Systems and methods for synchronizing multiple electronic devices

• US 10,813,066 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2017
• Issued: 10/20/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Daley, Michael J., Bolinger, Travis, O'Neal, Heath
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Paul P
• Application Number:
  US15/681,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20170347331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/18 Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/88 which are wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43 Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0065 using measurement of signal travel time

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for syncing multiple electronic devices for collective audio playback. According to certain aspects, a master device connects (218) to a slave device via a wireless connection. The master device calculates (224) a network latency via a series of network latency pings with the slave device and sends (225) the network latency to the slave device. Further, the master devices sends (232) a portion of an audio file as well as a timing instruction including a system time to the slave device. The master device initiates (234) playback of the portion of the audio file and the slave devices initiates (236) playback of the portion of the audio file according to the timing instruction and a calculated system clock offset value.

Claims

1. An audio playback device comprising:

a communication component for connecting the audio playback device to a master device via a wireless connection;

an audio output component for outputting audio; and

a controller module interfaced with the communication component and the audio output component, and configured to;

receive, via the wireless connection, a network latency request from the master device including a first system time of the master device,

calculate a difference between the first system time and a first slave system time of the audio playback device,

send, to the master device via the wireless connection, a response to the network latency request, wherein the master device receives the response at a second system time,

receive, from the master device via the wireless connection, a one-way network latency time value calculated by the master device based at least in part on a difference between the first system time and the second system time,

calculate a system clock offset value based at least in part on the one-way network latency time value and the difference between the first system time and the first slave system time,

receive, from the master device via the wireless connection, at least a portion of an audio file and a playback timing instruction indicating a current system time of the master device, the playback timing instruction instructing the audio playback device to initiate playback of at least the portion of the audio file at a specified amount of time after the audio playback device receives the playback timing instruction,

schedule playback of at least the portion of the audio file at a second slave system time, the second slave system time calculated based on the specified amount of time after the audio playback device receives the playback timing instruction, the current system time of the master device indicated in the playback timing instruction, and the system clock offset value, and

at the second slave system time, initiate the playback, from the audio output component, of at least the portion of the audio file received from the master device.

2. The audio playback device of claim 1, wherein the wireless connection is one of a Wi-Fi Direct connection or a Wi-Fi connection.

3. The audio playback device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface for receiving input from a user,

wherein the controller module is further configured to;

detect user input, via the user interface, corresponding to a playback command request for the audio file,

send the playback command request to the master device,

receive a playback command and a command timing instruction from the master device, and

modify the playback of at least the portion of the audio file from the audio output component according to the playback command, the command timing instruction, and the system clock offset value.

4. The audio playback device of claim 3, wherein the playback command request is to skip to a next audio track, and wherein to modify the playback, the controller module is configured to:

receive, from the master device via the wireless connection, at least a portion of another audio file and another playback timing instruction, and

initiate playback of at least the portion of the another audio file from the audio output component according to the another playback timing instruction and the system clock offset value.

5. The audio playback device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface for receiving input from a user,

wherein the controller module is further configured to;

detect a selection of another audio file via the user interface,

send, to the master device via the wireless connection, a request to switch roles, and

receive, from the master device via the wireless connection, a notification that the audio playback device and the master device will switch roles.

6. The audio playback device of claim 1, wherein the controller module is further configured to:

receive, from the master device via the wireless connection, an additional portion of the audio file from the master device, and

initiate playback of the additional portion of the audio file from the audio output component according to the playback timing instruction and the system clock offset value.

7. The audio playback device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface for receiving input from a user,

wherein the controller module is further configured to;

annunciate, via the user interface, a computing audio latency time value for the audio playback device,

detect, via the user interface, an adjustment request to the computing audio latency time value, and

adjust the playback of at least the portion of the audio file from the audio output component according to the adjustment request.

8. The audio playback device of claim 1, wherein the controller module is further configured to:

measure a computing audio latency time value reflecting an elapsed time for the audio file to propagate through the audio playback device from the controller module to the audio output component, and

adjust the playback of at least the portion of the audio file from the audio output component based on the computing audio latency time value.

