Network Audio Handoff Synchronization via Frame Checksums
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network audio systems face discontinuities in streaming audio rendering during handoff operations between zone players, particularly when handling streaming audio information from separate sources, as they lack a common starting point or frame identifiers, leading to synchronization issues and glitches.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a handed-off device with an information receiver module, position identifier module, and corresponding position utilization module to generate and compare frame checksum values, identifying corresponding positions in two information streams to determine rendering timing information, ensuring seamless synchronization across zone players.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If zone players receive streaming audio information from separate sources during handoff operations, then each zone player can independently access audio content, but synchronization discontinuities and glitches occur in audio rendering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mediator device that receives audio information from multiple sources and distributes it to zone players. This mediator acts as a central coordination point that ensures all zone players receive the same audio frames with synchronized timing information, eliminating the synchronization discontinuities that occur when zone players independently access separate streaming sources during handoff operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary synchronization by having the mediator device prepare and distribute timing information and frame identifiers before zone players begin rendering audio. During handoff operations, the mediator pre-coordinates the transition by providing advance notice and synchronization data to all zone players, ensuring seamless transitions without discontinuities in the audio rendering.
2Ease of operation
If zone players use separate streaming audio information streams during handoff, then device independence is maintained, but frame correspondence identification becomes difficult leading to glitches
Solution Approach 1:
The mediator device simplifies frame correspondence identification by acting as a central reference point. It assigns unique frame identifiers and timing information to each audio frame it distributes, allowing zone players to easily identify corresponding frames across different streams by matching these identifiers provided by the mediator, rather than attempting to correlate independent streams directly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the complexity of frame correspondence identification by changing the parameter space from direct stream-to-stream comparison to mediator-referenced identification. The mediator introduces standardized timing parameters and frame identifiers that convert the complex problem of matching independent streams into a simpler problem of matching identifiers provided by the central mediator.
Data Source
AI summary
A system constructed comprises a plurality of devices interconnected to a network. At least two of the devices in the system can access streaming audio information over the network, and are capable of providing audio and rendering timing information to other devices in the system. One device, as the handed-off device, is configured to determine correspondences in connection with two information streams received from two information sources. That device comprises an information receiver module, a position identifier module, and a corresponding position utilization module. The information receiver module is configured to receive the two information streams. The position identifier module is configured to identify corresponding positions regarding corresponding sequences in the two information streams. The corresponding position utilization module is configured to utilize the identification of the corresponding positions in the two information streams.