Synchronizing audio content to audio and video devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017026686-A1
Application number	US-201514803496-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Jul 20, 2015
Publication date	Jan 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one general aspect, a method can include receiving, by a computing device, a selection of a group of devices that receive content under control of the computing device, and identifying a first device and a second device included in the group of devices. The computing device and each device included in the group of devices can be connected to a network. The first and second devices can be available to receive content, under the control of the computing device, from a server connected to the network that is remote from the group of devices and the computing device. The method can include providing an indication that the content be provided to the first device by the server and providing an indication that at least a portion of the content be provided to the second device synchronously with the providing of the content to the first device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, a selection of a group of devices that receive content under control of the computing device, the computing device and each device included in the group of devices being connected to a network; identifying, by the computing device, a first device and a second device included in the group of devices, the first device and the second device being available to receive content from a server connected to the network, the server being remote from the group of devices and the computing device, and the first device and the second device being available to receive the content under a control of the computing device; providing, by the computing device and to the first device, an indication that the content be provided to the first device by the server; and providing, by the computing device and to the second device, an indication that at least a portion of the content be provided to the second device, the at least a portion of the content being provided by the server synchronously with the providing of the content to the first device.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the content is streaming audio content from a cast-enabled application executing on the computing device, and wherein the method further comprises casting the content to the group of devices.

3 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the content is streaming audio content, wherein the first device is a display device including a display area and at least one built-in speaker, and wherein the method further comprises playing the content on the at least one built-in speaker.

4 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the content is streaming audio content, wherein the first device is a first speaker and the second device is a second speaker, and wherein the method further comprises playing the content on the first speaker and the second speaker.

5 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the content is audio content for playing on a speaker included in the computing device, and wherein the method further comprises mirroring the content to the group of devices.

6 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the content is streaming audio content from a browser-based application executing in an instance of a web browser application, and wherein the method further comprises casting the content to the group of devices.

7 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the content is streaming media content including audio and video portions, wherein the first device is a display device including a display area and at least one built-in speaker, wherein the second device is a speaker, wherein the at least a portion of the content is the audio portion of the streaming media content, and wherein the method further comprises:
playing the content on the first device, the playing including:
displaying the video portion of the content in the display area; and
playing the audio portion of the content on the at least one built-in speaker; and

playing the at least a portion of the content on the second device.

8 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the content is streaming media content including audio and video portions, wherein the at least a portion of the content is the audio portion of the streaming media content, wherein providing an indication that the content be provided to the first device includes providing an indication that the audio portion of the content be provided to the first device, and wherein the method further comprises:
displaying the video portion of the content on a display device included in the computing device;
playing the audio portion of the content on the first device, the playing being synchronized with the displaying of the video portion of the content on the display device; and
playing the audio portion of the content on the second device, the playing being synchronized with the displaying of the video portion of the content on the display device.

9 . A non-transitory, machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to:
receive, by the computing device, a selection of a group of devices that receive content under control of the computing device, the computing device and each device included in the group of devices being connected to a network; identify, by the computing device, a first device and a second device included in the group of devices, the first device and the second device being available to receive content from a server connected to the network, the server being remote from the group of devices and the computing device, and the first device and the second device being available to receive the content under a control of the computing device; provide, by the computing device and to the first device, an indication that the content be provided to the first device by the server; and provide, by the computing device and to the second device, an indication that at least a portion of the content be provided to the second device, the at least a portion of the content being provided by the server synchronously with the providing of the content to the first device.

10 . The medium of claim 9 ,
wherein the content is streaming audio content from a cast-enabled application executing on the computing device, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to cast the content to the group of devices.

11 . The medium of claim 9 ,
wherein the content is streaming audio content, wherein the first device is a display device including a display area and at least one built-in speaker, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to play the content on the at least one built-in speaker.

12 . The medium of claim 9 ,
wherein the content is streaming audio content, wherein the first device is a first speaker and the second device is a second speaker, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to play the content on the first speaker and the second speaker.

13 . The medium of claim 9 ,
wherein the content is audio content for playing on a speaker included in the computing device, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to mirror the content to the group of devices.

14 . The medium of claim 9 ,
wherein the content is streaming audio content from a browser-based application executing in an instance of a web browser application, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to cast the content to the group of devices.

15 . The medium of claim 9 ,
wherein the content is streaming media content including audio and video portions, wherein the first device is a display device including a display area and at least one built-in speaker, wherein the second device is a speaker, wherein the at least a portion of the content is the audio portion of the streaming media content, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:
play the content on the first device, the playing including:
displaying the video portion of the content in the display area; and
playing the audio portion of the content on the at least one built-in speaker; and

play the at least a portion of the content on the second device.

16 . The medium of claim 9 ,
wherein the content is streaming media content including audio and vi

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Glazier Adam
• Shekel Tomer

Classifications

• H04N21/4307 Primary

  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

• H04N21/8173

  End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game · CPC title

• H04N21/4782

  Web browsing {, e.g. WebTV} · CPC title

• H04N21/43615 Primary

  Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805) · CPC title

• H04N21/43076

  of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices · CPC title