WO2019085925A1

WO2019085925A1 - Media content synchronization method, device and storage medium

Info

Publication number: WO2019085925A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/112880
Authority: WO
Inventors: 杨广煜
Original assignee: 腾讯科技（深圳）有限公司
Priority date: 2017-10-31
Filing date: 2018-10-31
Publication date: 2019-05-09
Also published as: CN109729402B; CN109729402A

Abstract

Provided in the application are a media content synchronization method. The method comprises: sending, by a first media application client, a media information request, requesting to obtain media information of media content being played by a second media application client; receiving, by the first media application client, the media information; and playing, by the first media application client, the media content corresponding to the media information according to the media information. Correspondingly, also provided in the present application is a device for implementing the media content synchronization method.

Description

Method, device and storage medium for synchronizing media content

This application claims the priority of the Chinese Patent Application entitled "Media Content Synchronization Method, Apparatus and Storage Medium" by the Chinese Patent Office, filed on October 31, 2017, the number of which is hereby incorporated by reference. In this application.

Technical field

The present application relates to the field of information technology, and in particular, to a media content synchronization method, apparatus, and storage medium.

background

At present, with the development of the Internet, users are increasingly demanding media resource sharing. Therefore, there is a need for a plurality of users who wish to use different terminal devices to simultaneously watch the same video at different locations, and a need for the same user to change the location or change the terminal device to continue watching while watching a video.

Technical content

The application example of the present application proposes a media content synchronization method, which can realize synchronous play of the same media content between different media application clients. The method includes: the first media application client sends a media information request message, requesting to obtain media information of the media content being played by the second media application client; the first media application client receives the media information; and the first media application client Playing the media content corresponding to the media information according to the media information.

An example of the present application also proposes a media application client, including:

The sending module sends a media information request message to request to obtain media information of the media content being played by the second media application client, in response to the operation of requesting media information of the other user terminal;

a receiving module, configured to receive the media information;

a playing module, configured to play media content corresponding to the media information according to the media information.

The application example further provides a storage medium storing readable instructions, so that at least one processor can execute the above-mentioned media content synchronous playing method.

DRAWINGS

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only It is a certain embodiment of the present invention, and other drawings can be obtained from those skilled in the art without any inventive labor.

1A is a schematic structural diagram of a system according to an example of the present application;

1B is a schematic structural diagram of a system according to another example of the present application;

2 is a flowchart of a method for synchronizing media content according to an embodiment of the present application;

3A is a flowchart of a method for synchronizing media content according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3B is a flowchart of a method for processing a media application client after obtaining media information according to an embodiment of the present application;

3C is a flowchart of a method for processing a media application client after obtaining media information according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

4 is an example of displaying a media content list by a media application client of a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an example of a media content synchronization method according to another embodiment of the present application;

6A is a flowchart of a method for synchronizing media content according to another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6B is a flowchart of a method for processing a media application client after obtaining media information according to an embodiment of the present application;

6C is a flowchart of a method for processing a media application client after obtaining media information according to another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for synchronizing media content according to another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a media application client according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a media application client according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a media application server according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of hardware of a media application client or a media application server according to an embodiment of the present application.

Implementation

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention are clearly and completely described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. It is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts are within the scope of the present invention.

For the sake of brevity and clarity of the description, the aspects of the present invention are set forth below by describing several representative embodiments. Numerous details in the examples are only provided to aid in understanding the aspects of the invention. However, it is obvious that the technical solution of the present invention can be implemented without being limited to these details. In order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present invention, some embodiments are not described in detail, but only the framework is given. Hereinafter, "including" means "including but not limited to", and "according to" means "at least according to ..., but not limited to only based on". When the number of one component is not specifically indicated below, it means that the component may be one or plural, or may be understood as at least one.

As mentioned above, in the rapid development of the Internet, there are currently many users who want to use different terminals to view the same video at different locations in the same place, and the same user wants to change the location during the process of watching a video or Transform the needs of the terminal device to continue watching. This requires sharing and synchronization of the same media content between different terminal devices. There are basically two methods for synchronous playback of existing media. One method is that multiple users open the media playback client separately, find the same media, and then separately watch; another method is on the user terminal with the viewing history. Log in with the same account and synchronize playback with the previously saved viewing history. However, the above two solutions cannot automatically acquire and display the media content that other users are playing, and the operation is cumbersome and the user experience is not good.

In order to solve the above problem, an example of the present application provides a method for synchronously playing media content, which is applied to a media application client of a user terminal, and is used to implement synchronous playback of media content between different media application clients in a network. . For example, when the media application client on any user terminal in the local area network is playing a certain media content, other user terminals in the local area network can automatically obtain the media content being played by the media application client when the media application client is started. And even play progress, and you can directly choose to watch the media content that the other party is watching. At the same time, the playback of the media application client on each user terminal in the network is independent, and each user's playback progress is free, and each user can fast forward and rewind without mutual interference.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a system to which the media synchronization playing method according to some examples of the present application is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the system of the present application includes at least two or more user terminals 11, a network 12, and an application server 13.

