Video Stream Timestamping for Multi-Device Sync
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video streaming technologies face challenges in synchronizing the display of multiple video streams across different devices, leading to potential delays and desynchronization issues.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves determining a reliable streamer for a first video stream, timestamping both the first and second video streams, and transmitting these timestamped streams to devices, ensuring synchronized display based on the timestamps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple video streams are transmitted to multiple devices without timestamping, then the transmission process is simple, but the video streams become desynchronized during display
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by timestamping video streams at the source before transmission. The coordinator device adds timestamps to video segments from streamers and hosts in advance, so that receiving devices can use these pre-assigned timestamps for synchronization without complex real-time coordination, thus improving reliability while keeping the system relatively simple.
2Reliability
If video streams are timestamped and synchronized at each device, then display synchronization is improved, but the processing complexity at each device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coordinator device as an intermediary that centralizes the timestamping and synchronization logic. Instead of each device performing complex synchronization processing, the coordinator device prepares timestamped video segments before distribution, simplifying the operation at individual receiving devices while maintaining reliable synchronization.
3Reliability
If a coordinator device is introduced to manage timestamping, then synchronization reliability is improved, but the system architecture becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the timestamping and coordination functions into a single coordinator device that centralizes synchronization management. By combining these functions in one device rather than distributing complexity across multiple devices, the system achieves reliable synchronization while keeping the overall architecture manageable through functional consolidation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes determining a first streamer from a plurality of streamers that are streaming a first video stream, receiving the first video stream from the determined first streamer, timestamping the first video stream, transmitting the timestamped first video stream to a plurality of devices, transmitting a timestamped second video stream generated at a host device to the plurality of devices, and causing, at each of the plurality of devices, synchronized display of the first and the second video streams based on the time stamps.