Patent ID: 9733892
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: G05B,G06F,G11B,H03G,H04H,H04J,H04L,H04N,H04R,H04W,H05K

Claim:
1. A method comprising: receiving, by a first playback device from a network device configured to control the first playback device and communicatively coupled to the first playback device over a network, first control information identifying a first audio information source, wherein the first audio information source is accessible by the first playback device via a wide area network (WAN); after receiving the first control information, (i) obtaining, by the first playback device from the first audio information source, first audio information; (ii) transmitting, by the first playback device to a second playback device, the first audio information, playback timing information associated with the first audio information, and device clock information of the first playback device; and (iii) playing back by the first playback device the first audio information in synchrony with the second playback device by using the playback timing information associated with the first audio information and the device clock information of the first playback device to play back the first audio information, wherein the first and second playback devices remain independently clocked during synchronous playback of the first audio information; receiving, by the first playback device from a second network device configured to control the first playback device and communicatively coupled to the first playback device, second control information identifying a second audio information source; and after receiving the second control information, (i) obtaining, by the first playback device from the second audio information source, second audio information and (ii) playing back, by the first playback device, the second audio information.