Method for synchronizing an alternative audio stream

• US 10,503,460 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Becker, Claudia, Besset, Benoit, Veillard, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US15/779,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20180329669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• 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 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content

Abstract

A method for synchronising a first audio stream, reproduced in the form of a sound signal by a reproduction device near a terminal, with an alternative audio stream received by the terminal. The terminal also receives a control stream representing the first audio stream reproduced on the reproduction device, the control stream and the alternative audio stream being synchronised according to a single time reference. the method includes: capturing a portion of the sound signal; transmitting to the reproduction device a command to suspend the reading of the first stream; obtaining a first data item representing at least one portion of the captured sound signal; detecting the first data item in the control stream and, when the first data item is detected in the control stream, transmitting to the reproduction device a command to resume reading the first stream; and reproducing the alternative audio stream received by the terminal.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing a first audio stream played back in the form of a sound signal by a playback device in proximity to a terminal with an alternative audio stream received by the terminal, the method comprising the following acts performed by the terminal:

capturing a part of the sound signal,

receiving a control stream representative of the first audio stream played back on the playback device, the control stream and the alternative audio stream being synchronized according to a same time reference,

obtaining a first datum representative of at least a part of the captured sound signal, and

prior to playing back the alternative audio stream received by the terminal;

emitting, to the playback device, a command to pause reading of the first audio stream,

detecting the first datum in the control stream, and

upon detection of the first datum in the control stream;

emitting, to the playback device, a command to resume reading of the first audio stream.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first representative datum is an acoustic imprint computed from at least a part of the captured sound signal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, from the control stream, a second datum representative of a part of the audio signal of which the control stream is representative, and memorizing a first time stamp,

capturing the sound signal played back by the playback device,

detecting the second datum in the captured sound signal, and

when the second datum is detected in the captured signal;

determining a second time stamp, and

applying a delay to the alternative audio stream, the delay corresponding to the time interval between the first and second stamps.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second representative datum is an acoustic imprint computed from a part of an audio signal.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control stream is an audio stream.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of control streams are received by the terminal, the control streams corresponding to the audio tracks available on the playback device.

7. A method for aligning a first audio stream played back in the form of a sound signal by a playback device in proximity to a terminal with an alternative audio stream received by the terminal, the method comprising:

the terminal receiving the alternative audio stream and receiving a control stream representative of the first audio stream played back on the playback device, the control stream and the alternative audio stream being synchronized according to a same time reference, and

on receipt of a message comprising an indication according to which playback of the first audio stream by the playback device has been paused, performing the following acts;

obtaining, from the control stream, a datum representative of a part of the audio signal of which the control stream is representative, and memorizing a first time stamp,

capturing the sound signal played back by the playback device,

detecting the datum in the captured sound signal, and

when the datum is detected from the captured signal;

determining a second time stamp, and

applying a delay to the alternative audio stream, the delay corresponding to the time interval between the first and second stamps, and

playing back the alternative audio stream received by the terminal.

8. A device for synchronizing a first audio stream played back by a playback device in proximity with an alternative audio stream received by the device, wherein the device receives a control stream corresponding to the first audio stream played back on the playback device, the control stream and the alternative audio stream being synchronized according to a same time reference, and wherein the device comprises:

an audio interface, adapted to capture a part of the sound signal played back by the playback device,

a communication interface, adapted to receive at least the alternative audio stream and a control stream,

a signal processing unit, adapted to obtain a first datum representative of at least a part of the captured sound signal,

a detector, configured to detect, in the control stream, the first datum,

wherein the communication interface is also adapted to, prior to playing back the alternative audio stream received by the terminal;

emit, to the playback device, a command to pause reading of the first audio stream;

upon detection of the first datum in the control stream by the detector, emit to the playback device a command to resume the reading of the first audio stream.

9. A terminal comprising the device as claimed in claim 8.

10. A non-transitory processor-readable information medium, on which is stored a computer program comprising instructions for executing a synchronization method when the program is run by a processor of a terminal, wherein the synchronization method comprises synchronizing a first audio stream played back in the form of a sound signal by a playback device in proximity to the terminal with an alternative audio stream received by the terminal, including the following acts performed by the terminal:

capturing a part of the sound signal,

receiving a control stream representative of the first audio stream played back on the playback device, the control stream and the alternative audio stream being synchronized according to a same time reference,

obtaining a first datum representative of at least a part of the captured sound signal, and

prior to playing back the alternative audio stream received by the terminal;

emitting, to the playback device, a command to pause reading of the first audio stream,

detecting the first datum in the control stream, and

upon detection of the first datum in the control stream;

emitting, to the playback device, a command to resume reading of the first audio stream.