Systems and methods for providing dual-control functionality in a networked digital media device

1. A method performed by a networked digital media device for providing dual-control functionality, the method including the steps of:

advertising a standard digital media playback device, the standard digital media playback device being discoverable and controllable by a standard control device in accordance with a standard media control protocol;

(ii) advertising a non-standard digital media playback device, the non-standard device being discoverable and controllable by a non-standard control device in accordance with a non-standard media control protocol;

(iii) receiving, in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol, a first control signal;

(iv) being responsive to the first control signal for adopting a first state corresponding to the first control signal;

(v) receiving, in accordance with the standard media control protocol, a second control signal;

(vi) being responsive to the second control signal for adopting a second state corresponding to the second control signal,

(vii) being responsive to a timeout condition, or a third control signal indicative of an instruction to adopt a dormant state, for identifying a fourth state related to the first state; and

(viii) selectively adopting the fourth state;

wherein the standard digital media playback device and the non-standard digital media playback device share common hardware.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the standard and non-standard devices are embedded devices of a root device.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the standard digital media playback device and the non-standard digital media playback device are each advertised in accordance with a common open connectivity protocol.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the common open connectivity protocol is UPnP.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the standard media control protocol is compliant with the UPnP AV standard.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the non-standard multimedia protocol provides control access to one or more advanced services.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the one or more advanced services relate to group and/or zone interoperability, or to surround sound functionality.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the non-standard device is an embedded services device for encapsulating one or more non-standard UPnP services.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the one or more non-standard UPnP services relate to group and/or zone interoperability, or to surround sound functionality.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the networked digital media device is a virtual device representative of a networked media system including by a plurality of distributed hardware devices.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein a control signal received in accordance with the standard media control protocol is prioritised over a control signal received in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein a control signal received in accordance with the standard media control protocol is temporarily prioritised over one or more control signals received in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol.

13. A method according to claim 1 including receiving, in accordance with the standard media control protocol, the third control signal.

14. A method according to claim 1 wherein the networked media playback device is a networked speaker subsystem unit.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the networked media playback device is a wireless speaker subsystem unit.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the common hardware includes a network device for receiving streamed media data, a processor for rendering that streamed media data, and an analogue output for providing analogue data based on the rendering of the streamed media data.

17. A method according to claim 1 wherein the networked media device is media server.

18. A networked digital media device for providing dual-control functionality, the device being configured to:

(i) advertise a standard digital media playback device, the standard digital media playback device being discoverable and controllable by a standard control device in accordance with a standard media control protocol;

(ii) advertise a non-standard digital media playback device, the non-standard device being discoverable and controllable by a non-standard control device in accordance with a non-standard media control protocol;

(iii) receive, in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol, a first control signal;

(iv) in response to the first control signal, adopt a first state corresponding to the first control signal;

(v) receive, in accordance with the standard media control protocol, a second control signal;

(vi) in response to the second control signal, adopt a second state corresponding to the second control signal;

(vii) in response to a timeout condition, or a third control signal indicative of an instruction to adopt a dormant state, identify a fourth state related to the first state; and

(viii) selectively adopt the fourth state;

wherein the standard digital media playback device and the non-standard digital media playback device share common hardware of the networked digital media device.

19. A media playback unit including:

a networking interface for connecting to a computer network over which streamed media data is transported for rendering at distributed locations; and

one or more processors configured for:

carrying out a discovery process on the computer network for allowing mutual discovery of the device, none or more complementary devices, and none or more complimentary multimedia systems;

advertising a standard digital media playback device, the standard digital media playback device being discoverable and controllable by a standard control device in accordance with a standard media control protocol; and

advertising a non-standard digital media playback device, the non-standard device being discoverable and controllable by a non-standard control device in accordance with a non-standard media control protocol;

receiving, in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol, a first control signal;

being responsive to the first control signal for adopting a first state corresponding to the first control signal;

receiving, in accordance with the standard media control protocol, a second control signal;

being responsive to the second control signal for adopting a second state corresponding to the second control signal;

being responsive to a timeout condition, or a third control signal indicative of an instruction to adopt a dormant state, for identifying a fourth state related to the first state; and selectively adopting the fourth state.

