TRICK PLAY DVR WITH AUDIO PITCH CORRECTION

• US 20080131075A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arsenault, Robert G., Pontual, Romulo
• Application Number:
  US11/947,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20080131075A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate

Abstract

Systems for providing substantially correct pitch audio associated with video played back at a rate other than originally recorded. A system in accordance with the present invention comprises a record/playback device, wherein the record/playback device records audio programming and associated video programming at a normal speed and plays back the recorded audio programming and associated video programming at a range of speeds, a computer, coupled to the record/playback device, for determining the playback speed of the record/playback device, and an audio controller, coupled to the computer, for amending the audio programming to match a playback speed of the associated video programming while substantially maintaining the pitch of the audio programming.

Claims

1. A system for providing substantially correct pitch audio associated with video played back at a rate other than originally recorded, comprising:

a record/playback device, wherein the record/playback device records audio programming and associated video programming at a normal speed and plays back the recorded audio programming and associated video programming at a range of speeds;

a computer, coupled to the record/playback device, for determining the playback speed of the record/playback device; and

an audio controller, coupled to the computer, for amending the audio programming to match a playback speed of the associated video programming while substantially maintaining the pitch of the audio programming.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the record/playback device is a Digital Video Recorder (DVR).

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the audio programming and associated video programming is provided by a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the record/playback device further comprises an Integrated Receiver/Decoder (IRD).

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the IRD and DVR are characterized prior to delivery to a customer.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the IRD and DVR are programmed to deliver the amended audio programming within a range of playback speeds.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein when the requested playback speed is outside the range, the amended audio programming is muted.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the IRD uses Time Scale Modification (TSM) to amend the audio programming.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the TSM uses a Synchronized Overlap and Add (SOLA) algorithm.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein a user can override the amendment of the audio programming.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the amendment of the audio programming is user selectable.

12. A system for playing back recorded satellite signals, wherein a video portion of the recorded satellite signal is played back at a rate other than originally recorded while an audio portion of the recorded satellite signal substantially retains an original pitch, comprising:

a receiver, coupled to an antenna, for receiving the satellite signals;

a decoder, coupled to the receiver, for decoding the satellite signals;

a record/playback device, wherein the record/playback device records the decoded satellite signals as audio programming and associated video programming, the record/playback device recording the audio programming and associated video programming at a normal speed;

a computer, coupled to the record/playback device, for determining the playback speed of the record/playback device; and

an audio controller, coupled to the computer, for amending the audio programming to match a playback speed of the associated video programming while substantially maintaining the pitch of the audio programming.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the record/playback device is a Digital Video Recorder (DVR).

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the audio programming and associated video programming is provided by a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the IRD and DVR are characterized prior to delivery to a customer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the IRD and DVR are programmed to deliver the amended audio programming within a range of playback speeds.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein when the requested playback speed is outside the range, the amended audio programming is muted.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer uses Time Scale Modification (TSM) to amend the audio programming.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the TSM uses a Synchronized Overlap and Add (SOLA) algorithm.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein a user can override the amendment of the audio programming.