Patent Description:
It has become commonplace for an individual to have access to multiple devices that render media, such as an mp3 player, a car stereo, a home entertainment system, a portable computer or tablet, a gaming console, and a smart phone, among others. Two or more of these rendering devices may have access to a communications network and/or the internet, and be configured to render digital media provided over the communications network and/or the internet, for example, a digital media streaming service. <CIT> discloses a method of controlling a plurality of media rendering devices in a data network with a controller device in communication with the network.

Unfortunately, continuity of rendering of digital media may be interrupted as a user moves a media rendering device beyond the range of a network, for example a wireless local area network (WLAN), or wishes to add a new media rendering device in a location that is beyond the range of the WLAN. Similarly, a user may wish to control one or more rendering devices via a controller device when the controller is within communication range of at least one media rendering device but out of range of a network access point. Therefore, there is a need in the industry to address one or more of the abovementioned shortcomings.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for providing limited controller access to a mesh network of media rendering devices. Briefly described, the present invention is directed to a system that provides limited controller access to a mesh network of media rendering devices in a primary communication network via an access point providing network connectivity to a local area network (LAN). A first media rendering device in communication with the LAN includes a secondary network transceiver providing a secondary network distinct from the LAN. The first media rendering device being in communication with the access point. A second media rendering device being in communication with the first media rendering device via a first private mesh network. A third media rendering device is in communication with the first media rendering device via the secondary network. A controller is configured to communicate with the first media rendering device via the LAN and/or the secondary network. The first media rendering device is configured to convey a command from the controller to the third media rendering device via the secondary network. A range of the secondary network extends beyond the access point and use of the secondary network by the controller is bandwidth limited.

Other systems, methods and features of the present invention will be or become apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examining the following drawings and detailed description.

The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principals of the invention.

The following definitions are useful for interpreting terms applied to features of the embodiments disclosed herein, and are meant only to define elements within the disclosure.

As used within this disclosure, a "network" and/or "data network" refers to a communications network configured to exchange binary formatted information between two or more addressable networked devices via one or more routers or devices implementing a data routing protocol, for example, an Internet Protocol (IP) network or a mesh network.

As used within this disclosure, a "mesh network" refers to a network topology of mesh nodes each having a mesh network radio transceiver configured so that each node is able to relay data within the network. Each mesh node may cooperate in the distribution of data within the network. For example, mesh networks can relay messages using either a flooding technique or a routing technique. With routing, a message may be propagated along a path by hopping from node to node until it reaches its destination. The network may allow for continuous connections and may reconfigure itself around broken paths to ensure availability of data paths, for example, using self-healing algorithms such as Shortest Path Bridging Self-healing allows a routing-based network to operate when a node breaks down or when a connection becomes unreliable. Although typically used in wireless situations, wired mesh networks and combination wired/wireless mesh networks are also possible. A mesh network whose nodes are all connected to each other is called a fully connected network. Mesh networks may be considered a type of an ad hoc network.

As used within this disclosure, "media" refers to audio and/or video content either stored on a storage medium, such as a disk drive or digital disk, or streamed from a media server. Media may refer to analog and/or digitally formatted data.

As used within this disclosure, an originating provider of media, either streamed or locally stored, is referred to as a "media source. " Examples of a media source include a music and/or video server, an internet radio, a streaming service, or a cache of media files.

As used within this disclosure, "rendering" refers to playback of media by a media player, also referred to herein as a "rendering device. " Examples of rendering devices include, but are not limited to, an mp3 player, a tablet computer, a portable stereo, a home entertainment system, a portable video player, a smart phone, a laptop or desktop computer, and a mobile entertainment system.

As used within this disclosure, a "user" refers to a person consuming media from a rendering device and/or controlling media via a media system controller.

As used within this disclosure, a "local device," such as a server, refers to a network element directly connected to a local area network (LAN) or mesh network, while a remote device refers to an item that may be in communication with local network elements, for example, via the internet, but is not directly connected to the LAN or mesh network.

As used within this disclosure, "WiFi" refers to technology for radio wireless local area networking of devices based on the IEEE <NUM> standards.

