Systems and methods for syncronizing multiple electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018317193-A1
Application number	US-201816029311-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 an audio playback device, an audio playback group, wherein the audio playback group includes a master device that provides timing information for playback of audio content by the audio playback group; presenting, at a graphical user interface, a plurality of items of audio content available for playback; receiving, at the graphical user interface, a user selection of a selected item of audio content for playback by the audio playback group; retrieving, by the master device from a remote server over a wide area network, audio data corresponding to the selected item of audio content; transmitting, by the master device to the audio playback device over a local area network, the audio data corresponding to the selected item of audio content; transmitting, by the master device to the audio playback device, a timing signal; and playing, by the audio playback device and the master device, the audio data in synchrony based on the timing signal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting, at the graphical user interface, at least one playback control button; receiving, at the graphical user interface, a user selection of a selected playback control button of the at least one playback control button; transmitting, by the master device to the audio playback device, a playback command corresponding to the selected playback control button; adjusting, by the master device, playback of the audio data based on the selected playback control button; and adjusting, by the audio playback device, playback of the audio data based on the playback command.

3 . The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the selected playback control button is a pause/play button, wherein the playback command is a pause command, and wherein the adjusting the playback of the audio data by the master device includes pausing the playback of the audio data in synchrony with the audio playback device pausing the playback of the audio data.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting, at the graphical user interface, at least one playback control button; receiving, at the graphical user interface, a user selection of a next track button of the at least one playback control button; retrieving, by the master device from the remote server over the wide area network, second audio data corresponding to a second item of audio content that follows the selected item of audio content in a playlist; transmitting, by the master device to the audio playback device over the local area network, the second audio data corresponding to the second item of audio content; transmitting, by the master device to the audio playback device, a second timing signal; and playing, by the audio playback device and the master device, the second audio data in synchrony based on the second timing signal.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting, at a graphical user interface, a second plurality of items of audio content available for playback; receiving, at the graphical user interface, a user selection of a second selected item of audio content from the second plurality of items of audio content for playback by the audio playback group; retrieving, by the master device from the remote server over the wide area network, second audio data corresponding to the second selected item of audio content; transmitting, by the master device to the audio playback device over the local area network, the second audio data corresponding to the second selected item of audio content; transmitting, by the master device to the audio playback device, a second timing signal; and playing, by the audio playback device and the master device, the second audio data in synchrony based on the second timing signal.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the master device at a user interface of the master device, a user input indicating a playback control; transmitting, by the master device to the audio playback device, a playback command based on the user input; adjusting, by the master device, playback of the audio data based on the user input; adjusting, by the audio playback device, playback of the audio data based on the playback command; and presenting, at the graphical user interface, a status of playback of the audio data corresponding to the adjusting performed by the master device based on the user input and the adjusting performed by the audio playback device based on the playback command.

7 . The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the user interface of the master device is different from the graphical user interface.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving, by the audio playback device at a user interface of the audio playback device, a second user input indicating a second playback control; transmitting, by the audio playback device to the master device, a second playback command based on the second user input; adjusting, by the audio playback device, the playback of the audio data based on the second user input; adjusting, by the master device, the playback of the audio data based on the second playback command; and presenting, at the graphical user interface, a status of playback of the audio data corresponding to the adjusting performed by the audio playback device based on the second user input and the adjusting performed by the master device based on the second playback command.

9 . The method of claim 8 ,
wherein the user interface of the audio playback device is different from the graphical user interface.

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

11 . A master playback device comprising:
a communication component for connecting the master playback device to (i) an audio playback device via a local area network to form an audio playback session for playback of audio content, (ii) a remote server via a wide area network; a user interface; an audio output component; and a processor interfaced with the communication component, the user interface, and the audio output component, and configured to:
cause the user interface to present a plurality of items of audio content available for playback,
receive, via the user interface, a selection of a first audio item of the plurality of items of audio content for playback in the audio playback session,
retrieve, from the remote server via the communication component, first audio data corresponding to the first audio item,
transmit, to the audio playback device via the communication component, (i) the first audio data, and (ii) a timing signal, and
cause the audio output component to output the first audio data in synchrony with the audio playback device playing the first audio data based on the timing signal.

12 . The master playback device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
cause the user interface to present at least one playback selection, detect, via the user interface, selection o

Assignees

• Google Technology Holdings LLC

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04H20/38

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

• H04H20/18

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

• H04H20/08

  among terminal devices · CPC title

• H04H60/80

  characterised by transmission among terminal devices · CPC title

• H04H20/57

  for mobile receivers · CPC title