Patent ID: 8461444

Claim:
A tone-generation timing synchronization method for synchronizing timing between first and second electronic music devices each including an interface connectible to a communication network, the tone-generation timing synchronization method comprising the steps of: communicating between the first and second electronic music devices via the communication network so that the first electronic music device sends an inquiry at a time Ta 1 counted by the first electronic music device to the second electronic music device about a present time Tb counted by the second electronic music device; communicating between the first and the second electronic music device so that the second electronic music device sends the present time Tb to the first electronic music device, wherein the present time Tb indicates the time when the second electronic music device receives or responds to the inquiry sent by the first electronic music device; measuring with the first electronic music device, a time Ta 2 at which the first electronic music device receives the present time Tb from the second music device; setting with the first electronic music device, a time Ta 3 that progresses from the time Ta 2 in the first electronic music device; further setting with the first electronic music device, a time interval Td counted from the time Ta 3 by the first electronic music device; and determining with the first electronic music device tone-generation timing, shared between the first electronic music device and the second electronic music device, at which the first electronic music device is synchronized with the second electronic music device in conducting an online real-time session therebetween based on: Td+Tb +( Ta 3 −Ta 1)−( Ta 2 −Ta 1)/2, or Td+Tb +( Ta 3 −Ta 2)+( Ta 2 −Ta 1)/2.