As used within this disclosure, a "playlist" is a modifiable data structure containing an ordered list of media, or an ordered list of references to media. A playlist may be stored, for example, on a rendering device or a server. A playlist may be modified to add, remove, and/or re-order media or media references. Since playlists containing media references do not contain audio or video content, they are generally small in size and therefore readily transportable. A display playlist is a text listing of media in a playlist, and may include a subset of identifying parameters of a media, such as title, artist, duration, and date, among others.

As used within this disclosure, "streaming" refers to a process of real-time transmitting media of a recording by a source to a rendering device. The rendering device may begin rendering the media before the entire recording has been transmitted. Streaming is generally transitory, such that the streamed data is not retained after it has been rendered. Portions of a received stream may be buffered for rendering, for example, to ensure rendering is uninterrupted during short interruptions of the streamed transmission. In contrast, a downloaded digital multimedia file is generally received in its entirety before it may be rendered. A downloaded digital multimedia file is generally retained in a memory for subsequent rendering, while a streamed file is generally re-streamed for subsequent renderings. "Streaming a song" is shorthand for streaming media of an audio recording identified by a song.

As used within this disclosure, a "controller" refers to a device, for example, a hand held device or an application running on a hand held device configured to interact with a media rendering device, a media source, and/or with one or more groups of media rendering devices. The controller may interact with the media rendering device by issuing commands to adjust one or more operating parameters on the media rendering device, and/or to display operational status of the media rendering device. The controller may interact with a media source to select and control media provided by the media source to one or more media rendering devices. Examples of a hand held device include a smart phone or tablet computer.

It should be noted that while the functionality of system components described herein such as controllers, rendering devices, media servers, and media sources among others may be described separately, alternative embodiments may include devices that combine the functionality of two or more of these components, for example, but not limited to a controller device that also renders media and/or sources media.

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

A first embodiment includes a system and method for providing limited controller access to a mesh network of media rendering devices. As shown in <FIG>, a media rendering system <NUM> may be used to render stored and/or streamed audio and/or video media via one or more rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, for example, an audio transducer. The media rendering system <NUM> generally includes one or more media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, one or more media servers, and one or more controllers <NUM>. Examples of a media rendering system <NUM> include an internet enabled home entertainment system. Examples of a media rendering system controller <NUM> include a tablet computer, and a smart phone. The media rendering system <NUM> includes one or more media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> communicating in a wired or wireless local area network (LAN) <NUM>. The network access point <NUM> is configured to provide communications between the media rendering system <NUM> and the network <NUM>, for example, a local area network in communication with the internet/cloud. The media rendering system <NUM> may render audio received via from a media source a media stream, for example received from a media server <NUM>. The media server <NUM> may be a device within the LAN <NUM>, or the media server may be remote to the LAN <NUM>, for example, located in the cloud and accessed through the internet via the access point <NUM>.

The media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM> in the media rendering system <NUM> communicate via a first private mesh network <NUM>, wherein a first media rendering device <NUM> connects to the access point <NUM>, and the first media rendering device <NUM> communicates with a second media rendering device <NUM> via the first private mesh network <NUM>. The first private mesh network <NUM> may be, for example, an ad hoc WiFi network operating within the LAN <NUM>. In addition, two or more media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM> in the media rendering system <NUM> communicate via a second private mesh network <NUM>, wherein the first media rendering device <NUM> connects to the access point <NUM> via the LAN <NUM>, and the first media rendering device <NUM> communicates with a third media rendering device <NUM> via the second private mesh network <NUM>. The second private mesh network <NUM> may be, for example, an ad hoc mesh network, for example, Bluetooth or Zigbee, operating independently the LAN <NUM>. Each of the media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM> may include one or more radio for communication with the first and/or second mesh networks <NUM>, <NUM>, and each of the media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM> may include one or more active antennas, for example, used to improve overall network reliability.

