The present disclosure relates to an electronic device that efficiently configures a network for controlling another electronic device, and the electronic device includes a communication interface; an input interface configured to receive a control command for another electronic device; and a controller configured to control another electronic device in a different manner according to whether connected to the same network as another electronic device.

Methods, systems, and media for detecting the presence of a digital media device on a network are provided. In some embodiments, methods for detecting a presence of a particular type of digital media device is provided, the methods comprising: identifying cached device details for devices previously associated with the network; performing a simple device discovery protocol (SSDP) on the network, and substantially concurrently sending a unicast message to an address associated with the identified cached digital media device using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP); and indicating the presence of a digital media device on the network in response to either (i) receiving a response to the unicast message, or (ii) determining that a type of a device discovered using SSDP is the same as the particular device type.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for testing communication with a device. A multimedia receiver may be communicatively coupled to a media device, such as a source media device. The multimedia receiver may transmit a test command to control the source media device using a communication protocol. A video frame output by the source media device may be obtained. Based at least on the video frame, it may be determined whether the source media device received the test command. In response to a determination that the source media device received the test command, an indication may be stored that the source media device may be controlled using the communication protocol.

Example systems and techniques disclosed herein facilitate interoperability between different media playback systems referred to herein as a virtual line-in (VLI) media playback system and a native playback system. When a VLI session is created by a VLI sender, a first native playback device can join a VLI group as a VLI receiver. As a VLI receiver, the first native playback device receives audio content and playback commands from the VLI sender to facilitate synchronous playback with other VLI receivers. At the same time, this native playback device can concurrently operate as a native domain group coordinator of a native domain synchrony group. As the native domain group coordinator, the native playback device translates VLI domain audio, control, and timing signals into the native domain and distributes such signals to native domain group members. In this way, the native domain group members can synchronize their playback with the VLI group.

The method includes: A first electronic device displays a control center on a first interface, where the control center includes a device list including one or more electronic devices, and the one or more electronic devices and the first electronic device are in a same content continuation system. The first electronic device receives a first selection operation of selecting a second electronic device from the one or more electronic devices by a user. In response to the first selection operation, the first electronic device determines whether the first electronic device is a source device or a target device of a current content continuation task. If the first electronic device is the target device of the current content continuation task, the first electronic device switches content in the second electronic device to the first electronic device for continuous playing.

Methods and systems are provided to allow for merchant or third party controlled adjustment of a physical environment around a user. Such adjustments may be in response to user actions and may create a more immersive experience for the user. Such adjustments may be determined from interaction data received from a user device, with may identify a service provider, a product, or an activity that the user is currently engaging in or is interested in. One or more secondary devices may be identified to be within an area around the user device and one or more environmental rules associated with the service provider, product, or activity may be determined and communicated to the one or more secondary devices to cause the one or more secondary devices to adjust a physical environment of the area proximate the user device.

Embodiments described herein generate proximal groupings of wireless signals based upon the temporal persistence and spatial proximity of the wireless signals as observed by a plurality of observer devices. For example, a first observer device may observe a first set of wireless signals at a first timepoint and a second observer device may observe a second set of wireless signals at a second timepoint. The first observer device may again observe a third set of wireless signals at a third timepoint. Based upon these observations, a server may generate a proximal grouping a wireless signals containing a subset of the first, second, third of wireless signals based upon temporal persistence and spatial proximity. Temporal persistence may be based upon the repeated observations of the subset of wireless signals across different timepoints and the spatial proximity may be based upon the proximity of locations of the observer devices.

Techniques are described for providing a simultaneous, multi-device user experience that employs computing devices with varying capabilities for data input and/or data output, using a microservice-based architecture. A user may register multiple devices with a service, which determines capabilities of the devices for data input and/or output. During a communication session involving the user and another user, such as a service representative, the service may receive input data collected through device(s) and/or provide output data to be presented on the same or other device(s), where such data input and data output is received and provided according to the input/output capabilities of the various devices. The data input and/or output may switch from device to device during a session. In some instances, data may be replicated for presentation through multiple devices simultaneously. Interactions with each device may be through a microservice that is associated with the device and/or its device type.

Example embodiments provide techniques for configuring a system to receive an input at a source device and present an output at another device within the same space as the source device. The output device may be selected based on various factors relating to the capabilities of the output device, the type of output responsive to the user input, whether the output device is active, whether the output device was recently used and others.

Example systems and techniques disclosed herein facilitate interoperability between different media playback systems referred to herein as a virtual line-in (VLI) media playback system and a native playback system. When a VLI session is created by a VLI sender, a first native playback device can join a VLI group as a VLI receiver. As a VLI receiver, the first native playback device receives audio content and playback commands from the VLI sender to facilitate synchronous playback with other VLI receivers. At the same time, this native playback device can concurrently operate as a native domain group coordinator of a native domain synchrony group. As the native domain group coordinator, the native playback device translates VLI domain audio, control, and timing signals into the native domain and distributes such signals to native domain group members. In this way, the native domain group members can synchronize their playback with the VLI group.