Proximity Synchronizing Audio Gateway Device

• US 20130080582A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hoyet Harrison Iii Andrews
• Inventors: Spurgat, Jeffrey Jonathan, Gladwin, Stephen Christopher, Andrews, Hoyet Harrison III
• Granted Patent: US 9,712,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/88 which are wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204

Abstract

A digital audio gateway device for use in a wireless network of digital audio playback devices. The gateway device is wirelessly linked to one or more digital audio playback devices to provide a gateway to the Internet for the digital audio playback devices. In addition to functioning as a gateway, the device provides additional functionality and may act as a cache of digital audio data for the various digital audio players connected in the wireless network and may also act to automatically update digital audio content on the audio players, synchronize digital audio content and playlists between the digital audio players and continue automatically or upon user request a particular playlist as the user moves from one digital audio player to another.

Claims

1. A digital gateway device comprising:

a system bus;

a microprocessor coupled to said system bus;

one or more storage devices coupled to said system bus;

a wireless communications platform for establishing a communication link with one or more external devices; and

wireless interface for establishing a communication link with external sources of digital content.