Simultaneously rendering a plurality of digital media streams in a synchronized manner by using a descriptor file

• US 10,237,595 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audio Pod IP, LLC (Audio Pod Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Audio Pod Inc.
• Inventors: McCue, John, McCue, Robert, Shostakovsky, Gregory, McCue, Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Alan S
• Application Number:
  US15/652,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 709231
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content

Abstract

A plurality of digital media streams are synchronized by using a descriptor file. The plurality of digital media streams includes a first digital media stream containing a digital audio narration of an originating work and a second digital media stream containing digital media content corresponding to the same originating work. The descriptor file contains location information for the plurality of digital media streams, synchronization time offsets in a timeline of the digital audio narration of the first digital media stream, and synchronization points in the digital media content of the second digital media stream that correspond to the synchronization time offsets. Two or more of the plurality of digital media streams, including the second digital media stream, are simultaneously rendered in a synchronized manner by accessing the descriptor file and correlating the synchronization points and the synchronization time offsets.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

downloading to a first client device a descriptor file for synchronizing a plurality of digital media streams, wherein the plurality of digital media streams each contain digital media content corresponding to a same originating work, wherein the plurality of digital media streams includes a first digital media stream containing a digital audio narration of the originating work and one or more other digital media streams, wherein the one or more other digital media streams include a second digital media stream, and wherein the descriptor file is external to the first digital media stream;

determining, by the first client device, from the descriptor file location information for two or more of the plurality of digital media streams, wherein the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams include the second digital media stream;

determining, by the first client device, from the descriptor file synchronization points in the digital media content of the second digital media stream that correspond to synchronization time offsets in a timeline of the digital audio narration of the first digital media stream, wherein the synchronization time offsets and the synchronization points are stored in the descriptor file in a manner indicating a correlation between the synchronization time offsets and the synchronization points;

locating, by the first client device, the two or more of the plurality of digital medial streams by using the location information; and

simultaneously rendering, by the first client device, the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams in a synchronized manner by correlating the synchronization points and the synchronization time offsets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the digital media content of the second digital media stream is contained in the descriptor file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the synchronization points in the part of the digital media content of the second digital media stream contained in the descriptor file are determined from the arrangement of the part of the digital media content in the descriptor file.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the part of the digital media content of the second digital media stream contained in the descriptor file is text content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams that are simultaneously rendered further include the first digital media stream.

6. The method of claim 5, where the second digital media stream contains an electronic text of the originating work.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing automated page turns as the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams are simultaneously rendered.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more other digital media streams further include a third digital media stream, and wherein the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams that are simultaneously rendered further include the third digital media stream, the method further comprising:

determining, by the first client device, from the descriptor file synchronization points in the digital media content of the third digital media stream that correspond to synchronization time offsets in the timeline of the digital audio narration of the first digital media stream.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital media streams are derived from the same originating work, and wherein the originating work is a written work.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital media content of each of the plurality of digital media streams includes an audio recording, a video recording, an audio/video recording, a static image, a moving image, an animation, an illustration, text content, footnote content, quotation content, user-entered content, advertising content, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking a current position in at least one of the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams as the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams are rendered.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

creating a bookmark by setting the current position as a bookmarked position, wherein the bookmark includes the bookmarked position and identifies the descriptor file; and

storing the bookmark on the first client device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

rendering one or more of the plurality of digital media streams starting from the bookmarked position on the first client device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more of the plurality of digital media streams were not used to create the bookmark.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transferring the bookmark from the first client device to a second client device; and

storing the bookmark on the second client device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

rendering one or more of the plurality of digital media streams starting from the bookmarked position on the second client device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the descriptor file contains location information for the plurality of digital media streams, the synchronization time offsets in the timeline of the digital audio narration of the first digital media stream, and synchronization points in the digital media content of each of the one or more other digital media streams that correspond to the synchronization time offsets.

18. A method comprising:

downloading to first and second client devices a descriptor file for synchronizing a plurality of digital media streams, wherein the plurality of digital media streams each contain digital media content corresponding to a same originating work, wherein the plurality of digital media streams includes a first digital media stream containing a digital audio narration of the originating work and one or more other digital media streams, wherein the one or more other digital media streams include a second digital media stream, and wherein the descriptor file is external to the first digital media stream;

determining, by the first and second client devices, from the descriptor file location information for two or more of the plurality of digital media streams, wherein the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams include the second digital media stream;

determining, by the first or second client device, from the descriptor file synchronization points in the digital media content of the second digital media stream that correspond to synchronization time offsets in a timeline of the digital audio narration of the first digital media stream, wherein the synchronization time offsets and the synchronization points are stored in the descriptor file in a manner indicating a correlation between the synchronization time offsets and the synchronization points;

locating, by the first and second client devices, the two or more of the plurality of digital medial streams by using the location information; and

simultaneously rendering, by the first and second client devices, the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams in a synchronized manner by correlating the synchronization points and the synchronization time offsets, wherein at least one of the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams is rendered on the first client device while at least a different one of the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams is simultaneously rendered on the second client device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

download a descriptor file for synchronizing a plurality of digital media streams, wherein the plurality of digital media streams each contain digital media content corresponding to a same originating work, wherein the plurality of digital media streams includes a first digital media stream containing a digital audio narration of the originating work and one or more other digital media streams, wherein the one or more other digital media streams include a second digital media stream, and wherein the descriptor file is external to the first digital media stream;

determine from the descriptor file location information for two or more of the plurality of digital media streams, wherein the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams include the second digital media stream;

determine from the descriptor file synchronization points in the digital media content of the second digital media stream that correspond to synchronization time offsets in a timeline of the digital audio narration of the first digital media stream, wherein the synchronization time offsets and the synchronization points are stored in the descriptor file in a manner indicating a correlation between the synchronization time offsets and the synchronization points;

locate the two or more of the plurality of digital medial streams by using the location information; and

simultaneously render the two or more of the plurality of digital media streams in a synchronized manner by correlating the synchronization points and the synchronization time offsets.