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Method and apparatus for synchronizing streaming and non-streaming multimedia devices by controlling the play speed of the non-streaming device in response to a synchronization signal

  • US 5,619,733 A
  • Filed: 11/10/1994
  • Issued: 04/08/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for synchronizing multiple sources of multimedia data for presentation on an output device, the apparatus comprising;

  • a. a group of sources of data collectively representative of an event having a temporal flow pattern, wherein the data associated with at least one of the sources is streaming data and the data associated with at least one other source is non-streaming data and, wherein the at least one non-streaming data source has a controllable play speed and the control means associated therewith comprises means for controlling the play speed so as to correct a synchronization mismatch in response to a synchronization signal;

    b. at least one output device driver;

    c. data-handling means associated with each data source, each data-handling means comprising;

    i. means for transferring data to the output device; and

    ii. control means associated with each transfer means for controlling the rate at which data is transferred and for reporting, at a characteristic frequency, a current temporal data location;

    wherein the data-handling means associated with the at least one streaming-data source comprises;

    i. at least one memory buffer;

    ii. first transfer means for loading the data from the storage device into the buffer as a first data stream that preserves the temporal flow pattern; and

    iii. second transfer means for extracting the event from the buffer as a second data stream in accordance with and at a rate representative of the temporal flow pattern and transferring the data to the output device driver, the first and second transfer means interoperating to ensure a continuous queue of data in the buffer;

    d. a synchronizer associated with all said control means for causing data to be transferred from the sources to the at least one output device driver in a temporally aligned manner, the synchronizer comprising;

    i. means for designating one of the control means as a master;

    ii. means for receiving synchronization pulses from the master control means;

    iii. means for periodically comparing the current temporal data location of each non-master control means against that of the master to derive a synchronization-mismatch value; and

    iv. means for sending a synchronization signal to selected ones of the control means based on the synchronization-mismatch values, the signals being indicative of said values, said synchronization signal causing a selected control means to correct the synchronization mismatch.

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