BeatBox Audio System
The BeatBox Audio System was designed to be an audio management solution for a wired house where multiple electronic devices are connected to, and communicate via, a central control system. Because such technologies are not yet available (or are not commercially popular), BBAS can be used on one machine or a computer network. BBAS is comprised of two main components, the server, and the client. The server is responsible for managing music files, creating and maintaining Sound Events (which is audio sent to a user to alert him/her of an event in the house) and facilitating communication between clients. The client of the BBAS allows the user to playback audio, upload files to the server and control other clients that are registered with the server. The system is designed to be expandable in the future, this is why a client does not necessarily need to be an audio player. For a client to be compatible with the system it must only be able to communicate with the server and parse XML. This will allow devices like PDA’s and Web Tablets to control other clients without actually having to playback audio.