Methods and systems for synchronizing visualizations with audio streams

• US 20050188012A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Novak, Michael J., Harris, Geoffrey, Olson, Kipley J., Feller, Chris, Dideriksen, Tedd
• Granted Patent: US 7,620,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Methods and systems are described that assist media players in rendering visualizations and synchronizing those visualizations with audio samples. In one embodiment, visualizations are synchronized with an audio stream using a technique that builds and maintains various data structures. Each data structure can maintain data that is associated with a particular pre-processed audio sample. The maintained data can include a timestamp that is associated with a time when the audio sample is to be rendered. The maintained data can also include various characteristic data that is associated with the audio stream. When a particular audio sample is being rendered, its timestamp is used to locate a data structure having characteristic data. The characteristic data is then used in a visualization rendering process to render a visualization.

Claims

1. A system for synchronizing a visualization with audio samples comprising:

first means configured to receive and preprocess audio samples before the samples are rendered by a renderer that comprises part of a media player, the first means preprocessing the samples to provide characterizing data derived from each sample, the characterizing data comprising a timestamp associated with each audio sample, the timestamp being assigned in accordance with when the audio sample is calculated to be rendered by the renderer, wherein the first means comprises a Fast Fourier Transform that it utilizes to process the audio samples to provide frequency data associated with the audio samples;

second means to hold the characterizing data, each second means being associated with an audio sample;

third means configured to call the first means to ascertain the characterizing data associated with an audio sample that is currently being rendered by the renderer;

the first means being configured to ascertain said characterizing data by querying the renderer for a time associated with the currently-rendered audio sample, and then using said time to identify a data structure having a timestamp that is nearest in value to said time; and

fourth means configured to receive characterizing data that is associated with the second means having the timestamp that is nearest in value to said time, and use the characterizing data to render a visualization that is synchronized with the audio sample that is being rendered by the renderer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the characterizing data comprises frequency data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the visualization is rendered in a rendering area in which other media types can be rendered.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the other media types comprise a video type.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the other media types comprise a skin type.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the other media types comprise a HTML type.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the other media types comprise an animation type.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said means for providing comprises means for increasing a call interval associated with calls that are made to a visualization-rendering component.

8. A system for providing a visualization comprising:

means for receiving multiple audio samples;

means for pre-processing the audio samples before they are rendered by a media player renderer, the pre-processing deriving characterizing data from each sample, wherein the characterizing data comprises a timestamp associated with the audio sample, the timestamp being provided based upon when the audio sample is calculated to be rendered by the media player renderer;

means for maintaining characterizing data for each audio sample in a data structure associated with each audio sample;

means for determining when an audio sample is being rendered by the media player renderer, wherein said means for determining comprises;

means for ascertaining a time associated with a currently-rendered audio sample;

means for selecting a data structure having a timestamp that is nearest the time; and

means for providing characterizing data associated with the selected data structure to a component configured to provide the visualization; and

means for using the characterizing data that is associated with the audio sample that is being rendered to provide a visualization.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the characterizing data comprises frequency data associated with each sample.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said means for pre-processing comprises means for using a Fast Fourier Transform to provide frequency data associated with the samples.

11. A system for providing a visualization comprising:

means for defining a frame rate at which visualization frames of a visualization are to be rendered, the visualization frames being rendered from characterizing data that is computed from audio samples and which is used to create the visualization;

means for setting a threshold associated with an amount of time that is to be spent rendering a visualization frame;

means for monitoring the time associated with rendering individual visualization frames;

means for determining whether a visualization frame rendering time exceeds the threshold; and

means for providing an effective frame rate for rendering visualization frames that is longer than the defined frame rate if the determined visualization frame rendering time exceeds the threshold.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for modifying the effective frame rate so that the visualization frames are rendered at the defined frame rate.