US 10,771,368 B2Granted

Facilitating the resolution of address conflicts in a networked media playback system

AssigneeSonos, Inc.

InventorsHrishikesh Gossain, Jose Graziani, Jeffrey M. Peters, Michael Agerbak

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Abstract

Examples are disclosed and described to facilitate resolution of Internet Protocol address conflicts. An example method includes periodically broadcasting, by the playback device over the network, a probe message, detecting, by the playback device, a change in status associated with the connection, based on the detection, obtaining, by the playback device, a new Internet Protocol (IP) address; and based on the detection, including, by the playback device in at least one probe message broadcast subsequent to the detection, an indication for other playback devices on the network to obtain a new IP address.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A first playback device comprising:

a network interface that is configured to provide an interconnection with at least one data network;
at least one processor;
a non-transitory computer-readable medium;
and
program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the first playback device to perform functions including:
maintaining a first Internet Protocol (IP) address of the first playback device;
receiving, from a second playback device that is configured to communicate with the first playback device via a data network, a first probe message;
after receiving the first probe message, (a) making a first determination that the first probe message includes an indication that the first playback device is to renew the first IP address;
(b) making a second determination that the first probe message has not previously been received by the first playback device;
and (c) making a third determination that the first probe message includes an indication that the first playback device is to forward the first probe message;
in response to making both the first determination and the second determination, requesting a second IP address;
in response to requesting the second IP address, receiving the second IP address,
wherein the second IP address is different from the first IP address;
operating in accordance with the second IP address;
and
in response to making the third determination, sending, to a third playback device that is configured to communicate with the first playback device via the data network and has a third IP address, a second probe message comprising an indication that the third playback device is to renew the third IP address.

13 more elements

A method comprising:

maintaining, by a first playback device, a first Internet Protocol (IP) address of the first playback device;
receiving, from a second playback device that is configured to communicate with the first playback device via a data network, a first probe message;
after receiving the first probe message, (a) making a first determination, by the first playback device, that the first probe message includes an indication that the first playback device is to renew the first IP address;
(b) making a second determination, by the first playback device, that the first probe message has not previously been received by the first playback device;
and (c) making a third determination, by the first playback device, that the first probe message includes an indication that the first playback device is to forward the first probe message;
in response to making both the first determination and the second determination, requesting, by the first playback device, a second IP address;
in response to requesting the second IP address, receiving, by the first playback device, the second IP address, wherein the second IP address is different from the first IP address;
and
operating, by the first playback device, in accordance with the second IP address;
and
in response to making the third determination, sending, by the first playback device to a third playback device that is configured to communicate with the first playback device via the data network and has a third IP address, a second probe message comprising an indication that the third playback device is to renew the third IP address.

8 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by a processor of a first playback device to cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising:

maintaining a first Internet Protocol (IP) address of the first playback device;
receiving, from a second playback device that is configured to communicate with the first playback device via a data network, a first probe message;
after receiving the first probe message, (a) making a first determination that the first probe message includes an indication that the first playback device is to renew the first IP address;
(b) making a second determination that the first probe message has not previously been received by the first playback device;
and (c) making a third determination that the first probe message includes an indication that the first playback device is to forward the first probe message;
in response to making both the first determination and the second determination, requesting a second IP address;
in response to requesting the second IP address, receiving the second IP address, wherein the second IP address is different from the first IP address;
operating in accordance with the second IP address;
and
in response to making the third determination, sending, to a third playback device that is configured to communicate with the first playback device via the data network and has a third IP address, a second probe message comprising an indication that the third playback device is to renew the third IP address.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/943,367Filed 2 Apr 2018 · continuation
Priority: 30 Sep 2013
Published: US 2018/0359169 A113 Dec 2018
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H04L 43/12
Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks: network monitoring probes
H04L 12/2803
Characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]: home automation networks
H04L 61/5007
Address allocation: internet protocol [IP] addresses
H04L 61/5014
Internet protocol [IP] addresses: using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Family

Application14/041,900Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Sep 2013
Application15/359,252Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Nov 2016
US 9,537,819 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Jan 2017
US 2018/0359169 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Dec 2018
US 9,935,863 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2015/0095486 A1Published application
US 2017/0078181 A1Published application
US 10,771,368 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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