The disclosure includes a method for using a doorbell system to detect a presence of a visitor. The doorbell system can comprise a doorbell having a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a button. The method can include detecting, by the doorbell system, the presence of the visitor while the visitor is located outside a building to which the doorbell is attached. The building can include a door having a lock that is configured to fasten the door to inhibit unauthorized entry into the building. In response to detecting the presence of the visitor, the method can include the step of actuating, by the doorbell system, a first appliance associated with the building.

A network device is configured to (i) play back a media item indicated by a remote playback queue provided by a cloud-based computing system, (ii) receive an indication that a playback device is available for playback, (iii) display a now playing screen including (a) information identifying the media item, and (b) an icon that indicates that the network device is not in a connected state with any other network device, (iv) receive a first input selecting the icon, (v) in response to the first input, display a list of one or more available network devices including the playback device, (vi) receive a second input selecting the playback device from the list (vii) after receiving the second input, update the list to indicate that the playback device is selected for playback of the remote playback queue, and (viii) transfer playback of the remote playback queue from the network device to the playback device.

Examples described herein relate to transitioning a playback session between portable playback devices such as “smart” headphones, earbuds, and handheld speakers with playback devices of a zone-based media playback system. Exemplary techniques facilitate continuity of playback when transitioning between locations (e.g., from at home to on-the-go or vice versa) or between listening paradigms (e.g., personal or out-loud playback of audio content). An example implementation includes detecting a swap trigger, determining the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s), and performing a playback session swap between the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s).

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, from a network server device, first information regarding a first device, generating a media control package based on the first information, wherein the media control package relates to primary content to be presented, wherein the primary content is associated with a first timestamp that corresponds to a first event or context in the primary content, and wherein the media control package includes a first instruction for controlling the first device when a playback position of the primary content corresponds to the first timestamp, and causing the media control package to be provided to the network server device to enable augmentation of a presentation of the first event or context via control of the first device, in accordance with the first instruction, when the playback position of the primary content corresponds to the first timestamp. Other embodiments are disclosed.

In order to provide information related to content played on a target device within a visual field or a field of view (FOV) of the camera's, and to control the target device, a mobile apparatus according to an embodiment of present disclosure includes: a display; a camera configured to photograph a target device; a user interface configured to receive user's input; and a controller configured to control the display to display the image of the target device photographed by the camera and information related to an object included in the content being played by the target device in response to the user's input.

Doorbells can send data to each other to enable a first doorbell user to warn a second doorbell user regarding a suspicious visitor. A first user can indicate a first trait of a visitor via a first remote computing device. The first user can create a user group to enable the members of the user group to use their doorbells to take pictures of suspicious visitors and to send the pictures of the suspicious visitors to other members of the user group.

Content rules engines for playback devices are disclosed herein. A media playback system receives a first command to form a synchrony group comprising a plurality of playback devices. The system receives a second command for the synchrony group to play back first audio content. In response to the second command, the first audio content is played back via the synchrony group. The system receives (i) second audio content to be played back by one or more of the playback devices of the synchrony group and (ii) content source properties associated with an audio source of the second audio content. The system accesses a rules engine to determine playback restrictions based at least in part on the content source properties. Based at least in part on the playback restrictions, operation of one or more of the playback devices is restricted.

The disclosure includes a doorbell having a visitor detection system that can comprise at least one of a camera, a microphone, and a motion detector. The method for using the doorbell can comprise recording, via the camera, video data that represents a video. The method can also comprise recording, via the microphone, audio data that represents audio. The method of using the doorbell can comprise transmitting at least a portion of the video data and at least a portion of the audio data, to a remote computing device that is communicatively coupled to the doorbell. The method can also comprise transmitting the video data and the audio data to a remote server that is communicatively coupled to the doorbell.

Systems and methods systems and methods for efficiently and securely forming a communication network. As a non-limiting example, various aspects of the present disclosure provide systems and methods, for example utilizing a plurality of different security modes, for forming a premises-based network (e.g., a MoCA network).

A system and a method use an application on a mobile device to transfer internet media content to a rendering device in a home network. The application may use an HTML rendering engine to display a web page to a user of the mobile device, and the web page may have controls for accessing the internet media content. The application may receive a user interaction signal which may indicate that a user invoked one of the controls for accessing the internet media content. In response, the application may initiate transfer of the internet media content to the rendering device in the home network and/or may queue the internet media content for later playback using the rendering device.