Apple has been granted a patent (number 20230035128 A1) for “concurrent streaming of content to multiple devices.” It involves a more fluid streaming of music, videos, and more to multiple Macs, iPads, iPhones, HomePods, etc.
About the patent filing
The patent filing involves the management of media output devices and, more particularly, for example, to management of concurrent streaming of content to multiple media output devices.
In the patent filing, Apple notes that media devices such as speakers, headphones, earbuds, televisions, etc. can receive audio and/or video data from a media provider device or a host device (such as a smartphone, a smart speaker, etc.) over a wired or wireless connection. In some cases, a media device can include a microphone to receive audio input that can be transmitted to the media provider device or the host device.
However, sometimes concurrent streaming of media to multiple devices isn’t seamless. Apple wants to overcome such issues with its various devices.
Summary of the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “The subject technology provides for concurrent streaming of media content to multiple media devices. A host device may receive, from a first accessory device, a first request for first media content, the first request corresponding to a first voice input, and receive, from a second accessory device, a second request for second media content, the second request corresponding to a second voice input to the second accessory device.
“The host device may store a first context record including identification information for the first accessory device and the first media content, and store, while storing the first context record, a second context record including identification information for the second accessory device and the second media content. The host device may stream the first media content to the first accessory device, and stream, to second accessory device and concurrently with the streaming of the first media content, the second media content.”
