IP Library Granted Patent US 7,907,212
Granted Patent B2
US 7,907,212 · App. 11/384,922 · Granted Mar 15, 2011

Multiple path audio video synchronization

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,907,212
App. No.
11/384,922
Granted
Mar 15, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

Audio video synchronization begins by receiving an audio-video signal via a first communication path. The processing continues by capturing a representation of an audio component of the audio-video signal, wherein the audio component was rendered audible via a second communication path. The processing continues by deriving a reference representation of the audio component of the audio-video signal received via the first communication path. The processing continues by aligning a video component of the audio video-signal of the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path based on the representation of the audio component and the reference representation of the audio component.

Claims (65)

1. A method comprises:

receiving an audio-video signal via a first communication path;

capturing a representation of an audio component of the audio-video signal, wherein the audio component was rendered audible via a second communication path;

deriving a reference representation of the audio component of the audio-video signal received via the first communication path; and

aligning a video component of the audio video-signal of the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path by determining an offset between the representation of the audio component and the reference representation of the audio component and aligning the video component of the audio video-signal received via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path based on the offset.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capturing the representation comprises:

receiving an audible rendition of the audio component via the second communication path;

converting the audible rendition into an analog audio signal; and

converting the analog audio signal into a digitized audio signal.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the deriving a reference representation of the audio component comprises:

decoding a digital audio file portion of the audio-video signal into a digitized reference audio signal to provide the reference representation of the audio component.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the aligning the video component of the audio video-signal received via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path comprises:

determining the offset between the digitized audio signal and the digitized reference audio signal; and

aligning the video component of the audio video-signal received via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path based on the offset.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the determining the offset comprises at least one of:

correlating at least portion a frequency range of the digitized audio signal with at least portion a frequency range of the digitized reference audio signal;

interpreting embedded frame information;

interpreting signal properties of the digitized audio signal and the digitized reference audio signal; and

interpreting at least one of peak levels, envelopes, and waveforms of the digitized audio signal and the digitized reference audio signal.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprises:

providing the offset to a transmitting source of the audio-video signal; and

adjusting transmission of the audio-video signal via the first communication path and the transmission of the audio component of the audio video signal via the second communication path based on the offset such that for subsequent audio-video signals transmitted by the transmission source, the video component of the audio video-signal transmitted via the first communication path is substantially aligned with the audio component of the audio video signal transmitted via the second communication path.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the determining the offset comprises at least one of:

utilizing a nominal offset to transmit the audio-video signal via the first communication path and the audio component of the audio-video signal via the second communication path;

determining whether alignment differences between the video component of the audio video-signal of the first communication path and the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path are within a range of acceptable alignment differences; and

when the alignment differences are within the range of acceptable alignment differences, setting the offset as the nominal offset.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprises:

when the alignment differences are not within the range of acceptable alignment differences, establishing the offset based on the nominal offset and the alignment differences.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

subsequent to the aligning of the video component of the audio video-signal received via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path:

rendering the audio component of the audio-video signal audible via at least one of a remote device that receives the audio component via the first communication path and a source device that receives the audio component via the second communication path.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

updating the aligning of the video component of the audio video-signal received via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path.

11. A system comprises:

a source for providing an audio-video signal via a first communication path and an audio component of the audio-video signal via a second communication path; and

a remote device for capturing a representation of the audio component of the audio-video signal from the second communication path, wherein at least one of the source and the remote device aligns a video component of the audio video-signal provided via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal provided via the second communication path by determining an offset between the representation of the audio component and a reference representation of the audio component of the audio-video signal provided via the first communication path and aligning the video component of the audio video-signal received via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path based on the offset.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the remote device further functions to capture the representation by:

receiving an audible rendition of the audio component via the second communication path;

converting the audible rendition into an analog audio signal; and

converting the analog audio signal into a digitized audio signal.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the remote device and the source further functions to:

generate the reference representation of the audio component of the audio-video signal provided via the first communication path by decoding a digital audio file portion of the audio-video signal into a digitized reference audio signal to provide the reference representation of the audio component.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one of the remote device and the source align the video component of the audio video-signal received via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path by:

determining the offset between the digitized audio signal and the digitized reference audio signal; and

aligning the video component of the audio video-signal received via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path based on the offset.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one of the remote device and the source determine the offset by at least one of:

correlating at least portion a frequency range of the digitized audio signal with at least portion a frequency range of the digitized reference audio signal;

interpreting embedded frame information;

interpreting signal properties of the digitized audio signal and the digitized reference audio signal; and

interpreting at least one of peak levels, envelopes, and waveforms of the digitized audio signal and the digitized reference audio signal.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one of the remote device and the source further functions to:

provide the offset to a transmitting source of the audio-video signal; and

adjust transmission of the audio-video signal via the first communication path and the transmission of the audio component of the audio video signal via the second communication path based on the offset such that for subsequent audio-video signals transmitted by the transmission source, the video component of the audio video-signal transmitted via the first communication path is substantially aligned with the audio component of the audio video signal transmitted via the second communication path.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one of the remote device and the source further functions to determine the offset by at least one of:

utilizing a nominal offset to transmit the audio-video signal via the first communication path and the audio component of the audio-video signal via the second communication path;

determining whether alignment differences between the video component of the audio video-signal of the first communication path and the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path are within a range of acceptable alignment differences; and

when the alignment differences are within the range of acceptable alignment differences, setting the offset as the nominal offset.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one of the remote device and the source further functions to:

when the alignment differences are not within the range of acceptable alignment differences, establish the offset based on the nominal offset and the alignment differences.

19. The system of claim 11 further comprises:

subsequent to the aligning of the video component of the audio video-signal received via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal of the second communication path:

the remote device rendering the audio component of the audio-video signal received via the first communication path audible; and

the source rendering the audio component of the audio-video signal provided via the second communication path audible.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the remote device and the source further functions to:

update the aligning of the video component of the audio video-signal provided via the first communication path with the audio component of the audio video signal provided via the second communication path.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2025
From: PIXELWORKS, INC.
To: BITHARMONY, LLC
Reel/Frame 073147/0288 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2021
From: VIXS SYSTEMS, INC.
To: PIXELWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 056697/0568 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2017
From: COMERICA BANK
To: VIXS SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 043601/0817 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 11, 2009
From: VIXS SYSTEMS INC.
To: COMERICA BANK
Reel/Frame 022240/0446 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CHANGE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 017689 FRAME 0022. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Mar 6, 2007
From: GIRARDEAU, JAMES WARD; SALEEM, SHAWN
To: VIXS SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 018967/0797 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2006
From: GIRARDEAU, JAMES WARD; SALEEM, SHAWN
To: VIXS, INC., A CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 017689/0022 →