In some examples of the present application, the user terminal 11 may be a smart terminal device such as a smart phone, a personal computer, a smart TV, and a tablet computer. The user terminal 11 includes a display device such as a display or a touch screen. Generally, various application clients can be installed on the user terminal 11, for example, a media application client that can play media content, such as an application client such as a Tencent video or a cloud audio Aurora.

In some examples of the present application, the network 12 may refer to the Internet, and the two or more user terminals 11 may respectively access the Internet and connect to the application server 13 via the Internet to communicate with each other.

In some examples of the present application, the network 12 described above may also be referred to as a local area network. The above two or more user terminals 11 and the application server 13 can be constructed together into a local area network, and mutually communicate with each other through a local area network, for example, connected by a hub. The application server 13 is also connected to the local area network. The specific communication protocol can select the IEEE 802.3 protocol of the local area network (LAN), the IEEE 802.11 protocol of the WLAN, the Wi-Fi protocol, and the like. At this time, the two or more user terminals 11 and the user terminal 11 and the application server 13 can communicate with each other through the local area network. In addition, mutual discovery and mutual communication between different devices may be implemented between the two or more user terminals 11 and between the user terminal 11 and the application server 13 through the TCP/IP protocol.

In some examples of the present application, the network 12 described above may also be a network including a local area network, a routing device 14, and the Internet 15. The specific network structure may be as shown in FIG. 1B. Specifically, the foregoing local area network may be a wired local area network or a wireless local area network. The above two or more user terminals 11 can be constructed together with the routing device 14 into a local area network, and mutually communicate with each other through a local area network. The specific communication protocol can select, for example, the IEEE 802.3 protocol of a local area network (LAN), and the IEEE 802.11 protocol of the WLAN. And the Wi-Fi protocol and more. Furthermore, the above two or more user terminals 11 can also be connected to the Internet 15 via the routing device 14, thereby enabling communication with the application server 13 that is also connected to the Internet 14.

The application server 13 is an application server corresponding to an application client installed on the user terminal 11, and may be, for example, a media application server or the like. The application server software in the application server 13 provides services to the user together with the application client software in the user terminal 11, for example, playing a video file or the like. The application server 13 described above may be a separate server or a cluster server composed of a plurality of servers. The above application server 13 may be a server inside a local area network or a public server on the Internet. When the application server 13 is a server inside the local area network, the user terminal 11 inside the network 12 can be directly connected to the application server 13 through the network 12. When the application server 13 is a public server on the Internet, the user terminal 11 inside the network 12 will be linked to the routing device in the network 12 through the network 12, and then connected to the application server 13 on the Internet through the routing device. It should be noted that the example of the present application does not limit the connection manner between the user terminal 11 and the application server 13. That is, in the example of the present application, the application server 13 may be a server inside the local area network or a public server on the Internet, and the user terminal 11 may be different user terminals under the same local area network or may be connected to the Internet respectively. These different network settings do not affect the application of the embodiments of the present application.

In this premise, based on the system structure shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B above, the example of the present application provides a media content synchronization method, which can be applied to a media application client on the user terminal 11, and can implement two The media content between the above media application clients is played synchronously. As described above, the examples of the present application are applicable to a plurality of user terminals connected through a network, for example, when a family members watch a certain program broadcasted by a smart TV together, if one or more of them want to return to their own rooms respectively. The method can be applied when other user terminals continue to watch the program. As another example, a user can apply the method to simultaneously watch other users or programs that the user views on other terminal devices.

Here, without losing the general assumption, the requester that the media content is synchronized is the first media application client, and the requested party is the second media application client.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for synchronously playing media content provided by an example of the present application. The method is performed by the first media application client on the user terminal 11, as shown in FIG. 2, and includes the following steps:

Step 201: Send a media information request message, requesting to obtain media information of the media content being played by the second media application client.

Step 202: Receive media information of media content being played by the second media application client; and

Step 203: Play the media content corresponding to the media information according to the media information.

The operation of the first media application client is different in different network environments of the local area network or the Internet. The processing methods in different network environments will be described in detail through different embodiments.

FIG. 3A is a flowchart of a method for synchronously playing media content provided by an example of the present application. The method is performed by the media application client on the user terminal 11, as shown in FIG. 3A, and includes the following steps:

Step 301: Send a media information request message to one or more second media application clients, requesting that the media information of the media content being played back be fed back.

In one embodiment of the present application, the above step 301 can be triggered to be executed under various conditions. For example, the above step 301 can be performed when the terminal where the first media application client is located is started, for example, when the device is powered on. The above step 301 can also be performed when the first media application client is started to run, for example, when the user clicks the media application client icon or option to start the media application client. When a user starts to run a media application client on a user terminal, the user terminal accesses the network as a node, that is, connects to the network. It should be noted that the above network may be a local area network. At this time, the media information request may be a broadcast message, that is, the activated media application client may send a media information request to all other second media application clients in the local area network by broadcasting.

