Patent ID: 9166879
Filing Date: 2015-10-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for operating a first computing device as part of a personal network, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising: linking the first computing device to one or more other computing devices that form at least a portion of the personal network, the first computing device having a first set of capabilities; obtaining configuration information for each of the one or more other computing devices operating as part of the personal network; configuring the first computing device to initiate a communication with another of the one or more other computing devices upon the first computing device joining the personal network after linking to the one or more other computing devices, the communication including configuration information for the first computing device operating as part of the personal network; establishing at least a portion of a network control repository using the configuration information obtained from the one or more other computing devices, the network repository including configuration information that includes (i) data identifying the one or more other computing devices, (ii) data identifying whether each of the one or more other computing devices is actively connected to the personal network, and (iii) data that is indicative of a set of capabilities for each of the or more other computing devices; automatically updating the network repository at a given instance with configuration information to reflect at least a connectivity status of any of the one or more other computing devices at the given instance; responding, on the first computing device, to user input that selects (i) the first computing device to access a media data source accessible to any given one of the one or more computing devices, and (ii) an output destination on any one of the computing devices of the personal network; and transmitting media data of the media data source from the given one of the one or more computing devices to the output destination, using the configuration information from the network control repository.