Distributed Content Controller Command Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing distributed content controllers face issues with race conditions and lack of transparency in command execution, leading to undesirable results when multiple participants issue transport commands simultaneously, and the inability to identify the issuer of commands causes confusion.
Innovation Solution
A method where each content controller determines the origin of a transport command and prioritizes locally or remotely originated commands based on latency, ensuring that locally originated commands are executed first and transmitting prioritized commands to remote controllers for execution, thereby managing race conditions and maintaining synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If any participant can issue transport commands to the distributed content controller, then the system allows flexible control for all users, but race conditions occur when multiple participants issue commands simultaneously resulting in conflicting executions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mediator mechanism that receives transport commands from multiple participants, identifies the issuing participant, and resolves conflicts by selecting which command to execute. This intermediary layer prevents race conditions by serializing command execution while maintaining the flexibility for all participants to issue commands.
2Device complexity
If participants cannot identify the issuer of transport commands, then the system simplifies command processing, but confusion arises when multiple participants issue commands without knowledge of who issued them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by notifying all participants when a transport command is issued and executed. This feedback mechanism provides transparency about who issued commands and what the current playback state is, allowing participants to coordinate their actions without adding significant complexity to the command processing.
3Productivity
If the system executes multiple simultaneous transport commands from different participants, then all user inputs are responded to, but unexpected and undesirable results occur due to additive or conflicting command effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by evaluating and prioritizing transport commands before execution. The system determines which command to execute first based on predefined criteria (such as command type, participant role, or timestamp) before any playback action occurs, preventing conflicting effects while ensuring all inputs are acknowledged and processed in a controlled sequence.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method for processing a transport command at a local content controller to control the playback of shared content in synchrony with other, remote content controllers commences by first determining whether a received transport command originated from the local content controller or from at least one remote content controller. In the event of a locally originated transport command, the local content controller will prioritize the locally originated transport command with recently received transport commands. Thereafter, the local controller will transmit the locally originated transport command to at least one remote content controller for execution thereby if the locally originated transport command has priority. In the event of a remotely originated transport command, the local controller will prioritize the remotely originated transport command with recently received transport commands and then execute the prioritized transport commands in accordance with the latency between content controllers.