In another embodiment of the present application, the above step 301 can also be performed when selecting to request other media application client media information. For example, the “View media content being played in the local area network” function option can be set in the interface or menu of the media application client. When the user clicks the function option of “viewing the media content being played in the local area network”, the media application client can A media information request is sent by broadcast to all other nodes in the local area network.

In still another embodiment of the present application, the above step 301 can also be performed when selecting to synchronize to other media application client media playback. For example, the “Sync to media content being played by other users in the LAN” function option can be set in the interface or menu of the media application client. When the user clicks the function option of “synchronize to media content being played by other users”, the media The application client can broadcast a media information request to all other nodes in the LAN. In addition, since each node in the local area can discover the existence of other nodes through the communication protocol and obtain the identifiers of other nodes, it is also possible to further set the "synchronize to the media content being played by other users in the local area network" function option. Set menu options that include all other node IDs in the LAN for the user to select the target user for media content synchronization. In this way, the media information request may further carry the user identifier of the user corresponding to the synchronized second media application client. In this way, in addition to the above broadcast mode, the media application client may directly send a media information request to the target second media application client selected by the user, and request feedback information.

In addition, since there is no central node in the local area network, each node has no primary and secondary points. Therefore, each node can request media information played on other nodes, and can also receive requests from other nodes and feed back the media information played by itself. . Among them, in the local area network, each node distinguishes different nodes by device identifiers such as MAC addresses and device names of the user terminal devices. After accessing the local area network, the media application client on the user terminal can be sure that the other nodes in the same local area network are already connected, that is, the device identifiers of other user terminal devices in the local area network can be obtained. Specifically, the media application client may obtain device identifiers of other user terminal devices in the local area network through a local area network protocol, such as TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, WAPI, and the like.

In some examples, the media information may include: an identification of the media content. The identification of the above media content refers to an identifier that can uniquely determine the media content. In general, the media application client may send a query request to the server according to the identifier of the media content to obtain the address of the media content corresponding to the media content identifier and other information such as the total duration of the play, and therefore, the media application client is identified by the media content. The end can get the address of the media content, such as the URL of the media content. In addition, the foregoing media information may directly include: an address of the media content. In the embodiment of the present application, the media information may further include playing progress information of the media content, such as the played duration or the played ratio. In the embodiment of the present application, the media information may further include play setting information of the media content, such as a full screen setting, a barrage setting, or a playback double speed setting.

In some examples, the media application client on the user terminal may request media information of the media content being played to other user terminals in the network by using a network protocol.

Further, a timeout period, such as 5 seconds, may also be set as a time threshold for receiving a response corresponding to the above request.

Here, the media information request may be a brand new message or implemented by using a pre-reserved field in the existing message, and a pre-agreed string such as "ABC" may be configured in the field. When a media application client received by a user terminal receives the new message sent by another media application client or detects that a reserved field in a message is occupied, it can be determined that a media application client is Request media information for the media content that is playing on itself. In addition, the media information request may be a unicast message that is sent to each user terminal in the network one by one, in addition to the foregoing broadcast mode. It should be noted that the format and specific implementation manner of the media information request are not limited in this application.

At this time, the media application client that receives the request first determines its own playing state, and does not reply if it is in an idle state; if it is playing a certain media content, it feeds back the media information of the currently playing media content. Send the requested media application client.

In addition, the user can also select the function of "masking" or "turning off" others to read their own media information through the function settings. At this point, the media application client will not reply to the request when it receives a media information request from another media application client.

Step 302: Receive media information fed back by one or more second media application clients.

In the example of the present application, if the above timeout period is set, a timer is started at the same time as the media information request is sent, and when the timer expires to the above timeout period, the timer is stopped, during which, if not received Media information can end the process or prompt the user to send a media information request again. If the user chooses to send the media information request again, it can return to the above step 301 to continue the execution. If the media information fed back by one or more media application clients is received before the timer expires, the subsequent steps may be continued.

Here, the foregoing media information may be sent according to a pre-agreed format. Specifically, the pre-agreed format may be an identifier, an address, a total playing duration, and a playback progress of the media content. For example, a media content can be Chucho Chuan 01https://v.qq.com/x/page/f0391428sgt.html 50 15. When the media application client of the user terminal 11 receives the media information sent in the agreed format in the above example, first obtains the identifier of the media content by parsing into "Chu Qiaochuan 01", and then obtains https://v. Qq.com/x/page/f0391428sgt.html is the URL of the media content, "50" is the total duration of the playback (the total duration of the media content is 50 minutes), and "15" is the playback progress (played for 15 minutes). In some examples, if the media application client does not receive the media information, that is, does not receive a response from any of the nodes in the network, it indicates that there is no media content that can be played synchronously in the current network.

