System and method for synchronization of multimedia streams
First Claim
1. A method for synchronizing initiation of media operations in a multimedia recording and playback system, comprising the steps of:
- in a starter process, receiving the current time from a clock means, assigning the received current time as an initialization-time value, determining a zero-time value by adding a process preparation time to the initialization-time value, broadcasting the zero-time value to at least one media process; and
in the media process, receiving the zero-time value, upon the current time reaching the zero-time value, initiating the media operations,thereby, synchronizing initiation of the media operations.
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Abstract
A computer-based multimedia presentation system is provided with a synchronization scheme for recording and playing independent media. The disclosed system and method allows media processes and single medium processes to achieve and maintain synchronization with each other without process interdependence and without interprocess communication. This capability is provided by assigning a common clock for all processes, requiring all participating media processes to reference the common clock, informing each process of, a synchronization basepoint called a "zero-time", and then allowing each process to independently synchronize itself to the common clock. The common clock itself does not provide any stimulus to a media process; it is a passive component in the synchronization. The media process is the active component, referring to the common clock as required to maintain synchronization for the particular media it is handling.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for synchronizing initiation of media operations in a multimedia recording and playback system, comprising the steps of:
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in a starter process, receiving the current time from a clock means, assigning the received current time as an initialization-time value, determining a zero-time value by adding a process preparation time to the initialization-time value, broadcasting the zero-time value to at least one media process; and in the media process, receiving the zero-time value, upon the current time reaching the zero-time value, initiating the media operations, thereby, synchronizing initiation of the media operations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for synchronizing initiation of media operations in a multimedia recording and playback system, comprising the steps of:
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in a starter process, receiving the current time from a clock means, assigning the received current time as an initialization-time value, determining a zero-time value by adding a process preparation time to the initialization-time value, broadcasting the zero-time value to at least one media process; and in the media process, receiving the zero-time value, determining a media start-time by combining an offset time with the zero-time value, and upon the current time reaching the media start-time, initiating the media operation, thereby, synchronizing initiation of the media operations. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A method for synchronizing media recording in a multimedia recording and playback system, comprising the steps of:
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in a starter process, receiving the current time from a clock means, assigning the received current time as an initialization-time value, determining a zero-time value by adding a process preparation time to the initialization-time value;
broadcasting the zero-time value to at least one media process; andin the media process, receiving the zero-time value, upon the current time reaching the zero-time value, repeating for each media event the sub-steps of obtaining the current time from the clock means, determining an event offset based on the zero-time value and the current time, logging the event offset in association with the media event, recording the media event, thereby, synchronizing the media recording. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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12. A method for synchronizing media recording as recited in claim wherein the event offset is determined by subtracting the zero-time value from the current time.
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18. A method for synchronizing media recording in a multimedia recording and playback system, comprising the steps of:
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in a starter process, receiving the current time from a clock means, assigning the received current time as an initialization-time value, determining a zero-time value by adding a process reparation time to the initialization-time value, broadcasting the zero-time value to at least one media process; and in the media process, receiving the zero-time value, determining a media start-time by adding an offset time to the zero-time value, upon the current time reaching the media start-time, repeating for each media event the sub-steps of obtaining the current time from the clock means, determining an event offset based on the zero-time value and the current time, logging the event offset in association with the media event, recording the media event, thereby, synchronizing the media recording.
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19. A method for synchronizing media playback in a multimedia recording and playback system, comprising the steps of:
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in a starter process, receiving the current time from a clock means, assigning the received current time as an initialization-time value, determining a zero-time value by adding a process preparation time to the initialization-time value;
broadcasting the zero-time value to at least one media process; andin the media process, receiving the zero-time value, accessing a log of event offset times associated with a plurality of media events, for each logged event offset time, performing the sub-steps of readying the associated media event for playing, and when the event offset time arrives, playing the media event, thereby, synchronizing the media playback. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for synchronizing media playback in a multimedia recording and playback system, comprising the steps of:
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in a starter process, receiving the current time from a clock means, assigning the received current time as an initialization-time value, determining a zero-time value by adding a process preparation time to the initialization-time value;
broadcasting the zero-time value to at least one media process; andin the media process, receiving the zero-time value, accessing a log of event offset times associated with a plurality of media events, for each logged event offset time, performing the sub-steps of readying the associated media event for playing, and when the event offset time arrives, playing the media event, thereby, synchronizing the media playback.
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33. A method for synchronizing initiation of events in a multiprogramming computer system, comprising the steps of:
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in a starter process, receiving the current time from a clock means, assigning the received current time as an initialization-time value, determining a zero-time value by adding a process preparation time to the initialization-time value, broadcasting the zero-time value to at least one receiving process; and in the receiving process, receiving the zero-time value, upon the current time reaching the zero-time value, initiating the event, thereby, synchronizing initiation of the media events.
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34. A method for synchronizing events in a multiprogramming computer system, comprising the steps of:
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in a starter process, receiving the current time from a clock means, assigning the received current time as an initialization-time value, determining a zero-time value by adding a process preparation time to the initialization-time value;
broadcasting the zero-time value to at least one receiving process; andin the receiving process, receiving the zero-time value, upon the current time reaching the zero-time value, repeating for each event the sub-steps of executing the event, determining a next-event time, waiting until the current time reaches the next-event time, thereby, synchronizing the events.
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Specification