Patent ID: 9306764
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method comprising: periodically transmitting, from a playback device designated as a current root device on a playback network, a first query message to a router via a first intermediate device on the playback network and a second query message to the router via a second intermediate device on the playback network, the playback network organized according to a spanning tree protocol; evaluating, at the current root device, a first response received from the first intermediate device and a second response received from the second intermediate device, the first and the second intermediate devices relaying the first and the second query messages, respectively, from the current root device to the router, wherein the first response indicates a first root path cost and the second response indicates a second root path cost associated with relaying of the respective first and second query messages from the current root device to the router via the first and the second intermediate devices; determining, at the current root device, based on a comparison of the first and the second root path costs, an updated designation of a new root device for the playback network; and if the new root device is different from the current root device, exchanging, via the current root device, bridge priority between the current root device and the new root device.