Group coordinator selection
First Claim
1. A first playback device comprising:
- a IEEE 802.11-compatible wireless network interface carried by the first playback device;
one or more processors; and
tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform a method comprising;
determining that a wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device exceeds a wireless interface performance metric of a IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by a second playback device, wherein the first playback device and the second playback device are joined into a zone group of playback devices that are configured to render audio content from an audio source in synchrony, wherein the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device and the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the second playback device are independent of respective power sources of the first playback device and the second playback device;
based on determining that the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device exceeds the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the second playback device, configuring the first playback device as a group coordinator of the zone group, wherein the group coordinator (a) receives the audio content from the audio source, and (b) forwards at least a portion of the received audio content to one or more group members of the zone group during rendering of the audio content by the zone group of playback devices, and wherein the second playback device is a group member of the zone group; and
while rendering the audio content, receiving the audio content from the audio source and forwarding at least the portion of the received audio content to the second playback device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments described herein involve selecting a coordinator device for multichannel playback by a first playback device and a second playback device are joined into a zone group of playback devices that are configured to render audio content from an audio source in synchrony. An example implementation may involve determining that a wireless interface performance metric of the first playback device exceeds a wireless interface performance metric of the second playback device. Based on such a determination, the first playback device and the second playback device may be configured as a group coordinator and a group member of the zone group, respectively. The group coordinator (a) receives the audio content from the audio source, and (b) forwards at least a portion of the received audio content to a group member during rendering of the audio content by the zone group of playback devices.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A first playback device comprising:
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a IEEE 802.11-compatible wireless network interface carried by the first playback device; one or more processors; and tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform a method comprising; determining that a wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device exceeds a wireless interface performance metric of a IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by a second playback device, wherein the first playback device and the second playback device are joined into a zone group of playback devices that are configured to render audio content from an audio source in synchrony, wherein the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device and the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the second playback device are independent of respective power sources of the first playback device and the second playback device; based on determining that the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device exceeds the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the second playback device, configuring the first playback device as a group coordinator of the zone group, wherein the group coordinator (a) receives the audio content from the audio source, and (b) forwards at least a portion of the received audio content to one or more group members of the zone group during rendering of the audio content by the zone group of playback devices, and wherein the second playback device is a group member of the zone group; and while rendering the audio content, receiving the audio content from the audio source and forwarding at least the portion of the received audio content to the second playback device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A first playback device comprising:
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a IEEE 802.11-compatible wireless network interface carried by the first playback device; one or more processors; and tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform a method comprising; determining that a wireless interface performance metric of a IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by a second playback device exceeds a wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device, wherein the first playback device and the second playback device are joined into a zone group of playback devices that are configured to render audio content from an audio source in synchrony, wherein the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device and the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the second playback device are independent of respective power sources of the first playback device and the second playback device; based on determining that the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the second playback device exceeds the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device, configuring the first playback device as a group member of the zone group, wherein the group member receives at least a portion of the audio content from a group coordinator during rendering of the audio content by the zone group of playback devices, and wherein the second playback device is the group coordinator; and while rendering the audio content, receiving at least the portion of the received audio content from the second playback device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A first playback device comprising:
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a IEEE 802.11-compatible wireless network interface carried by the first playback device; one or more processors; and tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform a method comprising; determining that a wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device exceeds a wireless interface performance metric of a IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by a second playback device, wherein the first playback device and the second playback device are joined into a zone group of playback devices that are configured to render audio content from an audio source in synchrony, wherein the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device and the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the second playback device are independent of respective power sources of the first playback device and the second playback device; based on determining that the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the first playback device exceeds the wireless interface performance metric of the IEEE 802.11-compatible network interface carried by the second playback device, configuring the first playback device as a group coordinator of the zone group, wherein the group coordinator forwards playback timing information to one or more group members of the zone group to synchronize rendering of the audio content by the group coordinator and the one or more group members, and wherein the second playback device is a group member of the zone group; and while rendering the audio content, forwarding the playback timing information to the second playback device to synchronize rendering of the audio content by the first playback device and the second playback device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification