Grouping in a system with multiple media playback protocols

• US 10,154,122 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Coburn, IV, Arthur L., Torgerson, Jeffrey, Lambourne, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US15/714,950
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 709224, 381 17, 381 18, 381433
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4307 Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 : Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 : Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A network media system forms a group comprising a first networked device and a second networked device using a first media playback protocol. The network media system includes the first networked device and the second networked device. The network media system determines a group coordinator for the group using the first media playback protocol. The network media system transmits, to a media source device, a group network identity using a second media playback protocol. The media source device and one of the first networked device and the second networked device are configured to use the first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol. The first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol are incompatible.

Claims

1. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a network media system to perform a method comprising:

forming a group comprising a first networked device and a second networked device using a first media playback protocol, wherein the network media system comprises the first networked device and the second networked device;

determining a group coordinator for the group using the first media playback protocol; and

transmitting, to a media source device, a group network identity using a second media playback protocol, wherein the media source device and one of the first networked device and the second networked device are configured to use the first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol, wherein the first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol are incompatible, wherein transmitting the group network identity comprises causing one of the first networked device and the second networked device to transmit the group network identity, wherein the group network identity comprises;

a first network device identity of one of the first networked device and the second networked device; and

a second network device identity of the other one of the first networked device and second networked device,

wherein the group coordinator determines that the first networked device is to transmit the group network identity.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein transmitting the group network identity comprises:

transmitting, using the second media playback protocol, a discovery message to the first networked device and the second networked device; and

causing one of the first networked device and the second networked device to respond to the discovery message with the group network identity.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein transmitting the group network identity comprises causing one of the first networked device and the second networked device to transmit the group network identity to the media source device, and wherein the group network identity comprises:

a network device identity of one of the first networked device and the second networked device; and

a number one less than a number of networked devices within the group.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein transmitting the group network identity comprises:

causing the first networked device to transmit a first network device identity to the media source device; and

causing the second networked device to transmit a second network device identity to the media source device.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein the first network device identity and the second network device identity comprise an indication that the first networked device and second networked device are in the group.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the group coordinator determines that the first networked device is to transmit the group network identity by comparing the first network device identity and the second network device identity.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the group coordinator determines that the first networked device is to transmit the group network identity by receiving a command from a control device indicating that the first networked device is to transmit the group network identity, wherein the network media system further comprises the control device.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the control device comprises the media source device.

9. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining the group coordinator for the group comprises:

receiving, via the first networked device from the media source device, a command to begin media playback on the first networked device; and

in response to receiving the command to begin media playback on the first networked device, determining that the first networked device is the group coordinator.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining the group coordinator for the group comprises:

determining that the first networked device is enabled to receive a media stream from the media source device using the second media playback protocol;

determining that the second networked device is not enabled to receive a media stream from the media source device using the second media playback protocol; and

based on determining that the first networked device is enabled to receive a media stream from the media source device using the second media playback protocol, determining that the first networked device is the group coordinator.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the media source device, a command to begin playing a media stream on the first networked device;

in response to receiving the command to begin media playback on the first networked device, determining that the first networked device is the group coordinator;

receiving, via the first networked device from the media source device, a media steam; and

based on determining that the first networked device is the group coordinator, transmitting, via the first networked device to the second networked device, the media stream for playback.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the group coordinator is one of the first networked device or the second networked device.

13. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a first networked device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a media source device, a media stream using a first media playback protocol, wherein the media source device and the first networked device are configured to use the first media playback protocol and a second media playback protocol, wherein the first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol are incompatible;

receiving, from a second networked device, an indication to join a group with the first networked device using the second media playback protocol;

forming a group comprising the first networked device and the second networked device using the first media playback protocol;

receiving a command to remove the first networked device from the group; and

in response to receiving the command, sending, to the media source device, a command to disconnect from the media source device.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the indication to join the group comprises a message from the second networked device to join the group with the first networked device.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the indication to join the group comprises a command from a local interface of the second networked device to join the group with the first networked device.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, the method further comprising:

in response to receiving the command, stopping playback of the media stream.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, the method further comprising:

determining the command to remove the first network device from the group is configured to remove the first network device using the second playback protocol; and

converting the command to remove the first network device from the group to use the first playback protocol.

18. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a first networked device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a media source device, a media stream using a first media playback protocol, wherein the media source device and the first networked device are configured to use the first media playback protocol and a second media playback protocol, wherein the first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol are incompatible;

receiving, from a second networked device, an indication to join a group with the first networked device using the second media playback protocol;

forming a group comprising the first networked device and the second networked device using the first media playback protocol;

determining that the second networked device is enabled to receive the media stream from the media source device using the first media playback protocol; and

in response to determining that the second networked device is enabled to receive the media stream from the media source device using the first media playback protocol, transmitting, to the media source device, a command to transmit the media stream to the second networked device.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the indication to join the group comprises a message from the second networked device to join the group with the first networked device.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the indication to join the group comprises a command from a local interface of the second networked device to join the group with the first networked device.

21. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a first networked device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a media source device, a media stream using a first media playback protocol, wherein the media source device and the first networked device are configured to use the first media playback protocol and a second media playback protocol, wherein the first media playback protocol and the second media playback protocol are incompatible;

receiving, from a second networked device, an indication to join a group with the first networked device using the second media playback protocol;

forming a group comprising the first networked device and the second networked device using the first media playback protocol;

determining that the second networked device is not configured to receive the media stream from the media source device using the first media playback protocol; and

in response to determining that the second networked device is not configured to receive the media stream from the media source device using the first media playback protocol, transmitting, to the second networked device, the media stream.