Systems and methods for wirelessly transmitting audio synchronously with rendering of video
View Patent ↗Media is selected for video playback through a first device and audio playback through one or more separate devices connected through a wireless network. Different techniques for synchronizing the audio and video can be selected based on one or more factors to improve media playback.
1. A system for selecting a mode of synchronizing audio playback between a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the system comprising:
a first electronic device comprising:
memory comprising processor-executable instructions;
a hardware processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions; and
a wireless transmitter in communication with the hardware processor;
wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the processor-executable instructions so as to:
receive video data and audio data;
perform one-way clock synchronization by causing the wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit clock information associated with the first electronic device through a wireless network to a second electronic device to establish synchronized clocks between the first and second electronic devices, wherein the hardware processor wireless transmits the clock information by at least transmitting a plurality of packets each spaced at approximately equal time intervals;
programmatically change an audio synchronization mode from a default video delay mode to be a semi-isochronous mode based at least in part on a size of the video data exceeding a buffering size;
perform the semi-isochronous mode by at least:
compressing the audio data with lossless or lossy compression to produce compressed audio data;
generating forward error correction packets; and
causing the wireless transmitter to transmit the compressed audio data and the forward error correction packets from the first electronic device to the second electronic device; and
render video on the first electronic device.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first device is a television or set-top box.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the change of the audio synchronization mode from the default video delay mode to the semi-isochronous mode is further based at least in part on a bandwidth size of the video data.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the change of the audio synchronization mode from the default video delay mode to the semi-isochronous mode is further based at least in part on the bandwidth size exceeding a buffering capacity of the first electronic device.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lossless or lossy compression is lossy compression.