Apple has filed for a patent (number 20200221443) for “coordinated control of media playback” with the goal of allowing users of its devices to form an “ad hoc” group with each member being able to control the playback.
In the patent filing, the tech giant notes that music is played in multiple ways from multiple types of devices. For example, you may connect your iPhone or iPad to a a speaker or TV and use the device’s speakers to play your tunes.
However, if you walk away or take your iPhone or iPad device out of the room, or when the device is used for a purpose other than music playback, such as receiving a phone call, the playback is interrupted.
That’s not good if others are listening to the music. Apple says there’s a need for sharing multimedia streams such as music and movies and controlling playback from any of several participants in a group.
Here’s the summary of the patent: “Methods and systems provide for coordinated control between multiple devices of playback of a media track or playlist. The multiple devices may form an ad-hoc network for sharing control of media. A control device may coordinate control of the playlist and facilitate playback of the media at a playback device. Then when the control device leaves the group, a second device in the group will seamlessly become the control device and control playback and playlist coordination.
“The playback device may also be the control device. The playback advice may be a network-enabled speaker. Where the playback device is separate from the control device, the playback device may maintain sufficient information to operate without a control device until a new control device is selected.”
