SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING ZONE FUNCTIONALITY IN NETWORKED MEDIA SYSTEMS
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A Zone Control service is disclosed which provides for hierarchically managing a plurality of networked media subsystems. This can provide a layer of abstraction for the collection in the form of a single Renderer zone interface represented by a delegated zone controller. This hierarchy establishes a virtual super-system. Although a Zone Control services can be advertised on all networked media devices, the services will typically be unavailable while a device is subservient to, or equivalently under the control of, a zone controller. A single instance of the Zone Control service can reside in a Services Device, co-existing with a Group Control service.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1-26. -26. (canceled)
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27. A method of providing zone functionality to media sub-devices, wherein a plurality of virtual media systems are each configured to control a respective one or more media sub-devices, wherein each virtual media system is discoverable and controllable thereby to collectively control its respective one or more media sub-devices, wherein the media sub-devices are connected to a common data network, the method including the steps of:
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(i) discovering the virtual media systems; (ii) initiating formation of a zone including a selection of the virtual media systems; (iii) transmitting a single resource identifier for the zone to each of the selection of virtual media systems; and identifying a zone controller, wherein the zone controller provides a virtual zone super-system that is discoverable and controllable thereby to collectively control the respective one or more media sub-devices of the selection of virtual media systems. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of providing zone functionality to media sub-devices, wherein a plurality of virtual media systems are each configured to control a respective one or more media sub-devices, wherein each virtual media system is discoverable and controllable thereby to collectively control its respective one or more media sub-devices, wherein the media sub-devices are connected to a common data network, the method including the steps of:
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(i) presenting an interface indicative of a virtual media system, (ii) initiating formation of a zone; (iii) identifying a single resource identifier common to all selected virtual media system in a zone; and (iv) presenting an zone interface indicative of a virtual super-system for receiving a signal indicative of a zone function thereby to collectively control the respective one or more media sub-devices of the selection of virtual media systems. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. A media playback apparatus including:
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a networking interface for connecting to a data network; and a processor adapted to carry out a discovery process on the data network for allowing mutual discovery of complimentary virtual media systems;
processor further adapted to advertise a zone interface;
processor further adapted to receive a signal indicative of a Create Zone action from the network interface;
processor further adapted to perform the Create Zone action for establishing a zone that includes a plurality of the virtual media systems. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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Specification