Group coordinator selection based on communication parameters

• US 10,320,888 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Gossain, Hrishikesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Halim, Sahera
• Application Number:
  US15/611,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20170272508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 709219, 709220, 709227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

Examples described herein involve selecting a group coordinator device for a zone group. An example implementation includes: receiving an instruction to form a zone group comprising the first media device and the second media device; comparing a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device; identifying the first media device as a group coordinator of the zone group based on at least the indication that the first media device communicates with the router over the first communication frequency band; and configuring the first media device to provide data indicating audio content and audio content playback timing information to the second media device to facilitate synchronous playback of the audio content as the group coordinator of the zone group.

Claims

1. In a media playback system comprising at least a first media device and a second media device on a local playback network, wherein the local playback network is coupled to a wide area network via a router, a method comprising:

receiving, via at least one device, an instruction to form a zone group comprising the first media device and the second media device;

comparing, via the at least one device, a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device, wherein the first one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the first media device comprises an indication that the first media device communicates with the router over a first communication frequency band, and wherein the second one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the second media device comprises an indication that the second media device communicates with the router via a second communication frequency band that is different from the first communication frequency band;

identifying, via the at least one device, the first media device as a group coordinator of the zone group based on at least the indication that the first media device communicates with the router over the first communication frequency band; and

based on identifying the first media device as the group coordinator of the zone group, configuring, via the at least one device, the first media device to provide data indicating audio content and audio content playback timing information to the second media device to facilitate synchronous playback of the audio content as the group coordinator of the zone group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after identifying the first media device as the group coordinator, causing, via the at least one device, the second media device to send, to the first media device, data indicating clock information corresponding to the second media device; and

configuring, via the at least one device, the first media device to generate the audio content playback timing information based on at least the clock information corresponding to the second media device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the first media device further comprises an indication of a first type of network connection, and wherein the second one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the second media device further comprises an indication of a second type of network connection.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first type of network connection is a wired network connection, and wherein the second type of network connection is a wireless network connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

comparing a first network performance metric corresponding to the first media device to a second network performance metric corresponding to the second media device, and wherein identifying the first media device as the group coordinator of the zone group further comprises;

identifying the first media device as the group coordinator of the zone group further based on the comparison of the first network performance metric to the second network performance metric.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the first media device comprises a first root path cost, and wherein the second one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the second media device comprises a second root path cost.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

before comparing a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device, receiving by the at least one device from the first media device, the first one or more communication parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

before comparing a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device, receiving by the at least one device from the second media device, the second one or more communication parameters.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one device comprises the first media device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one device comprises the second media device.

11. A media playback system comprising at least a first media device and a second media device on a local playback network, wherein the local playback network is coupled to a wide area network via a router, wherein at least one device of the media playback system is configured to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via at least one device, an instruction to form a zone group comprising the first media device and the second media device;

comparing, via the at least one device, a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device, wherein the first one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the first media device comprises an indication that the first media device communicates with the router over a first communication frequency band, and wherein the second one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the second media device comprises an indication that the second media device communicates with the router via a second communication frequency band that is different from the first communication frequency band;

identifying, via the at least one device, the first media device as a group coordinator of the zone group based on at least the indication that the first media device communicates with the router over the first communication frequency band; and

based on identifying the first media device as the group coordinator of the zone group, configuring, via the at least one device, the first media device to provide data indicating audio content and audio content playback timing information to the second media device to facilitate synchronous playback of the audio content as the group coordinator of the zone group.

12. The media playback system of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

after identifying the first media device as the group coordinator, causing, via the at least one device, the second media device to send, to the first media device, data indicating clock information corresponding to the second media device; and

configuring, via the at least one device, the first media device to generate the audio content playback timing information based on at least the clock information corresponding to the second media device.

13. The media playback system of claim 11, wherein the first one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the first media device further comprises an indication of a first type of network connection, and wherein the second one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the second media device further comprises an indication of a second type of network connection.

14. The media playback system of claim 13, wherein the first type of network connection is a wired network connection, and wherein the second type of network connection is a wireless network connection.

15. The media playback system of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

comparing a first network performance metric corresponding to the first media device to a second network performance metric corresponding to the second media device, and wherein identifying the first media device as the group coordinator of the zone group further comprises;

identifying the first media device as the group coordinator of the zone group further based on the comparison of the first network performance metric to the second network performance metric.

16. The media playback system of claim 11, wherein the first one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the first media device comprises a first root path cost, and wherein the second one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the second media device comprises a second root path cost.

17. The media playback system of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

before comparing a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device, receiving by the at least one device from the first media device, the first one or more communication parameters.

18. The media playback system of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

before comparing a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device, receiving by the at least one device from the second media device, the second one or more communication parameters.

19. The media playback system of claim 11, wherein the at least one device comprises the first media device.

20. The media playback system of claim 11, wherein the at least one device comprises the second media device.

21. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions, that when performed by at least one device in a media playback system comprising at least a first media device and a second media device on a local playback network that is coupled to a wide area network via a router, causes the at least one device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via at least one device, an instruction to form a zone group comprising the first media device and the second media device;

comparing, via the at least one device, a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device, wherein the first one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the first media device comprises an indication that the first media device communicates with the router over a first communication frequency band, and wherein the second one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the second media device comprises an indication that the second media device communicates with the router via a second communication frequency band that is different from the first communication frequency band;

identifying, via the at least one device, the first media device as a group coordinator of the zone group based on at least the indication that the first media device communicates with the router over the first communication frequency band; and

based on identifying the first media device as the group coordinator of the zone group, configuring, via the at least one device, the first media device to provide data indicating audio content and audio content playback timing information to the second media device to facilitate synchronous playback of the audio content as the group coordinator of the zone group.

22. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the functions further comprise:

after identifying the first media device as the group coordinator, causing, via the at least one device, the second media device to send, to the first media device, data indicating clock information corresponding to the second media device; and

configuring, via the at least one device, the first media device to generate the audio content playback timing information based on at least the clock information corresponding to the second media device.

23. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the first one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the first media device further comprises an indication of a first type of network connection, and wherein the second one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the second media device further comprises an indication of a second type of network connection.

24. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23, wherein the first type of network connection is a wired network connection, and wherein the second type of network connection is a wireless network connection.

25. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the functions further comprise:

comparing a first network performance metric corresponding to the first media device to a second network performance metric corresponding to the second media device, and wherein identifying the first media device as the group coordinator of the zone group further comprises;

identifying the first media device as the group coordinator of the zone group further based on the comparison of the first network performance metric to the second network performance metric.

26. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the first one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the first media device comprises a first root path cost, and wherein the second one or more communication parameters corresponding to the network connection of the second media device comprises a second root path cost.

27. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the functions further comprise:

before comparing a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device, receiving by the at least one device from the first media device, the first one or more communication parameters.

28. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the functions further comprise:

before comparing a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device, receiving by the at least one device from the second media device, the second one or more communication parameters.

29. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the at least one device comprises the first media device.

30. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the at least one device comprises the second media device.