Synchronized Audio Playback With Delay Compensation and Packet Acknowledgment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information handling systems lack interoperability for synchronized audio playback across multiple devices, leading to limited user experiences in shared spaces.
Innovation Solution
A first information handling system detects and synchronizes with collocated systems, adjusting audio path delays and acknowledging audio packets to ensure synchronized playback, allowing direct connections and seamless handover of audio control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If information handling systems use independent audio playback without synchronization protocols, then each system operates autonomously with simple individual control, but synchronized audio playback across multiple collocated systems cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal audio synchronization protocol that enables multiple different information handling systems (smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart speakers) to participate in synchronized audio playback. The host system discovers and synchronizes with various sink systems using a common protocol, allowing the system to perform multiple functions across different device types without requiring device-specific implementations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a host information handling system as an intermediary that coordinates audio playback across multiple sink systems. The host system manages the synchronization protocol, discovers available sink systems, distributes audio packets, and handles timing coordination, thereby mediating between the audio source and multiple playback devices to achieve synchronized playback.
2Reliability
If audio packets are transmitted without acknowledgment and retransmission mechanisms, then transmission is simple and fast, but reliability deteriorates when audio information is not received by sink systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where sink systems send acknowledgment packets to the host system to confirm receipt of audio packets. The host system monitors these acknowledgments and automatically retransmits audio packets to any sink systems that fail to acknowledge receipt, ensuring reliable audio transmission without requiring complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates error handling and retransmission mechanisms in advance to prevent audio playback disruptions. By establishing acknowledgment and retransmission protocols before audio playback issues occur, the system cushions against potential transmission failures, ensuring continuous reliable audio playback even in challenging network conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If audio playback occurs without delay adjustment, then audio generation is immediate and simple, but synchronized playback across multiple systems cannot be achieved due to varying audio path delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the audio playback delay parameter for each sink system based on its specific audio path characteristics. The host system determines appropriate delay values for different sink systems and applies these adjustments to synchronize audio playback across all devices, allowing the system to adapt to varying hardware and software configurations while achieving synchronized output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs delay determination and adjustment in advance during the synchronization setup phase, before actual audio playback begins. The host system discovers sink systems, determines their audio path delays, and configures appropriate delay compensation values beforehand, enabling synchronized playback to occur automatically during the audio session without real-time adjustments.
4Adaptability or versatility
If direct device-to-device connections are required for audio synchronization, then connection establishment is simple, but connectivity is limited and handover between devices cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the host information handling system as an intermediary that manages connections to multiple sink systems. The host system maintains connection state information and can transfer the audio playback session from one sink system to another by coordinating through the host, enabling seamless handover without requiring direct peer-to-peer reconnection between devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal connection management protocol that allows the host system to connect to and manage multiple different types of sink systems simultaneously. This multi-functional approach enables the system to handle various connection scenarios including initial connection, handover between devices, and reconnection after disconnection, providing versatile connectivity management across different device types.
Data Source
AI summary
A first information handling system may detect a second information handling system that supports audio playback synchronization and may determine that the second information handling system is in a same room as the first information handling system. The first information handling system may allocate a first time period for a first acknowledgement to be received from the second information handling system in response to first audio information for a first audio session transmitted by the first information handling system. The first information handling system may transmit the first audio information, receive the first acknowledgement message, and may generate audio for the first audio session using a transducer of the first information handling system based on the first audio information, after receiving the first acknowledgement information.