Wireless Audio Playback Coordination for Clock Drift Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Achieving high audio quality in an environment is challenging due to improper placement of acoustic sources and listener positioning, which can degrade acoustic quality and user satisfaction.
Innovation Solution
An audio/video (A/V) hub coordinates playback times of electronic devices using wireless communication to synchronize audio content, correcting for clock drift and adapting to acoustic characteristics and listener location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless communication is used to coordinate playback times, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision of time synchronization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the actual playback time at each electronic device and compares it with the expected playback time. Time offset values are calculated based on these comparisons and fed back to the A/V hub, which then adjusts the playback timing information sent to each device. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to compensate for wireless communication uncertainties and maintain precise time synchronization without requiring complex manual configuration.
2Reliability
If clock drift correction is implemented, then reliability of audio synchronization is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each electronic device autonomously determines its own time offset value by comparing its local clock with the synchronized time provided by the A/V hub. The devices self-correct their playback timing without requiring manual intervention or complex external synchronization equipment. The A/V hub simply distributes timing information and receives feedback, allowing each device to independently manage its own clock drift correction.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If acoustic characteristics and listener location are considered, then acoustic quality is improved, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system adjusts the playback timing information by modifying temporal parameters based on acoustic characteristics and listener location. The A/V hub calculates optimal playback times that account for acoustic delays, room acoustics, and listener position, then encodes these adjusted timing parameters in the playback information sent to electronic devices. This allows the system to optimize audio quality without requiring complex measurement infrastructure at each device.
Data Source
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AI summary
An audio/video (A/V) hub that coordinates playback of audio content is described. In particular, the A/V hub may calculate current time offsets between clocks in electronic devices and a clock in the A/V hub based on differences between transmit times of frames from the electronic devices and receive times when the frames were received. For example, the current time offsets may be calculated using wireless ranging by ignoring distances between the A/V hub and the electronic devices. Then, the A/V hub may transmit, to the electronic devices, one or more frames that include audio content and playback timing information, which may specify playback times when the electronic devices are to playback the audio content based on the current time offsets. Furthermore, the playback times of the electronic devices may have a temporal relationship so that the playback of the audio content by the electronic devices is coordinated.