20. A method performed by a networked digital media device for providing dual-control functionality, the method including the steps of:

(i) advertising a standard digital media playback device, the standard digital media playback device being discoverable and controllable by a standard control device in accordance with a standard media control protocol;

(ii) advertising a non-standard digital media playback device, the non-standard device being discoverable and controllable by a non-standard control device in accordance with a non-standard media control protocol;

(iii) receiving, in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol, a first control signal from a first control device;

(iv) being responsive to the first control signal for adopting a first state corresponding to the first control signal, wherein in the first state the networked digital media device operates as part of a group and/or zone, or surround sound arrangement;

(v) receiving, in accordance with the standard media control protocol, a second control signal from a second control device; and

(vi) being responsive to the second control signal for adopting a second state corresponding to the second control signal, wherein in the second state the networked digital media device ceases operating as part of the group and/or zone or surround sound arrangement and commences rendering of digital media in accordance with data from the second control device,

wherein the standard digital media playback device and the non-standard digital media playback device share common hardware.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein the standard and non-standard devices are embedded devices of a root device.

22. A method according to claim 20 wherein the standard digital media playback device and the non-standard digital media playback device are each advertised in accordance with a common open connectivity protocol.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein the common open connectivity protocol is UPnP.

24. A method according to claim 20 wherein the standard media control protocol is compliant with the UPnP AV standard.

25. A method according to claim 20 wherein the non-standard multimedia protocol provides control access to one or more advanced services.

26. A method according to claim 25 wherein the one or more advanced services relate to group and/or zone interoperability, or to surround sound functionality.

27. A method according to claim 20 wherein the non-standard device is an embedded services device for encapsulating one or more non-standard UPnP services.

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein the one or more non-standard UPnP services relate to group and/or zone interoperability, or to surround sound functionality.

29. A method according to claim 20 wherein the networked digital media device is a virtual device representative of a networked media system including by a plurality of distributed hardware devices.

30. A method according to claim 20 wherein a control signal received in accordance with the standard media control protocol is prioritised over a control signal received in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol.

31. A method according to claim 20 wherein a control signal received in accordance with the standard media control protocol is temporarily prioritised over one or more control signals received in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol.

32. A method according to claim 20 wherein the networked media playback device is a networked speaker subsystem unit.

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein the networked media playback device is a wireless speaker subsystem unit.

34. A method according to claim 33 wherein the common hardware includes a network device for receiving streamed media data, a processor for rendering that streamed media data, and an analogue output for providing analogue data based on the rendering of the streamed media data.

35. A method according to claim 20 wherein the networked media device is media server.

36. A networked digital media device for providing dual-control functionality, the device being configured to:

(i) advertise a standard digital media playback device, the standard digital media playback device being discoverable and controllable by a standard control device in accordance with a standard media control protocol;

(ii) advertise a non-standard digital media playback device, the non-standard device being discoverable and controllable by a non-standard control device in accordance with a non-standard media control protocol;

(iii) receive, in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol, a first control signal from a first control device;

(iv) in response to the first control signal, adopt a first state corresponding to the first control signal, wherein in the first state the networked digital media device operates as part of a group and/or zone, or surround sound arrangement;

(v) receive, in accordance with the standard media control protocol, a second control signal from a second control device; and

(vi) in response to the second control signal, adopt a second state corresponding to the second control signal, wherein in the second state the networked digital device ceases operating as part of the group and/or zone or surround sound arrangement and commences rendering of digital media in accordance with data from the second control device;

wherein the standard digital media playback device and the non-standard digital media playback device share common hardware of the networked digital media device.

37. A media playback unit including:

a networking interface for connecting to a computer network over which streamed media data is transported for rendering at distributed locations; and

one or more processors configured for:

carrying out a discovery process on the computer network for allowing mutual discovery of the media playback unit, none or more complementary devices, and none or more complimentary multimedia systems;

advertising a standard digital media playback device, the standard digital media playback device being discoverable and controllable by a standard control device in accordance with a standard media control protocol; and

advertising a non-standard digital media playback device, the non-standard device being discoverable and controllable by a non-standard control device in accordance with a non-standard media control protocol;

receiving, in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol, a first control signal from a first control device;

being responsive to the first control signal for adopting a first state corresponding to the first control signal, wherein in the first state the media playback unit operates as part of a group and/or zone, or surround sound arrangement;

receiving, in accordance with the standard media control protocol, a second control signal from a second control device; and

being responsive to the second control signal for adopting a second state corresponding to the second control signal, wherein in the second state the media playback unit ceases operating as part of the group and/or zone or surround sound arrangement and commences rendering of digital media in accordance with data from the second control device.