Collaborative Media Playback

• US 20150381706A1
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wohlert, Randolph, Majmundar, Milap V., Pratt, James H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,009,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to collaborative media playback. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a media playback node can receive information for use in determining a start time for playback of media content so that playback of the media content is in sync with playback of the media content by a further playback node. The media playback node also can determine, based at least in part upon the information, the start time for playback of the media content. The media playback node also can initiate playback of the media content at the start time.

Claims

1. A media playback node comprising:

a processor component; and

a memory component that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving information for use in determining a start time for playback of media content so that playback of the media content is in sync with playback of the media content by a further media playback node;

determining, based at least in part upon the information, the start time for playback of the media content; and

initiating playback of the media content at the start time.

2. The media playback node of claim 1, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from a physical layer application programming interface that exposes the information to a media playback application that is executable by the processor component.

3. The media playback node of claim 2, wherein the information comprises a synchronization signal, timing advance information and a subframe number;

wherein the operations further comprise receiving a common time reference from a time reference server; and

wherein determining, based at least in part upon the information, the start time for playback of the media content comprises determining the start time for playback of the media content based upon the synchronization signal, the timing advance information, the subframe number, and the common time reference.

4. The media playback node of claim 1, wherein the memory component stores the media content.

5. The media playback node of claim 1, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from a time reference server;

wherein the information comprises a reference time;

wherein the operations further comprise estimating a roundtrip delay to the time reference server; and

wherein determining, based at least in part upon the information, the start time for playback of the media content comprises determining the start time for playback of the media content using the roundtrip delay.

6. The media playback node of claim 1, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from an application server, the information comprising the start time.

7. The media playback node of claim 1, wherein the media content comprises audio content, video content, lighting effects content, or a combination thereof.

8. The media playback node of claim 1, wherein initiating playback of the media content at the start time comprises initiating playback of a portion of the media content, wherein a further portion of the media content is played by the further media playback node.

9. The media playback node of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

streaming the media content from a content server;

establishing a media playback network; and

providing the media content to the further media playback node via the media playback network.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a media playback node, information for use in determining a start time for playback of media content so that playback of the media content is in sync with playback of the media content by a further media playback node;

determining, by the media playback node, based at least in part upon the information, the start time for playback of the media content; and

initiating, by the media playback node, playback of the media content at the start time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from a physical layer application programming interface that exposes the information to a media playback application that is executable by the processor component.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information comprises a synchronization signal, timing advance information and a subframe number;

wherein the operations further comprise receiving a common time reference from a time reference server; and

wherein determining, based at least in part upon the information, the start time for playback of the media content comprises determining the start time for playback of the media content based upon the synchronization signal, the timing advance information, the subframe number, and the common time reference.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing the media content in a memory component of the media playback node.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from a time reference server, the information comprising a reference time;

further comprising estimating a roundtrip delay to the time reference server; and

wherein determining, based at least in part upon the information, the start time for playback of the media content comprises determining the start time for playback of the media content using the roundtrip delay.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from an application server, the information comprising the start time.

16. A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a media playback node, cause the media playback node to perform operations comprising:

receiving information for use in determining a start time for playback of media content so that playback of the media content is in sync with playback of the media content by a further media playback node;

determining based at least in part upon the information, the start time for playback of the media content; and

initiating playback of the media content at the start time.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from a physical layer application programming interface that exposes the information to a media playback application that is executable by the processor component.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the information comprises a synchronization signal, timing advance information and a subframe number;

wherein the operations further comprise receiving a common time reference from a time reference server; and

wherein determining, based at least in part upon the information, the start time for playback of the media content comprises determining the start time for playback of the media content based upon the synchronization signal, the timing advance information, the subframe number, and the common time reference.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from an application server, the information comprising the start time.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from a time reference server, the information comprising a reference time;

wherein the operations further comprise estimating a roundtrip delay to the time reference server; and

wherein determining, based at least in part upon the information, the start time for playback of the media content comprises determining the start time for playback of the media content using the roundtrip delay.