System and methods of synchronizing program reproduction on multiple geographically remote display systems

• US 10,469,886 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2013
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minerva Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Minerva Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Capobianco, Fabrizio
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imperial, Jaycee
• Application Number:
  US13/857,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20160249081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,404 Days
• Field of Search: 725116
• 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 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries

Abstract

A system controller, preferably implemented as a cloud service, enables the synchronization of display devices located at geographically remote locations relative to one another. A display and control devices are provided at each of a plurality of sites, with one or both of the devices being capable displaying the transmitted show. The control device enables the system controller to determine local relative delays in the show and to control the temporal reproduction of said transmitted show by said display device so as to achieve a substantially synchronized reproduction of the show at each of the sites.

Claims

1. A system providing for the synchronization of display devices located at geographically remote locations relative to one another, said system comprising:

a) a display device at each respective one of a plurality of sites, said display device receiving and displaying a transmitted show;

b) a control device at each respective one of said plurality of sites, said control device comprising a processor executing instructions stored in memory, the instructions comprising controlling temporal reproduction of said transmitted show by said display device;

c) a plurality of cloud servers providing a cloud service;

the cloud service operative to interact with said control devices to ascertain a local relative synchronization delay of said transmitted show at each of said plurality of sites, said cloud service being further operative to adjust the temporal reproduction of said transmitted show by said display devices to achieve a substantially synchronized reproduction of said transmitted show at each of said plurality of sites by scheduled checks based on a computed time interval with the computed time interval between the scheduled checks being doubled compared to a previous check if at the previous check the transmitted show is synchronized on each of the display devices at each of the plurality of sites and the scheduled checks being set to a minimum if at the previous check the transmitted show is not synchronized on each of the display devices at each of the plurality of sites; and

d) an auxiliary screen at each respective one of said plurality of sites, said auxiliary screen receiving a command from said cloud service that in response records a few seconds of audio from said transmitted show and transmits said few seconds of audio to said cloud service that in response computes a delay of said transmitted show compared to display devices at other geographically remote locations; and

wherein a single party at one of the plurality of the sites controls the display devices at all of the plurality of the sites.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising said auxiliary screen at each respective one of said plurality of sites receiving a command from said cloud service that in response records a few seconds of video from said transmitted show and transmits said few seconds of video to said cloud service that in response computes a delay of said transmitted show compared to display devices at other geographically remote locations.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising said auxiliary screen at each respective one of said plurality of sites receiving a command from said cloud service that in response retrieves a timestamp from said transmitted show and transmits said timestamp to said cloud service that in response computes a delay of said transmitted show compared to display devices at other geographically remote locations.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising said cloud service computing a delay of said transmitted show based on a video segment, an audio segment and a timestamp.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising said cloud service temporarily pausing said display device at each respective one of the plurality of sites that are displaying said transmitted show ahead of display devices at other geographically remote locations.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising said cloud service restarting said paused display device to align said transmitted show to be simultaneous with a sequence of said transmitted show as displayed by a slowest display device in the plurality of sites.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising said cloud service pausing and restarting said display device at each respective one of the plurality of sites that are displaying said transmitted show ahead of display devices at other geographically remote locations by way of transmitting instructions to each respective said auxiliary screen.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising said auxiliary screen at each respective one of said plurality of sites facilitating a chat session with other auxiliary screens in said plurality of sites.