Reference-Position Control for Synchronized Content Playback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to synchronize the playback of content across multiple user devices without modifying the content itself, considering varying device capabilities and protocols, leading to suboptimal user experiences, especially in live content sharing scenarios.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for synchronized playback involving a reference position determination, player position retrieval, and applying synchronization processes to achieve nearly synchronized playback across devices, utilizing algorithms like play at speed, seek and pause, and frame accurate seek, based on device capabilities and historical learning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If content is played on multiple devices with different capabilities and protocols, then device compatibility and versatility are improved, but playback synchronization accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice compatibilityVSAvoidsynchronization accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a content delivery network (CDN) as an intermediary between the content source and user devices. The CDN edge servers cache content segments and deliver them to devices with different capabilities, acting as a buffer that reconciles protocol differences and capability variations while maintaining synchronization. This mediator approach allows diverse devices to receive coordinated content deliveries without direct peer-to-peer synchronization challenges.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-caching content segments at CDN edge servers before actual playback. This advance preparation ensures that when playback is initiated, content is already available at strategic locations, reducing delivery variability across devices. The pre-positioning of content segments enables synchronized playback to commence simultaneously across multiple devices despite their different capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of time

If content delivery is optimized for live broadcast timing, then playback timing accuracy is improved, but device capability variations cause synchronization deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebroadcast timing accuracyVSAvoiddevice capability handling

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic adaptation where the CDN system continuously monitors device capabilities, network conditions, and playback progress. Based on this real-time feedback, the system dynamically adjusts content delivery parameters such as segment size, delivery timing, and caching strategies for each device. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain broadcast timing accuracy while simultaneously adapting to varying device capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes delivery parameters adaptively based on device characteristics. For devices with higher processing capabilities, larger content segments and higher bitrates are delivered, while devices with limited capabilities receive smaller segments and lower bitrates. These parameter adjustments are made transparently while maintaining synchronized playback timing relative to the live broadcast, resolving the contradiction between timing accuracy and device adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If content is cached at CDN edge servers, then delivery speed and productivity are improved, but cache management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent delivery speedVSAvoidcache management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments content into discrete, manageable units that can be independently cached and delivered at CDN edge servers. This segmentation allows the cache management system to handle individual segments rather than entire content files, reducing the complexity of cache operations. Each segment can be cached, invalidated, and delivered independently, simplifying the overall cache management task while maintaining high delivery speeds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12447402B2Method of facilitating a synchronized play of content and system thereof

Publication Date: 2025.10.21 DAZN MEDIA ISRAEL LTD

AI summary

In a user's device, a computerized method for facilitating a synchronized play of content by a user device's player is provided. The method comprising: receiving a reference position in the content; retrieving a player position in the content; and based on the received reference position and the retrieved player position: determining if the player position is nearly synchronized with the reference position; and if in the negative, applying a synchronization process to reach a calculated sync player position, such that the player position, when reaching the sync player position, is nearly synchronized with the reference position.