Global Metronome Synchronization via GPS Timing Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies face challenges in synchronizing musical tempo over long distances due to network latency and Quality of Service issues, leading to tempo drag and loss of timing accuracy in remote musical performances.
Innovation Solution
A global metronome system that receives high-accuracy timing signals to synchronize local clocks and metronomes across multiple locations, using a virtual metronome to phase synchronize local devices and control audio playback or events, thereby maintaining accurate tempo synchronization despite latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If network clock synchronization approaches are used to synchronize tempo over long distances, then devices can communicate and coordinate over networks, but network latency and congestion cause timing accuracy to deteriorate and tempo drag to occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a GPS timing signal as an intermediary reference that both musicians synchronize to independently. Instead of relying on network communication for timing synchronization, each musician's device receives timing signals from GPS satellites, which serve as a common mediator that eliminates network latency issues. This allows remote synchronization without the timing errors that plague network-based approaches.
2Stability of the object's composition
If musicians wait to play in time with heard audio, then rhythmic synchronization is achieved, but the waiting causes delay and tempo drag that worsens with latency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary synchronization by having all musicians lock their local clocks to GPS timing signals before performance begins. This preliminary action establishes a common time reference that eliminates the need for real-time waiting and adjustment during performance. The synchronization is set up in advance, allowing musicians to play without the cascading delays that occur when they continuously wait for network audio feedback.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods and apparatus directed to a global metronome configured at each of one or more locations to receive a high accuracy timing signal and responsively update a local clock thereto, to determine a phase of a virtual metronome using the updated local clock, a predetermined epoch start time and a predetermined virtual metronome period, to phase synchronize a local metronome to the virtual metronome, and to control local devices providing audio playback and/or a sequence of nonmusical events in accordance with start/stop/tempo messages configured in accordance with the local metronome. By using the global metronome at each of a plurality of locations to synchronize/control devices at those locations, the local devices that each of the plurality of locations are inherently synchronized with each other.