Apparatus, systems and methods for synchronization of multiple headsets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10178345-B2
Application number	US-201816002483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2018
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

Media device systems and methods synchronize video content with audio content presented by a plurality of wireless audio headsets. In an exemplary embodiment, a first time delay corresponds to a first duration of time between communication of the audio content from the media device and presentation of the audio content by a first wireless audio headset. A second time delay corresponds to a second duration of time between communication of the audio content from the media device and presentation of the audio content by a second wireless audio headset, wherein the first time delay is greater than the second time delay. Video content communicated to a display is delayed by the first time delay. Audio content communicated to the second wireless audio headset is delayed by a time delay difference between the first time delay and the second time delay.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A media device, comprising:
a media content stream interface configured to receive a media content event with at least video content and audio content that are to be synchronously presented with each other during presentation of the media content event to at least a first user and a second user;
an interface configured to:
communicate the video content to a display for presentation to at least the first user and the second user viewing the display;
communicate the audio content to at least one first speaker, wherein the audio content is heard by the first user listening to the at least one first speaker, and wherein a first time delay associated with the at least one first speaker corresponds to a first duration defined from a first time that the audio content is communicated from the presentation interface and a second time that the audio content is reproduced by the at least one first speaker; and
communicate the audio content to at least one second speaker, wherein the audio content is heard by the second user listening to the at least second speaker, and wherein a second time delay associated with the at least one second speaker corresponds to a second duration defined from the first time that the audio content is communicated from the presentation interface and a third time that the audio content is reproduced by the at least one second speaker, wherein the second duration is greater than the first duration; and

a processor system communicatively coupled to the media content stream interface and the interface, and configured to:
communicate the audio content to the at least one second speaker;
delay communication of the audio content to the at least one first speaker by a first delay duration that equals a difference between the second duration and the first duration; and
delay communication of the video content to the display by a second delay duration that equals the first duration.

2. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first speaker is a first component of a media presentation system and the display is a second component of the media presentation system.

3. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first speaker is a component of an audio presentation device and the display is a component of a visual display device.

4. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second speaker is a component of a mobile phone, and wherein the video content is concurrently communicated to the cellular phone and is presented on a display of the mobile phone.

5. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second speaker is communicatively coupled to a mobile phone, and wherein the second time delay is defined by a sum of the second duration for the audio content to be communicated from the presentation interface to the mobile device and a fourth duration for the audio content to be communicated from the mobile device to the at least one second speaker.

6. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second speaker is a component of a wireless audio headset that communicates with the media device using a wireless signal, where the interface of the media device further comprises:
a presentation device interface that is communicatively coupled to the display and the at least one first speaker; and
a headset interface configured to communicatively couple the media device with the wireless audio headset.

7. The media device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an audio sound detector communicatively coupled to the processor system,
wherein the processor system is further configured to:
communicate an audible test signal to the at least one second speaker at a first test time, wherein the audible test signal is reproduced as an audible sound by the at least one speaker;
receive information corresponding to a second time that corresponds to detection of the audible test signal by the audio sound detector; and
determine the second duration based on a difference between the second time and the first test time.

8. The media device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a remote interface configured to receive a wireless signal from a remote control used by the second user of the at least one second speaker,
wherein the wireless signal is generated by the remote control in response to actuation of at least one controller of the remote control by the second user when the second user hears the audible test signal reproduced by the at least one second speaker, and
wherein the processor system is further configured to:
communicate an audible test signal to the at least one second speaker at a first test time, wherein the audible test signal is reproduced as an audible sound by the at least one speaker;
receive the wireless signal from the remote control, wherein the wireless signal includes information corresponding to a second time that corresponds to actuation of at least one controller of the remote control by the second ne user; and
determine the second duration based on a difference between the second time and the first test time.

9. The media device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a browser that is configured to access a remote website via the Internet,
wherein the browser receives information from the remote website defining at least one of the second time delay and the second duration.

10. The media device of claim 9 , wherein the processor system of the media device is further configured to:
receive, from the at least one second speaker, identifying information that identifies the at least one second speaker; and
communicate the identifying information to the remote website,
wherein the information defining the at least one of the second time delay and the second duration is determined by the remote website based on the communicated identifying information that identifies the at least one second speaker.

11. The media device of claim 9 , wherein the processor system of the media device is further configured to:
receive, from the second user, identifying information that identifies the at least one second speaker; and
communicate the identifying information to the remote website,
wherein the information defining the at least one of the second time delay and the second duration is determined by the remote website based on the communicated identifying information that identifies the at least one second speaker.

12. The media device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a remote interface configured to receive a wireless signal from a remote control used by the second user of the wireless audio headset,
wherein the processor system is further configured to:
concurrently communicate a first audible test signal to the at least one second speaker and a first visual test signal that is presented on the display, wherein the first audible test signal is reproduced as a first audible sound by the at least one second speaker and wherein the first visual test signal is seen by the second user viewing the display; and
present a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display, where the second user navigates about the GUI using the remote control to specify an incremental time delay adjustment, wherein the incremental time delay adjustment is determined by the second user based on a difference between a time when the second user hears the wireless test signal and a time when the second user sees the presented visual test signal on the display,

wherein after the second user defines the incremental time delay adjustment, the processor system is further configured to:
communicate a second audible test signal to the at least one second speaker, wherein the second audible test signal is r

Assignees

• Echostar Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Greene Gregory
• Innes David

Classifications

• H04N21/4126

  The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones · CPC title

• H04N21/4307

  Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen · CPC title

• H04N21/4341

  Demultiplexing of audio and video streams · CPC title

• H04N5/935 Primary

  Regeneration of digital synchronisation signals · CPC title

• H04N21/4396

  by muting the audio signal · CPC title