SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING ZONE FUNCTIONALITY IN NETWORKED MEDIA SYSTEMS

• US 20100292818A1
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D&M Holdings Incorporated (DEI Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Tymphany Hong Kong Limited (Primax Electronics Limited)
• Inventors: Ramsay, Max Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

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.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

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:

(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.

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein the zone controller is selected from the one or more media sub-devices of the selection of virtual media systems.

29. A method according to claim 27 wherein the resource identifier is a Uniform Resource Identifier.

30. A method according to claim 27 wherein the virtual media super-system is identifiable on the basis of a Universally Unique Identifier.

31. A method according to claim 27 wherein each virtual media system maintains a zone profile for maintaining data indicative of all virtual media systems in the zone.

32. A method according to claim 27 wherein each media sub-device maintains a zone profile for maintaining data indicative of all media sub-devices in the zone.

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein a first media sub-device retains the zone profile for allowing the first media sub-device to rejoin the zone if temporarily removed from the zone.

34. A method according to claim 32 wherein a first media sub-device retains the zone profile for allowing the first media sub-device to rejoin the zone after temporarily operating under local control.

35. A method according to claim 27 wherein each media sub-device monitors a heartbeat signal transmitted across the data network for maintaining connectivity to the zone.

36. A method according to claim 27 wherein the virtual zone super-system is controllable using zone interface adapted to receive a first signal indicative of a zone function and communicate a second signal indicative of the zone function to the selection of virtual media systems.

37. A method according to claim 27 wherein the virtual zone super-system is controllable using zone interface adapted to receive a first signal indicative of a zone function and communicate a second signal indicative of the zone function to the respective one or more media sub-devices of the selection of virtual media systems.

38. A method according to claim 37 wherein the first signal is indicative of a relative volume adjustment for the respective one or more media sub-devices of the selection of virtual media systems.

39. A method according to claim 27 wherein the zone controller is adapted to act as a network proxy for receiving media data and transmitting corresponding media data to each virtual media systems in the zone.

40. A method according to claim 27 wherein the zone controller is adapted to act as a network proxy for receiving media data and transmitting corresponding media data to each media sub-device.

41. A method according to claim 27 wherein steps (i) through (iv) are initiated by a control point.

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:

(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.

43. A method according to claim 42 wherein the virtual super-system is further adapted to receive a first signal indicative of a zone function provided to the zone interface and communicate a second signal indicative of the zone function to the respective one or more media sub-devices of the selection of virtual media systems.

44. A media playback apparatus including:

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.

45. A media playback apparatus according to claim 44 wherein the processor is adapted to receive a first signal indicative of a zone function provided to the zone interface and communicate a second signal indicative of the zone function to the selection of virtual media systems.

46. A media playback apparatus according to claim 44 wherein the processor is adapted to receive a first signal indicative of a zone function provided to the zone interface and communicate a second signal indicative of the zone function to the respective one or more media sub-devices of the selection of virtual media systems.