IP Library Granted Patent US 11,361,773
Granted Patent B2
US 11,361,773 · App. 16/553,579 · Granted Jun 14, 2022

Using non-audio data embedded in an audio signal

Inventors: Thomas Richard Henry Dewey (Cambridge, GB); Robert Caston Curtis (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: Roku, Inc.
G10L19/008G06F3/162H04R3/14H04R5/02H04R5/04H04S1/007
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,361,773
App. No.
16/553,579
Granted
Jun 14, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments included herein generally relate to using non-audio data embedded in an audio signal. More particularly, embodiments relate to using non-audio data embedded into the audio signal to control an audio configuration of a plurality of speakers and/or to measure a delay of a playback device.

Claims (38)

1. A method comprising:

measuring, by a media content device, in response to detecting a wired connection between the media content device and a playback device, a clocking sample from an internal clock of the media content device that stores media content;

encoding the clocking sample to generate a first audio stream;

combining, by the media content device, the first audio stream with a second audio stream to generate a combined audio stream, wherein the second audio stream is the media content;

transmitting, by the media content device, the combined audio stream through the playback device, wherein the combined audio stream includes the media content and is processed by the playback device;

receiving, by the media content device, a returned signal from the playback device, wherein the returned signal includes audio samples;

decoding, by the media content device, the audio samples received from the playback device to extract timestamps of the playback device; and

comparing, by the media content device, the extracted timestamps of the playback device with the clocking sample of the media content device to determine a latency of the playback device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a timing of the second audio stream based on the latency of the playback device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wired connection comprises a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connection or an optical Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) cable.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the playback device comprises an audio-visual transceiver.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein encoding the clocking sample comprises encoding the clocking sample using a frequency shift keying scheme.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first audio stream is generated at a frequency inaudible to humans.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first audio stream is centered at a frequency of about 19.5 Khz.

8. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:

measure a clocking sample from an internal clock of a media content device that stores media content in response to detecting a wired connection between the media content device and a playback device;

encode the clocking sample to generate a first audio stream;

combine the first audio stream with a second audio stream to generate a combined audio stream, wherein the second audio stream is the media content;

transmit the combined audio stream through the playback device, wherein the combined audio stream includes the media content and is processed by the playback device;

receive, by the media content device, a returned signal from the playback device, wherein the returned signal includes audio samples;

decode, by the media content device, the audio samples received from the playback device to extract timestamps of the playback device; and

compare, by the media content device, the extracted timestamps of the playback device with the clocking sample of the media content device to determine a latency of the playback device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust a timing of the second audio stream based on the latency of the playback device.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the wired connection comprises a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connection or an optical Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) cable.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the playback device comprises an audio-visual transceiver.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein, to encode the clocking sample, the processor is further configured to encode the clocking sample using a frequency shift keying scheme.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first audio stream is generated at a frequency inaudible to humans.

14. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

measuring, by a media content device, in response to detecting a wired connection between the media content device and a playback device, a clocking sample from an internal clock of the media content device;

encoding the clocking sample to generate a first audio stream;

combining, by the media content device, the first audio stream with a second audio stream to generate a combined audio stream, wherein the second audio stream is the media content;

transmitting, by the media content device, the combined audio stream through the playback device, wherein the combined audio stream includes the media content and is processed by the playback device;

receiving, by the media content device, a returned signal from the playback device, wherein the returned signal includes audio samples;

decoding, by the media content device, the audio samples received from the playback device to extract timestamps of the playback device; and

comparing, by the media content device, the extracted time stamps of the playback device with the clocking sample of the media content device to determine a latency of the playback device.

15. The medium of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise adjusting a timing of the second audio stream based on the latency of the playback device.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2024
From: ROKU, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 068982/0377 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT (REEL/FRAME 051300/0931) Recorded Feb 22, 2023
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: ROKU, INC.; ROKU DX HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062826/0205 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2019
From: ROKU, INC.; ROKU DX HOLDINGS, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 051300/0931 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2019
From: DEWEY, THOMAS RICHARD HENRY; CURTIS, ROBERT CASTON
To: ROKU, INC.
Reel/Frame 050199/0240 →
Continuity (1)
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