9. The audio playback device of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio input component for detecting audio,

wherein the controller module is further configured to;

receive, from the master device via the wireless connection, a sync playback instruction for playback of audio sync data at a specified time, wherein the master device initiates playback of the audio sync data at the specified time,

initiate playback of the audio sync data from the audio output component at the specified time, and

calculate, from audio detected by the audio input component, an audio latency time value reflecting a time difference in the playback of the audio sync data on the master device and the playback of the audio sync data from the audio output component.

10. The audio playback device of claim 1, wherein the controller module is further configured to:

determine that the playback of at least the portion of the audio file from the audio output component is out of sync, and

send, to the master device via the wireless connection, an indication that the playback is out of sync.

11. A method in an audio playback device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a master device via a wireless connection, a network latency request including a first system time of the master device;

calculating a difference between the first system time and a first slave system time of the audio playback device;

sending, to the master device via the wireless connection, a response to the network latency request, wherein the master device receives the response at a second system time;

receiving, from the master device via the wireless connection, a one-way network latency time value calculated by the master device based at least in part on a difference between the first system time and the second system time;

calculating a system clock offset value based at least in part on the one-way network latency time value and the difference between the first system time and the first slave system time;

receiving, from the master device via the wireless connection, at least a portion of an audio file and a playback timing instruction indicating a current system time of the master device, the playback timing instruction instructing the audio playback device to initiate playback of at least the portion of the audio file at a specified amount of time after the audio playback device receives the playback timing instruction;

scheduling playback of at least the portion of the audio file at a second slave system time, the second slave system time calculated based on the specified amount of time after the audio playback device receives the playback timing instruction, the current system time of the master device indicated in the playback timing instruction, and the system clock offset value; and

at the second slave system time, initiating the playback, from an audio output component, of at least the portion of the audio file received from the master device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the network latency request comprises:

receiving, from the master device via one of a Wi-Fi Direct connection or a Wi-Fi connection, the network latency request including the first system time of the master device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting user input, via a user interface of the audio playback device, corresponding to a playback command request for the audio file;

sending the playback command request to the master device;

receiving a playback command and a command timing instruction from the master device; and

modifying the playback of at least the portion of the audio file from the audio output component according to the playback command, the command timing instruction, and the system clock offset value.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the playback command request is to skip to a next audio track, and wherein modifying the playback comprises:

receiving, from the master device via the wireless connection, at least a portion of another audio file and another playback timing instruction from the master device; and

initiating playback of at least the portion of the another audio file from the audio output component according to the another playback timing instruction and the system clock offset value.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting, via a user interface of the audio playback device, a selection of another audio file via the user interface;

sending, to the master device via the wireless connection, a request to switch roles; and

receiving, from the master device via the wireless connection, a notification that the audio playback device and the master device will switch roles.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the master device via the wireless connection, an additional portion of the audio file from the master device; and

initiating playback of the additional portion of the audio file from the audio output component according to the playback timing instruction and the system clock offset value.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

annunciating, via a user interface of the audio playback device, a computing audio latency time value for the audio playback device;

detecting, via the user interface, an adjustment request to the computing audio latency time value; and

adjusting the playback of at least the portion of the audio file from the audio output component according to the adjustment request.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

measuring a computing audio latency time value reflecting an elapsed time for the audio file to propagate through the audio playback device from a controller module to the audio output component; and

adjusting the playback of at least the portion of the audio file from the audio output component based on the computing audio latency time value.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the master device via the wireless connection, a sync playback instruction from the master device for playback of audio sync data at a specified time, wherein the master device initiates playback of the audio sync data at the specified time;

initiating playback of the audio sync data from the audio output component at the specified time; and

calculating, from audio detected by an audio input component, an audio latency time value reflecting a time difference in the playback of the audio sync data on the master device and the playback of the audio sync data from the audio output component.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the playback of at least the portion of the audio file from the audio output component is out of sync; and

sending, to the master device via the wireless connection, an indication that the playback is out of sync.