Virtual Line-In Group Coordination Across Native Playback Domains
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Solution Overview
Problem
Different media playback systems are not compatible with each other, preventing interoperability and synchronized playback across devices from various manufacturers, due to differences in control and timing signal protocols and domains.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a virtual line-in (VLI) interface that adapts to the timing and control domains of other systems, allowing playback devices to synchronize and communicate across different media playback systems by converting signals between native and VLI domains, enabling the creation of VLI groups for synchronized playback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If different media playback systems use their own proprietary control and timing signal protocols, then each system can maintain optimized performance and reliability within its own ecosystem, but interoperability and adaptability between different manufacturers' systems deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual line-in (VLI) interface as an intermediary layer between different media playback systems. This VLI interface acts as a mediator that translates and adapts control and timing signals from one system's protocol to another, enabling interoperability while allowing each system to maintain its native protocol optimizations. The VLI interface receives signals from a first media playback system and converts them into compatible signals for a second media playback system, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining system reliability through proprietary protocols and achieving interoperability between different systems.
2Device complexity
If media playback systems implement proprietary control domains and timing protocols, then system complexity can be reduced within each ecosystem through specialized designs, but the ease of operation across different systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual line-in interface implements universality by being capable of handling multiple types of control and timing signals from different media playback systems through a single standardized interface. Rather than requiring separate specialized interfaces for each protocol, the VLI interface can adapt to various input formats and convert them to compatible output formats, making the system easier to operate across different manufacturers while each playback system can maintain its own specialized internal design.
3Manufacturing precision
If playback devices are designed to work only within their own media playback system, then manufacturing precision and reliability can be maintained, but adaptability to work with other systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the virtual line-in interface adaptable and configurable rather than fixed. The VLI interface can dynamically adjust its signal processing and conversion parameters based on the specific type of media playback system it is interfacing with. This dynamic adaptability allows playback devices to maintain their native manufacturing specifications and precision while simultaneously being able to work with different types of media playback systems through the flexible VLI interface.
Data Source
AI summary
Example systems and techniques disclosed herein facilitate interoperability between different media playback systems referred to herein as a virtual line-in (VLI) media playback system and a native playback system. When a VLI session is created by a VLI sender, a first native playback device can join a VLI group as a VLI receiver. As a VLI receiver, the first native playback device receives audio content and playback commands from the VLI sender to facilitate synchronous playback with other VLI receivers. At the same time, this native playback device can concurrently operate as a native domain group coordinator of a native domain synchrony group. As the native domain group coordinator, the native playback device translates VLI domain audio, control, and timing signals into the native domain and distributes such signals to native domain group members. In this way, the native domain group members can synchronize their playback with the VLI group.