Reception Device Path Delay Mechanism for Seamless Audio Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern broadcast receiver devices face challenges in seamlessly switching between audio streams from different broadcast domains due to varying processing delays, leading to misalignment and a degraded user experience, as existing solutions like buffering are restricted by memory limitations.
Innovation Solution
A reception device with delay buffers and a controller that requests and manages delayed data portions from a host device, ensuring seamless decoding by aligning data streams through indexing information and sub-portion transfer, allowing for gapless presentation of audio or video content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If buffering is used to realign audio streams, then time alignment between streams is improved, but memory usage increases and is subject to restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the buffered data into discrete packets with associated timing information. Each packet is divided into smaller units that can be independently managed and transferred, allowing precise control over data flow and timing without requiring large contiguous memory blocks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of data organization by adding timing metadata and packet identifiers to the buffered audio data. This transforms the storage requirement from simple raw audio buffering to structured packetized data with temporal information, enabling more efficient memory management through selective retrieval and processing.
2Loss of time
If data is buffered to handle processing delays, then stream alignment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors the timing and arrival of packets from different audio streams. Based on this feedback, the controller dynamically adjusts the retrieval and playback timing to maintain synchronization, reducing the need for complex pre-calculated buffering schemes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary packetization and timing stamping of audio data as it enters the buffer. This preliminary organization of data into timed packets simplifies subsequent retrieval and alignment operations, reducing the complexity of the real-time synchronization mechanism.
3Ease of operation
If seamless switching between audio streams is achieved, then user experience is improved, but data availability requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-loads and buffers packets from multiple audio streams before a switch is needed. By maintaining a ready supply of timed packets from alternative streams, the system ensures that seamless switching can occur without interruption, as the backup stream data is already available and synchronized.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic stream selection and switching based on real-time conditions. The system can dynamically switch between different audio streams while maintaining synchronization through the packet timing mechanism, ensuring seamless transitions regardless of which stream becomes available.
Data Source
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AI summary
A reception device comprising: at least one receiver and a corresponding delay buffer configured to receive portions of data for at least one data stream; wherein based on a request to switch from decoding delayed data portions retrieved from a host device from a first time point to decoding delayed data portions from a different, second time point, the request received while the controller is configured to receive the delayed data portion from said first time point for decoding; the controller is configured to; (a) identify one or more second-time-point delayed data portions to request from the host device; (b) request the one or more identified second-time-point delayed data portions; and (c) while one or both of requesting and receiving the one or more second-time-point delayed data portions, requesting one or more delayed data portions corresponding to the first time.