After receiving the media information fed back by the media application client, the first media application client may have multiple processing manners to play the media content corresponding to the received media information. The details will be described below.

FIG. 3B shows a process after the first media application client acquires the media information according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3B, the first media application client may perform the following steps after acquiring the media information.

Step 303B: Display the received media information fed back by the one or more second media application clients.

In some embodiments of the present application, the step of displaying the media information may include: adding the received media information fed back by the one or more second media application clients to a media list, and displaying the current interface The list of media.

In some examples, the media application client adds the received media information, such as the identification of the media content, such as a poster, play duration, play progress, and address, to the media list, and displays the media list through its own display device. Users choose according to their liking. It should be noted that, when displaying the media list, only part of the content of the media information may be displayed, for example, only the identifier of the media content, such as a poster, or only the identifier of the media content and the playing progress, and the address of the media content may be displayed. It can also not be displayed.

For example, FIG. 4 is an example of a media application client displaying a media list by the user terminal 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the left side of the media application client interface is a media content play window 401, and the right side is an episode list 403 of media content currently being played, and the media content list 402 that other users are playing is currently popular. Media Content Leaderboard 404. The media content list 402 displays the identifier and/or other information of the media content currently being played by other user terminals in the network, for example, the name or poster of the media content, and the like.

Step 304B: Receive a selection operation for the displayed certain media information.

Step 305B: Request media content corresponding to the media information from the media application server according to the selected media information.

Step 306B: Download and play the media content.

In some examples, in response to the user selecting a displayed piece of media information, such as a selection of a piece of media information in the media list, the media application client configures the address in the selected media information to In its own media player, the media application server is requested to download the media content according to the address.

FIG. 3C shows a process after the first media application client acquires the media information according to another embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3C, the process after the first media application client obtains the media information may include the following steps.

Step 303C: Request, according to the received media information fed back by the one or more second media application clients, the media content corresponding to the media information to the media application server.

Step 304C: Download and play the media content.

Specifically, the first media application client may configure the address in the received media information into its own media player, request the media application server to download the media content according to the address, and play the content.

If the media information received by the first media application client is from multiple second media application clients, the first media application client may select one media information from the media application server, and then request the media corresponding to the media information from the media application server. Content and play the media content. The specific selection method may be random selection, according to a preset user selection preset by the user or according to a priority of the second media application client preset by the user, and preferentially playing the media that the media application client with high priority is playing. content. In addition, if the media information received by the first media application client is from multiple second media application clients, the first media application client may also display the media information, that is, the media from the plurality of second media application clients. The information is presented to the user, asking the user to select the media content they wish to play. The specific display and selection method can refer to the method shown in FIG. 3B. I will not repeat them here.

In the foregoing multiple embodiments, the first media application client plays the media content from the beginning or may further request, according to the address in the media information and the playing progress, to download the portion of the media content that is not but is about to be played. And playing, that is, the playback progress recorded in the subsequent media information continues to play the media content.

In addition, if the media information further includes play setting information of the media content, the first media application client may further perform setting of playing according to the play setting information. For example, if the play setting information includes full-screen play and 1.5 times play, the first media application client can directly play the current media content directly in full screen and at 1.5 times speed.

It should be noted that, during the playing of the media content, the user may control the playing of the media content through a play control button on the media application client interface, for example, pause, fast forward, rewind, or play a progress bar by dragging. To adjust the playback progress independently and so on.

Further, when the media content is played, the user may continue to be prompted to request the media information of the other media application client again. At this time, in response to the operation of requesting the media information of the other media application client, return to the above step 301; In response to the operation of not requesting media information of other media application clients, the above process is ended.

Further, when the user terminal 11 enters the network as a node, the user terminal 11 may also receive a media information request sent by another node as a node while transmitting a media information request to other nodes in the network. The process of receiving the media information request and the process of sending the media information request are asynchronous at the same time.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for realizing synchronous playback of media content when the user terminal 11 functions as a second media application client of the receiving node.

It should be noted that, in the example of the present application, in order to protect the privacy of the user, the user may select whether to feed the media information of the media content currently being viewed to other media application clients according to their own needs, for example, in the above media application. The client's setting selection provides an option of whether to share the playing media content. The user can set whether to share the media information of the media content that is being played by other media application clients, so that the user can control whether it is in accordance with his own needs. The media information of the media content that is being played back is received when receiving the media information request from the other media application client. The media application client will respond to media information requests from other media application clients only when the user chooses to share the media information of the media content that is being played. The following example is based on the user's choice to share the media information of the media content being played by itself. As shown in FIG. 5, the method may include the following steps:

Step 501: Receive a media information request from the first media application client.

