Group Coordinator Selection for Battery-Aware Audio Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media playback systems face challenges in efficiently selecting a group coordinator for battery-powered devices, leading to potential power consumption issues and suboptimal audio synchronization across networked playback devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for identifying a group coordinator in a networked media playback system that considers the battery state and network proximity of playback devices, ensuring efficient power management and synchronization by designating non-battery-powered devices or devices with favorable network positions as coordinators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery-powered devices are selected as group coordinators, then device availability increases, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making different types of devices serve different roles based on their characteristics. Non-battery-powered devices are designated as group coordinators specifically for groups containing battery-powered devices, while battery-powered devices can serve as coordinators for groups of only battery-powered devices. This differentiated assignment optimizes power consumption at the local level while maintaining system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects group coordinators based on the composition of each group and the power state of devices. The coordinator selection is not static but adapts based on whether battery-powered devices are present in the group, ensuring optimal power management while maintaining device availability for coordination functions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If any device can be a group coordinator, then system flexibility increases, but synchronization quality deteriorates due to suboptimal coordinator selection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the selection parameters for group coordinators based on group composition. When a group contains battery-powered devices, non-battery-powered devices are preferred as coordinators. When all devices are battery-powered, any of them can serve as coordinator. This parameter-based selection strategy maintains system flexibility while improving synchronization quality by avoiding suboptimal coordinator assignments.
3Ease of operation
If battery-powered devices serve as group coordinators, then device mobility increases, but battery life decreases due to coordination overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the coordination function from battery-powered devices when possible, assigning it instead to non-battery-powered devices. This separation removes the coordination overhead burden from battery-powered devices, allowing them to focus on their primary audio playback function and extend their battery life, while maintaining their mobility and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A first playback device is configured to (1) determine, based on a group configuration of a synchrony group including the first playback device and a second playback device, that the first playback device, and not the second playback device, is to operate as a group coordinator for the synchrony group, wherein the group coordinator transmits audio content and playback timing information, (2) begin to operate as the group coordinator, (3) while operating as the group coordinator, determine respective battery state variable values for the first and second playback devices, (4) based on the respective battery state variable values, determine that a computing device other than the first playback device is to operate as the group coordinator, and (5) based on the determining, (i) discontinue operating as the group coordinator and (ii) cause the computing device to operate as the group coordinator instead of the first playback device.