MULTI-SCREEN SYNCHRONIZED PLAYBACK SYSTEM, DISPLAY CONTROL TERMINAL, MULTI-SCREEN SYNCHRONIZED PLAYBACK METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20100111491A1
• Filed: 02/13/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kamoto, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,436,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• 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 21/4305 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 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/073 for mutually locking plural sources of synchronising signals, e.g. studios or relay stations

Abstract

A multi-screen synchronized playback system capable of synchronizing, with high accuracy, playback start times of content to be displayed on multiple screens. The multi-screen synchronized playback system has a plurality of display control terminals and a synchronization server connected to the plurality of display control terminals. The synchronization server includes a synchronization time transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting time information of a clock of the synchronization server to the plurality of display control devices. The display control terminal includes a time setting section for setting time on a clock of the display control terminal based on the time information simultaneously transmitted from the synchronization server, and a display control section for starting playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on the time on the clock of the display control terminal.

Claims

1. A multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of display control terminals and a synchronization server connected to the plurality of display control terminals, wherein:

the synchronization server includes

a synchronization time transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting time information of a clock of the synchronization server to the plurality of display control devices; and

the display control terminal includes

a time setting section for setting time on a clock of the display control terminal based on the time information simultaneously transmitted from the synchronization server; and

a display control section for starting playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on the time on the clock of the display control terminal.

2. The multi-screen synchronized playback system according to claim 1, wherein:

the synchronization server further includes a time setting section for setting time on the clock of the synchronization server, based on time information received via a network.

3. The multi-screen synchronized playback system according to claim 2, wherein:

the time setting section provided in the synchronization server sets time on the clock of the synchronization server, based on time information received from an NTP server located on the network.

4. The multi-screen synchronized playback system according to claim 1, wherein:

the display control section provided in the display control terminal simultaneously starts playback of content which is the same as content whose playback is started by another display control terminal included in the multi-screen synchronized playback system.

5. The multi-screen synchronized playback system according to claim 1, wherein:

the display control section provided in the display control terminal prefetches, before a playback start time set for each content is reached, content corresponding to the playback start time.

6. The multi-screen synchronized playback system according to claim 1, wherein:

the display control section provided in the display control terminal ends content being played back and starts playback of content to be played back next at a time point a playback start time of the content to be played back next after the content being played back is reached.

7. A multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of first display control terminals and a second display control terminal connected to the plurality of first display control terminals, wherein:

the second display control terminal includes

a display control section for starting playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the second display control terminal, and

a synchronization time transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting time information of the clock of the second display control terminal to the plurality of first display control devices; and

the first display control terminal includes

a time setting section for setting time on a clock of the first display control terminal based on the time information simultaneously transmitted from the second display control terminal, and

a display control section for starting playback of content at the playback start time set for each content, based on the time on the clock of the first display control terminal.

8. A display control terminal connected to the plurality of other display control terminals, comprising:

a display control section for starting playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the display control terminal; and

a synchronization time transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting time information of the clock of the display control terminal to the plurality of other display control devices to synchronize the time on the clock of the display control terminal and time on clocks of the plurality of other display control terminals.

9. A multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of display control terminals and a synchronization server connected to the plurality of display control terminals, wherein:

the synchronization server includes

a playback start signal transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting a playback start signal for each content to the plurality of display control devices at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the synchronization server; and

the display control terminal includes

a display control section for starting playback of corresponding content in accordance with the playback start signal received from the synchronization server.

10. A multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of first display control terminals and a second display control terminal connected to the plurality of first display control terminals, wherein:

the second display control terminal includes

a display control section for starting playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the second display control terminal, and

a playback start signal transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting a playback start signal for each content to the plurality of first display control devices at the playback start time set for each content, based on the time on the clock of the second display control terminal; and

the first display control terminal includes

a display control section for starting playback of corresponding content in accordance with the playback start signal received from the second display control terminal.

11. A display control terminal connected to a plurality of other display control terminals, comprising:

a display control section for starting playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the display control terminal; and

a playback start signal transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting a playback start signal for each content to the plurality of other display control devices at the playback start time set for each content, based on the time on the clock of the display control terminal.

