IP Library Granted Patent US 9,049,406
Granted Patent B2
US 9,049,406 · App. 14/479,276 · Granted Jun 2, 2015

Methods, systems, and products for alternate audio sources

Inventors: Dennis Meek (Norcross, GA); Robert A. Koch (Norcross, GA)
Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
H04N5/607H04N21/233H04N21/235H04N21/4307H04N21/4325H04N21/435H04N21/439H04N21/4755H04N21/4828H04N21/8106H04N21/8126H04N21/8133H04L65/601H04N21/4392H04N21/44004H04N21/4622H04N21/8166H04N21/84H04N21/8547
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,049,406
App. No.
14/479,276
Granted
Jun 2, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Audio and video signals are synchronized for pleasing presentation of content. As content is streamed to a device, an audio portion may lag or lead a video portion. Spoken words, for example, are out of synch with the lip movements. Video time stamps are synchronized to audio time stamps to ensure streaming content is pleasing.

Claims (37)

1. A method, comprising:

processing, by a processor, a video signal having video time stamps and a video threshold time;

separately receiving, by the processor, an audio source comprising audio time stamps and an audio threshold time;

comparing, by the processor, the audio time stamps to the video time stamps;

determining, by the processor, a difference in time between one of the audio time stamps and a corresponding one of the video time stamps; and

delaying, by the processor, the audio source until the difference in time is within the smaller one of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising querying for alternate audio sources for the video signal.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising selecting the audio source as one of the alternate audio sources.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving a user's selection of the audio source from a listing of the alternate audio sources.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising retrieving the threshold time from the video signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising retrieving, from the video signal, an amount of permissible asynchronism between the video signal and the audio source.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising retrieving, from the audio source, an amount of permissible asynchronism between the video signal and the audio source.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a video signal having video time stamps and a video threshold time;

separately receiving an audio source comprising audio time stamps and an audio threshold time;

comparing the audio time stamps to the video time stamps;

determining a difference in time between one of the audio time stamps and a corresponding one of the video time stamps; and

delaying the audio source until the difference in time is within the smaller one of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise querying for alternate audio sources for the video signal.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise selecting the audio source as one of the alternate audio sources.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a user's selection of the audio source from a listing of the alternate audio sources.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the video threshold time from the video signal.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving, from the video signal, an amount of permissible asynchronism between the video signal and the audio source.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving, from the audio source, an amount of permissible asynchronism between the video signal and the audio source.

15. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a video signal having video time stamps and a video threshold time;

separately receiving an audio source comprising audio time stamps and an audio threshold time;

comparing the audio time stamps to the video time stamps;

determining a difference in time between one of the audio time stamps and a corresponding one of the video time stamps; and

delaying the audio source until the difference in time is within the smaller one of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time.

16. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise querying for alternate audio sources for the video signal.

17. The memory device of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise selecting the audio source as one of the alternate audio sources.

18. The memory device of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a user's selection of the audio source from a listing of the alternate audio sources.

19. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the video threshold time from the video signal.

20. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving, from the video signal, an amount of permissible asynchronism between the video signal and the audio source.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2024
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 066745/0552 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2014
From: MEEK, DENNIS R.; KOCH, ROBERT A.
To: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 033685/0047 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2014
From: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 033685/0156 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 8, 2014
From: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 033694/0648 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 8, 2014
From: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 033694/0657 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 8, 2014
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 033694/0660 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 13587962 · Aug 17, 2012
Continuation 11712249 · Feb 28, 2007
Related Publication 20140375883A1 · Dec 25, 2014