Method and system to control playback of digital media

A playback unit for controlling playback of digital media under control of a separate remote control device, the playback unit including:

• a wireless network interface to communicate via a wireless local area network with a plurality of local computers and to request and receive the digital media for playback, each local computer including at least one media storage device
• a playback device interface to connect the playback unit to a separate playback device to render the digital media to a user, the connection between the playback unit and the playback device being independent of the wireless local area network;
• and
• a bi-directional remote control communication interface in addition to the wireless network interface, the bi-directional remote control communication interface being operable to communicate combined content data for display on a display screen of, and receive a media data request from, the remote control device;
• and
• a processor configured to determine whether the display screen of the remote control device needs to be updated based on the combined content data,
• wherein the playback unit receives and combines separate content data communicated to the remote control device from each of the plurality of local computers via the wireless local area network, the combined content data identifying the digital media on the plurality of local computers for playback via the playback unit.

A method to control playback of digital media on a separate playback device, the method including:

• receiving separate content data at a playback unit via a wireless local area network from a plurality of local computers, the separate content data identifying digital media stored on a media storage device of an associated local computer
• at the playback unit, combining the separate content data received from the plurality of local computers to provide combined content data;
• at the playback unit, determining whether a display screen of a separate remote control device needs to be updated based on the combined content data;
• communicating the combined content data via a bi-directional communication interface to the remote control device for display on the display screen of the remote control device;
• monitoring user selection of selected digital media identified by the combined content data;
• at the playback unit, determining whether the display screen of the remote control device needs to be updated based on the monitored user selection;
• communicating the selected digital media received via the wireless local area network from any of the plurality of local computers to the playback unit;
• and
• communicating the digital media from the playback unit to the playback device independently of the wireless local area network to cause the selected digital media to be played on the playback device.

A method of controlling playback of digital media via a separate playback unit under control of a separate remote control device, the method including:

• receiving a content data request from the remote control device at the playback unit;
• communicating the content data request from the playback unit via a wireless local area network to a plurality of local computers each including at least one media storage device;
• receiving separate content data from each of the plurality of the local computers via the wireless local area network, the separate content data identifying media content available at an associated local computer for playback on the playback device;
• at the playback unit, combining content data received from the plurality of local computers to provide combined content data;
• communicating the combined content data to the remote control device for display on a display screen of the remote control device;
• receiving a user selection for playback from the remote control device that identifies selected media content and causing the selected media content to be played on the separate playback device via a connection between the playback device and the playback unit that is independent of the wireless local area network;
• and
• at the playback unit, determining whether the display screen of the remote control device needs to be updated based on the user selection or the combined content data.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

• receive separate content data at a playback unit via a wireless local area network from a plurality of local computers, the separate content data relating to digital media stored on a media storage device of an associated local computer
• at the playback unit, combine the separate content data received from the plurality of local computers to provide combined content data;
• at the playback unit, determine whether a display screen of a separate remote control device needs to be updated based on the combined content data;
• communicate the combined content data via a bi-directional communication interface to the remote control device for display on the display screen of the remote control device;
• monitor user selection of selected digital media identified by the combined content data;
• at the playback unit, determine whether the display screen of the remote control device needs to be updated based on the monitored user selection;
• communicate the selected digital media received via the wireless local area network from any of the plurality of local computers to the playback unit;
• and
• communicate the digital media from the playback unit to the playback device independently of the wireless local area network to cause the selected digital media to be played on the playback device.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

• receive a content data request from a remote control device at a playback unit;
• communicate the content data request from the playback unit via a wireless local area network to a plurality of local computers each including at least one media storage device;
• receive separate content data from each of the local computers via the wireless local area network, the separate content data identifying media content available at an associated local computer for playback on the playback device via a connection between the playback device and the playback unit that is independent of the wireless local area network;
• combine the separate content data from the plurality of local computers;
• communicate the combined content data to the remote control device for display on a display screen of the remote control device;
• receive a user selection for playback from the remote control device that identifies selected media content and causing the selected media content to be played on the separate playback device;
• and
• at the playback unit, determine whether the display screen of the remote control device needs to be updated based on the user selection or the combined content data.

A system to control playback of digital media on a separate playback device via a wireless local area network, the system including:

• playback means including:
• at least one wireless network interface to communicate via the wireless local area network with a plurality of separate computers and to receive the digital media for playback, each separate computer including at least one media storage device;
• a playback device interface to connect the playback means to the separate playback device to render the media to a user, the connection between the playback means and the playback device being independent of the wireless local area network;
• a bi-directional remote control communication interface in addition to the wireless network interface;
• and
• a first processor configured to:
• combine separate content data from the plurality of separate computers to provide the combined content data, and communicates the combined content data to a separate remote control means, the combined content data identifying the digital media available on the separate computers for playback via the playback means;
• and
• determine whether a display means of the remote control means need to be updated based on the combined content data;
• and
• the separate remote control means to control the playback of the digital media on the separate playback device via the playback means, the remote control means including:
• a complemental remote control communication interface for bi-directional communication with the remote control communication interface of the playback means;
• display means, wherein the remote control device receives combined content data from the playback means for display on the display means;
• and
• a second processor for determining whether the display means need to be updated based on the received combined content data.

A system to control playback of digital media on a playback device, the system including:

• a playback unit including:
• a digital media storage communication interface to communicate with a plurality of separate computers and to receive the digital media for playback, the plurality of separate computers being to provide the digital media to a plurality of playback units;
• and
• a playback device interface to connect the playback unit to the playback device to render the media to a user, the connection between the playback unit and the playback device being independent of the digital media storage communication interface;
• a bi-directional remote control communication interface;
• and
• a first processor configured to:
• combine separate content data from the plurality of separate computers to provide the combined content data, and communicates the combined content data to a separate remote control device, the combined content data identifying the digital media available on the separate computers;
• and
• determine whether a display screen of the remote control device needs to be updated based on the combined content data;
• and
• the separate remote control device to control the playback of the digital media on the playback device via the playback unit, the remote control device including:
• a complemental remote control communication interface for bi-directional communication with the remote control communication interface of the playback unit;
• the display screen, wherein the remote control device receives combined content data from the playback unit for display on the display screen;
• and
• a second processor for determining whether the display screen needs to be updated based on the received combined content data.