Real-time media content synchronization and transmission in packet network apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A system for transmitting and synchronizing real-time multimedia content to plural, multimedia receivers, comprising:
- a multimedia server for generating a multimedia packet having multimedia audio/visual information therein in a play sequence, and for transmitting said multimedia packet;
a packet-based communication network connected to said multimedia server for receiving said multimedia packets therefrom;
said network having multiple routers therein to route said multimedia packets to plural destinations;
means for inserting total delay information (TDI) into said multimedia packets, wherein said TDI includes total end-to-end delay (TED) and cumulative network delay (CND), wherein TED is the total time from when a multimedia packet is transmitted from the multimedia server to when the multimedia packet is to be played at a receiver and wherein CND is the actual delay caused as a multimedia packet transits the communications network; and
plural multimedia receivers for receiving said multimedia packets having TDI therein, wherein each multimedia receiver includes a buffer for storing-received multimedia packets, a sequencing means for retrieving stored multimedia packets from said buffer and sequencing said multimedia packets in said play sequence for providing a real-time synchronization of the multimedia packets at plural, multimedia receivers, and a playing mechanism for playing the retrieved, sequenced multimedia packets at time TED after said multimedia packet has been transmitted by said multimedia server.
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Abstract
A system for transmitting and synchronizing real-time multimedia content includes a multimedia server for generating a multimedia packet; a packet-based communication network connected to the multimedia server for receiving multimedia packets therefrom; the network having multiple routers therein to route the multimedia packets to plural destinations; a mechanism for inserting total delay information (TDI) into the multimedia packets, wherein the TDI includes total end-to-end delay (TED) and cumulative network delay (CND); and plural multimedia receivers for receiving the multimedia packets having TDI therein, wherein each multimedia receiver includes a buffer, a sequencing mechanism, and a playing mechanism for playing retrieved, sequenced multimedia packets at time TED after the multimedia packet has been transmitted by the multimedia server. A method of transmitting and synchronizing real-time multimedia content includes loading multimedia audio/visual into plural multimedia packets; inserting total delay information (TDI) into at least one of the multimedia packets, wherein TDI includes total end-to-end delay (TED) and cumulative network delay (CND); transmitting the multimedia packets to plural multimedia receivers over a packet-based network in a play sequence; and playing the multimedia packets at each receiver at time TED.
263 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for transmitting and synchronizing real-time multimedia content to plural, multimedia receivers, comprising:
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a multimedia server for generating a multimedia packet having multimedia audio/visual information therein in a play sequence, and for transmitting said multimedia packet;
a packet-based communication network connected to said multimedia server for receiving said multimedia packets therefrom;
said network having multiple routers therein to route said multimedia packets to plural destinations;
means for inserting total delay information (TDI) into said multimedia packets, wherein said TDI includes total end-to-end delay (TED) and cumulative network delay (CND), wherein TED is the total time from when a multimedia packet is transmitted from the multimedia server to when the multimedia packet is to be played at a receiver and wherein CND is the actual delay caused as a multimedia packet transits the communications network; and
plural multimedia receivers for receiving said multimedia packets having TDI therein, wherein each multimedia receiver includes a buffer for storing-received multimedia packets, a sequencing means for retrieving stored multimedia packets from said buffer and sequencing said multimedia packets in said play sequence for providing a real-time synchronization of the multimedia packets at plural, multimedia receivers, and a playing mechanism for playing the retrieved, sequenced multimedia packets at time TED after said multimedia packet has been transmitted by said multimedia server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of transmitting and synchronizing real-time multimedia content to plural, multimedia receivers, comprising:
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loading multimedia audio/visual into plural multimedia packets;
inserting total delay information (TDI) into at least one of the multimedia packets, wherein TDI includes total end-to-end delay (TED) and cumulative network delay (CND), wherein TED is the total time from when a multimedia packet is transmitted from a multimedia server to when the multimedia packet is to be played at a receiver and wherein CND is the actual delay caused as a multimedia packet transits a packet-based network;
transmitting the multimedia packets to plural multimedia receivers over a packet-based network in a play sequence;
synchronizing, in real-time, the multimedia packets;
buffering the multimedia packets in each multimedia receiver;
recalling the multimedia packets in play sequence;
increasing the value of TED if CND>
TED; and
playing the multimedia packets at each receiver at time TED. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of transmitting and synchronizing real-time multimedia content to plural, multimedia receivers, comprising:
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determining whether a multimedia packet is a viable packet or a non-viable packet;
inserting total delay information (TDI) into at least one of the multimedia packets, wherein TDI includes total end-to-end delay (TED) and cumulative network delay (CND) for synchronizing, in real-time, the multimedia packets, wherein TED is the total time from when a multimedia packet is transmitted from the multimedia server to when the multimedia packet is to be played at a receiver and wherein CND is the actual delay caused as a multimedia packet transits the communications network;
increasing the value of TED if CND>
TED; and
discarding any non-viable packets. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
loading multimedia audio/visual into plural multimedia packets;
transmitting the multimedia packets to plural multimedia receivers over a packet-based network in a play sequence;
discarding a multimedia packet if at any time during said transmitting CND>
TEDbuffering the multimedia packets in each multimedia receiver;
recalling the multimedia packets in play sequence; and
playing the multimedia packets at each receiver at time TED.
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17. The method of claim 16 wherein said inserting includes inserting TDI in a multimedia server.
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18. The method of claim 16 wherein said inserting includes inserting TDI in a router located in the packet-based network.
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19. The method of claim 16 wherein said inserting includes inserting TDI in a gateway located in a local area network (LAN) which is located between the packet-based network and a multimedia receiver.
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20. The method of claim 16 which includes duplicating a multimedia packet for multicasting to plural multimedia receivers, and wherein said duplicating includes inserting TDI into at some of the duplicated multimedia packets.
Specification