The range of the second private mesh network <NUM> extends beyond the range of the WiFi access point <NUM>. The second mesh network <NUM> may be used to push data and media to one or more rendering devices <NUM> across multiple hops. For example, data and/or commands communicated between the first media rendering device <NUM> and a fourth media rendering device <NUM> may be first relayed from the first media rendering device <NUM> to the third media rendering device <NUM> via the second ad hoc network <NUM> in a first hop, and subsequently relayed from the third media rendering device <NUM> to the fourth media rendering device <NUM> in a second hop, using a second mesh connection <NUM> of the same type as the second mesh network <NUM>, or a different type from the second mesh network <NUM>. The fourth media rendering device <NUM> may respond to a received command via the second ad hoc network <NUM>.

The media rendering system controller <NUM> may operate as an application ("app") running on a host device, such as a smart phone or tablet. In previous systems, the controller communicates with the media rendering system solely via the WiFi access point. As shown in <FIG>, the controller <NUM> may operate beyond the range of the WiFi access point <NUM>, connecting to the system via the second private mesh network <NUM>, for example, when the controller <NUM> is located beyond the range of the WiFi access point <NUM>. The use of the second private mesh network <NUM> by the controller <NUM> may be limited to specific types of data, for example control commands. The use of the second private mesh network <NUM> by the controller <NUM> is bandwidth limited, so that the performance of the controller <NUM> does not interfere with the performance of the media rendering system <NUM>. The user of the controller <NUM> may be notified that network access of the controller is limited. The types of devices allowed to join the second mesh network <NUM> may be limited to, for example, devices hosting a specific application, or to recognized devices, for example, devices with a recognized MAC address. In general, the controller <NUM> may not be allowed to join the second mesh network <NUM> if the controller is in communication with the WiFi access point <NUM> of the LAN <NUM>.

In an alternative embodiment, the secondary network <NUM> may represent functionality of a 'WiFi repeater," that serves to extend the range of the LAN <NUM>. For example, a WiFi repeater may be a media rendering device <NUM> that acts as an OSI (open systems interconnection) layer <NUM> (physical layer) passive or 'dumb' device that rebroadcasts a received frame so as to extend the useful range to the WiFi access point <NUM>. Being a passive device means they can extend the range of a controller device, such as iOS and Android devices without requiring the controller device to reconnect directly to the speaker. For example, the first media rendering device <NUM> extends the range of the WiFi access point <NUM> of the LAN <NUM> so that the third media rendering device <NUM> can communicate with the LAN <NUM> while otherwise being physically located beyond the operating boundaries of the LAN <NUM>.

The repeater functionality of the first media rendering device <NUM> may be implemented using different OSI layer <NUM> implementations. For example, the physical layer connection between the first media rendering device <NUM> and the third media rendering device <NUM> may be via a different networking protocol from the LAN <NUM>, for example, via BlueTooth while the LAN <NUM> uses wireless internet protocol. Bluetooth may be desirable in a repeater as it may provide internet protocol (IP) connectivity at much lower power than WiFi. The scope of the network may also be extended via a wired connection, for example, an Ethernet connection between the third media rendering device <NUM> and the fourth media rendering device <NUM>.

While <FIG> shows a WiFi access point <NUM> independent from the first media rendering device, the functionality of a LAN access point may be incorporated within a housing of the first media rendering device <NUM> itself, as shown in <FIG>. Therefore the IP coverage of the controller <NUM> may be extended without making the controller <NUM> disconnect from the LAN and/or access point <NUM> and the controller <NUM> may select the types of traffic that are routed through the access point <NUM> and they types of traffic that are passed between/among the media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. For example, the controller <NUM> may configure the media rendering system <NUM> to rout transmission of high bandwidth content to less congested links of the network. The selection of the type of traffic that is routed through the access point and traffic routed between/among media rendering devices may be a user configurable parameter.

<FIG> is a detail <NUM> of the mesh network under the first embodiment. Here, the controller <NUM> has a direct mesh network connection <NUM> with the first media rendering device <NUM>. Under the second embodiment, each of the media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> has a direct mesh network connection <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> with three other media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. As pictured, the controller <NUM> may communicate directly with the first media rendering device <NUM> via the direct mesh network link <NUM>, and may communicate with each of the second <NUM>, third <NUM>, and fourth <NUM> media rendering devices via a one-hop connection from the first media rendering device <NUM>.

