Method and apparatus for managing presentation of media content

• US 10,284,996 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wollmershauser, Steven M., Sprague, Jr., William O., Sprague, Jason B.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCord, Paul C
• Application Number:
  US15/248,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20170055099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 381 63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/305 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic audio signals to reverberation of the listening space H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to receive a request for reverberation in an environment having a plurality of media devices, and adjust a time delay for audio signals presented by one of the plurality of media devices operably coupled to the set top box based at least in part on the request. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

presenting, via a media processor in a premises having a plurality of media processors that are each associated with a presentation device of a plurality of presentation devices, a selection of available audio effects for the plurality of presentation devices, wherein the plurality of presentation devices have an audio overlap in the premises, wherein the plurality of media processors are communicatively coupled;

receiving a request for reverberation at a first media processor of the plurality of media processors, wherein the first media processor is operably coupled to a first presentation device of the plurality of presentation devices;

selecting an audio effect associated with audio signals and video signals presented by the plurality of presentation devices to the processors as a selected audio effect; and

providing a time delay for each media processor of the plurality of media processors to create the selected audio effect in the premises by each of the plurality of presentation devices based on a configuration of a location and a placement of the plurality of presentation devices wherein the time delay for each media processor comprises respective time signals for each one of the plurality of media processors to create the selected audio effect in the premises through the plurality of presentation devices.

2. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the audio effect comprises echo effects for the premises.

3. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise presenting a selection of potential time delays at one of the plurality of media processors for determining the time delay.

4. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise determining the potential time delays based on media being presented by the plurality of media processors.

5. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises dimensions of the premises, a number of media processors, positions of the plurality of presentation devices, or any combination thereof.

6. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise sensing the configuration.

7. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise receiving information associated with the configuration which is inputted by a user.

8. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the time delay for each media processor based on a type of media being presented by the plurality of media processors.

9. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise wirelessly communicating the respective time signals from the first media processor to a second media processor of the plurality of media processors, wherein the second media processor of the is operably coupled to a second presentation device of the plurality of presentation devices.

10. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the time delay for each media processor is based on a staggered echo configuration where the respective time signals are not uniform.

11. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the time delay for each media processor based on a user profile.

12. A set-top box, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

presenting a selection of available audio effects for a plurality of media processors associated with the set-top box in an environment, wherein the plurality of media processors have an audio overlap in the environment, wherein the plurality of media processors are communicatively coupled;

receiving a selection of an audio effect associated with audio signals and video signals presented by the plurality of media processors as a selected audio effect;

determining potential time delays based on physical parameters associated with the environment as determined time delays, wherein the determined time delays comprise respective time signals for each one of the plurality of media processors to create the selected audio effect in the environment through each media device associated with the plurality of media processors; and

enabling adjusting of the determined time delays for audio signals for the each media device of the plurality of media processors based on the respective time signals to create the selected audio effect in the environment through the plurality of media processors.

13. The set top box of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise presenting available audio effects for the plurality of media processors, wherein the available audio effects comprise reverberation effects for the environment when the plurality of media processors are presenting a same media content in the environment.

14. The set top box of claim 13, wherein the presenting further comprises presenting the potential time delays for the audio signals.

15. The set top box of claim 13, wherein the available audio effects are based on one of a selected time, a selected description, or a selected user profile.

16. The set top box of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise determining the respective time signals based on a type of media being presented by the plurality of media processors.

17. The set top box of claim 12, wherein the physical parameters comprise one of dimensions of the environment, a number of media output devices, or positions of media output devices associated with the plurality of media processors.

18. The set top box of claim 12, wherein the determining the potential time delays is based on a same media content being presented by each media device of the plurality of media processors, and wherein a potential time delays for the audio signals is different from a potential time delay for video signals.

19. A method, comprising:

presenting, by a processing system comprising a processor, a selection of available audio effects for a plurality of media devices, wherein the plurality of media devices have an audio overlap in an environment, and wherein the plurality of media devices are communicatively coupled;

receiving, by the processing system, a selection of an audio effect associated with audio signals and video signals presented by the plurality of media devices as a selected audio effect; and

providing, by the processing system, a time delay for each media device of the plurality of media devices to create the selected audio effect in the environment by each media device based on a configuration of the environment and a placement of each media device, wherein the time delays comprise respective time signals for each one of the media devices to create the selected audio effect in the environment by each of the media devices.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the audio effect comprise echo effects for the environment.