Patent ID: 8213463

Claim:
A method for sharing a multimedia control resource among a plurality of devices based upon a physical location of an active wireless endpoint unit within a structure, the method comprising: associating devices with corresponding zones within the structure, each device to provide functionality within the device's corresponding zone; determining, by a controller, that the physical location of the active wireless endpoint unit is within a first zone; in response to the determining, providing one or more devices associated with the first zone with access to the multimedia control resource; and withholding access to the multimedia control resource from one or more other devices associated with a second zone that is remote from the physical location of the active wireless endpoint unit, where the multimedia control resource comprises special-purpose circuitry and/or general-purpose circuitry separate from the active wireless endpoint unit and that is operable to control, switch data to and/or interoperate with the one or more devices associated with the first zone and the one or more other devices associated with the second zone.