Wireless Audio Video Sync via Server-Calibrated Delay Compensation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless communications introduce delays that can lead to unsynchronized presentation of audiovisual content when using multiple playback devices, resulting in a negative viewer experience.

Innovation Solution

A media device identifies the type of output device, obtains synchronization settings from a remote server, and adjusts audio or video content delivery to ensure synchronized playback, with viewers able to adjust settings through a GUI and upload changes to update default settings for future instances of the same device type.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If wireless communications are used to transmit audio and video content to separate playback devices, then device connectivity and flexibility are improved, but synchronization between audio and video content deteriorates due to encoding, transmitting, and decoding delays

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice connectivityVSAvoidsynchronization accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by obtaining synchronization settings from a remote server before presenting audiovisual content. The media device identifies the output device type, retrieves pre-calculated synchronization settings, and applies them in advance to compensate for wireless transmission delays, ensuring audio and video remain synchronized despite using flexible wireless connectivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A remote server acts as an intermediary between multiple media devices and output devices. The server collects synchronization settings from various devices, determines optimal settings for each output device type, and distributes these settings to media devices. This intermediary resolves the synchronization problem by providing centralized, device-specific calibration data that compensates for wireless communication variations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If default synchronization settings are determined from multiple media devices, then applicability and accuracy for device types are improved, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplicability to device typesVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of configuring each device individually, the system creates a master copy of synchronization settings for each output device type from multiple media devices. These standardized settings copies are then distributed to all media devices using the same output device type, reducing individual configuration complexity while maintaining high applicability and accuracy across device families

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes parameters by collecting synchronization settings from multiple media devices and determining optimal default settings for each output device type. By analyzing variations in settings across devices and identifying optimal parameter values, the system creates standardized configurations that balance individual device characteristics with general applicability, reducing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3231186B1Methods, devices and systems for audiovisual synchronization with multiple output devices
Publication Date: 2019.09.25 DISH TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • EP3231186B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3231186B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3231186B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods, devices and systems are provided for provisioning an output device for use with a media device to produce synchronized audio and video portions of media content. An exemplary method involves a media device identifying a device type associated with the output device, obtaining synchronization settings for the device type from a server via a network, and presenting audiovisual content in accordance with the synchronization settings obtained from the server.