Systems and methods for syncronizing multiple electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018317192-A1
Application number	US-201816029262-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 6, 2018
Priority date	Apr 29, 2013
Publication date	Nov 1, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for syncing multiple electronic devices for collective audio playback. According to certain aspects, a master device connects ( 218 ) to a slave device via a wireless connection. The master device calculates ( 224 ) a network latency via a series of network latency pings with the slave device and sends ( 225 ) the network latency to the slave device. Further, the master devices sends ( 232 ) a portion of an audio file as well as a timing instruction including a system time to the slave device. The master device initiates ( 234 ) playback of the portion of the audio file and the slave devices initiates ( 236 ) playback of the portion of the audio file according to the timing instruction and a calculated system clock offset value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
joining, by a first audio playback device, an audio playback group, wherein the audio playback group includes a second audio playback device; joining, by a third audio playback device, the audio playback group; receiving, by the first audio playback device from the second audio playback device, a first timing signal; receiving, by the third audio playback device from the second audio playback device, a second timing signal; receiving, by the first audio playback device from the second audio playback device, audio data to be played by the first audio playback device as part of the audio playback group; receiving, by the third audio playback device from the second audio playback device, the audio data to be played by the third audio playback device as part of the audio playback group; playing, by the first audio playback device, the audio data in synchrony with the second audio playback device based on the first timing signal; and playing, by the third audio playback device, the audio data in synchrony with the second audio playback device based on the second timing signal, wherein the first audio playback device does not receive a timing signal from the third audio playback device, and wherein the third audio playback device does not receive a timing signal from the first audio playback device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the first audio playback device based on the first timing signal, a difference between a clock of the first audio playback device and a clock of the second audio playback device; receiving, by the first audio playback device from the second audio playback device, a first time corresponding to the audio data; and determining, by the first audio playback device, a second time based on (i) the first time and (ii) the difference between the clock of the first audio playback device and the clock of the second audio playback device, wherein the playing, by the first audio playback device, the audio data in synchrony with the second audio playback device is performed based on the second time according to the clock of the first audio playback device.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining, by the third audio playback device based on the second timing signal, a difference between a clock of the third audio playback device and the clock of the second audio playback device; receiving, by the third audio playback device from the second audio playback device, the first time corresponding to the audio data; and determining by the third audio playback device, a third time based on (i) the first time and (ii) the difference between the clock of the third audio playback device and the clock of the second audio playback device, wherein the playing, by the third audio playback device, the audio data in synchrony with the second audio playback device is performed based on the third time according to the clock of the third audio playback device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the second audio playback device, an indication of an item of audio content for playback by the audio playback group; retrieving, by the second audio playback device from a remote server over a wide area network, the audio data corresponding to the item of audio content; transmitting, by the second audio playback device to the first audio playback device over a local area network, the audio data; and transmitting, by the second audio playback device to the third audio playback device over the local area network, the audio data.

5 . The method of claim 4 ,
wherein the first audio playback device does not receive audio data from the third audio playback device, and wherein the third audio playback device does not receive audio data from the first audio playback device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the second audio playback device, a user input indicating a playback control; transmitting, by the second audio playback device to the first audio playback device, a playback command corresponding to the user input; and transmitting, by the second audio playback device to the third audio playback device, the playback command corresponding to the user input.

7 . The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the first audio playback device does not receive an audio playback command from the third audio playback device, and wherein the third audio playback device does not receive an audio playback command from the first audio playback device.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the second audio playback device to the first audio playback device, the first timing signal; transmitting, by the second audio playback device to the third audio playback device, the second timing signal; after the transmitting the first timing signal, determining, by the second audio playback device, whether to transmit additional timing signals to the first audio playback device; and after the transmitting the second timing signal, determining, by the second audio playback device, whether to transmit additional timing signals to the third audio playback device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
based on a result of the determining whether to transmit additional timing signals to the first audio playback device, transmitting, by the second audio playback device to the first audio playback device, a third timing signal; and based on a result of the determining whether to transmit additional timing signals to the third audio playback device, transmitting, by the second audio playback device to the third audio playback device, a fourth timing signal.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the second audio playback device to the first audio playback device, the audio data with a timing instruction; and transmitting, by the second audio playback device to the third audio playback device, the audio data with a second timing instruction.

11 . A master playback device comprising:
a communication component for connecting the master playback device to a first slave playback device as part of an audio playback session; an audio output component; and a processor interfaced with the communication component and the audio output component, and configured to:
transmit, to the first slave playback device via the communication component, (i) a first timing signal, and (ii) audio data to be played by the first slave playback device as part of the audio playback session,
cause the audio output component to output the audio data in synchrony with the first slave playback device based on the first timing signal,
add, using the communication component, a second slave playback device to the audio playback session,
transmit, to the second slave playback device via the communication component, (i) a second timing signal, and (ii) the audio data to be played by the second slave playback device as part of the audio playback session, and
cause the audio output component to output the audio data in synchrony with (i) the first slave playback device based on the first timing signal, and (ii) the second slave playback device based on the second timing signal.

12 . The master playback device of claim 11 , wherein to add the second slave playback device to the audio playback group, the processor is configured to:
receive, from the second slave playback device via the communication component, a request to join the audio playback session, and in response to receiving the request, add, using the communication component, the second slave playback device to the audio play

Assignees

• Google Technology Holdings LLC

Inventors

• Daley Michael J
• Bolinger Travis
• O'Neal Heath

Classifications

• H04H20/18

  Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems · CPC title

• H04W56/0015 Primary

  one node acting as a reference for the others · CPC title

• H04H20/38

  Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast · CPC title

• H04H60/88

  which are wireless networks · CPC title

• H04H60/80

  characterised by transmission among terminal devices · CPC title