While <FIG> shows a mesh network where all of the media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are connected to one another via direct mesh network connections <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, in some embodiments there is only partial connectivity, where only some of the media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> have direct network connections <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. Here, each of the media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> has a direct mesh network connection with only two other media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, so that communications between two media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> that are not directly connected may occur indirectly using a one-hop connection between an intermediate media rendering device, so that the intermediate media rendering devices serve as mesh network repeaters. For example, in <FIG> the first media rendering device <NUM> has a direct mesh network connection with the second media rendering device <NUM> and the third media rendering device <NUM>, but a one hop mesh network connection with the fourth media rendering device <NUM>, via either the second media rendering device <NUM> or the third media rendering device <NUM>. Likewise, the controller <NUM> may connect to the second media rendering device <NUM> or the third media rendering device <NUM> via a first-hop connection <NUM> with the first media rendering device <NUM>, and a second-hop connection <NUM>, <NUM> to the second media rendering device <NUM> or the third media rendering device <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may connect to the fourth media rendering device <NUM> via three mesh network hops: (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), or (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>). As long as there is a mesh network path between any two media rendering devices, these two media rendering devices can communicate via direct or multi-hop transmissions.

A further aspect relates to a method and system for optimizing network connectivity through a combination of a mesh network and one or more adaptive antennas. Under the second exemplary embodiment, the media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> in a media rendering system may communicate via a private mesh network, wherein a first media rendering device <NUM> connects to a WiFi access point <NUM>, and the media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> communicate via the private mesh network. The range of the private mesh network extends beyond the range of the WiFi access point. The mesh network may be used to push data and media to rendering devices across multiple hops.

The first media rendering device <NUM> includes one or more active antennas configured to transmit and/or receive data on the mesh network. Active antenna systems have been developed in which an individual antenna or groups of antennas are driven with their own active electronics. Such antenna systems are capable of amplifying a WiFi signal within the antenna, eliminating loss in signal strength, and avoiding noise during transmission. Active antennas may be configured to identify a signal, determine what beam to access at any given time, and steer the beam in a direction of interest to provide an enhanced signal. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the antennas within a media rendering device may not be active.

The second embodiment, shown in <FIG>, combines media rendering devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> in a mesh network <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> with one or more active antennas to provide network optimization. In particular, the mesh network (functioning alone) continuously searches for the best signal source and, in the event a signal source better than the current source is found, makes a hop to the better signal source.

For example, <FIG> shows a first media rendering device <NUM> with a first active antenna <NUM> configured to optimize communication with the second media rendering device <NUM> via the direct mesh network link <NUM>. For example, the first active antenna <NUM> is configured to steer transmission/reception orientation to enhance communication parameters with the second media rendering device <NUM>. It should be noted that while the drawings indicate a physical orientation of the active antennas <NUM>, <NUM>, this is just a visual aid to indicate a functional orientation that may or may not involve physical orientation of the active antenna. The active antenna may be implemented as a programmable antenna for transmitting electronically steerable beams.

The third media rendering device <NUM> includes a third active antenna <NUM> where the third active antenna <NUM> is configured to steer transmission/reception orientation to enhance communication parameters with the fourth media rendering device <NUM> via the direct mesh network link <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, a command from the controller <NUM> may traverse multiple hops before arriving at the second media rendering device <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the same network as <FIG>, but with the first active antenna <NUM> configured to optimize communication with the third media rendering device <NUM> via the direct mesh network link <NUM>. The third active antenna <NUM> where the third active antenna <NUM> is similarly configured to steer transmission/reception orientation to enhance communication parameters with the first media rendering device <NUM> via the direct mesh network link <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, a command from the controller <NUM> may traverse two hops before arriving at the second media rendering device <NUM>.

