This invention generally relates to audio playback for multiple devices, and specifically, to synchronizing the audio playback.
When two or more audio devices play at the same time, there may be an echo effect that reduces the enjoyment of the sound by the listener. These audio devices may be cabled to a controller device which provides the audio data to them. A bus may be used to supply this data. Alternatively, the different devices may communicate with each other through wireless communication, such as through an RF or infrared port.
In a system in which one computer or device broadcasts a single digital audio stream that is then simultaneously received by more than one receiving device, the different receiving devices will often play their audio slightly out of sync with each other, due to differing latencies in receiving and processing the digital audio stream. This produces an echo or delay effect which causes a listener to receive the same audio at slightly different times from the multiple devices. An additional echo effect may arise from a difference in distance from the listener to the various receiving devices. The listener's enjoyment is impaired.
Prior devices have used clock synchronized receiving devices. In one prior device, a transmitting device inserted control track pulses into the digital audio stream at known intervals. Each receiving device obtained the time of the received track pulse and then delayed the playback of the audio stream until the received pulse was aligned with the next pulse at the known interval. In another prior device, the transmitting device transmitted to each receiving device a waveform sample, the playback time of the sample, and the latency value of the receiving device. Each receiving device then delayed the playback of the audio stream until the waveform sample was aligned with the received playback time of the sample.
None of the prior devices used audio patterns and a microphone for obtaining feedback as part of the synchronization method. Furthermore, these prior devices required clock synchronization of the transmitting device and/or the playback devices. Clock synchronization tends to increase circuit complexity, and thereby increase costs.
A method and apparatus for synchronizing the playback of audio from two or more devices is needed which does not require clock synchronization.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for synchronizing the playback of the audio from two or more audio receivers so that there is no audible delay or echo effect between them when listened to simultaneously without using clock synchronization.
In the closed-loop feedback system for synchronizing playback of multicast audio streams on a local network of the present invention, control codes are embedded in the audio stream to cause the playback devices to emit audio patterns that are detected by a microphone connected to a source of the audio stream. The source determines the latency from sending to playback, and then sends packets to each playback device to introduce additional latency into the audio stream to achieve synchronized playback.
In a first aspect of the present invention, a method of audio synchronization on a home network is disclosed which includes sending a control code to a specific one of two or more receiver devices, outputting audible signals from two or more receiver devices on the home network, recording a first time difference between the time of sending a control code to the specific one of the two or more receiver devices and the time the audible signal is received from the specific one of the two or more receiver devices, recording a second time difference between the time of sending a control code to an other specific one of the two or more receiver devices and the time the audible signal is received from the other one of the two or more receiver devices, and automatically adjusting the relative delay of audio information signals to one of the specific ones of the two or more receiver devices.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a system for synchronizing audio playback of multiple receiving devices is disclosed which includes a transmitting device and two or more receiving devices, wherein the receiving devices are synchronized through control codes sent from the transmitting device to each of the two or more receiving devices and audio patterns transmitted from each of the two or more receiving devices to the transmitting device.
In a third aspect of the invention, a system for synchronizing the audio playback of two or more receiving devices is disclosed which includes means for transmitting control codes embedded in an audio stream, means for receiving the control codes embedded in the audio stream, means for transmitting audio patterns generated in response to the control codes, and means for receiving the audio patterns.
It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
The numerous advantages of the present invention may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Referring generally now to
The present invention describes a method of enabling simultaneous output of audio signals on multiple output devices by the use of control codes embedded in multicast multimedia stream to cause specific receiving devices to emit easily detectable audio patterns which can then be detected by a microphone connected to the source of the multimedia stream. These audio patterns may or may not be audible to the human ear. The source may then accurately determine the total latency from sending to playback. The source may then send command packets to each playback device to determine how much additional latency it needs to introduce into the playback stream to achieve synchronization.
Optionally, this invention also allows manual fine tuning the synchronization of audio output on multiple networked output devices. The method comprises the audible output of a audio signal from two or more receiving devices and allows the user to increase or decrease the timing delay in reference to the audible sound. Once the signals sound simultaneous to the user, the delay is recorded for the devices and added to subsequent audio output to reproduce the delay identified by the user to make the two devices sound synchronized.
The control codes embedded in the multicast multimedia stream are only a small part of the audio stream. The transmitting source device might or might not be playing audio, and could be remote from the receiving devices. If the transmitting device is local and playing audio, it may be made to participate in the same synchronized audio playback method as described below. This method requires no clock synchronization of the audio transmitting device, only modification of the digital audio stream to include the control codes. The source device keeps a record of the latency value for each receiver.
All devices may buffer the audio stream. Some amount of buffering of the audio stream is occurring, to allow the receiving devices to search forward and backward in the audio data, and to allow them to delay or shift audio playback. Signal transmission may be in analog or digital format.
Several discrete sub-processes are used in the present invention. These include a latency detector and manual fine tune control.
An average latency detector detects the average latency between transmitting a signal to a device, and the device receiving the signal. “Symmetrical latency” is not assumed between two computers because the time for the sound waves generated in the testing and synchronization of the receiver devices to travel may be considerably longer than the combined time for the control code to travel between the source and the receiver device and the processing of the control code to generate an audio pattern. This is because in air, between 0 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, sound travels at slightly more than 1 foot per millisecond and the electromagnetic waves, used to transmit data between the source and the receiver device and processing within the receiver device, travel at nearly a million times faster. Even the propagation delays and computer instruction cycle times, at most a low number of microseconds, found in the receiver device are insignificant compared to the sound wave travel time.
All receiver devices may account for latency of their own audio playback subsystem. There are three different methods for this, each of which would occur after the other processes described herein have been used to synchronize the clocks on all audio playback devices: 1) shifting the playback by a predetermined value, such value determined through empirical testing of the actual playback device; 2) shifting the playback by a predetermined value, such value determined at run time, by the customer, using the manual audio synchronization fine-tune control, to determine the actual latency of the device's internal audio subsystem; and 3) fine-tuning the clock synchronization at run time, by the customer, using the manual audio synchronization fine-tune control.
A manual audio synchronization fine-tune control allows the user to “fine tune” the end results of automated synchronization. This means the user may want either to add relative delays in the audio for certain effects or to eliminate echo. It also allows the user to manually determine the internal latency of a device audio playback subsystem, by comparing the amount and direction of playback latency error between itself and a reference system with a known internal audio subsystem latency value. The system requires at least two devices playing audio, one that is the reference (PCA), and one that is adjusted by the user (PCB). In one embodiment, the method assumes that the reference player PCA always buffers and delays its own audio playback, so that PCB is able to move its own playback either forward or backward in time, relative to PCA. PCA synchronizes its clock with PCB. PCA emits an audible high-pitched pulse every n seconds, on even n second boundaries. PCB emits an audible pulse every n seconds, on even n second boundaries. PCB displays a graphic slider control to the user, defaulted to “centered” position. As the user slides the control left or right, PCB increments/decrements a correction value, and simultaneously shifts the audio click forward or backward in time. The user adjusts the slider until the two clicks converge and sound to the user as a single click. The resultant correction value may be added or subtracted from PCA's known internal latency value, to determine PCB's internal latency value.
Data entry on the GUI may be accomplished by manual entry on a keyboard, through a touch screen, or by a hand held device such as a mouse or track ball, or other means.
It is believed that the method to synchronize playback of multicast audio streams on a local network of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the forgoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.
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