Cross-Device Live Stream Sync Using Audio Fingerprinting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to synchronize streaming media content across multiple devices effectively, leading to out-of-sync playback and missed content when users transition between devices during live events.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for synchronizing streaming media content across devices by tracking media content on a first device, detecting termination on a second device, determining the termination point, and automatically resuming playback on the first device from the same point, using audio fingerprinting and source identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users switch between multiple devices during live media content, then users can access media content on different devices, but the playback becomes out of sync and users miss critical moments
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors playback status across devices and uses this feedback to automatically adjust and resynchronize playback positions. When a user switches devices, the new device detects the media content being played on the previous device and automatically adjusts its playback position to match, ensuring continuous synchronization without user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary synchronization mechanism that acts as a mediator between multiple devices. This intermediary system tracks playback positions and coordinates resynchronization across devices, allowing users to switch devices while maintaining coherent playback state through the intermediary's coordination.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple devices stream the same live media content simultaneously, then users can watch on multiple devices, but different sources are at varying time intervals making synchronization difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes playback parameters (such as playback position, timing offsets, and synchronization markers) across different devices to maintain alignment. By continuously adjusting these parameters based on detected playback positions and timing information, the system resolves synchronization issues arising from different streaming sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary synchronization actions by pre-establishing timing relationships and playback positions before users switch devices or when multiple devices begin streaming. The system proactively prepares synchronization data and playback positions in advance, reducing the complexity of real-time coordination when devices need to align.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for synchronizing streaming media content. An example apparatus includes a storage device, and a processor to execute instructions to identify a first source streaming broadcast media to a first computing device based on an audio fingerprint of audio associated with the broadcast media, identify sources broadcasting the broadcast media streaming to the first computing device, the sources available to a second computing device including the processor, select a second source of the identified sources for streaming the broadcast media to the second computing device, the second source different than the first source, detect termination of the streaming of the broadcast media on the first computing device, the termination corresponding to a termination time of the broadcast media, and automatically start, by using the selected second source, streaming of the broadcast media to the second computing device at the termination time.