In the example of the present application, when the media application client on the user terminal 11 is activated and enters the network as a node, in addition to the media information of the media content that can be played on the other media application client, the media information can be received. Media information requests from other media application clients.

As described above, the foregoing media information request may be a completely new message or implemented by using a pre-reserved field (referred to as a media information field) in the existing message. When the media application client receives the new message sent by another media application client or detects that the media information field in a message is occupied, it can be determined that the message is a media information request. That is, the media application client is requesting media information of the media content that it is playing.

Step 502: Determine whether media content is currently playing, if there is media content being played, perform step 503; if not, end the process.

Step 503: Feed the media information of the media to the first media application client.

In some examples, when the second media application client determines that the media content is currently being played, the media information of the media content is fed back to the first media application client. As described above, the media information may include information such as an identifier of the media content (eg, a poster), an address, a duration of playing, and a progress of playing.

In some examples of the present application, the above method may include: providing an interface setting for the user whether to share its own media information, and performing media content sharing setting in response to the media content sharing setting operation.

It should be noted that, as an alternative to the foregoing method, the user may not be required to pre-set the setting of whether to share the media information, or may further prompt the user to perform the current step 503 before performing the foregoing step 503 on the basis of the user selecting the shared media information. There are other media application clients (for example, the device identifier can be displayed) to request the media information of the media content currently being played by them, and please choose whether to agree to share their own media information, for example, a pop-up dialog box prompts the user "device ** wants to know you If you are watching something wonderful, tell him." When the user chooses to agree to share his own media information, step 503 is continued; otherwise, the process ends.

As can be seen from the foregoing technical solutions, the foregoing media content synchronization playing method can implement synchronous media playback of different media application clients in the same network (for example, the same local area network), so that users can view the same through different media application clients. Media content can even further maintain the consistent playback progress of different media application clients. Further, each media application client still has independent playback control rights, that is, during the playback of the media content, the playback progress of the media content can still be controlled, the user's operation is facilitated, and the user experience is improved. On the other hand, the above method for automatically synchronizing media content playback can avoid various operations of searching for media content and adjusting playback progress when the user plays the same media content on different media application clients, thereby avoiding repeated playback and reducing the number of operations. The interaction between the user terminal and the server improves the efficiency of the terminal device while also saving time, network and power resources.

It should be noted that the above embodiment is described by taking a network structure that can be directly communicated between user terminals 11 such as a local area network. In order to enable synchronous playback of media content on the current Internet, the present application also provides a The media content synchronization method is applied to the media application client and the media application server, respectively. In this method, the requester of the media content synchronization (requesting the media content to the media application client of the other media application client) and the requested party (the media application client synchronized by the requested media content) are associated. Such associations may be different media application clients with the same user identification (ID) or different media application clients with different user IDs that have been established in connection, such as two user IDs that are mutual attention or mutual friends. A corresponding media application client or a media application client corresponding to two user IDs having a one-way attention relationship. Here, it is not a general assumption that the requester for media content synchronization is the first media application client and the requested party is the second media application client.

FIG. 6A is a flowchart of a method for synchronizing media content according to an embodiment of the present application. The method is applied to a first media application client. As shown in FIG. 6A, the method includes the following steps:

Step 601: Send a media information request to the media application server, requesting feedback to the media information of the media content being played by the second media application client.

In an embodiment of the present application, the foregoing step 601 may be performed when the terminal where the first media application client is started, or when the first media application client is started to run, for example, the user clicks on the media application client icon or option. To start the operation of running the media application client. When a user starts to run a media application client on a user terminal, the user terminal accesses the network as a node, that is, connects to the network. At this time, the media application client may send a media information request to the media application server, and request the media information of the media content that is being played by the media application client that has other associations with itself. In some embodiments of the present application, the media information request may not carry the user identifier of the requested party whose media content is synchronized. In some examples of the present application, the media information request may also carry the user identifier of the requested party whose media content is synchronized, for example, may carry the user identifier of the login media application server or the default user identifier set by itself.

In another embodiment of the present application, the foregoing step 601 may also be performed when selecting to request other media application client media information. For example, the media content of other media users may be set in the interface or menu of the media application client. "Function option, when the user clicks the function option of "viewing the media content being played in the local area network", the media application client can send a media information request to the media application server, requesting it to feed back other media application clients associated with itself. The media information of the media content being played. In addition, the media application client may also give a list of user identifiers associated with the user for the user to select, or give a dialog box for the user to input the user representation, and ask the user to input the user identifier corresponding to the second media application client. In this way, the media information request may carry the user identifier selected or input by the user.

In still another embodiment of the present application, the above step 601 can also be performed when selecting to synchronize to other media application client media playback. For example, the “Sync to other users are playing media content” function option can be set in the interface or menu of the media application client. When the user clicks the function option of “viewing the media content being played in the local area network”, the media application client The media information request may be sent to the media application server to request media information of the media content being played by the media application client associated with the other. In addition, the media application client may further display a menu option including a user identifier of another user associated with the user, for the user to select a target user whose media content is synchronized. In this way, the media information request may carry the user identifier corresponding to the second media application client selected by the user.

