Patent ID: 8224147

Claim:
A system for processing digital audio, with synchronization with corresponding multimedia systems, comprising: a digital audio system; one or more digital multimedia systems; and a computer network interconnecting the digital audio system and the one or more digital multimedia systems; wherein the digital audio system and one or more digital multimedia systems implement a communication protocol for sending messages among the systems over the computer network to enable the systems to play back in synchronization; and wherein the communication protocol comprises: a connect message for instructing the digital audio system and the one or more digital multimedia systems to be connected; and a link message for instructing the digital audio system and the one or more digital multimedia systems to be linked for synchronized playback; and wherein a given system of the digital audio system and the one or more digital multimedia systems is configured to: in response to a connect message received while in a disconnected state, transition to a connected, unlinked state in which the system does not initiate or respond to playback instructions; and in response to a link message received while in the connected, unlinked state, to transition to a connected, linked state in which the system is configured to initiate or respond to playback instructions and wherein where the communications protocol includes instructions for placing the digital audio system and one or more digital multimedia systems into a machine state selected from stopping, stopped, priming, prime completed, synchronize clocks, synchronize clocks completed, and play.