IP Library Granted Patent US 10,382,657
Granted Patent B2
US 10,382,657 · App. 14/996,293 · Granted Aug 13, 2019

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.
H04N5/04H04L65/601H04N5/265H04N5/44H04N5/607H04N21/233H04N21/235H04N21/242H04N21/435H04N21/4307H04N21/439H04N21/4392H04N21/44004H04N21/4622H04N21/4755H04N21/4828H04N21/8106H04N21/8126H04N21/8133H04N21/8166H04N21/84H04N21/8547H04N21/4325
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,382,657
App. No.
14/996,293
Granted
Aug 13, 2019
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 content is thus synchronized to audio content to ensure streaming content is pleasing.

Claims (39)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an electronic device, a video signal comprising video time stamps and a video threshold time;

receiving, by the electronic device, an audio signal comprising audio time stamps and an audio threshold time;

determining, by the electronic device, a permissible amount of asynchronism embedded by a content provider within at least one of the video signal and the audio signal, the permissible amount of asynchronism specified as the smaller of the two values of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time;

determining, by the electronic device, the smaller of the two values of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time;

determining, by the electronic device, a difference in time between any one of the audio time stamps and any one of the video time stamps; and

delaying, by the electronic device, at least one of the video signal and the audio signal until the difference in time satisfies the permissible amount of asynchronism specified as the smaller of the two values of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing the video time stamps to the audio time stamps.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a content identifier associated with the video signal.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising retrieving a website associated with the content identifier.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a content identifier associated with the audio signal.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising retrieving a website associated with the content identifier.

7. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing code, the code when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

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

receiving an audio signal obtained from a social network, the audio signal comprising audio time stamps and an audio threshold time;

extracting a permissible amount of asynchronism using data embedded by a content provider within at least one of the video signal and the audio signal, the permissible amount of asynchronism specified as the smaller of the two values of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time;

determining the smaller of the two values of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time;

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

delaying at least one of the video signal and the supplemental audio signal until the difference in time satisfies the permissible amount of asynchronism specified as the smaller of the two values of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise comparing the video time stamps to the audio time stamps.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the audio signal leads the video signal.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the audio signal lags the video signal.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a content identifier associated with the video signal.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a website associated with the content identifier.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a content identifier associated with the audio signal.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a website associated with the content identifier.

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

receiving a video signal at a device, the video signal comprising video time stamps and a video threshold time;

receiving a supplemental audio signal at the device, the supplemental audio signal obtained from a social network, the supplemental audio signal comprising audio time stamps and an audio threshold time;

extracting a permissible amount of asynchronism from data embedded by a content provider within at least one of the video signal and the audio signal received at the device, the permissible amount of asynchronism specified by the content provider as the smaller of the two values of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time;

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

comparing the difference in time to the smaller of the two values of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time; and

delaying at least one of the video signal and the audio signal until the difference in time satisfies the permissible amount of asynchronism specified as the smaller of the two values of the video threshold time and the audio threshold time.

16. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise comparing the video time stamps to the audio time stamps.

17. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the audio signal leads the video signal.

18. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the audio signal lags the video signal.

19. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a content identifier associated with the video signal.

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 May 17, 2016
From: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 038617/0102 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 17, 2016
From: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 038722/0625 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 17, 2016
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 038722/0628 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 17, 2016
From: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 038722/0632 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2016
From: MEEK, DENNIS R.; KOCH, ROBERT A.
To: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037499/0598 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 14697660 · Apr 28, 2015
Continuation 14479276 · Sep 6, 2014
Continuation 13587962 · Aug 17, 2012
Continuation 11712249 · Feb 28, 2007
Related Publication 20160134923A1 · May 12, 2016