Synchronization of audio and video signals from remote sources over the internet
First Claim
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1. A means for providing synchronous delivery and playback of three or more electronic audio or video files, having differing arrival latencies, from participants from multiple locations, during an on-line session, the synchronous delivery and playback means comprising:
- a. a session server having a master metronome;
said master metronome used as a time reference by all participants;
b. a client application, said client application connecting a participant to the session server and to other participants and having a client metronome and utilizing a formalized Internet time standard, said Internet time standard being the Network Time Protocol (NTP), said client metronome is synchronized with the master metronome;
c. a timing mechanism, said timing mechanism synchronizing the client metronome in the client application of the other participants; and
d. a file calibrating mechanism, said file calibrating mechanism having a buffer, a mixer, and a delayed metronome, said buffer having a means for analyzing the difference in arrival latencies of files by all participants, and a means for synchronizing the files, by which the arrival latency of any participant'"'"'s file may be increased so that all files by all participants arrive at the same time, and said mixer compiling the synchronized files into one file which is then returned to the participants, and said delayed metronome being the timing means of the files after the files have been synchronized.
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Abstract
The present invention is an architecture and technology for a method for synchronizing multiple streams of time-based digital audio and video content from separate and distinct remote sources, so that when the streams are joined, they are perceived to be in unison.
129 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A means for providing synchronous delivery and playback of three or more electronic audio or video files, having differing arrival latencies, from participants from multiple locations, during an on-line session, the synchronous delivery and playback means comprising:
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a. a session server having a master metronome;
said master metronome used as a time reference by all participants;b. a client application, said client application connecting a participant to the session server and to other participants and having a client metronome and utilizing a formalized Internet time standard, said Internet time standard being the Network Time Protocol (NTP), said client metronome is synchronized with the master metronome; c. a timing mechanism, said timing mechanism synchronizing the client metronome in the client application of the other participants; and d. a file calibrating mechanism, said file calibrating mechanism having a buffer, a mixer, and a delayed metronome, said buffer having a means for analyzing the difference in arrival latencies of files by all participants, and a means for synchronizing the files, by which the arrival latency of any participant'"'"'s file may be increased so that all files by all participants arrive at the same time, and said mixer compiling the synchronized files into one file which is then returned to the participants, and said delayed metronome being the timing means of the files after the files have been synchronized. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An apparatus to provide synchronous delivery and playback of three or more electronic audio or video files, having differing arrival latencies, from participants from multiple locations, during an on-line session, the synchronous delivery and playback apparatus comprising:
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a. a session server having a master metronome;
said master metronome used as a time reference by all participants;b. a client application, said client application connecting a participant to the session server and to other participants and having a client metronome, said client metronome is synchronized with the master metronome; c. a timing mechanism, said timing mechanism synchronizing the client metronome in the client application of the other participants; and d. a file calibrating mechanism, said file calibrating mechanism having a buffer, said buffer having a means for analyzing the difference in arrival latencies of files by all participants, and a means for synchronizing the files, by which the arrival latency of any participant'"'"'s file may be increased so that all files by all participants arrive at the same time. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method to provide synchronous delivery and playback of three or more electronic audio or video files, having differing arrival latencies, from participants from multiple locations, during an on-line session, the synchronous delivery and playback method comprising:
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a. creating a session on a server; b. allowing participants to request to join the session; c. approving or denying the participant'"'"'s request to join the session; d. only after approval, joining the participant to the session and time stamping the participant'"'"'s session; e. enabling a client application, said client application calculating the server'"'"'s reference time and factoring in a delay time; f. starting a reference metronome, said reference metronome synchronized to the time reference of the server and is given simultaneously to all participants; g. connection by the client application of each participant to the client application of the other participants and determination of each participant'"'"'s time differentials; h. adjusting constantly of the reference metronome to the changes in the network conditions; i. buffering and synchronizing the participants'"'"' multimedia streams so that all streams are transmitted so as to arrive at the same time as the slowest stream; j. creating a delayed metronome, said delayed metronome in time with the buffered and synchronized multimedia stream; k. utilizing the embedded time stamp within the transmitted streams to determine which stream has the greatest latency as compared to the reference metronome; l. decoding all streams as they arrive at the server; m. designating the stream with the greatest latency as the delay reference stream; n. buffering all other streams until each stream'"'"'s time stamp matches that of the delay reference stream; and o. rendering the all outgoing streams to all participants such that the participant with the least latency receives its stream at the same time as the participant with the greatest latency. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification