# US 2022/0286731 A1 · Multimedia apparatus and cast method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0286731 A1 - Document ID: US20220286731A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/804,257 - Filed: 2022-05-26 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-20 - Assignees: Hisense Visual Technology Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Hisense Visual Technology Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ziquan SONG; Xiujuan PANG; Xuesheng ZHU; Chengchuang XIAO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220286731A1 ## CPC - H04N 21/4392: {involving audio buffer management} - H04N 21/43615: {Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805)} - H04N 21/44004: {involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer} - H04N 21/64322: {IP} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract The present application is directed to a multimedia apparatus and a cast method. The method includes: during a cast process between a display apparatus and multiple devices, determining a target device from among the multiple devices; storing audio data which is sent from the target device in an audio buffer, and discarding audio data sent from other devices; storing video data which is sent from the multiple devices in video buffers corresponding to the devices; and playing the audio data in the audio buffer, and displaying video data in at least one video buffer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multimedia apparatus, comprising: a processor, configured to determine a target device from a plurality of devices during a cast process with the plurality of devices, store audio data sent from the target device in an audio buffer and discard audio data sent from other devices in the plurality of devices except the target device, and store video data sent from the plurality of devices in video buffers corresponding to the plurality of devices, wherein a video buffer of the video buffers is assigned to a device of the plurality of devices; a display, configured to display at least one path of video data in at least one video buffer of the video buffers; and an audio output circuit, configured to play the audio data in the audio buffer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The multimedia apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: while the at least one path of video data in at least one video buffer is being played on the display, receive an operation on a first path of video data among the at least video data from a user, determine a device corresponding to the first path of video data as the target device. ### Claim 3 The multimedia apparatus according to claim I, wherein the processor is further configured to: before the cast process, receive a first discovery request from a first device according to DLNA protocol; return an acknowledgement message and a description file of a digital media render (DMR) to the first device as a reply to the first discovery request, wherein the multimedia apparatus and the first device are connected via a router. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The multimedia apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to: in response to no acknowledgement message being sent to the first device as a reply to the first discovery request, receive a second discovery request sent from the first device according to peer-to-peer communication. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The multimedia apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to: return a message comprising a MAC address and/or device name of the multimedia apparatus as a reply to the second discovery request. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The multimedia apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to: perform negotiation with the first device to determine which device works as a group owner and which device works as a group client. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The multimedia apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to: in response to the first device being determined as the group owner and the multimedia apparatus being determined as the group client, send a TCP connection request to the first device which has created a TCP server, wherein the TCP connection request carries IP address of the multimedia apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The multimedia apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to: receive IP address of the multimedia apparatus and IP address of the first device sent from the first device according to TCP communication; initiate DLNA service according to DLNA service and IP address of the display apparatus; establish a data transmission channel with the first device via unicast. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The multimedia apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: detect a connection status of the plurality of devices during the cast process between the display apparatus and the plurality of devices; in response to that it is detected that the target device is disconnected, delete the audio data in the audio buffer and release memory space of the video buffer corresponding to the target device, and determine a new target device from the rest of devices; and store audio data sent from the new target device in the audio buffer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The multimedia apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: release memory space of the audio buffer in response to that it is detected that the plurality of devices are disconnected. ### Claim 11 A cast method for a display apparatus, comprising: during a cast process between the display apparatus and a plurality of devices, determining a target device from the plurality of devices, storing audio data sent from the target device in an audio buffer of the display apparatus and discard audio data sent from other devices in the plurality of devices except the target device, and storing video data sent from the plurality of devices in video buffers corresponding to the plurality of devices, wherein a video buffer of the video buffers is assigned to a device of the plurality of devices; displaying at least one path of video data in at least one video buffer of the video buffers on a display of the display apparatus; and playing the audio data in the audio buffer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: while the at least one path of video data in at least one video buffer is being played on the display of the display apparatus, receiving an operation on a first path of video data among the at least video data from a user, determine a device corresponding to the first path of video data as the target device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: before the cast process, receiving a first discovery request from a first device according to DINA protocol; returning an acknowledgement message and a description file of a digital media render (DMR) to the first device as a reply to the first discovery request, wherein the multimedia apparatus and the first device are connected via a router. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising: in response to no acknowledgement message being sent to the first device as a reply to the first discovery request, receiving a second discovery request sent from the first device according to peer-to-peer communication. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising: returning a message comprising a MAC address and/or device name of the multimedia apparatus as a reply to the second discovery request. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising: performing negotiation with the first device to determine which device works as a group owner and which device works as a group client. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising in response to the first device being determined as the group owner and the multimedia apparatus being determined as the group client, sending a TCP connection request to the first device which has created a TCP server, wherein the TCP connection request carries IP address of the multimedia apparatus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further comprising: receiving IP address of the multimedia apparatus and IP address of the first device sent from the first device according to TCP communication; initiating DLNA service according to DLNA service and IP address of the display apparatus; establishing a data transmission channel with the first device via unicast. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: detecting a connection status of the plurality of devices during the cast process between the display apparatus and the plurality of devices; in response to that it is detected that the target device is disconnected, deleting the audio data in the audio buffer and release memory space of the video buffer corresponding to the target device, and determining a new target device from the rest of devices; and store audio data sent from the new target device in the audio buffer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: releasing memory space of the audio buffer in response to that it is detected that the plurality of devices are disconnected.