# US 11,445,457 B2 · Content distribution system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,445,457 B2 - Document ID: US11445457B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/027,638 - Filed: 2020-09-21 - Published: 2022-03-24 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-21 - Assignees: Logitech Europe S.A. - Applicants: Logitech Europe S.A. - Inventors: Eric Andre Tissot-Dupont; Vasanth Prabhakar Murari; Edison Liwanag David - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445457B2 ## CPC - H04B 17/318: Received signal strength - H04W 56/001: {Synchronization between nodes} - H04L 1/203: {Details of error rate determination, e.g. BER, FER or WER} - H04L 5/16: Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals {non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission} - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A wireless communication system is provided including a first media device, a second media device, and a third media device, each media device configured to output media content. The first media device is designated as an access point media device that is configured to transmit media content to the second media device and the third media device. The first media device is configured to transmit the media content to the second media device using simplex communication instead of duplex communication based on a first confidence level indicator received from the second media device indicating a high level of confidence. The first media device is configured to transmit the media content to the third media device using duplex communication based on a second confidence level indicator received from the third media device a high level of confidence, and each media device is configured to output the media content in a synchronized manner. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of distributing media content within a group of media devices comprising a first media device, a second media device, and a third media device, each media device configured to output media content, the method comprising: designating the first media device as an access point media device that is configured to transmit media content to the second media device and the third media device; transmitting, by the first media device, the media content to the second media device using simplex communication instead of duplex communication based on a first confidence level indicator derived from information received from the second media device indicating a first level of confidence; transmitting, by the first media device, the media content to the third media device using duplex communication instead of simplex communication based on a second confidence level indicator derived from information received from the third media device indicating a second level of confidence, wherein the first level of confidence indicates high confidence and the second level of confidence indicates low confidence; and outputting, by each media device in the group, the media content transmitted by the access point media device in a synchronized manner. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a command from the first media device to the second media device to switch communication of the media content to the second media device from simplex communication to duplex communication when the first confidence level indicator indicates a level of confidence that is less than the first level of confidence. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a command from the first media device to the second media device to switch communication of the media content to the third media device from duplex communication to simplex communication when the second confidence level indicator indicates a level of confidence that is greater than the second level of confidence. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first confidence level indicator is determined from one or more RSSI levels received from the second media device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the first confidence level indicator is determined to indicate a level of confidence that is greater than the second level of confidence based on the one or more RSSI levels being greater than a designated threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first confidence level indicator is determined from an error rate relating to a number of errors indicated in one or more responses from the second media device to one or more communications to the second media device from the first media device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the first confidence level indicator is determined to indicate a level of confidence that is greater than the second level of confidence based on the error rate being less than a designated threshold. ### Claim 8 A method of distributing media content within a group of media devices comprising a first media device, a second media device, and a third media device, each media device configured to output media content, the method comprising: designating the first media device as an access point media device that is configured to transmit media content to the second media device and the third media device, wherein designating the first media device as the access point media device is performed when the first media device powers on; transmitting, by the first media device, the media content to the second media device using simplex communication instead of duplex communication based on a first confidence level indicator derived from information received from the second media device indicating a first level of confidence; transmitting, by the first media device, the media content to the third media device using duplex communication instead of simplex communication based on a second confidence level indicator derived from information received from the third media device indicating a second level of confidence; and outputting, by each media device in the group, the media content transmitted by the access point media device in a synchronized manner. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising broadcasting a notification signal that the first media device is the access point media device based on the first media device being designated as the access point media device, wherein broadcasting the notification signal is performed using a simplex communication. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining that the second media device is better suited than the first media device to be the access point media device for the group; forming, by the second media device, a simplex communication or duplex communication link with the first media device for transmitting the media content; forming, by the second media device, a simplex communication or duplex communication link with the third media device for transmitting the media content; and outputting, by each media device in the group, the media content transmitted by the second media device in a synchronized manner. ### Claim 11 A wireless communication system, comprising: a plurality of media devices comprising a first media device, a second media device, and a third media device, each media device configured to output media content, wherein the first media device is designated as an access point media device that is configured to transmit media content to the second media device and the third media device, the first media device is configured to transmit the media content to the second media device using simplex communication instead of duplex communication based on a first confidence level indicator derived from information received from the second media device indicating a first level of confidence, and the first media device is configured to transmit the media content to the third media device using duplex communication instead of simplex communication based on a second confidence level indicator derived from information received from the third media device indicating a second level of confidence, wherein the first level of confidence indicates high confidence and the second level of confidence indicates low confidence. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the first media device is configured to switch communication of the media content to the second media device from simplex communication to duplex communication when the first confidence level indicator indicates a level of confidence that is less than the first level of confidence. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the first media device is configured to switch communication of the media content to the third media device from duplex communication to simplex communication when the second confidence level indicator indicates a level of confidence that is greater than the second level of confidence. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the first confidence level indicator is determined from one or more RSSI levels received from the second media device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein the first confidence level indicator is determined to indicate a level of confidence that is greater than the second level of confidence based on the one or more RSSI levels being greater than a designated threshold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the first confidence level indicator is determined from an error rate relating to a number of errors indicated in one or more responses from the second media device to one or more communications to the second media device from the first media device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The wireless communication system of claim 16, wherein the first confidence level indicator is determined to indicate a level of confidence that is greater than the second level of confidence based on the error rate being less than a designated threshold. ### Claim 18 A wireless communication system, comprising: a group of media devices comprising a first media device and a plurality of other media devices, each media device configured to output media content, wherein the first media device is designated as an access point media device that is configured to transmit media content using duplex communication to all of the plurality of other media devices in the group based on a group indicator having a first value, and the first media device is configured to transmit media content using simplex communication to all of the plurality of other media devices in the group based on the group indicator having a second value. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The wireless communication system of claim 18, wherein the group indicator is a number of media devices connected to the access point media device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The wireless communication system of claim 18, wherein the group indicator is a level of bandwidth available to the access point media device for transmitting media content to the other media devices.