Media-Peripheral Synchronization Using Timed Metadata Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media products, such as toys with sophisticated electronics, lack the ability to synchronize external control with media playback, limiting their interactive capabilities and compatibility with different media formats over time.
Innovation Solution
A metadata delivery system that sends synchronized metadata packets to target devices, including precise timing information and peripheral-specific control data, enabling real-time interaction and synchronization with media playback, even across different media formats and devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If toys contain sophisticated electronics for external control, then interactive capabilities are improved, but compatibility with different media formats over time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a metadata delivery system as an intermediary between media players and toys. This system receives metadata from media players and translates it into peripheral control commands, enabling toys to interact with various media formats without requiring format-specific programming in the toy itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The metadata delivery system provides universal compatibility by handling multiple media formats (DVD, Blu-ray, streaming, cable) through a single interface. The system abstracts the complexity of different media formats and delivers unified control commands to the toy peripheral device.
2Ease of operation
If toys are designed for specific media formats, then immediate functionality is improved, but long-term adaptability to new formats deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-processing and translating metadata from various media formats into standardized peripheral control commands before delivery to the toy. This translation happens in advance, allowing the toy to receive unified commands regardless of the source media format.
Solution Approach 2:
The metadata delivery system acts as a mediator that sits between the media player and the toy, handling format translation. This intermediary approach allows the toy to maintain simple, format-agnostic code while still achieving immediate functionality across multiple formats.
3Measurement precision
If synchronization with media playback is implemented, then interactive control precision is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metadata delivery system serves as an intermediary that handles the complex synchronization tasks. It receives timing information from media players and automatically translates it into synchronized peripheral commands, eliminating the need for complex synchronization logic within the toy itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the metadata delivery system monitors media playback timing and adjusts peripheral commands accordingly. This feedback loop enables precise synchronization while keeping the toy's own complexity low, as the synchronization logic resides in the delivery system rather than the toy.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system and method for synchronizing actions associated with media between a media/network device and peripherals. In an example implementation, a system includes a one or more processors configured to receive, by a communication module from a media/network device based on peripheral addressing information, a peripheral payload including a first set of actions and timing information related to media. The one or more processors perform the first set of actions based on the peripheral payload, generate response data for the first set of actions, and transmit the response data to the media/network device via a wireless network.