US 11,259,069 B1Granted

Synchronized video player

AssigneeVisualOn, Inc.

InventorsCheng-Ta Hsieh, Hyoheon Hong, Huan-Chih Tsai, Ming-Mao Chiang, Yubao Li

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Abstract

A system for providing video playback comprises a processor configured to synchronize clocks on the plurality of devices to a standard time, provide target video playback positions to the plurality of devices, wherein target video playback positions are based at least in part on the timing information, provide one or more locators for video streams to the plurality of devices, monitor playback status for each of the plurality of devices, and for a device, determine whether the playback status for the device indicates that a selected bitrate is too low or too high or that the playback is fast or slow; in response to determining the selected bitrate is too low, indicate to select a higher bitrate for a device; and in response to determining the selected bitrate is too high, indicate to select a lower bitrate for the device.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system for providing video playback, comprising:

an interface configured to:
receive a desired video playback request for a plurality of devices,
wherein the plurality of devices includes a first device and a second device;
and
receive timing information from the plurality of devices, comprising to:
receive a first clock time and a first playback position from the first device;
and
receive a second clock time and a second playback position from the second device;
and
a processor configured to:
synchronize clocks on the plurality of devices to a standard time;
determine a first playback delay time for the first device based on the standard time, the first clock time, and the first playback position;
determine a second playback delay time for the second device based on the standard time, the second clock time, and the second playback position;
determine a third playback delay time based on the first playback delay time and the second playback delay time;
provide the third playback delay time to the first device and the second device;
indicate to the first device and the second device to adjust delay time to the third playback delay time;
provide target video playback positions to the plurality of devices, wherein target video playback positions are based at least in part on the timing information,
provide one or more locators for video streams to the plurality of devices;
monitor playback status for each of the plurality of devices;
for a device of the plurality of devices:
determine whether the playback status for the device of the plurality of devices indicates that a selected bitrate is too low or too high or that a playback is fast or slow;
and
in response to determining that the playback is fast, indicate to decrease playback speed or pause on the device;
in response to determining that the playback is slow, indicate to increase playback speed or drop frames on the device;
in response to determining that the selected bitrate is too low, indicate to select a higher bitrate for the device of the plurality of devices;
and
in response to determining that the selected bitrate is too high, indicate to select a lower bitrate for the device of the plurality of devices.

24 more elements

A method for providing video playback, comprising:

receiving a desired video playback request for a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes a first device and a second device;
receiving timing information from the plurality of devices, comprising:
receiving a first clock time and a first playback position from the first device;
and
receiving a second clock time and a second playback position from the second device;
synchronizing, using a processor, clocks on the plurality of devices to a standard time;
determining a first playback delay time for the first device based on the standard time, the first clock time, and the first playback position;
determining a second playback delay time for the second device based on the standard time, the second clock time, and the second playback position;
determining a third playback delay time based on the first playback delay time and the second playback delay time;
providing the third playback delay time to the first device and the second device;
indicating to the first device and the second device to adjust delay time to the third playback delay time;
providing target video playback positions to the plurality of devices;
providing one or more locators for video streams to the plurality of devices;
monitoring playback status for each of the plurality of devices, wherein playback status is based at least in part on the timing information;
and
for a device of the plurality of devices:
determining whether the playback status for the device of the plurality of devices indicates that a selected bitrate is too low or too high or that a playback is fast or slow;
and
in response to determining that the playback is fast, indicating to decrease playback speed or pause on the device;
in response to determining that the playback is slow, indicating to increase playback speed or drop frames on the device;
in response to determining the selected bitrate is too low, indicating to select a higher bitrate for the device of the plurality of devices;
and
in response to determining the selected bitrate is too high, indicating to select a lower bitrate for the device of the plurality of devices.

20 more elements

A computer program product for providing video playback, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a desired video playback request for a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes a first device and a second device;
receiving timing information from the plurality of devices, comprising:
receiving a first clock time and a first playback position from the first device;
and
receiving a second clock time and a second playback position from the second device;
synchronizing clocks on the plurality of devices to a standard time;
determining a first playback delay time for the first device based on the standard time, the first clock time, and the first playback position;
determining a second playback delay time for the second device based on the standard time, the second clock time, and the second playback position;
determining a third playback delay time based on the first playback delay time and the second playback delay time;
providing the third playback delay time to the first device and the second device;
indicating to the first device and the second device to adjust delay time to the third playback delay time;
providing target video playback positions to the plurality of devices;
providing one or more locators for video streams to the plurality of devices;
monitoring playback status for each of the plurality of devices, wherein playback status is based at least in part on the timing information;
and
for a device of the plurality of devices:
determining whether the playback status for the device of the plurality of devices indicates that a selected bitrate is too low or too high or that a playback is fast or slow;
and
in response to determining that the playback is fast, indicating to decrease playback or pause on the device;
in response to determining that the playback is slow, indicating to increase playback or drop frames on the device;
in response to determining the selected bitrate is too low, indicating to select a higher bitrate for the device of the plurality of devices;
and
in response to determining the selected bitrate is too high, indicating to select a lower bitrate for the device of the plurality of devices.

20 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/782,893Filed 5 Feb 2020
Granted: 22 Feb 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04N 21/4305
Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation: synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder…
H04N 21/2401
Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests: monitoring of the client buffer
H04N 21/2402
Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests: monitoring of the downstream path of…
H04N 21/414
Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals: specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance