Patent ID: 9218017
Filing Date: 2015-12-22
Classification: G05B,G06F,G11B,H03G,H04H,H04J,H04L,H04N,H04R,H04W,H05K

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, at a user interface, information identifying a plurality of zones of a networked playback system, wherein each zone of the plurality of zones comprises, on a local area network, a zone player that comprises a digital to analog converter and amplifier; displaying the plurality of zones via the user interface; receiving a first command via the user interface to group two or more of the zones into a synchrony group, wherein the first command identifies the two or more zones; in response to receiving the first command, configuring a first zone player to function as a master zone player for the synchrony group and at least a second zone player to function as a slave zone player in the synchrony group; receiving a second command via the user interface for audio content from an audio information source to be played in synchrony by the synchrony group; and in response to receiving the second command, configuring the master zone player to at least (i) play back the audio content from the audio information source in synchrony with the slave zone player, (ii) transmit packets comprising the audio content and play back timing information for the audio content to the slave zone player, and (iii) transmit packets comprising clock time information of the master zone player to the slave zone player, wherein the master zone player and the slave zone player remain independently clocked while the master zone player plays back the audio content from the audio information source in synchrony with the slave zone player.