Patent ID: 9591043
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: H04L,H04N

Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing output of media data across a plurality of output devices, the method comprising: providing a communication network operated by a media server, the media server being connected to a content management system formatting and storing media data in terms of media data files and a plurality of different output devices, the media server being further connected with an Internet Protocol television system which is connected with one or more of the output devices, the media server comprising a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), retrieving, by the media server, the media data in the form of media data files from the content management system; transmitting the media data files from the media server to the plurality of output devices in form of packets of a data stream of media data in HDMI, IP streamed video over fixed wired Ethernet network, and/or over a wireless Internet Protocol network by generating the data stream either in real time or on demand, wherein the media server maintains a synchronized playback of the media data file packets received from the content management system at the plurality of output devices, the synchronized playback comprising playback of the media data files at a same frame and at a same time on each of the output devices; automatically causing a playback speed for at least one of the plurality of output devices to be adjusted by advancing a frame rate to a higher rate on the at least one of the plurality of output devices as needed per device so that all of the plurality of output devices maintain playback of the media data files at the same frame and at the same time; and computing a target media time and a media position for the data stream relating to a future time; sending out an User Datagram Protocol (UDP) message comprising the computed target media time and the media position from the media server to each of the plurality of output devices for triggering a time synchronization of the output devices, wherein the target media time is the synchronization time and specifies a reference time that the output devices need to follow when the data stream enters into an adaptive mode.