US 11,736,755 B2
Methods, systems, and media for synchronized media content playback on multiple devices
Benoît de Boursetty, Santa Monica, CA (US); and Joe Bertolami, Culver City, CA (US)
Assigned to Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Appl. No. 16/976,619
Filed by Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 24, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/029128
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 28, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/209269, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0044855 A1, Feb. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. H04N 21/43 (2011.01); H04N 21/234 (2011.01)
CPC H04N 21/4302 (2013.01) [H04N 21/234 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for synchronizing playback of media content, the method comprising:
receiving, at a server, a first communication to present a media content item from a first user device and a second communication to present the media content item from a second user device;
transmitting, from the server to the first user device and to the second user device, media content data corresponding to the media content item for storage on the first user device and the second user device;
receiving, at a first time point, a message from the first user device that includes an indication that the first user device has buffered a predetermined amount of the media content data and a communication to begin presenting the media content item on the first user device;
receiving, at a second time point, a message from the second user device that includes an indication that the second user device has buffered the predetermined amount of the media content data and a communication to begin presenting the media content item on the second user device;
in response to determining that the first user device and the second user device have each buffered the predetermined amount of the media content data, transmitting instructions to the first user device and to the second user device that cause the first user device and the second user device to begin presenting the media content item;
receiving, from a third user device, after transmitting instructions to the first user device and the second user device that cause the first user device and the second user device to begin presenting the media content item, a communication to join presentation of the media content item;
determining a playback position from which the third user device is to begin presentation of the media content item, wherein the first user device and the second user device have not yet reached the playback position; and
transmitting instructions to the third user device to begin presentation of the media content item from the playback position at a specified time in response to receiving an indication from the third user device that the predetermined amount of the media content data that corresponds to media content after the playback position has been buffered by the third user device.