APPARATUS FOR PLAYING OF SYNCHRONIZED VIDEO BETWEEN WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20070136769A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tunnel IP LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Syncronation, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldberg, David, Sears, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0025 Automatic or semi-automatic music composition, e.g. producing random music, applying rules from music theory or modifying a musical piece automatically producing a series of tones G10H1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0083 using wireless transmission, e.g. radio, light, infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/40 Rhythm
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/076 for extraction of timing, tempo; Beat detection tempo display G10H2220/081; tempo control G10H2210/375
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/175 for jam sessions or musical collaboration through a network, e.g. for composition, ensemble playing or repeating; Compensation of network or internet delays therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/251 Mobile telephone transmission, i.e. transmitting, accessing or controlling music data wirelessly via a wireless or mobile telephone receiver, analog or digital, e.g. DECT GSM, UMTS smartphone, PDA or palmtop used for musical purposes G10H2230/015; mobile ringtone G10H2230/021
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/325 Synchronizing two or more audio tracks or files according to musical features or musical timings synchronised lyrics, e.g. for karaoke G10H2220/011
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for the shared playing of video by a first video player and a second video player. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for playing a video signal on a first portable video player synchronously with the same video signal on a second portable video player. In one aspect, the first portable video player is enabled to transmit video to a second player. The video is played synchronously on both video players, wherein the video is received from another player or from storage on the player. In various further aspects, synchronization signals are used to adjust the position of the video signal playing on the first and second video player, where the video signal is present on both video players.

Claims

1. A method for the shared playing of video by a first video player and a second video player, comprising:

playing the video signals on the first video player while transmitting synchronization signals from the first video player to the second video player; and

receiving the synchronization signals by the second video player, wherein the synchronization signals allow the video signals on the second video player to be played on the second video player essentially simultaneously with the playing of the video signals on the first video player;

wherein the first video player and the second video player are mobile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal adjusts the position of the video signal playing on the second video player.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal is transmitted wirelessly.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the synchronization signal is transmitted by a link layer involving a protocol selected from the group consisting of 802.11, Bluetooth, ultrawideband, HiperLAN and WDCT.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a file with the video signal is present on the first video player and a file with the video signal is present on the second video player.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring a file comprising the video signals from the first video player device to the second video player.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting is coincident with transferring.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising delaying the playing of the video signal on the second video player.

9. A method for playing a video signal on a first portable video player synchronously with the same video signal on a second portable video player, comprising:

transmitting the video signal from the first video player;

receiving the video signal on the second video player on an input port;

playing the video signal on a video output of the second video player;

transferring the video signal to the video output of the first video player;

providing a delay between the input port and the video output of the second video player; and

delaying the video signal on the video output of the first video player by a second predetermined delay;

wherein the video signal is played synchronously at the video output of the first video player and the video output of the second video player.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting is wireless.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting uses a link layer involving a protocol selected from the group consisting of 802.11, Bluetooth, ultrawideband, HiperLAN and WDCT.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting uses a wired connection.

13. A method for playing a video signal that is present on a first mobile video player synchronously with the same video signal on a second mobile video player, comprising:

establishing whether the video signal is present on the second video player;

sending a synchronization signal from the first video player to the second video player; and

playing the audio signal synchronously on the first video player and the second video player.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein establishing and sending use wireless communication.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the synchronization signal adjusts the position of the video signal playing on the second like video player.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising delaying the playing of the video signal on the second player.

17. A first mobile video player that can play a video signal with a second mobile video player, comprising:

media for storing the video signal;

video output for playing the video signal from the media;

an input video port for receiving a video signal from an output video port of the second video player; and

a transmitter for transmitting a synchronization signal to the second video player,

wherein the synchronization signal allows the video signal in the player to be played synchronously with same video signal stored in the media of the second video player.

18. The player of claim 17, wherein the input video port receives the video signal wirelessly.

19. The player of claim 17, wherein the input video port receives the video signal using a wire connection.

20. The player of claim 17, wherein the synchronization signal adjusts the position of the video signal playing on the like video player.

21. The player of claim 17, wherein the synchronization signals comprise the current sample number being played on the video player.

22. The player of claim 17, further comprising a delay that delays the playing of the video on the second video player.

23. The player of claim 17, wherein the media is selected from the group consisting of digital video disk, hard disk drive, removable disks and flash memory.

24. A method for playing a video signal on a portable video player synchronously with playing the same video signal on a second portable video player, comprising:

storing the video signal on the video player;

playing the stored video signal;

transmitting a synchronization signal from the video player to the second video player;

playing the video signal on the second video player so that the part of the video signal that is playing on the second video player is substantially the same as the part of the video signal that is playing on the video player;

wherein the video signal is played synchronously on the video player and the second video player.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the synchronization signal comprises a position indicator of the video signal that is playing on the video player.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising transferring the video signal to the second video player.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the transferring comprises streaming.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the transferring comprises file transfer.