Coordination of audio devices

An apparatus, comprising:

• an interface system;
• and
• a control system configured to implement an audio session manager, the control system being further configured to:
• establish, via the interface system, a first smart audio device communication link between the audio session manager and at least a first smart audio device of an audio system, the first smart audio device comprising either a single-purpose audio device or a multi-purpose audio device, the first smart audio device including one or more loudspeakers;
• establish, via the interface system, a first application communication link between the audio session manager and a first application device executing a first software application, wherein the first software application is configured to provide media via a cloud-based service;
• determine one or more first media engine capabilities of a first media engine of the first smart audio device, the first media engine being configured for managing one or more audio media streams received by the first smart audio device and for performing first smart audio device signal processing for the one or more audio media streams according to a first media engine sample clock;
• receive, by the audio session manager and via the first application communication link, first application control signals from the first software application;
• and
• control, by the audio session manager and via first audio session management control signals transmitted to the first smart audio device via the first smart audio device communication link, the first smart audio device according to the first media engine capabilities, the first audio session management control signals being responsive to the first application control signals, wherein the audio session manager transmits the first audio session management control signals to the first smart audio device without reference to the first media engine sample clock.

One or more non-transitory media having software encoded thereon, the software including instructions for controlling one or more devices to perform an audio session management method for an audio system of an audio environment, the audio session management method comprising:

• establishing a first smart audio device communication link between an audio session manager and at least a first smart audio device of the audio system, the first smart audio device comprising either a single-purpose audio device or a multi-purpose audio device, the first smart audio device including one or more loudspeakers;
• establishing a first application communication link between the audio session manager and a first application device executing a first software application, wherein the first software application is configured to provide media via a cloud-based service;
• determining, by the audio session manager, one or more first media engine capabilities of a first media engine of the first smart audio device, the first media engine being configured for managing one or more audio media streams received by the first smart audio device and for performing first smart audio device signal processing for the one or more audio media streams according to a first media engine sample clock;
• receiving, by the audio session manager and via the first application communication link, first application control signals from the first software application;
• and
• controlling the first smart audio device according to the first media engine capabilities, by the audio session manager, via first audio session management control signals transmitted to the first smart audio device via the first smart audio device communication link, the first audio session management control signals being responsive to the first application control signals, wherein the audio session manager transmits the first audio session management control signals to the first smart audio device without reference to the first media engine sample clock.