As mentioned above, the above media information may include: an identifier of the media content. The media information may also include: an address of the media content and a total duration of playing. The media information may further include: play progress information. The media information may further include: playing setting information.

At this time, the media application server that receives the request is authorized to play the playing state of the second media application client, and if it is playing a certain media content, the media information of the media content currently being played by the second media application client is fed back to the sending. The requested first media application client. If it is idle, it may not reply or reply to a response that did not get the response data.

In some examples of the present application, the media information request may further include a device identifier of the first terminal and a corresponding user identifier. The device identifier may be a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) of the first terminal or other identifier that can uniquely identify the device itself. For example, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI); International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI); Electronic Serial Number (ESN) or Mobile Equipment Identity (MEID), and the like.

Step 602: Receive media information that is being played by one or more media application clients fed back by the media application server.

In the example of the present application, if the above timeout period is set, a timer is started at the same time as the media information request is sent, and when the timer expires to the above timeout period, the timer is stopped, during which, if not received Media information can end the process or prompt the user to send a media information request again. If the user chooses to send the media information request again, he can return to step 601 above to continue the execution. If the media information fed back by the media application server is received before the timer expires, the subsequent steps may be continued.

Here, the foregoing media information may be sent according to a pre-agreed format. Specifically, the pre-agreed format may be an identifier, an address, a play duration, and a play progress of the media content.

After receiving the media information fed back by one or more media application clients, there may also be multiple ways to process the media information. FIG. 6B shows a process after the first media application client acquires media information according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 6B, the first media application client may perform the following steps after acquiring the media information.

Step 603B: Display media information of the one or more second media application clients that are received by the media application server.

In some embodiments of the present application, the step of displaying the media information may include: adding the received media information of the one or more second media application clients to a media list, and displaying the current interface Media list.

In some examples, the media application client adds the received media information, such as the identification of the media content, such as a poster, play duration, play progress, and address, to the media list, and displays the media list through its own display device. Users choose according to their liking. It should be noted that, when displaying the media list, only part of the media information may be displayed, for example, only the identifier of the media content, such as a poster, or only the identifier of the media content and the playing progress and/or the playing duration, but for the media. The address of the content can be displayed or not. For an example of the first media application client displaying the media list, reference may also be made to FIG. 4 above.

Step 604B: Receive a selection operation for the displayed certain media information.

Step 605B: Request media content corresponding to the media information from the media application server according to the selected media information.

Step 606B: Download and play the media content.

FIG. 6C shows that the processing after the first media application client obtains the media information according to another embodiment of the present application may include the following steps.

Step 603C: request, according to the received media information of the one or more second media application clients, the media content corresponding to the media information to the media application server;

Step 604C: Download and play the media content.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for synchronizing media content according to an embodiment of the present application. This method is applied to a media application server. As shown in FIG. 7, the method includes the following steps:

Step 701: Receive a media information request from the first media application client.

In some embodiments of the present application, the media information request may include the requested party of the media content synchronization, that is, the second media application client, and the corresponding user identifier.

In some embodiments of the present application, the media information request further includes a requester that synchronizes the media content, that is, the first media application client, the corresponding user identifier, and the device identifier.

Step 702: Acquire, according to the received media information request, media information of the media content currently being played by the second media application client.

And if the user information identifier corresponding to the second media application client is not included in the media information request, the second media that has an association relationship with the user identifier corresponding to the first media application client that is carried in the media information request is obtained. The user identifier corresponding to the client is used, and then the media information of the media content currently being played by the second media application client is obtained according to the user identifier corresponding to the second media application client.

If the media information request carries the user identifier corresponding to the second media application client, the second media application client is currently playing according to the user identifier corresponding to the second media application client carried in the media information request. Media information for media content.

Since the user usually logs in to the media content server by using the specific user identifier before viewing the program through the second media application client, the media application server can obtain the media of the media application that the second media application client is playing according to the user identifier. information.

Step 703: Feed back the obtained media information to the first media application client.

In some examples, as described above, the media information may include information such as an identifier (eg, a poster) of the media content, an address, a play duration, and a playback progress.

It can be seen from the foregoing technical solutions that the foregoing media content synchronous playing method can implement synchronous media playback of different media application clients on the same network (for example, the Internet), so that different users can view the same media content, and even further maintain The playback progress of different media application clients is the same. Further, each media application client still has independent playback control rights, that is, during the playback of the media content, the playback progress of the media content can still be controlled, the user's operation is facilitated, and the user experience is improved. On the other hand, the above method for automatically synchronizing media content playback can avoid various operations of searching for media content and adjusting playback progress when different users play the same media content on different media application clients, thereby avoiding repeated playback and reducing The interaction between the user terminal and the server improves the efficiency of the terminal device while also saving time, network and power resources.