12. A multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of display control terminals and a synchronization server connected to the plurality of display control terminals, wherein:

the synchronization server includes

a playback start signal transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting time information to the plurality of display control devices at a predetermined time interval, based on time on a clock of the synchronization server; and

the display control terminal includes

a display control section for starting playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on the time information received from the synchronization server.

13. A multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of first display control terminals and a second display control terminal connected to the plurality of first display control terminals, wherein:

the second display control terminal includes

a display control section for starting playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the second display control terminal, and

a playback start signal transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting time information to the plurality of first display control devices at a predetermined time interval, based on the time on the clock of the second display control terminal; and

the first display control terminal includes

a display control section for starting playback of content at the playback start time set for each content, based on the time information received from the second display control terminal.

14. A display control terminal connected to a plurality of other display control terminals, comprising:

a display control section for starting playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the display control terminal; and

a playback start signal transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting time information to the plurality of other display control devices at a predetermined time interval, based on the time on the clock of the display control terminal.

15. A multi-screen synchronized playback method of a multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of display control terminals and a synchronization server connected to the plurality of display control terminals, comprising:

a synchronization time transmitting step of simultaneously transmitting, by the synchronization server, time information of a clock of the synchronization server to the plurality of display control devices;

a time setting step of setting, by the display control terminal, time on a clock of the display control terminal based on the time information simultaneously transmitted from the synchronization server; and

a display control step of starting playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on the time on the clock of the display control terminal.

21. A computer readable medium including computer executable instructions causing a computer to realize the multi-screen synchronized playback method according to claim 15.

16. A multi-screen synchronized playback method of a multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of first display control terminals and a second display control terminal connected to the plurality of first display control terminals, comprising:

a display control step of starting, by the second display control terminal, playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the second display control terminal;

a synchronization time transmitting section for simultaneously transmitting, by the second display control terminal, time information of the clock of the second display control terminal to the plurality of first display control devices;

a time setting step of setting, by the first display control terminal, time on a clock of the first display control terminal based on the time information simultaneously transmitted from the second display control terminal; and

a display control step of starting, by the first display control terminal, playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on the time on the clock of the first display control terminal.

17. A multi-screen synchronized playback method of a multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of display control terminals and a synchronization server connected to the plurality of display control terminals, comprising:

a playback start signal transmitting step of simultaneously transmitting, by the synchronization server, a playback start signal for each content to the plurality of display control devices at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the synchronization server; and

a display control step of starting, by the display control terminal, playback of corresponding content in accordance with the playback start signal received from the synchronization server.

18. A multi-screen synchronized playback method of a multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of first display control terminals and a second display control terminal connected to the plurality of first display control terminals, comprising:

a display control step of starting, by the second display control terminal, playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the second display control terminal;

a playback start signal transmitting step of simultaneously transmitting, by the second display control terminal, a playback start signal for each content to the plurality of first display control devices at the playback start time set for each content, based on the time on the clock of the second display control terminal; and

a display control step of starting, by the first display control terminal, playback of corresponding content in accordance with the playback start signal received from the second display control terminal.

19. A multi-screen synchronized playback method of a multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of display control terminals and a synchronization server connected to the plurality of display control terminals, comprising:

a playback start signal transmitting step of simultaneously transmitting, by the synchronization server, time information to the plurality of display control devices at a predetermined time interval, based on time on a clock of the synchronization server; and

a display control step of starting, by the display control terminal, playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on the time information received from the synchronization server.

20. A multi-screen synchronized playback method of a multi-screen synchronized playback system having a plurality of first display control terminals and a second display control terminal connected to the plurality of first display control terminals, comprising:

a display control step of starting, by the second display control terminal, playback of content at a playback start time set for each content, based on time on a clock of the second display control terminal;

a playback start signal transmitting step of simultaneously transmitting, by the second display control terminal, time information to the plurality of first display control devices at a predetermined time interval, based on the time on the clock of the second display control terminal; and

a display control step of starting, by the first display control terminal, playback of content at the playback start time set for each content, based on the time information received from the second display control terminal.