US 11,871,067 B2
Time-synchronized, multizone media streaming
Kenneth J. Mackay, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Byungchul Kim, Los Altos, CA (US); Tavis A. Maclellan, Richmond, CA (US); Richard F. Lyon, Los Altos, CA (US); Chet N. Gnegy, Mountain View, CA (US); Pascal T. Getreuer, San Francisco, CA (US); Chien-Jung Kung, San Jose, CA (US); Tomer Shekel, San Francisco, CA (US); and Ryan M. Rifkin, Oakland, CA (US)
Assigned to Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/891,284.
Application 17/891,284 is a continuation of application No. 17/360,264, filed on Jun. 28, 2021, granted, now 11,463,762.
Application 17/360,264 is a continuation of application No. 16/812,816, filed on Mar. 9, 2020, granted, now 11,051,066, issued on Jun. 29, 2021.
Application 16/812,816 is a continuation of application No. 16/450,323, filed on Jun. 24, 2019, granted, now 10,587,908, issued on Mar. 10, 2020.
Application 16/450,323 is a continuation of application No. 15/762,903, granted, now 10,334,306, previously published as PCT/US2016/053350, filed on Sep. 23, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/233,972, filed on Sep. 28, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0408141 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 21/43 (2011.01); H04N 21/436 (2011.01); H04N 21/442 (2011.01); H04N 21/64 (2011.01)
CPC H04N 21/4305 (2013.01) [H04N 21/4302 (2013.01); H04N 21/43076 (2020.08); H04N 21/43615 (2013.01); H04N 21/44227 (2013.01); H04N 21/64 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for synchronized media playback, the method comprising:
determining that a media device in a media group has been selected as a follower device, wherein a remaining media device in the media group has been designated as a leader device from the media group;
transmitting, from the follower device to the leader device, first synchronization requests;
receiving, from the leader device, first synchronization responses that are responsive to the first synchronization requests;
determining a clock offset between the follower device and the leader device using the first synchronization responses;
causing a media stream to be played back on the follower device in synchronization with the leader device based on the clock offset; and
while the media stream is being played back on the follower device, transmitting, from the follower device, second synchronization requests, wherein a second duration of time between synchronization requests of the second synchronization requests is shorter than a first duration of time between synchronization requests of the first synchronization requests.