Granted Patent B2

US 9,780,894 · App. 15/285,489 · Granted Oct 3, 2017

Inventors: Ravi Rajapakse (San Francisco, CA); Ian M. McIntosh (San Francisco, CA)

Assignee: Blackfire Research Corporation

H04H20/18H04H20/08H04H20/61H04H20/71H04L12/189H04W4/008H04W4/06

Abstract

Claims (18)

1. A system for synchronous playback of media using a hybrid BLUETOOTH™ and Wi-Fi network, comprising:

a plurality of wireless media receivers, each respectively comprising a memory, a processor, a wireless network interface, and a media synchronization component;

wherein media content is received at a first media receiver via BLUETOOTH™;

wherein the first media receiver transmits at least a portion of the received media content to a plurality of second media receivers via a Wi-Fi network;

wherein the first media receiver renders at least some of the media content and manages synchronization using its media synchronization component; and

wherein each second media receiver renders the media content it receives synchronously with the first media receiver using their respective media synchronization components.

2. A system for synchronous playback of media using a hybrid BLUETOOTH™ and Wi-Fi network, comprising:

a media source stored in a memory of and operating on a processor of a first network connected electronic device, and configured to communicate via BLUETOOTH™; and

a plurality of media receivers each respectively stored in a memory of and operating on a processor of an additional network-connected electronic device, each configured to operate a media synchronization component and configured to communicate via a Wi-Fi network;

wherein the media source transmits media content to a first media receiver via BLUETOOTH™;

wherein the first media receiver receives the media content from the media source via BLUETOOTH™ and transmits at least a portion of the received media content to a plurality of second media receivers via the Wi-Fi network; and

wherein each second media receiver is configured to render the media content it receives synchronously with the first media receiver using a media synchronization component.

3. A method for synchronous playback of media using a Wi-Fi network with media originating from a BLUETOOTH™ source, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving via BLUETOOTH™, at a first wireless media receiver comprising a memory, a processor, a wireless network interface, and a media synchronization component, media content from a media source;

(b) rendering, using the first wireless media receiver, at least a portion of the received media content;

(c) transmitting, from the first wireless media receiver, at least a portion of the received media content to a plurality of second wireless media receivers, each comprising a memory, a processor, a wireless network interface, and a media synchronization component, via a Wi-Fi network; and

(d) rendering, synchronously with the first wireless media device, the media content received at each second wireless media device;

wherein synchronization is accomplished using the respective media synchronization components.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (20)