Patent ID: 9078072
Filing Date: 2015-07-07
Classification: H04L,H04N,H04R

Abstract:
1. A method for distributing audio data to multiple audio playback devices that are connected to a network, the method comprising: comparing one or more network-related performance criteria of a plurality of the audio playback devices; based on the comparison, designating one of the plurality of audio playback devices as a first active master device and the rest of the plurality of audio playback devices as slave devices, where the first active master device controls the distribution of audio data to the slave devices; monitoring a performance criterion of the first active master device and in response designating a slave device as a second active master device that controls the distribution of audio data to one or more other slave devices; and after designating a slave device as a second active master device, establishing data connections between each of the slave devices and one of the first and second active master devices. where each slave device is connected to only one master device, and where each master device controls the distribution of audio data only to the slave devices to which it is connected.