Corresponding to the above media content synchronous playing method, the present application further provides a media application client 800 that implements the above method.

In some examples of the present application, the media application client 800 that implements the media content synchronization playing method may be implemented by the structure diagram shown in FIG. 7, and includes: a sending module 801 and a receiving module 802, and the functions of each module are as follows:

The sending module 801 is configured to send a media information request to request to obtain media information of the media content being played by the second media application client;

The receiving module 802 is configured to receive media information.

The playing module 803 is configured to play the media content corresponding to the media information according to the media information.

In some embodiments of the present application, the media application client 800 may further include:

And a display module, configured to display media information of the one or more media application clients.

a media content requesting module, configured to request, from the media application server, the media content corresponding to the media information according to the selected media information, in response to the selecting operation of the displayed certain media information;

The first download module is configured to download the media content.

And a second downloading module, configured to request the media content corresponding to the media information from the media application server according to the received one of the media information, and download the media content.

For specific implementation methods of the above modules, reference may be made to the above embodiments.

Further, corresponding to the above media content synchronous playing method, the present application further provides a media application client 900 that implements the above method.

The first receiving module 901 is configured to receive a media information request from the first media application client.

The first determining module 902 is configured to determine whether media content is currently being played, and if media content is being played, obtain media information of the media content currently being played.

The first feedback module 903 is configured to feed back media information of the media to the first media application client.

The media application client 900 may further include: a setting module, configured to provide an interface setting for the user to share the media information of the user, and perform the media content sharing setting in response to the media content sharing setting operation.

Further, corresponding to the above media content synchronous playing method, the present application further provides a media application server 1000 that implements the above method.

The second receiving module 1001 is configured to receive a media information request from the first media application client.

The second determining module 1002 is configured to request, according to the media information, the media information of the media content currently being played by the second media application client.

The second feedback module 1003 is configured to feed the obtained media information to the first media application client.

In some embodiments of the present application, the application server may further include: a determining module, configured to determine whether the user identifier corresponding to the second media application client is included in the media information request.

In this case, the second determining module, when the media information request includes the user identifier corresponding to the second media application client, acquires that the second media application client corresponding to the user identifier is currently playing. Obtaining media information of the media content; and acquiring, when the media information request does not include the user identifier corresponding to the second media application client, acquiring a second media application client having an association relationship with the first media application client The media information of the media content currently being played.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the structure of a computing device 1100 in which a user terminal 1100 that implements a media content synchronous playback method is located. As shown in FIG. 11, the computing device includes one or more processors (CPUs) 1102, communication modules 1104, memory 1106, user interfaces 1110, and a communication bus 1108 for interconnecting these components.

The processor 1102 can receive and transmit data through the communication module 1104 to effect network communication and/or local communication.

User interface 1110 includes one or more output devices 1112 that include one or more speakers and/or one or more visual displays. User interface 1110 also includes one or more input devices 1114 including, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a voice command input unit or loudspeaker, a touch screen display, a touch sensitive tablet, a gesture capture camera or other input button or control, and the like.

The memory 1106 can be a high speed random access memory such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid state storage device; or a nonvolatile memory such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, Or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices.

The memory 1106 stores a set of instructions executable by the processor 1102, including:

An operating system 1116, including a program for processing various basic system services and for performing hardware related tasks;

The application 1118 includes various applications for implementing a media content synchronous playback method, and the application can implement the processing flow in each of the above examples, such as a media that can include the media content synchronous playback method shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10. The

client

800, 900 and some or all of the units in the media application server 1000 are applied. At least one of the modules or modules may store machine executable instructions. The processor 1102 can implement the functions of at least one of the modules described above by executing machine executable instructions in at least one of the modules in the memory 1106.

It should be noted that not all the steps and modules in the foregoing processes and the various structural diagrams are necessary, and some steps or modules may be omitted according to actual needs. The order of execution of each step is not fixed and can be adjusted as needed. The division of each module is only for the convenience of description of the functional division. In actual implementation, one module can be implemented by multiple modules, and the functions of multiple modules can also be implemented by the same module. These modules can be located in the same device. It can also be located in different devices.

The hardware modules in the embodiments may be implemented in a hardware manner or a hardware platform plus software. The above software includes machine readable instructions stored in a non-volatile storage medium. Thus, embodiments can also be embodied as software products.

Accordingly, some examples of the present application also provide a computer readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer instructions are executed by a processor to implement the method of any of Figures 2-4 above. step.

In each case, the hardware may be implemented by specialized hardware or hardware that executes machine readable instructions. For example, the hardware can be a specially designed permanent circuit or logic device (such as a dedicated processor such as an FPGA or ASIC) for performing a particular operation. The hardware may also include programmable logic devices or circuits (such as including general purpose processors or other programmable processors) that are temporarily configured by software for performing particular operations.

