Method for synchronizing the playback of an audio file with an associated video file
AssigneeNubart GmbH
InventorSimon Effing
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for the synchronization of the playback of an audio file with the playback of a related video file, and particularly to the method for synchronizing a video and an audio file being simultaneously reproduced by a video client player and an audio client player, respectively, by means of computing an audio playback position with video playback position signals and timestamp signals received from the video client player and a server hosting a web application.
Claims20
A method for synchronizing a playback of an audio file with an associated video file,
- wherein the method comprises:
- periodically sending, by a video client player configured to playback the associated video file, a video playback position (VP) of the associated video file to a web application hosted by a server configured to store;
- the video playback position (VP) of the associated video file and a timestamp at reception (RTS) of the video playback position (VP) in a data store of the server;
- requesting, using an audio client player configured to playback the audio file, the video playback position (VP);
- receiving, by the audio client player, a last stored video playback position, a timestamp at reception (RTS) of the last stored video playback position, and a current server timestamp (CTS) from the web application;
- and
- computing, by the audio client player being further configured to compute an audio playback position (AP), the audio playback position (AP) with the last stored video playback position, the timestamp at reception (RTS) of the last stored video playback position, and the current server timestamp (CTS);
- wherein the audio playback position (AP) is computed by the audio client player according to:
- audio playback position (AP)=last stored video playback position+k(current server timestamp (CTS)−timestamp at reception (RTS) of the last stored video playback position), with k being a number that is greater than or equal to 0.
A server in a system for synchronizing a playback of an audio file with an associated video file, the server being in a computer network comprising an audio client player configured to playback the audio file, and a video client player configured to playback the video file;
- wherein the server is configured to host a web application and wherein the server comprises a data store;
- wherein the web application is arranged to:
- periodically receive, from the video client player, a video playback position (VP) of the video file;
- store the video playback position (VP) of the video file and a timestamp at reception (RTS) of the video playback position (VP) in the data store;
- receive a request from the audio client player for a video playback position (VP);
- send to the audio client player a last stored video playback position (VP), the timestamp at reception (RTS) of the last stored video playback position (VP), and a current server timestamp (CTS);
- wherein the last stored video playback position (VP), the timestamp at reception (RTS) of the last stored video playback position (VP), and the current server timestamp (CTS) enable the audio client player to compute the audio playback position according to:
- audio playback position (AP)=last stored video playback position (VP)+k(current server timestamp (CTS)−timestamp at reception (RTS) of the last stored video playback position (VP)), with k being a number that is greater than or equal to zero.
A method of using a server to determine an audio playback position for an audio device of an audio client player to set a reproduction of an audio file in the audio device such that output audio of the audio device is synchronized with video being reproduced in a separate video device,
- wherein the method comprises using the server to:
- periodically store a video playback position (VP) and a timestamp at reception (RTS) of the video playback position (VP) received from the video device;
- after receipt of a request sent from the audio device, determine the audio playback position for the audio device by calculating:
- audio playback position (AP)=last stored video playback position+ (current server timestamp (CTS)−timestamp at reception (RTS) of a last stored video playback position);
- and
- cause the audio device to generate the output audio synchronized with the video being reproduced in the separate video device.
An audio client player in a system for synchronizing a playback of an audio file with an associated video file, the audio client player being configured to playback the audio file, and being in a computer network comprising a server, and a video client player configured to playback the associated video file;
- wherein the audio client player is arranged to:
- send a request to the server for a video playback position (VP);
- receive from the server a last stored video playback position received from the video client player, a timestamp at reception (RTS) of the last stored video playback position, and a current server timestamp (CTS);
- wherein the last stored video playback position, the timestamp at reception (RTS) of the last stored video playback position, and the current server timestamp (CTS) enable the audio client player to compute the audio playback position according to:
- audio playback position (AP)=last stored video playback position (VP)+k(current server timestamp (CTS)−timestamp at reception (RTS) of the last stored video playback position (VP)), with k being a number that is greater than or equal to zero.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.