Latency Compensation for Synchronized Audio Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic conferencing applications struggle to handle multiple users singing in synchronization due to varying latencies among users, leading to poor user experience and difficulty in maintaining pitch and synchronization.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for generating media content that involves determining latencies among users, grouping devices based on latency, and combining audio data in a way that compensates for latency differences, allowing for synchronized audio playback across remote locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple users speak simultaneously in electronic conferencing applications, then the application can support group communication, but latency differences cause poor user experience and difficulty in maintaining synchronization
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by determining latencies for each user device before the actual singing occurs. Trigger information is sent to all devices, and responses are collected to calculate latency values. This preliminary latency determination allows the system to prepare compensation strategies in advance, ensuring that when users sing simultaneously, the audio is properly synchronized despite network and processing delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of audio timing by adjusting when audio from different users is combined. Based on the determined latency values, the system modifies the timing parameters of audio transmission and combination. The server combines audio data from multiple users at strategically determined times to compensate for latency differences, ensuring synchronized playback even though users are located at remote positions with varying network conditions.
2Reliability
If audio data is combined from multiple remote devices, then synchronized singing can be achieved, but the system complexity increases due to latency compensation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary between multiple user devices. Instead of each device independently handling complex synchronization, the server receives audio data from all devices, determines latencies, and combines the audio streams with proper timing adjustments. This intermediary approach centralizes the complexity management, allowing individual user devices to remain relatively simple while achieving reliable synchronization through coordinated server processing.
3Ease of operation
If latency compensation is implemented, then user experience improves, but additional processing steps and latency determination are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by sending trigger information to user devices and collecting responses to determine latency. This feedback mechanism allows the system to measure actual latency conditions and use that information to adjust audio combination timing. The feedback loop ensures that latency compensation is based on real measured data rather than assumptions, improving user experience while keeping the processing approach systematic and manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and techniques are described herein for determining latencies between user devices, ordering or grouping the user devices according to those determined latencies, and then streaming audio to the user devices where the audio stream is played using speakers, and at the same time vocalizations of the user as they sing along to the received stream are captures, and combined with vocalizations of other users to create a final combined audio file.