Wireless Audio Stream Segmentation for Multi-Device Sync
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Bluetooth standard does not support synchronized point-to-multipoint transmission of audio streams to multiple multimedia devices, limiting the ability to control and synchronize multiple wireless speakers or devices effectively, especially when they are from different manufacturers and unknown to the source device.
Innovation Solution
A device with a wireless communication circuit that identifies and obtains characteristics of connected multimedia devices from a database, separates and allocates multimedia streams, and synchronizes them based on device-specific characteristics and latency, enabling synchronized and harmonized playback across multiple devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If Bluetooth A2DP profile is used for audio transmission, then wireless audio streaming is enabled, but synchronized point-to-multipoint transmission to multiple devices is not supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio stream into multiple separate streams, with each stream tailored for a specific target device. The control device maintains separate playback buffers for each device and transmits audio data independently to each device according to its specific characteristics and synchronization requirements, thereby enabling multi-device transmission while maintaining synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic synchronization by continuously monitoring playback positions and buffer states of multiple devices, then adjusting transmission timing and data allocation in real-time. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain synchronization across devices with different latencies and processing speeds.
2Reliability
If multiple Bluetooth chips are used to control multiple multimedia devices, then synchronized transmission is possible, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes a single Bluetooth chip perform multiple functions by implementing software-based stream separation and device management. The control device uses one Bluetooth chip to communicate with multiple target devices, managing separate playback buffers and transmission schedules for each device through software control, thereby eliminating the need for multiple physical chips.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control device as an intermediary between the audio source and multiple target devices. This control device receives the audio stream, separates it into device-specific streams, manages synchronization buffers, and transmits to multiple devices sequentially or in coordinated fashion, acting as a mediator that enables multi-device control through a single Bluetooth interface.
3Adaptability or versatility
If heterogeneous wireless speakers from different manufacturers are connected, then device versatility is improved, but synchronization becomes impossible due to unknown characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts transmission parameters such as sampling rates, buffer sizes, and transmission intervals based on the specific characteristics of each connected device. By measuring or obtaining device-specific parameters like processing latency and buffer capacity, the system adapts its transmission strategy for each device, enabling synchronization across heterogeneous devices with different capabilities.
Data Source
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AI summary
The description relates to a device (DEV) for controlling wireless multimedia devices (SPK1, SPK2, SPKN), comprising: - a wireless communication circuit (BC), to receive a wireless multimedia device identifier from each wireless multimedia device; - an access circuit (DBC) for accessing a database (DB) of wireless multimedia devices, to obtain from said database characteristics of each wireless multimedia device for which the communication circuit has received an identifier; - a separation circuit (SEC) for separating a main multimedia stream into as many separated multimedia streams as the communication circuit has received identifiers of wireless multimedia devices; - an allocation circuit (AC) for allocating each separated multimedia stream to a respective wireless multimedia device; - a synchronization circuit (SYC) for synchronizing the separated multimedia streams based on the characteristics of the wireless multimedia devices obtained from the database (DB)