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5G • 5G-Advanced (Rel-18)

Multi-Modal Stream Synchronization

Synchronized Audio, Video, and Haptic Data Transport

Coordinates multi-stream delivery so high-bandwidth video, spatial audio, and low-latency tactile haptic feedback packets arrive synchronized within 5 ms.

Technical Explanation

True immersion requires visual frames, spatial sound, and haptic touch feedback to arrive synchronously; if a tactile touch arrives 20 ms after the visual collision, the human brain rejects the illusion. Rel-18 Multi-Modal Synchronization defines inter-flow time synchronization parameters in 5GC and RAN, buffering and releasing multi-modal streams in tight lockstep.

Key Functions

  • Synchronizes independent video, 3D spatial audio, and tactile haptic sensory flows
  • Enforces inter-stream arrival skew bounds under 5 milliseconds across the air interface
  • Enables realistic tactile internet experiences, medical telesurgery, and robotic control
  • Coordinates multiple QoS flows with widely different bandwidth and packet size profiles
Specifications
3GPP TR 38.835, TS 23.501 (Rel-18)
Interfaces
UuN3N6
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