As noted above, the mesh network continuously searches for the best signal source. The criteria for what constitutes the "best signal source" may be configurable. For example, depending upon the priorities of the network, the criteria for "best signal source" may include least bandwidth, fewest dropped packets, and/or strongest signal power, among other possible criteria. However, configuring one or more active antenna <NUM>, <NUM> according to the best signal source may result in a signal transmission hop that may not provide the optimal connectivity (or may even provide poor connectivity) from the perspective of the active antenna. Thus, the second embodiment provides a system in which the active antenna and the mesh network synergistically determine optimal conditions. Various criteria may be considered when deciding when to reconfigure the network, for example, but not limited to signal-to-noise ratio, number of packet drops, traffic throughput, availability of a lower traffic link, air-time utilization, signal interference, data source (e.g. internet vs local), and the number of renderers playing the same media in synchrony, among others. The mesh algorithm calculates the best topology based on all the criteria above and heuristics. Control signal paths are created between the active antenna and the mesh network such that when the mesh network is reconfigured, the active antenna is also reconfigured. The combined reconfiguration results in enhanced performance. The mesh network configuration may be distributed across two or more media rendering devices, and/or the controller or another external mesh network controlling device.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a method for switching node connections in a mesh networked media rendering system. It should be noted that any process descriptions or blocks in flowcharts should be understood as representing modules, segments, portions of code, or steps that include one or more instructions for implementing specific logical functions in the process, and alternative implementations are included within the scope of the present invention in which functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the present invention. The method is described with reference to elements shown in <FIG>.

A mesh network is configured for a first media rendering device <NUM>, a second media rendering device <NUM>, and a third media rendering device <NUM>, as shown by block <NUM>. A first parameter measuring a signal quality on the mesh network <NUM> between the first media rendering device <NUM> and the second media rendering device <NUM> is determined, as shown by block <NUM>. For example, the first parameter may measure signal strength, or signal-to-noise ratio. A second parameter measuring quality of service on the mesh network <NUM> between the first media rendering device <NUM> and the second media rendering device <NUM> is determined, as shown by block <NUM>. For example, the first parameter may measure volume of traffic, or a rate of dropped packets. A determination is made to change a configuration of the mesh network based on the first parameter and/or the second parameter, as shown by block <NUM>. For example, the first and second parameters may be analyzed to weigh the advantages of steering an antenna from a stronger signal to a weaker signal, and compared against one or more thresholds measuring the quality of service likely to be present in an alternative network path if a path switch was implemented. The first parameter may be, for example, received signal strength, and the second parameter may be hop count. While the alternative route has a weaker signal, it may have has less hops, so in fact may provide a more reliable path for a weighting based on air-time-utilization. This may be calculated by multiplying hops, transmission speed, and average retries, and selecting the link with the lower air-time utilization.

Steering parameters may be updated simultaneously with each new connection to the mesh network. Steering may be viewed as being akin to a larger antenna, in that it improves signal strength. In the event that the result of a mesh network switch is deemed to be beneficial to network throughput, a steering parameter of an active antenna <NUM> of the first and/or second media rendering device is adjusted. For example, as shown in <FIG>, the first active antenna <NUM> of the first media rendering device <NUM> may be steered from being oriented toward the second media rendering device <NUM> (<FIG>) to being steered toward the third media rendering device <NUM> (<FIG>). As a result, the mesh network link <NUM> (<FIG>) between the first media rendering device <NUM> and the second media rendering device <NUM> may be dropped in favor of a newly negotiated mesh network link <NUM> (<FIG>). The negotiation of adding and dropping of the mesh network links <NUM>, <NUM> is known to persons having ordinary skill in the art, and is not described herein.

The present system for executing the functionality described in detail above may include a computer, an example of which is shown in the schematic diagram of <FIG>. The system <NUM> contains a processor <NUM>, a storage device <NUM>, a memory <NUM> having software <NUM> stored therein that defines the abovementioned functionality, input and output (I/O) devices <NUM> (or peripherals), and a local bus, or local interface <NUM> allowing for communication within the system <NUM>. The local interface <NUM> can be, for example but not limited to, one or more buses or other wired or wireless connections, as is known in the art. The local interface <NUM> may have additional elements, which are omitted for simplicity, such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters, and receivers, to enable communications. Further, the local interface <NUM> may include address, control, and/or data connections to enable appropriate communications among the aforementioned components.

The processor <NUM> is a hardware device for executing software, particularly that stored in the memory <NUM>. The processor <NUM> can be any custom made or commercially available single core or multi-core processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the present system <NUM>, a semiconductor based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), a microprocessor, or generally any device for executing software instructions.

