Low latency real-time audio streaming

• US 20060074637A1
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Berreth, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,706,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs

Abstract

Systems and methods for audio streaming in a computing device are described. In one aspect an interface to an adapter driver is provided. The adapter driver is associated with an audio device. The adapter driver and a wave real-time (WaveRT) port driver associated with the computing device use the interface to configure direct access by a client of the computing device and by the audio device to a cyclic buffer. The direct access is for rendering and/or capturing an audio stream. The direct access is independent of any copying by a port driver on the computer system of the audio stream to any buffer

Claims

1. A method for audio streaming in a computing device, the method comprising:

providing an interface to an adapter driver associated with an audio device;

configuring, via the interface by the adapter driver and a wave real-time (WaveRT) port driver associated with the computing device, direct access by a client of the computing device and by the audio device to a cyclic buffer for rendering and/or capturing an audio stream, the direct access being independent of any copying by a port driver on the computer system of the audio stream to any buffer; and

monitoring, via the interface to the adapter driver, latency between a write position and a play position in the cyclic buffer, the monitoring not requiring a transition from kernel-mode.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the write position corresponds to a value of a write position register in audio hardware.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the play position corresponds to a value of a play position register in audio hardware.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining, via the interface at regular time intervals, a play position of the cyclic buffer to calculate how far to advance the write position such that an underflow condition is avoided at the cyclic buffer through a next time interval of the regular time intervals.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, via the interface, clock register values; and

synchronizing audio streams between the audio device and a second audio device as a function of the clock register values, the first and second audio devices having respective and unsynchronized hardware clock registers.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the audio device is associated with a direct memory access (DMA) controller that does not have buffer looping capability, and wherein the method further comprises synchronizing DMA controller access to the audio stream in the cyclic buffer through audio position.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuring further comprises:

registering, by the adapter driver, a real-time miniport driver with a port class system driver of the computing system, the real-time miniport driver being configured for audio stream render or capture; and

creating, by the client, a real-time device for kernel streaming of the audio stream, the real-time device comprising the real-time miniport driver and the WaveRT port driver.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

not revoking mappings, by the real-time miniport driver, to any shared data structure during rendering or capturing of audio data; and

wherein the not revoking does not cause synchronization or timing errors.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises synchronizing the client for data read or write access to the cyclic buffer through audio position, the audio position being a function of real-time thread scheduling provided by an operating system of the computing device, and audio data write and/or play position(s) in the cyclic buffer.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising monitoring, by the client at regular time intervals, aspects of the audio position, the aspects being supplied by a WaveRT MiniPort driver registered by the adapter driver.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising reducing stream latency, by the client, by removing unnecessary padding from a regular time interval, the unnecessary padding being a function of a distance between a read position and a write position in the cyclic buffer.

12. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-program instructions for audio streaming in a computing device, the computer-program instructions being executable by a processor, the computer-program instructions comprising instructions for:

providing an interface to an adapter driver associated with an audio device;

configuring, via the interface by the adapter driver and a wave real-time (WaveRT) port driver associated with the computing device, direct access by a client of the computing device and by the audio device to a cyclic buffer for rendering and/or capturing an audio stream, the direct access being independent of any copying by a port driver on the computer system of the audio stream to any buffer; and

monitoring, via the interface to the adapter driver, latency between a write position and a play position in the cyclic buffer, the monitoring not requiring a transition from kernel-mode.

13. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the write position corresponds to a value of a write position register in audio hardware.

14. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the play position corresponds to a value of a play position register in audio hardware.

15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for determining, via the interface at regular time intervals, a play position of the cyclic buffer to calculate how far to advance the write position such that an underflow condition is avoided at the cyclic buffer through a next time interval of the regular time intervals.

16. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

obtaining, via the interface, clock register values; and

synchronizing audio streams between the audio device and a second audio device as a function of the clock register values, the first and second audio devices having respective and unsynchronized hardware clock registers.

17. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the audio device is associated with a direct memory access (DMA) controller that does not have buffer looping capability, and wherein the computer-program instructions further comprise instructions for:

synchronizing DMA controller access to the audio stream in the cyclic buffer through audio position.

18. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the computer-program instructions for configuring further comprise instructions for:

registering, by the adapter driver, a real-time miniport driver with a port class system driver of the computing system, the real-time miniport driver being configured for audio stream render or capture; and

creating, by the client, a real-time device for kernel streaming of the audio stream, the real-time device comprising the real-time miniport driver and the WaveRT) port driver.

19. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, further comprising computer-program instructions for:

not revoking mappings, by the real-time miniport driver, to any shared data structure during rendering or capturing of audio data; and

wherein the not revoking does not cause synchronization or timing errors.

20. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the computer-program instructions further comprise instructions for synchronizing the client for data read or write access to the cyclic buffer through audio position, the audio position being a function of real-time thread scheduling provided by an operating system of the computing device, and audio data write and/or play position(s) in the cyclic buffer.

21. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising computer-program instructions for monitoring, by the client at regular time intervals, aspects of the audio position, the aspects being supplied by a WaveRT MiniPort driver registered by the adapter driver.

22. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising computer-program instructions for reducing stream latency, by the client, by removing unnecessary padding from a regular time interval, the unnecessary padding being a function of a distance between a read position and a write position in the cyclic buffer.

23. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising computer-program instructions executable by the processor for real-time audio streaming, the computer-program instructions comprising instructions for;

providing an interface to an adapter driver associated with an audio device;

configuring, via the interface by the adapter driver and a wave real-time (WaveRT) port driver associated with the computing device, direct access by a client of the computing device and by the audio device to a cyclic buffer for rendering and/or capturing an audio stream, the direct access being independent of any copying by a port driver on the computer system of the audio stream to any buffer; and

monitoring, via the interface to the adapter driver, latency between a write position and a play position in the cyclic buffer, the monitoring not requiring a transition from kernel-mode.

24. A computing device as recited in claim 23, wherein the write position corresponds to a value of a write position register in audio hardware.

25. A computing device as recited in claim 23, wherein the play position corresponds to a value of a play position register in audio hardware.

26. A computing device as recited in claim 23, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for determining, via the interface at regular time intervals, a play position of the cyclic buffer to calculate how far to advance the write position such that an underflow condition is avoided at the cyclic buffer through a next time interval of the regular time intervals.

27. A computing device as recited in claim 23, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

obtaining, via the interface, clock register values; and

synchronizing audio streams between the audio device and a second audio device as a function of the clock register values, the first and second audio devices having respective and unsynchronized hardware clock registers.

28. A computing device as recited in claim 23, wherein the audio device is associated with a direct memory access (DMA) controller that does not have buffer looping capability, and wherein the computer-program instructions further comprise instructions for:

synchronizing DMA controller access to the audio stream in the cyclic buffer through audio position.

29. A computing device as recited in claim 23, wherein the computer-program instructions for configuring further comprise instructions for:

registering, by the adapter driver, a real-time miniport driver with a port class system driver of the computing system, the real-time miniport driver being configured for audio stream render or capture; and

creating, by the client, a real-time device for kernel streaming of the audio stream, the real-time device comprising the real-time miniport driver and the WaveRT port driver.

30. A computing device as recited in claim 29, wherein the computer-program instructions further comprise instructions for:

not revoking mappings, by the real-time miniport driver, to any shared data structure during rendering or capturing of audio data; and

wherein the not revoking does not cause synchronization or timing errors.

31. A computing device as recited in claim 23, wherein the computer-program instructions further comprise instructions for synchronizing the client for data read or write access to the cyclic buffer through audio position, the audio position being a function of real-time thread scheduling provided by an operating system of the computing device, and audio data write and/or play position(s) in the cyclic buffer.

32. A computing device as recited in claim 31, further comprising computer-program instructions for monitoring, by the client at regular time intervals, aspects of the audio position, the aspects being supplied by a WaveRT MiniPort driver registered by the adapter driver.

33. A computing device as recited in claim 31, further comprising computer-program instructions for reducing stream latency, by the client, by removing unnecessary padding from a regular time interval, the unnecessary padding being a function of a distance between a read position and a write position in the cyclic buffer.

34. A computing device comprising:

configuring means to configure, by an adapter driver associated with an audio device and a wave real-time (WaveRT) port driver associated with the computing device, direct access by a client of the computing device and by the audio device to a cyclic buffer for rendering and/or capturing an audio stream; and

monitoring means to monitor hardware position register values to determine latency between a write position and a play position in the cyclic buffer, the monitoring not requiring a transition from kernel-mode.

35. A computing device as recited in claim 34, wherein the direct access does not result in any transition in the computing device between user mode and kernel mode for an audio data input or output request associated with the cyclic buffer.

36. A computing device as recited in claim 34, wherein the configuring means further comprises mapping means to map, by the WaveRT port driver, the cyclic buffer:

(a) to a direct memory access (DMA) controller associated with the audio device; and

(b) to virtual memory accessible by the client in user mode.

37. A computing device as recited in claim 34, wherein the configuring means further comprises:

registering means to register, by the adapter driver, a real-time miniport driver with a port class system driver of the computing system, the real-time miniport driver being configured for audio stream render or capture; and

creating means to instantiate, by the client, a real-time device for kernel streaming of the audio stream, the real-time device comprising the real-time miniport driver and the WaveRT) port driver.

38. A computing device as recited in claim 34, wherein the audio device is associated with a direct memory access (DMA) controller that does not have buffer looping capability, and wherein the computing device further comprises:

synchronizing means to synchronize DMA controller access to the audio stream in the cyclic buffer through audio position.

39. A computing device as recited in claim 34, wherein the computing device further comprises synchronizing means to synchronize the client for data read or write access to the cyclic buffer through audio position, the audio position being a function of real-time thread scheduling provided by an operating system of the computing device, and audio data write and/or play position(s) in the cyclic buffer.

40. A computing device as recited in claim 39, wherein the computing device further comprises monitoring means to monitor, by the client at regular time intervals, aspects of the audio position, the aspects being supplied by a WaveRT MiniPort driver registered by the adapter driver.