# US 10,122,569 B2 · Proximity synchronizing audio gateway device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,569 B2 - Document ID: US10122569B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/019,783 - Filed: 2011-02-02 - Published: 2012-02-02 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2001-05-16 - Assignees: Facebook, Inc. - Applicants: Jeffrey Jonathan Spurgat; Stephen Christopher Gladwin; Hoyet Harrison Andrews, III - Inventors: Jeffrey Jonathan Spurgat; Stephen Christopher Gladwin; Hoyet Harrison Andrews, III - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122569B2 ## CPC - H04H 60/88: which are wireless networks - H04L 65/1026: {at the edge} - H04L 65/1036: {at the edge} - H04L 67/04: specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - H04N 21/41265: {having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device (unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204)} - H04L 67/289: Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network - H04H: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION (multiplex communication H04J; pictorial communication aspects of broadcast systems H04N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A digital audio gateway device for use in a wireless network of digital audio playback devices. The gateway device is wirelessly linked to one or more digital audio playback devices to provide a gateway to the Internet for the digital audio playback devices. In addition to functioning as a gateway, the device provides additional functionality and may act as a cache of digital audio data for the various digital audio players connected in the wireless network and may also act to automatically update digital audio content on the audio players, synchronize digital audio content and playlists between the digital audio players and continue automatically or upon user request a particular playlist as the user moves from one digital audio player to another. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: detecting content collection information stored on a player connected to a computer system via a wireless communication network, wherein the content collection information comprises content data associated with digital content stored on a local cache of the computer system; identifying a plurality of mobile players flagged as in range of the computer system via the wireless communication network; determining a subset of one or more mobile players from the plurality of mobile players additionally flagged for content synchronization by transmitting a poll message to the identified plurality of mobile players and receiving a poll response from the subset of one or more mobile players; and transmitting, based on one or more poll responses from the subset of one or more mobile players, the content collection information and associated digital content stored on the local cache to the subset of one or more mobile players by way of the wireless communication network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile players comprise at least one of a PDA, MP3 player, mobile phone, or a handheld computer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content collection information indicates a playback sequence of audio content. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content collection comprises an indication of audio content stored on the local cache of the computer system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the computer system comprises a gateway computer that provides a gateway to the Internet and access to the local cache of the computer system comprising stored digital content associated with the content collection information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the player connected to the computer system via the wireless communication network comprises one of a mobile player or a fixed player. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content collection information comprises playlist information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of mobile players flagged as in range of the computer system comprises maintaining a list of devices predicted to be in range of the computer system via the wireless communication network. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of mobile players flagged as in range of the computer system comprises: broadcasting, by the computer system, a message via the wireless communication message; and receiving player response messages from the plurality of mobile players in response to the message broadcast via the wireless communication message. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to receiving the player response messages, requesting information about the plurality of mobile players. ### Claim 11 A system comprising: at least one processor; at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to: detect content collection information stored on a player connected to a gateway computing device via a wireless communication network, wherein the content collection information comprises content data associated with digital content stored on a local cache of a gateway computing device; identify a plurality of mobile players flagged as in range of the gateway computing device via the wireless communication network; determine a subset of one or more mobile players from the plurality of mobile players additionally flagged for content synchronization by transmitting a poll message to the identified plurality of mobile players and receiving a poll response from the subset of one or more mobile players; and transmit, based on one or more poll responses from the subset of one or more mobile players, the content collection information and associated digital content stored on the local cache to the subset of one or more mobile players by way of the wireless communication network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the content collection information indicates a playback sequence of audio content. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the content collection comprises an indication of audio content stored on the local cache of the gateway computing device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein identifying the plurality of mobile players flagged as in range of the gateway computing device comprises maintaining a list of devices predicted to be in range of the gateway computing device via the wireless communication network. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein identifying the plurality of mobile players flagged as in range of the gateway computing device comprises: broadcasting, by the gateway computing device, a message via the wireless communication network; and receiving player response messages from the plurality of mobile players in response to the message broadcast via the wireless communication network. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, causes a computer system to: detect content collection information stored on a player connected to the computer system via a wireless communication network, wherein the content collection information comprises content data associated with digital content stored on a local cache of the computer system; identify a plurality of mobile players flagged as in range of the computer system via the wireless communication network; determine a subset of one or more mobile players from the plurality of mobile players additionally flagged for content synchronization by transmitting a poll message to the identified plurality of mobile players and receiving a poll response from the subset of one or more mobile players; and transmit, based on one or more poll responses from the subset of one or more mobile players, the content collection information and associated digital content stored on the local cache to the subset of one or more mobile players by way of the wireless communication network. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the content collection information indicates a playback sequence of audio content. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the content collection comprises an indication of audio content stored on the local cache of the computer system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein identifying the plurality of mobile players flagged as in range of the computer system comprises maintaining a list of devices predicted to be in range of the computer system via the wireless communication network. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein identifying the plurality of mobile players flagged as in range of the computer system comprises: broadcasting, by the computer system, a message via the wireless communication network; and receiving player response messages from the plurality of mobile players in response to the message broadcast via the wireless communication network.