IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,521,449
Granted Patent B2
US 9,521,449 · App. 13/726,352 · Granted Dec 13, 2016

Techniques for audio synchronization

Inventor: Amihai Kidron (Karkur, IL)
Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
H04N21/4307H04N21/242H04N21/4305H04N21/439H04N21/43637H04N21/8547H03L7/00H04N5/04H04N7/152H04N21/4344H04N21/64723
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,521,449
App. No.
13/726,352
Granted
Dec 13, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for audio synchronization are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise a processor circuit and an audio synchronization module, and the audio synchronization module may be operable by the processor circuit to receive audio information comprising a first network time index defined with respect to a network clock for a network, determine a second network time index for the audio information, the second network time index defined with respect to the network clock, determine a transmission delay value for the audio information based on a difference between the first network time index and the second network time index, and determine a total delay value for the audio information based on the transmission delay value and on a remote processing delay value for the audio information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims (35)

1. At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that, in response to being executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive at least two portions of audio information over a first network, each portion of the audio information comprising a first network time index defined with respect to a network clock for a second network, the first network time index to indicate a relative offset from a value of the network clock, the relative offset comprising a number of periods of a symbol clock for the second network;

determine a second network time index for each portion of the audio information, the second network time index defined with respect to the network clock for the second network;

determine a transmission delay value for each portion of the audio information based on a difference between the first network time index and the second network time index, the transmission delay to indicate a delay associated with transmission of the portion of the audio information over the first network;

determine a total delay value for each portion of the audio information based on the transmission delay value and on a remote processing delay value for each portion of the audio information, the remote processing delay value to indicate a duration of processing by a remote device for the portion of the audio information;

determine a coordinated time index for each portion of the audio information based on the total delay value and on a local clock, the coordinated time index to indicate a time defined with respect to the local clock;

combine the at least two portions of audio information based on the coordinated time index for each portion of the audio information to generate composite audio information; and

send, over the first network, the composite audio information to the remote device for playback.

2. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1 , the coordinated time index indicating a time when the portion of the audio information was captured.

3. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1 , the network clock comprising a Bluetooth network clock for a Bluetooth network.

4. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 1 , comprising instructions that, in response to being executed on the computing device, cause the computing device to synchronize playback of the audio information by multiple devices according to an inter-device temporal frame of reference defined based on the network clock.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor circuit; and

audio synchronization logic for execution on the processor circuit to:

receive at least two portions of audio information over a first network, each portion of the audio information comprising a first network time index defined with respect to a network clock for a second network, the first network time index to indicate a relative offset from a value of the network clock, the relative offset comprising a number of periods of a symbol clock for the second network;

determine a second network time index for each portion of the audio information, the second network time index defined with respect to the network clock for the second network;

determine a transmission delay value for each portion of the audio information based on a difference between the first network time index and the second network time index, the transmission delay to indicate a delay associated with transmission of the portion of the audio information over the first network;

determine a total delay value for each portion of the audio information based on the transmission delay value and on a remote processing delay value for each portion of the audio information, the remote processing delay value to indicate a duration of processing by a remote device for the portion of the audio information;

determine a coordinated time index for each portion of the audio information based on the total delay value and on a local clock, the coordinated time index to indicate a time defined with respect to the local clock;

combine the at least two portions of audio information based on the coordinated time index for each portion of the audio information to generate composite audio information; and

send, over the first network, the composite audio information to the remote device for playback.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , the coordinated time index indicating a time when the portion of the audio information was captured.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , the network clock comprising a Bluetooth network clock for a Bluetooth network.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , the audio synchronization logic for execution on the processor circuit to synchronize playback of the audio information by multiple devices according to an inter-device temporal frame of reference defined based on the network clock.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving at least two portions of audio information over a first network, each portion of the audio information comprising a first network time index defined with respect to a network clock for a second network, the first network time index indicating a relative offset from a value of the network clock, the relative offset comprising a number of periods of a symbol clock for the second network;

determining a second network time index for each portion of the audio information, the second network time index defined with respect to the network clock for the second network;

determining a transmission delay value for each portion of the audio information based on a difference between the first network time index and the second network time index, the transmission delay indicating a delay associated with transmission of the portion of the audio information over the first network;

determining a total delay value for each portion of the audio information based on the transmission delay value and on a remote processing delay value for each portion of the audio information, the remote processing delay value indicating a duration of processing by a remote device for the portion of the audio information;

determining a coordinated time index for each portion of the audio information based on the total delay value and on a local clock, the coordinated time index indicating a time defined with respect to the local clock;

combining the at least two portions of audio information based on the coordinated time index for each portion of the audio information to generate composite audio information; and

sending, over the first network, the composite audio information to the remote device for playback.

10. The method of claim 9 , the coordinated time index indicating a time when the portion of audio information was captured.

11. The method of claim 9 , the network clock comprising a Bluetooth network clock for a Bluetooth network.

12. The method of claim 9 , comprising synchronizing playback of the audio information by multiple devices according to an inter-device temporal frame of reference defined based on the network clock.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2014
From: KIDRON, AMIHAI
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 033547/0158 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140177864A1 · Jun 26, 2014