Patent ID: 8788076

Claim:
An expandable entertainment system having a distributed switching arrangement comprising: a first programmable multimedia controller having a processing subsystem, a first crosspoint audio switch, one or more audio input modules, one or more audio output modules, and one or more ports which support IEEE 1394 serial communication protocol; and a first expansion unit interconnected with the first programmable multimedia controller by an IEEE 1394 communication link and having a second crosspoint audio switch, at least one second programmable multimedia controller or second expansion unit interconnected with the first expansion unit by an IEEE 1394 communication link and having a third crosspoint audio switch, wherein the first programmable multimedia controller is configured to pass a digital audio stream originating from the first programmable multimedia controller to the at least one second programmable multimedia controller or second expansion unit, by the first programmable multimedia controller being configured to switch the digital audio stream with the first audio crosspoint switch and transmit the digital audio stream point-to-point to the first expansion unit, which is in turn configured to switch the digital audio stream with the second audio crosspoint switch and transmit the digital audio stream point-to-point to the at least one second programmable multimedia controller or second expansion unit, and wherein the at least one second programmable multimedia controller or second expansion unit is configured to pass a digital audio stream originating from the at least one second programmable multimedia controller or second expansion unit to the first programmable multimedia controller, by the second programmable multimedia controller or second expansion unit being configured to switch the digital audio stream with the third audio crosspoint switch and transmit the digital audio stream point-to-point to the first expansion unit, which is in turn configured to switch the digital audio stream with the second audio switch and transmit the digital audio stream point-to-point to the first programmable multimedia controller.