The memory <NUM> can include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, etc.). Note that the memory <NUM> can have a distributed architecture, where various components are situated remotely from one another, but can be accessed by the processor <NUM>.

The software <NUM> defines functionality performed by the system <NUM>, in accordance with the present invention. The software <NUM> in the memory <NUM> may include one or more separate programs, each of which contains an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions of the system <NUM>, as described below. The memory <NUM> may contain an operating system (O/S) <NUM>. The operating system essentially controls the execution of programs within the system <NUM> and provides scheduling, input-output control, file and data management, memory management, and communication control and related services.

The I/O devices <NUM> may include input devices, for example but not limited to, a keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone, etc. Furthermore, the I/O devices <NUM> may also include output devices, for example but not limited to, a printer, display, etc. Finally, the I/O devices <NUM> may further include devices that communicate via both inputs and outputs, for instance but not limited to, a modulator/demodulator (modem; for accessing another device, system, or network), a radio frequency (RF) or other transceiver, a telephonic interface, a bridge, a router, or other device.

When the system <NUM> is in operation, the processor <NUM> is configured to execute the software <NUM> stored within the memory <NUM>, to communicate data to and from the memory <NUM>, and to generally control operations of the system <NUM> pursuant to the software <NUM>, as explained above.

When the functionality of the system <NUM> is in operation, the processor <NUM> is configured to execute the software <NUM> stored within the memory <NUM>, to communicate data to and from the memory <NUM>, and to generally control operations of the system <NUM> pursuant to the software <NUM>. The operating system <NUM> is read by the processor <NUM>, perhaps buffered within the processor <NUM>, and then executed.

When the system <NUM> is implemented in software <NUM>, it should be noted that instructions for implementing the system <NUM> can be stored on any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with any computer-related device, system, or method. Such a computer-readable medium may, in some embodiments, correspond to either or both the memory <NUM> or the storage device <NUM>. In the context of this document, a computer-readable medium is an electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical device or means that can contain or store a computer program for use by or in connection with a computer-related device, system, or method. Instructions for implementing the system can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with the processor or other such instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Although the processor <NUM> has been mentioned by way of example, such instruction execution system, apparatus, or device may, in some embodiments, be any computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a "computer-readable medium" can be any means that can store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the processor or other such instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Such a computer-readable medium can be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific examples (a non exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection (electronic) having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random access memory (RAM) (electronic), a read-only memory (ROM) (electronic), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory) (electronic), an optical fiber (optical), and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM) (optical). Note that the computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via for instance optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted or otherwise processed in a suitable manner if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

Claim 1:
A method for providing limited controller (<NUM>) access to a mesh network of media rendering devices in a primary communication network via an access point (<NUM>) providing network connectivity to a local area network (LAN), the method comprising:
configuring a first media rendering device (<NUM>) to be in communication with the access point (<NUM>) of the LAN, the first media rendering device comprising a secondary network transceiver providing a secondary network (<NUM>) distinct from the LAN;
configuring a second media rendering device (<NUM>) to be in communication with the first media rendering device (<NUM>) via a first private mesh network (<NUM>); and
configuring a third media rendering device (<NUM>) to be in communication with the first media rendering device (<NUM>) via the secondary network (<NUM>), wherein the first media rendering device (<NUM>) is configured to convey a command from a controller (<NUM>) to the third media rendering device (<NUM>) via the secondary network (<NUM>), and wherein a range of the secondary network (<NUM>) extends beyond the access point (<NUM>);
characterized in that the method comprises:
providing the controller (<NUM>) configured to communicate with the first media rendering device (<NUM>) via the LAN or the secondary network (<NUM>);
locating the controller (<NUM>) beyond the range of the access point; and
connecting the controller (<NUM>) with the first media rendering device via the secondary network;
wherein use of the secondary network (<NUM>) by the controller (<NUM>) is bandwidth limited, so that performance of the controller (<NUM>) does not interfere with performance of a system comprising the first and third media rendering devices.