Systems, methods and computer-readable media for configuring receiver latency

• US 10,291,944 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audinate Holdings Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Audinate Pty Ltd (Audinate Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: White, Andrew, Williams, Aidan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc H
• Application Number:
  US15/273,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20170013293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 709231
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0632 Synchronisation of packets and cells, e.g. transmission of voice via a packet network, circuit emulation service [CES] queuing arrangements in packet switching elements H04L49/90; synchronising systems for the synchronous transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0667 Bidirectional timestamps, e.g. NTP or PTP for compensation of clock drift and for compensation of propagation delays arrangements for monitoring round trip delays in packet switching networks H04L43/0864
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0858 One way delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to transmitting and receiving media channels, such as audio and video channels. These channels may be transmitted as packets from one or more transmitting devices to one or more receiving devices for playout. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining latency of a data network for synchronized playout of received signals. Additionally, certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a systems, methods, and computer-readable media for synchronizing playout among devices connected to a data network.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing rendering of a media channel, the method comprising:

receiving a signal comprising a timestamp from transmitting device via a media channel;

determining a transmission latency of the signal based on the timestamp;

obtaining a latency of the transmitting device, wherein the latency of the transmitting device corresponds to an amount of time between when media data is sampled and when the media data receives a timestamp;

determining a minimum end-to-end latency based on at least the latency of the transmitting device and the transmission latency, and a latency of the receiving device, wherein the latency of the receiving device corresponds to an amount of time between when media data is written to a receiver buffer and when the media data is rendered;

determining a maximum end-to-end latency based on at least the latency of the transmitting device, the latency of the receiving device, and a receiver buffer capacity;

transmitting a message comprising the minimum end-to-end latency to at least one other receiving device;

setting a current latency value of the receiver device to the greater of the minimum end-to-end latency of the receiving device or a minimum end-to-end latency of another receiving device; and

rendering the media channel at the receiving device according to the current latency value, such that the rendering of the media channel by the receiving device is synchronized with the rendering of the media channel by other receiving devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media channel is an audio channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media channel is a video channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media channel transmits compressed audio.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message further comprises a group identification number, the maximum end-to-end latency, and the current latency.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the current latency value if another receiving device transmits a message indicating that the other receiving device has a minimum end-to-end latency greater than the current latency value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a latency offset for the receiving device based on at least the latency of the transmitting device, the latency of the receiving device, and the current latency value, and setting a buffer position in the receiving device based on the latency offset.