Selecting most compatible synchronization strategy to synchronize data streams generated by two devices

• US 9,507,374 B1
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Purser, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): POUDEL, SANTOSH RAJ
• Application Number:
  US13/692,382
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 713/400, 713/500
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/12 Synchronisation of different clock signals provided by a plurality of clock generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/20 Comparing separate sets of record carriers arranged in the same sequence to determine whether at least some of the data in one set is identical with that in the other set or sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• 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 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/05 Synchronising circuits with arrangements for extending range of synchronisation, e.g. by using switching between several time constants

Abstract

In an embodiment, a session associated with a first hardware device that sends or receives a first data stream and a second hardware device that sends or receives a second data stream may be provided. The session may be used to access information related to the first hardware device and the second hardware device. The accessed information may be used to identify a strategy from among a plurality of strategies for synchronizing either the first data stream and the second data stream or the first hardware device and the second hardware device. The identified strategy may be applied to synchronize either the first data stream and the second data stream or the first hardware device and the second hardware device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory electronic device readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

interact with a first hardware device,

the first hardware device sending or receiving a first data stream, and

the first hardware device associated with first information, the first information describing characteristics of the first hardware device;

interact with a second hardware device,

the second hardware device sending or receiving a second data stream, and

the second hardware device associated with second information, the second information describing characteristics of the second hardware device;

analyze the first information and the second information to identify one or more of the characteristics of the first hardware device and the second hardware device;

ranking compatibility of multiple strategies for synchronizing the first data stream and the second data stream with the first hardware device and the second hardware device based on the analyzing;

identify, based on the ranking, a strategy from the ranked strategies; and

synchronize, using the identified strategy, the first data stream and the second data stream,

wherein the synchronizing aligns corresponding points in the first data stream and the second data stream.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

generate an output comprising information for aligning corresponding points in the first data stream and the second data stream, the aligning in accordance with the identified strategy.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information comprises a type of the first hardware device, a type of the second hardware device, a vendor of the first hardware device, a vendor of the second hardware device, communication paths that are present between the first hardware device or the second hardware device, or a connection between the first hardware device or the second hardware device.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises recognizing that the first hardware device and the second hardware device are not connected by a communication link.

5. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information are obtained by querying the first hardware device or the second hardware device.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the synchronizing is performed post-processing.

7. A method, comprising:

interacting with a first hardware device in a system at a first location,

the first hardware device sending or receiving a first data stream;

interacting with a second hardware device in the system at a second location,

the second hardware device receiving a second data stream;

ranking how compatible a first synchronizing strategy for synchronizing the first data stream and the second data stream is with the system;

ranking how compatible a second synchronizing strategy for synchronizing the first data stream and the second data stream is with the system;

selecting the second synchronizing strategy based on the ranking of the second synchronizing strategy versus the ranking of the first synchronizing strategy indicating that the second synchronizing strategy is more compatible with the system; and

synchronizing, using the second synchronizing strategy, the first data stream and the second data stream to align points in the first data stream with points in the second data stream.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second synchronizing strategy is implemented based on a received instruction.

9. The method of claim 7, changing between the first synchronizing strategy and the second synchronizing strategy so that the first synchronizing strategy is used to synchronize the first data stream and the second data stream.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the synchronizing further comprises post-processing the second data stream to account for latency in the second data stream.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the post-processing comprises subtracting a latency factor from the second data stream.

12. A computing device, comprising:

a processor executing instructions for;

providing a system configuration associated with a first hardware device and a second hardware device,

the first hardware device sending or receiving a first data stream,

the first hardware device associated with first information, the first information describing characteristics of the first hardware device,

the second hardware device sending or receiving a second data stream, and

the second hardware device associated with second information, the second information describing characteristics of the second hardware device,

accessing and analyzing, the first information and the second information;

ranking compatibility of multiple strategies for synchronizing the first data stream and the second data stream with the first hardware device and the second hardware device based on the analyzing;

identifying, based on the ranking, a strategy, from among the multiple strategies, for synchronizing the first data stream and the second data stream; and

applying the identified strategy to synchronize the first data stream and the second data stream, the applying;

aligning points in the first data stream with points in the second data stream.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor further executes instructions for:

generating an output comprising information for aligning corresponding points in the first data stream and the second data stream, the aligning in accordance with the selected strategy.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the first information and the second information comprises a type of the first hardware device, a type of the second hardware device, a vendor of the first hardware device, a vendor of the second hardware device, communication paths that are present between the first hardware device or the second hardware device, or a connection between the first hardware device or the second hardware device.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the identifying comprises recognizing that the first hardware device and the second hardware device are not connected by a communication link.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the first information and the second information include information obtained by querying the first hardware device or the second hardware device.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the aligning points is performed post-processing.