Systems, Methods and Computer-Readable Media for Configuring Receiver Latency

• US 20170013293A1
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Published: 01/12/2017
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,291,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 synchronising play out of a media channel among a plurality of receiving devices in communication with a network, characterized by the steps of:

providing a shared concept of time to a plurality of receiving devices in communication with a network;

obtaining a minimum latency value and a maximum latency value for each of the plurality of receiving devices;

communicating the minimum latency value and the maximum latency value for each of the plurality of receiving devices;

choosing a current latency value based on the minimum latency value and the maximum latency value for each of the plurality of receiving devices; and

playing out the media channel from the plurality of receiving devices according to the current latency value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a shared concept of time comprises synchronising the plurality of receiving devices with precision time protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the minimum latency value for each of the plurality of receiving devices includes an end-to-end latency value for the media channel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the minimum latency value for each of the plurality of receiving devices is a worst-case latency value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the minimum latency value for each of the plurality of receiving devices comprises measuring a digital domain latency value.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein measuring the digital domain latency value comprises determining a difference between an initial timestamp and a time of receipt.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the maximum latency value for each of the plurality of receiving devices is determined based on a buffer size of each receiving device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the minimum latency value and the maximum latency value for each of the plurality of receiving devices further comprises posting to a database.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the database is a distributed database.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the minimum latency value and the maximum latency value for each of the plurality of receiving devices further comprises transmitting a multicast message.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein choosing a current latency value comprises selecting a lowest minimum latency value from each of the minimum latency values of the plurality of receiving devices.

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

13. A method for substantially synchronising play out of at least one media channel received by at least one receiver device characterized by the steps of:

determining a minimum latency for at least one media channel;

receiving a minimum latency of at least one other receiver; and

determining a play out time of the at least one media channel using the larger of the determined minimum latency or received minimum latency.

14-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A system for substantially synchronising the play out of at least one channel received by at least one receiver device characterized by:

a receiver having a memory and a processor configured to determine a first latency value for at least one channel, receive a second latency of at least one other receiver, and determine a play out time of a media channel using the larger of the first latency or the second latency.

32-33. -33. (canceled)