Audio System Hub UDP Datagram Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio systems are limited in their configurability due to high processing resource demands when handling a large number of connected devices, which restricts the number of microphones, speakers, and other devices that can be connected.
Innovation Solution
The proposed audio system uses a hub-and-spoke topology with the hub employing UDP datagrams encapsulated in IP datagrams to reduce processing overhead, and a multi-dimensional circular buffer for efficient audio data handling and synchronization across multiple time windows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a large number of connected devices are supported, then device configurability and scalability are improved, but processing resource demand increases
Solution Approach 1:
The audio data stream from each endpoint is segmented into fixed-size datagrams with standardized headers. This segmentation allows the hub to process multiple endpoints simultaneously through uniform data structures, reducing per-device processing overhead while supporting scalable device addition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the communication protocol parameters by using custom UDP datagrams with simplified headers instead of traditional RTP protocols. This parameter change reduces the processing complexity per device, allowing the hub to handle more endpoints with fewer computational resources.
2Reliability
If traditional RTP protocols are used for audio data transmission, then audio synchronization is maintained, but processing overhead and resource demand increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential synchronization functionality from the complex RTP protocol stack. By implementing a simplified timing mechanism that captures only the critical synchronization elements, the system maintains audio sync reliability while eliminating unnecessary protocol overhead and reducing processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hub acts as an intermediary that receives datagrams from multiple endpoints, performs centralized timestamp extraction and synchronization, then redistributes synchronized audio data. This intermediary approach consolidates the synchronization burden on the hub rather than requiring complex peer-to-peer synchronization between all devices.
3Ease of operation
If multiple sockets and ports are used for communicating with multiple endpoints, then individual device communication is optimized, but processing resource demand and delay increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges all endpoint communications into a single UDP socket and port on the hub. By consolidating multiple communication channels into one unified socket, the hub reduces the number of file descriptors and network connections to manage, thereby decreasing processing overhead and increasing overall processing throughput while maintaining efficient device communication.
Data Source
AI summary
An audio system that synchronizes multiple audio devices with reduced timing overhead. For example, the audio system may utilize a multi-dimensional buffer to efficiently receive, synchronize, process, and send audio data.