Patent ID: 9686351
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. In a media playback system comprising at least a first media device and a second media device on a local playback network, wherein the local playback network is coupled to a wide area network via a router, a method comprising: receiving, via a device, an instruction to form a zone group comprising the first media device and the second media device; comparing, via the device, one or more first communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to one or more second communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device; wherein the one or more first communication parameters comprises an indication that the first media device is coupled to the router via a wired connection, and wherein the one or more second communication parameters comprises an indication that the second media device is coupled to the router via a wireless connection; identifying, via the device, the first media device as a group coordinator of the zone group based on at least the indication that the first media device is coupled to the router via the wired connection and the indication that the second media device is coupled to the router via the wireless connection; and based on identifying the first media device as the group coordinator of the zone group, configuring, via the device, the first media device to provide data indicating audio content and audio content playback timing information to the second media device to facilitate synchronous playback of the audio content as the group coordinator of the zone group.