Additionally, each instance of the present application can be implemented by a data processing program executed by a data processing device such as a computer. Obviously, the data processing program constitutes the present application. Further, a data processing program usually stored in a storage medium is executed by directly reading a program out of a storage medium or by installing or copying the program to a storage device (such as a hard disk and or a memory) of the data processing device. Therefore, such a storage medium also constitutes the present application, and the present application also provides a non-volatile storage medium in which a data processing program is stored, which can be used to execute any of the above-mentioned method examples of the present application. An example.

The machine readable instructions corresponding to the modules in Figures 8, 9 and 10 may cause an operating system or the like operating on a computer to perform some or all of the operations described herein. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium may be inserted into a memory provided in an expansion board within the computer or written to a memory provided in an expansion unit connected to the computer. The CPU or the like installed on the expansion board or the expansion unit can perform part and all of the actual operations according to the instructions.

In addition, the devices and modules in the various examples of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each module may exist physically separately, or two or more devices or modules may be integrated into one unit. The above integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional unit.

The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalents, improvements, etc., which are made within the spirit and principles of the present invention, should be included in the present invention. Within the scope of protection.

Claims

A method of synchronizing media content, including:

The first media application client sends a media information request message, requesting to obtain media information of the media content being played by the second media application client;

Receiving, by the first media application client, the media information;

The first media application client plays the media content corresponding to the media information according to the media information.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first media application client sends the media information request message at any of the following:

When the terminal where the first media application client is located is started,

When the first media application client starts,

When the first media application client detects an operation to select an option to request other media application client media information,

When the first media application client detects an operation to select an option to synchronize to other media application client media information.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sending, by the first media application client, the media information request message comprises: the first media application client sending a media information request to a second media application client connected to the same local area network a message requesting the second media application client to feed back media information of the media content being played.
The method of claim 3 wherein the media information request message is a broadcast message.
The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, by the first media application client, the media information comprises: the first media application client receiving the second media application client feedback connected to the same local area network Media information.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sending, by the first media application client, the media information request message comprises: the first media application client sending a media information request message to the media application server, requesting the media application server to feed back The first media application client has media information of the media content being played by the second media application client of the association relationship.
The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, by the first media application client, the media information comprises: the first media application client receiving the feedback from the media application server and the first media application client The media information of the second media application client having an association relationship.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the media information comprises: an identifier and an address of the media content corresponding to the media information;

The playing, by the first media application client, the media content corresponding to the media information according to the media information includes:

The first media application client displays an identifier of the media content corresponding to the media information;

Receiving, by the first media application client, a selection operation of an identifier of one of the identifiers of the displayed media content;

The first media application client requests, from the media application server, the media content corresponding to the selected media information according to the address information of the media content corresponding to the identifier of the selected media content;

The first media application client downloads and plays the media content.
The method of claim 8, wherein the displaying, by the first media application client, the identifier of the media content corresponding to the media information comprises:

Adding the identifier of the received media content corresponding to the media information to the media information list;

The list of media is displayed.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the media information comprises: an address of the media content corresponding to the media information;

The playing, by the first media application client, the media content corresponding to the media information according to the media information includes:

The first media application client requests media content from a media application server according to an address of one media content in the media information;

The first media application client downloads and plays the media content.
The method according to claim 8 or 10, wherein the media information further comprises: play progress information of the media content corresponding to the media information;

The playing, by the first media application client, the media content includes: adjusting, by the first media application client, the playing progress of the media content according to the playing progress information.
The method according to claim 8 or 10, wherein the media information further comprises: play setting information of the media content corresponding to the media information;

The playing, by the first media application client, the media content comprises: the first media application client performing the play setting of the media content according to the play setting information.
The method of claim 1 further comprising:

Setting, by the first media application client, a timeout period;

The first media application client starts a timer when the media information request is sent according to the timeout period, and stops timing when the timer counts the timeout period; and

If the media information is not received during the timer timing, the process ends.
A media application client, where the media application client includes:

The sending module sends a media information request message, requesting to obtain media information of the media content being played by the second media application client;

a receiving module, configured to receive the media information;

a playing module, configured to play media content corresponding to the media information according to the media information.
The media application client of claim 14, wherein the media application client further comprises:

a display module, configured to display the media information;

a media content requesting module, configured to receive a selection operation of the displayed one piece of media information, and request the media content corresponding to the media information from the media application server according to the selected media information;

The first download module is configured to download the media content.
The media application client according to claim 15, wherein the media application client further comprises:

The second downloading module is configured to request the media content corresponding to the media information from the media application server according to one piece of the media information, and download the media content.
A user terminal comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, the computer program being executed by the processor, causing the processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1-13 method
A storage medium, wherein the machine readable instructions are stored, and at least one processor can be executed to perform the method of any of claims 1-13.