IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,950,270
Granted Patent B2
US 10,950,270 · App. 16/561,355 · Granted Mar 16, 2021

Audio modification for adjustable playback rate

Inventors: Ross Gilson (Philadelphia, PA); John Hart (Philadelphia, PA); Mark Francisco (Clarksburg, NJ)
Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
G11B27/005G10L21/055G11B27/036G11B27/19
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,950,270
App. No.
16/561,355
Granted
Mar 16, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Features described herein relate to providing the capability to playback audiovisual content in a comprehensible manner at a rate adjustable by the viewer. For example, if a viewer wishes to watch a one hour news program, but the viewer only has thirty minutes to view the program, playback of the program at twice the rate, but in a comprehensible manner is provided. To provide the playback of the video at the adjustable rate, substitute audio is generated by adding or removing audio content without changing the playback rate of the audio. The video at the adjusted playback rate and the substitute audio at the normal playback rate may have the same duration and in some embodiments, may be presented synchronously.

Claims (42)

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a computing device, a video portion of audio-visual content at a modified playback rate different from a first playback rate of the video portion;

determining, based on a duration of the video portion at the modified playback rate, an alternative audio to be output at the first playback rate; and

providing, with the video portion at the modified playback rate, the alternative audio at the first playback rate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alternative audio comprises an altered version of an audio portion of the audio-visual content.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

synchronizing sounds of the alternative audio with action in the video portion of the audio-visual content at the modified playback rate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining further comprises

selecting, based on the duration of the video portion at the modified playback rate, the alternative audio from a plurality of alternative audios, wherein a duration of the alternative audio at the first playback rate corresponds to the duration of the video portion at the modified playback rate.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

adjusting a duration of the alternative audio at the first playback rate to the duration of the video portion at the modified playback rate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alternative audio replaces an audio portion of the audio-visual content.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

modifying sounds in the alternative audio at the first playback rate to synchronize with lip movement of a person imaged in the video portion.

8. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, a video portion, wherein the video portion is to be output at a modified playback rate that is different from a first playback rate of the video portion;

determining, based on a duration of the video portion to be output at the modified playback rate, an alternative audio to be output at the first playback rate; and

synchronizing sounds of the alternative audio with the video portion to be output at the modified playback rate.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the alternative audio comprises an altered version of an audio portion corresponding to the video portion.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

causing output of the video portion at the modified playback rate and output of the alternative audio at the first playback rate.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the synchronizing comprises

modifying the sounds in the alternative audio at the first playback rate to synchronize with lip movement of a person imaged in the video portion.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining comprises

adding, to an audio portion corresponding to the video portion and based on the modified playback rate of the video portion, information.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining comprises

removing, from an audio portion corresponding to the video portion and based on the modified playback rate of the video portion, information.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the alternative audio replaces an audio portion corresponding to the video portion.

15. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, a video portion, wherein the video portion is to be output at a modified playback rate that is different from a first playback rate of the video portion;

modifying, based on the first playback rate and a duration of the video portion to be output at the modified playback rate, an audio portion corresponding to the video portion; and

causing output of the video portion at the modified playback rate and output of the modified audio portion at the first playback rate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the modifying comprises

adding, to the audio portion and based on the modified playback rate of the video portion, information.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the modifying comprises

removing, from the audio portion and based on the modified playback rate of the video portion, information.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the modifying comprises

replacing, in the audio portion and based on the modified playback rate of the video portion, spoken words with longer or shorter synonymous words, or

replacing audio content with a summary of the audio content in the audio portion.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein a duration of the modified audio portion at the first playback rate corresponds to the duration of the video portion at the modified playback rate.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

synchronizing sounds of the modified audio portion with the video portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 4, 2020
From: GILSON, ROSS; HART, JOHN; FRANCISCO, MARK
To: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 054552/0929 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15293560 · Oct 14, 2016
Continuation 14279903 · May 16, 2014
Related Publication 20200243114A1 · Jul 30, 2020