Systems and methods for providing dual-control functionality in a networked digital media device

A networked digital media device for providing dual-control functionality, the device being configured to:

• (i) advertise a standard digital media playback device, the standard digital media playback device being discoverable and controllable by a standard control device in accordance with a standard media control protocol;
• (ii) advertise a non-standard digital media playback device, the non-standard device being discoverable and controllable by a non-standard control device in accordance with a non-standard media control protocol;
• (iii) receive, in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol, a first control signal;
• (iv) in response to the first control signal, adopt a first state corresponding to the first control signal;
• (v) receive, in accordance with the standard media control protocol, a second control signal;
• (vi) in response to the second control signal, adopt a second state corresponding to the second control signal;
• (vii) in response to a timeout condition, or a third control signal indicative of an instruction to adopt a dormant state, identify a fourth state related to the first state;
• and
• (viii) selectively adopt the fourth state;
• wherein the standard digital media playback device and the non-standard digital media playback device share common hardware of the networked digital media device.

A media playback unit including:

• a networking interface for connecting to a computer network over which streamed media data is transported for rendering at distributed locations;
• and
• one or more processors configured for:
• carrying out a discovery process on the computer network for allowing mutual discovery of the device, none or more complementary devices, and none or more complimentary multimedia systems;
• advertising a standard digital media playback device, the standard digital media playback device being discoverable and controllable by a standard control device in accordance with a standard media control protocol;
• and
• advertising a non-standard digital media playback device, the non-standard device being discoverable and controllable by a non-standard control device in accordance with a non-standard media control protocol;
• receiving, in accordance with the non-standard media control protocol, a first control signal;
• being responsive to the first control signal for adopting a first state corresponding to the first control signal;
• receiving, in accordance with the standard media control protocol, a second control signal;
• being responsive to the second control signal for adopting a second state corresponding to the second control signal;
• being responsive to a timeout condition, or a third control signal indicative of an instruction to adopt a dormant state, for identifying a fourth state related to the first state;
• and selectively adopting the fourth state.