Audio Snippet Pre-caching for Cloud Playback Latency

Solution Overview

Problem

Users face challenges in managing audio files across multiple devices and ensuring seamless access to music libraries, particularly when upgrading or losing devices, leading to latency issues and potential loss of music collections.

Innovation Solution

The method involves processing audio files to create snippets, which are stored locally on devices, allowing immediate playback while the remaining file is downloaded in the background from cloud storage, reducing initial playback latency and ensuring seamless transitions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If audio files are stored entirely in cloud storage, then storage capacity and accessibility are improved, but playback startup time increases due to download delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidplayback startup time

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments each audio file into two parts: a snippet (first portion) and a remaining part (second portion). The snippet is downloaded and stored locally on the client device, while the remaining part stays in cloud storage. When playback is requested, the pre-stored snippet enables immediate playback without waiting for the full file download, thus resolving the contradiction between cloud storage capacity and playback startup time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary action by downloading and storing the audio snippet on the client device in advance, before the user actually requests playback. This pre-positioning of the first portion of the audio file eliminates the download delay that would otherwise occur at playback time, allowing instant startup while maintaining cloud-based storage for the complete library.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of time

If audio snippets are stored locally on devices, then playback startup time is reduced, but device storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback startup timeVSAvoiddevice storage

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by storing only a portion (the snippet) of each audio file locally on the client device, rather than storing the entire audio file. This snippet contains enough information to enable immediate playback startup, while the majority of the audio data remains in cloud storage, thus optimizing the balance between device storage usage and playback performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If full audio files are downloaded before playback, then playback quality is ensured, but download time and network bandwidth consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback qualityVSAvoiddownload time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by downloading and storing the audio snippet on the client device in advance, before the user actually requests playback. This pre-positioning of the first portion of the audio file eliminates the download delay that would otherwise occur at playback time, allowing instant startup while maintaining cloud-based storage for the complete library.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by storing only a portion (the snippet) of each audio file locally on the client device, rather than storing the entire audio file. This snippet contains enough information to enable immediate playback startup, while the majority of the audio data remains in cloud storage, thus optimizing the balance between device storage usage and playback performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11687313B2Audio file processing to reduce latencies in play start times for cloud served audio files

Publication Date: 2023.06.27 GOOGLE LLC

AI summary

Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing audio files of a user to reduce latencies in play start times on local devices. The audio files are stored on cloud storage managed by a server. One method includes processing a plurality of audio files associated with a user, where the processing is configured to create audio snippet files from each of the plurality of audio files. The audio snippet files representing a beginning part of each of the plurality of audio files. The method also includes transmitting the audio snippet files to a client device and detecting a request from the client to begin playing a first audio file from the plurality of audio files of the user. The first audio file being stored on the cloud storage managed by the server.