Systems and methods for syncronizing multiple electronic devices

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for syncing multiple electronic devices for collective audio playback. According to certain aspects, a master device connects ( 218 ) to a slave device via a wireless connection. The master device calculates ( 224 ) a network latency via a series of network latency pings with the slave device and sends ( 225 ) the network latency to the slave device. Further, the master devices sends ( 232 ) a portion of an audio file as well as a timing instruction including a system time to the slave device. The master device initiates ( 234 ) playback of the portion of the audio file and the slave devices initiates ( 236 ) playback of the portion of the audio file according to the timing instruction and a calculated system clock offset value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 establishing, by a processor, a group audio session between a first audio playback device and a second audio playback device; and   after establishing the group audio session:
 displaying, in a user interface, a playlist identifying a plurality of songs, 
 receiving, by the processor via the user interface, a selection to initiate playback of a song of the plurality of songs, and 
 in response to receiving the selection, causing the song to be simultaneously output by the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , where displaying the playlist identifying a plurality of songs comprises:
 displaying, in the user interface of either the first audio playback device or the second audio playback device, the playlist identifying a plurality of songs.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying, in the user interface, a set of playback selections that enables (i) playback control of the song, or (ii) navigation to another song of the plurality of songs.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processor via the user interface, a playback selection of the set of playback selections that enables playback control of the song, and   controlling playback of the song by the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device according to the playback selection.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the playlist identifying the plurality of songs comprises:
 enabling a user to browse, via the user interface, a set of playlists comprising the playlist,   receiving a selection, via the user interface, of the playlist from the set of playlists, and   after receiving the selection, displaying, via the user interface, the playlist identifying the plurality of songs.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the selection to initiate playback of the song comprises:
 receiving, by the processor via the user interface, a song selection of the song displayed in the user interface.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the playlist identifying a plurality of songs comprises:
 displaying, in the user interface, (i) the playlist identifying the plurality of songs, and (i) a title of each song of the plurality of songs.   
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a first audio playback device;   a second audio playback device; and   a processor configured to:
 establish a group audio session between the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device, and 
 after establishing the group audio session:
 cause a user interface to display a playlist identifying a plurality of songs, 
 receive, via the user interface, a selection to initiate playback of a song of the plurality of songs, and 
 in response to receiving the selection, cause the song to be simultaneously output by the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein either the first audio playback device or the second audio playback device comprises the user interface. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 cause the user interface to display set of playback selections that enables (i) playback control of the song, or (ii) navigation to another song of the plurality of songs.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive, via the user interface, a playback selection of the set of playback selections that enables playback control of the song, and   control playback of the song by the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device according to the playback selection.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein to cause the user interface to display the playlist identifying a plurality of songs, the processor is configured to:
 enable a user to browse, via the user interface, a set of playlists comprising the playlist,   receive a selection, via the user interface, of the playlist from the set of playlists, and   after receiving the selection, cause the user interface to display the playlist identifying the plurality of songs.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein to receive the selection to initiate playback of the song, the processor is configured to:
 receive, via the user interface, a song selection of the song displayed in the user interface.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein to cause the user interface to display the playlist identifying a plurality of songs, the processor is configured to:
 cause the user interface to display (i) the playlist identifying the plurality of songs, and (i) a title of each song of the plurality of songs.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor causing the processor to perform operations comprising:
 establishing a group audio session between a first audio playback device and a second audio playback device; and   after establishing the group audio session:
 displaying, in a user interface, a playlist identifying a plurality of songs, 
 receiving, via the user interface, a selection to initiate playback of a song of the plurality of songs, and 
 in response to receiving the selection, causing the song to be simultaneously output by the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device. 
   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , where displaying the playlist identifying a plurality of songs comprises:
 displaying, in the user interface of either the first audio playback device or the second audio playback device, the playlist identifying a plurality of songs.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 displaying, in the user interface, a set of playback selections that enables (i) playback control of the song, or (ii) navigation to another song of the plurality of songs.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving, via the user interface, a playback selection of the set of playback selections that enables playback control of the song, and   controlling playback of the song by the first audio playback device and the second audio playback device according to the playback selection.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein displaying the playlist identifying the plurality of songs comprises:
 enabling a user to browse, via the user interface, a set of playlists comprising the playlist,   receiving a selection, via the user interface, of the playlist from the set of playlists, and   after receiving the selection, displaying, via the user interface, the playlist identifying the plurality of songs.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein receiving the selection to initiate playback of the song comprises:
 receiving, via the user interface, a song selection of the song displayed in the user interface.