Apparatus and method for adaptation of time synchronization of a plurality of multimedia streams

• US 7,266,713 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kozintsev, Igor V., Lienhart, Rainer W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen; Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rehman; Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US10/754,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20050166079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/04 Generating or distributing clock signals or signals derived directly therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums

Abstract

A system and method for adaptation of time synchronization of a plurality of multimedia streams is presented. In one embodiment, multimedia data is captured, via a plurality of multimedia platforms. A first synchronization signal is received by each of the plurality of multimedia platforms. The first synchronization signal is used to generate a first common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms. Captured multimedia data is synchronized according to the first common clock reference. A second synchronization signal is received by each of the plurality of multimedia platforms. The second synchronization signal is used generate a transitional common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms. The second synchronization signal is also used to generate a second common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

capturing, via a plurality of multimedia platforms, multimedia data;

receiving, during capture of the multimedia data, a first synchronization signal by each of the plurality of multimedia platforms;

processing, by each multimedia platform, the first synchronization signal to generate a first common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms;

synchronizing captured multimedia data according to the first common clock reference;

receiving, a second synchronization signal by each of the plurality of multimedia platforms;

processing, by each multimedia platform, the second synchronization signal to generate a transitional common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms; and

processing, by each multimedia platform, the second synchronization signal to generate a second common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transitional common clock reference provides a continuous monotonic transformation between the first common clock reference and the second common clock reference.

3. The method of claim 2, further including:

synchronizing captured multimedia data according to the second common clock reference.

4. The method of claim 3, further including generating the first, the transitional, and the second common clock reference in a sequence of time periods.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the first, the transitional, and the second common clock references include generating the common clock references by performing a sample time conversion on the respective synchronization signals.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sample time conversion includes a linear model of y(t)=at+b with a and b being constants, t representing a sample clock period on one of the multimedia platforms, and y representing a clock period of a clock on a unit that generated the first and second synchronization signals.

7. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which when executed cause a system to perform a method comprising of:

capturing, via a plurality of multimedia platforms, multimedia data;

receiving, during capture of the multimedia data, a first synchronization signal by each of the plurality of multimedia platforms;

processing, by each multimedia platform, the first synchronization signal to generate a first common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms;

synchronizing captured multimedia data according to the first common clock reference;

receiving, a second synchronization signal by each of the plurality of multimedia platforms;

processing, by each multimedia platform, the second synchronization signal to generate a transitional common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms; and

processing, by each multimedia platform, the second synchronization signal to generate a second common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms.

8. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the transitional common clock reference provides a continuous monotonic transformation between the first common clock reference and the second common clock reference.

9. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, further including:

synchronizing captured multimedia data according to the second common clock reference.

10. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including generating the first, the transitional, and the second common clock references in a sequence of time periods.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein generating the first, the transitional, and the second common clock references include generating the common clock references by performing a sample time conversion on the respective synchronization signals.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the sample time conversion includes a linear model of y(t)=at+b, with a and b being constants, t representing a sample clock period on one of the multimedia platforms, and y representing a clock period of a clock on a unit that generated the first and second synchronization signals.

13. A system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface coupled to the processor; and

a machine readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which when executed cause the system to perform a method comprising of;

capturing, via a plurality of multimedia platforms, multimedia data;

receiving, during capture of the multimedia data, a first synchronization signal by each of the plurality of multimedia platforms;

processing, by each multimedia platform, the first synchronization signal to generate a first common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms;

synchronizing captured multimedia data according to the first common clock reference;

receiving, a second synchronization signal by each of the plurality of multimedia platforms;

processing, by each multimedia platform, the second synchronization signal to generate a transitional common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms; and

processing, by each multimedia platform, the second synchronization signal to generate a second common clock reference among the plurality of multimedia platforms.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the transitional common clock reference provides a continuous monotonic transformation between the first common clock reference and the second common clock reference.

15. The system of claim 14, further including synchronizing captured multimedia data according to the second common clock reference.

16. The system of claim 15, further including generating the first, transitional, and second common clock references in a sequence of time periods.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein generating the first, the transitional, and the second common clock references include generating the common clock references by performing a sample time conversion on the respective synchronization signals.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sample time conversion includes a linear model of y(t)=at+b with a and b being constants, t representing a sample clock period on one of the multimedia platforms, and y representing a clock period of a clock on a unit that generated the first and second synchronization signals.