Media Buffer Management for Synchronized Streaming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Consumer-grade wireless networking technologies and proprietary operating systems pose challenges in synchronizing audio and video media content across multiple devices, leading to issues like network latency, packet loss, and inconsistent delivery, which conventional media playback devices fail to adequately address.

Innovation Solution

A system with a processor and memory that includes a buffer to store media content, capable of halting and resuming presentation based on network conditions, trimming buffered content to maintain synchronization, and adjusting target sync times to prevent buffer underruns and ensure consistent playback across devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If consumer-grade wireless networking technologies are used to stream media content to multiple devices, then ease of operation and device accessibility are improved, but synchronization reliability and delivery consistency deteriorate due to bursting behavior and network latency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidsynchronization reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-synchronizing clocks between devices before media streaming begins, and by pre-establishing buffer management strategies to anticipate and compensate for network bursting behavior. This proactive approach ensures synchronization reliability is maintained despite using consumer-grade wireless networks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring network conditions, buffer states, and synchronization status across devices. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically adjusts streaming parameters, buffer sizes, and synchronization timing to maintain reliable synchronized playback despite network variability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of manufacture

If consumer-grade routers are used for media streaming, then ease of operation and cost are improved, but delivery consistency and timing reliability worsen due to queueing and bursting transmission behavior

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoiddelivery consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies beforehand cushioning by implementing buffer zones that anticipate network bursting behavior. These buffers are sized and managed to compensate for the unpredictable queuing and burst transmission characteristic of consumer-grade routers, ensuring continuous synchronized playback without requiring specialized networking equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Adaptability or versatility

If proprietary operating systems are used in playback devices, then device functionality and user interface capabilities are improved, but synchronization control and data processing reliability deteriorate due to restricted application access to lower-level systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice functionalityVSAvoidsynchronization control

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary synchronization layer that operates above the proprietary operating system applications. This intermediary manages timing and synchronization independently of the OS restrictions, using standardized protocols to coordinate playback across devices with different proprietary systems while maintaining synchronization reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Duration of action of stationary object

If buffering is used to maintain synchronized playback, then playback continuity is improved, but buffer underruns and synchronization errors worsen under network bursting conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback continuityVSAvoidsynchronization accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies dynamics by making buffer sizes and management strategies adaptive rather than static. Buffer parameters are dynamically adjusted based on real-time network conditions, device synchronization status, and content type, allowing the system to maintain both playback continuity and synchronization accuracy under varying network bursting conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11582300B2Streaming synchronized media content to separate devices

Publication Date: 2023.02.14 ROKU INC

AI summary

Described are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, or computer program product embodiments for controlling streaming of media content. An embodiment operates by halting a presentation of future content from a buffer upon determining that the buffer is exhausted of content to present. The embodiment includes receiving one or more packets over a network connection, the one or more packets including media information corresponding to a first portion of streaming media content, in which the first portion corresponds to a second portion of the streaming media content. The one or more packets in a buffer are stored as buffered content. Responsive to determining that the network connection is not experiencing a burst condition, the buffer is trimmed. Then, presentation of buffered content is resumed and the first portion is caused to be presented in sync with the second portion.