Facilitating the resolution of address conflicts in a networked media playback system

• US 9,537,819 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Gossain, Hrishikesh, Graziani, Jose, Peters, Jeffrey M., Agerbak, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mendaye, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US14/041,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20150095486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use

Abstract

Examples are disclosed and described to facilitate resolution of Internet Protocol address conflicts. An example method includes listening, by a first playback device having a first IP address, to a specified server port, receiving, by the first playback device from a second playback device via the specified server port, a message, wherein the message identifies a second IP address, wherein the second IP address has been assigned to the second playback device, determining, by the first playback device, whether the first IP address is the same as the second IP address, and when the first IP address is the same as the second IP address, obtaining, by the first playback device, a new IP address, wherein the new IP address is different from the first IP address and the second IP address.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a first audio playback device, that a message sent by a second audio playback device to a specified server port includes a first lease renew request of the second audio playback device, wherein the first audio playback device is assigned a first Internet Protocol (IP) address, wherein the first IP address was assigned by a host device; and

wherein a zone group comprises the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device;

determining, by the first audio playback device, that the first IP address of the first audio playback device is the same as a second IP address identified in the first lease renew request of the second audio playback device;

in response to determining that the first IP address of the first audio playback device is the same as the second IP address identified in the first lease renew request of the second audio playback device, obtaining, by the first audio playback device from the host device, a new IP address by sending a second lease renew request to the specified server port, wherein the new IP address is different from the first IP address and the second IP address;

after obtaining the new IP address, receiving, by the first audio playback device, a stream of audio content;

sending, by the first audio playback device, the audio content to the second audio playback device; and

playing, by the first audio playback device, audio based on the audio content in synchrony with the zone group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified server port comprises UDP port 67.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first lease renew request is a DHCP_REQUEST packet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the DHCP_REQUEST packet includes an options field, and wherein the options field identifies the second IP address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the host device is a DHCP server;

and wherein obtaining the new IP address comprises;

transmitting, by the first audio playback device to the DHCP server, a DHCP request, wherein the second lease renew request comprises the DCHP request; and

receiving, by the first audio playback device from the DHCP server, a DHCP acknowledgement, wherein the DHCP acknowledgement includes the new IP address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first audio playback device comprises a first zone player, and wherein the second audio playback device comprises a second zone player.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the DHCP server comprises an access point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified server port is an input port to the host device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed, cause a first playback device having a first Internet Protocol (IP) address to:

determine, by a first audio playback device, that a message sent by a second audio playback device to a specified server port includes a first lease renew request of the second audio playback device, wherein the first audio playback device is assigned a first Internet Protocol (IP) address, wherein the first IP address was assigned by a host device; and

wherein a zone group comprises the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device;

determine that the first IP address of the first audio playback device is the same as a second IP address identified in the first lease renew request of the second audio playback device;

in response to determining that the first IP address of the first audio playback device is the same as the second IP address identified in the first lease renew request of the second audio playback device, obtain a new IP address from the host device by sending a second lease renew request to the specified server port, wherein the new IP address is different from the first IP address and the second IP address;

after obtaining the new IP address, receive, by the first audio playback device, a stream of audio content;

send, by the first audio playback device, the audio content to the second audio playback device; and

play, by the first audio playback device, audio based on the audio content in synchrony with the zone group.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the specified server port comprises UDP port 67.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first lease renew request is a DHCP_REQUEST packet.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the DHCP_REQUEST packet includes an options field, and wherein the options field identifies the second IP address.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the host device is a DHCP server;

and wherein obtaining the new IP address comprises instructions that when executed cause the first playback device to;

transmit to the DHCP server, a DHCP request;

wherein the second lease renew request comprises the DCHP request; and

receive from the DHCP server, a DHCP acknowledgement, wherein the DHCP acknowledgement includes the new IP address.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first audio playback device comprises a first zone player, and wherein the second audio playback device comprises a second zone player.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the DHCP server comprises an access point.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the specified server port is an input port to the host device.

16. A first audio playback device comprising:

a network interface;

a processor;

data storage; and

program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the processor to;

determine, by the first audio playback device, that a message sent by a second audio playback device to a specified server port includes a first lease renew request of the second audio playback device, wherein the first audio playback device is assigned a first Internet Protocol (IP) address, wherein the first IP address was assigned by a host device; and

wherein a zone group comprises the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device;

determine that a first IP address assigned to the first audio playback device is the same as a second IP address identified in the first lease renew request of the second audio playback device;

in response to determining that the first IP address of the first audio playback device is the same as the second IP address identified in the first lease renew request of the second audio playback device, obtain a new IP address from the host device by sending a second lease renew request to the specified server port, wherein the new IP address is different from the first IP address and the second IP address;

after obtaining the new IP address, receive, by the first audio playback device, a stream of audio content;

send, by the first audio playback device, the audio content to the second audio playback device; and

play, by the first audio playback device, audio based on the audio content in synchrony with the zone group.

17. The first audio playback device of claim 16, wherein the specified server port comprises UDP port 67.

18. The first audio playback device of claim 16, wherein the first lease renew request is a DHCP_REQUEST packet.

19. The first audio playback device of claim 18, wherein the DHCP_REQUEST packet includes an options field, and wherein the options field identifies the second IP address.

20. The first audio playback device of claim 16, wherein the host device is a DHCP server;

and wherein obtaining the new IP address comprises program logic stored in the data storage that when executed cause the first playback device to;

transmit to the DHCP server, a DHCP request wherein the second lease renew request comprises the DCHP request; and

receive from the DHCP server, a DHCP acknowledgement, wherein the DHCP acknowledgement includes the new IP address.

21. The first audio playback device of claim 20, wherein (i) the first audio playback device comprises a first zone player, and (ii) the second audio playback device comprises a second zone player.

23. The first audio playback device of claim 16, wherein the specified server port is an input port to the host device.