Systems and methods for providing zone functionality in networked media systems

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A method of providing zone functionality to media sub-devices the method including the steps of:
(i) discovering a plurality of virtual media systems, wherein each virtual media system is configured to control a respective one or more media sub-devices, wherein at least one of the virtual media systems is configured to control a respective plurality of media sub-devices, wherein each virtual media system is discoverable and controllable thereby to collectively control its respective one or more media sub-devices, and wherein the media sub-devices are connected to a common data network; (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 (iv) 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; wherein, for media playback, the zone controller is responsible for distributing media data to all individual media sub-devices in the zone and wherein, during such playback, a given one of the virtual media systems is configured to implement a volume control command in respect of its respective one or more media sub-devices, wherein the volume control command is not implemented for any of the other media sub-devices, and wherein the volume control command is received by the given one of the virtual media systems from a control device without the volume control command being provided to the zone controller; wherein each individual media sub-device is configured to: maintain a zone profile data file; communicate updates to the zone profile data file to all other devices in the zone; and, in the case that the device temporarily drops out of the zone, identify a most recent zone profile data file thereby to rejoin the zone.