence. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the modification is adding another entry associated with a new media item to the playback sequence. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the queue status field of the entry is updated according to the another entry's position in the queue. 
     
     
         25 . A computer-executable media playback application including a computer-readable data structure configured to represent a playback sequence for a plurality of media items stored on independent remotely located media sources, said media playback application including processor-executable instructions for:
 retrieving media items listed in said data structure from their associated media source, each media item being associated with a queue status field identifying an entry state of said media item into said data structure;   outputting a content of a retrieved media item by playing said media item on an output device; and   selectively deleting a media item from said data structure if that media item includes a queue status field having a predetermined entry state.