System and method for capturing and distributing live audio streams of a live event

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for capturing and distributing live audio streams of a live event to a plurality of mobile computing devices, the computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for:

• at at least one of a plurality of processing devices in network communication with each other, the at least one of the plurality of processing devices having at least one audio channel associated therewith:
• at the at least one of the plurality of processing devices having the at least one audio channel associated therewith:
• receiving at least one of the live audio streams via the at least one audio channel,
• generating a plurality of discrete audio data packets from the at least one received live audio stream, and
• transmitting, over a first network in accordance with at least Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP), the plurality of discrete audio data packets for receipt by at least one of the remainder of the plurality of processing devices;
• at at least one of the plurality of processing devices:
• generating copies of the plurality of discrete audio data packets, and
• placing the copies of the plurality of discrete audio data packets in a buffer accessible to the at least one of the plurality of processing devices;
• at a nominated processing device of the plurality of processing devices:
• receiving a connection request from a respective mobile computing device of the plurality of mobile computing devices, the connection request including a request for transmission of one of the live audio streams to the respective mobile computing device,
• determining a distribution status of each one of the plurality of the processing devices to transmit transmission copies generated from the copies for receipt by the respective mobile computing device originating the connection request, the distribution status indicating at least the ability of the applicable processing device to transmit the transmission copies to the respective mobile computing device, and
• based on the determined distribution status of each one of the plurality of the processing devices, selecting a processing device of the plurality of the processing devices to transmit the transmission copies for receipt by the respective mobile computing device;
• at the selected processing device:
• generating the transmission copies of the plurality of discrete audio data packets from the copies placed in the buffer accessible by the selected processing device, and
• transmitting the plurality of discrete audio data packets or the transmission copies for receipt by the respective mobile computing device over the first network or a second network;
• wherein the plurality of discrete audio data packets are transmitted for receipt by the remainder of the plurality of processing devices or received by the at least one of the plurality of processing devices having the at least one audio channel associated therewith in accordance with the User Datagram Protocol (UDP);
• wherein the plurality of discrete audio data packets are transmitted for receipt by the remainder of the plurality of processing devices or received by the at least one of the plurality of processing devices having the at least one audio channel associated therewith by multicast transmission or unicast transmission;
• and
• wherein an end-to-end latency between the receipt of the at least one live audio streams via the at least one audio channel and the transmission of the transmission copies for receipt by the respective mobile computing device is 500 mS or less.

A method for capturing and distributing live audio streams of a live event to a plurality of mobile computing devices, the method comprising:

• at at least one of a plurality of processing devices in network communication with each other, the at least one of the plurality of processing devices having at least one audio channel associated therewith:
• at the at least one of the plurality of processing devices having the at least one audio channel associated therewith:
• receiving at least one of the live audio streams via the at least one audio channel,
• generating a plurality of discrete audio data packets from the at least one received live audio stream, and
• transmitting, over a first network in accordance with at least Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP), the plurality of discrete audio data packets for receipt by at least one of the remainder of the plurality of processing devices;
• at at least one of the plurality of processing devices:
• generating copies of the plurality of discrete audio data packets, and
• placing the copies of the plurality of discrete audio data packets in a buffer accessible to the at least one of the plurality of processing devices;
• at a nominated processing device of the plurality of processing devices:
• receiving a connection request from a respective mobile computing device of the plurality of mobile computing devices, the connection request including a request for transmission of one of the live audio streams to the respective mobile computing device, determining a distribution status of each one of the plurality of the processing devices to transmit transmission copies generated from the copies for receipt by the respective mobile computing device originating the connection request, the distribution status indicating at least the ability of the applicable processing device to transmit the transmission copies to the respective mobile computing device, and
• based on the determined distribution status of each one of the plurality of the processing devices, selecting a processing device of the plurality of the processing devices to transmit the transmission copies for receipt by the respective mobile computing device;
• and
• at the selected processing device:
• generating the transmission copies of the plurality of discrete audio data packets from the copies placed in the respective buffer, and transmitting the transmission copies for receipt by the respective mobile computing device over the first network or a second network;
• wherein the plurality of discrete audio data packets are transmitted for receipt by the remainder of the plurality of processing devices or received by the at least one of the plurality of processing devices having the at least one audio channel associated therewith in accordance with the User Datagram Protocol (UDP);
• wherein the plurality of discrete audio data packets are transmitted for receipt by the remainder of the plurality of processing devices or received by the at least one of the plurality of processing devices having the at least one audio channel associated therewith by multicast transmission or unicast transmission;
• and
• wherein an end-to-end latency between the receipt of the at least one live audio streams via the at least one audio channel and the transmission of the transmission copies for receipt by the respective mobile computing device is about 500 mS or less.