Audio Playback Delay Feedback for Multi-Device Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio playback methods fail to achieve effective synchronous playback across multiple devices, resulting in poor synchronization.
Innovation Solution
An audio playback method that calculates an estimated playback delay difference, adjusts playback rate, and adds or deletes audio data from the buffer based on this difference to align actual playback with a set delay, ensuring synchronized playback across devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing audio playback methods are used, then audio playback can be performed, but synchronous playback effect across multiple devices is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism by continuously monitoring the actual playback delay of audio data and comparing it with the target playback delay. Based on this comparison, the system dynamically adjusts the playback rate or modifies the audio buffer to minimize the delay difference, thereby achieving accurate synchronous playback across multiple devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes playback parameters (playback rate and buffer size) based on the calculated delay difference. When the delay difference is within a threshold range, the playback rate is adjusted; when it exceeds the threshold, audio data is added or removed from the buffer. This dynamic parameter adjustment enables precise control over playback timing to achieve synchronization.
2Measurement precision
If playback rate is adjusted frequently to correct delay differences, then synchronization accuracy improves, but audio quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by adjusting only the necessary portion of audio data rather than continuously modifying the entire playback stream. When the delay difference exceeds a threshold, only the excess or deficient audio data is added or removed from the buffer, minimizing unnecessary adjustments and preserving audio quality while achieving synchronization.
3Productivity
If audio data is added or removed from buffer to correct large delay differences, then synchronization is achieved faster, but complexity of buffer management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the delay correction process into two distinct strategies based on the magnitude of the delay difference: (1) When the delay difference is within a threshold, adjust playback rate; (2) When it exceeds the threshold, add or remove audio data from the buffer. This segmentation simplifies buffer management by providing clear decision boundaries and appropriate responses for different scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
An audio playback method includes: calculating an estimated playback delay difference of a current audio data, wherein the estimated playback delay difference is a difference value between a set playback delay and an estimated playback delay of the current audio data on a playback device; in response to the estimated playback delay difference being between a first lower limit value and a first upper limit value, adjusting a playback rate of audio on the playback device based on the estimated playback delay difference; in response to the estimated playback delay difference being greater than the first upper limit value or less than the first lower limit value, deleting audio data from or adding audio data to an audio buffer based on the estimated playback delay difference; and adding the current audio data to the audio buffer to play audio data that is in the audio buffer.