Systems and Methods of providing modified media content

• US 20080235741A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Syrdal, Ann, Conkie, Alistair, Ljolje, Andrej
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2335 involving reformatting operations of audio signals, e.g. by converting from one coding standard to another details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/56 Synchronising systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals

Abstract

A method and system of providing media content is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving media content from a content source at a set-top box device. The media content includes video data having a first playback rate and audio data having the first playback rate. The method further includes transforming the audio data via a non-linear transformation to produce modified audio data having a second playback rate, modifying the video data to produce modified video data having the second playback rate, and synchronizing the modified audio data and the modified video data to produce modified media content having the second playback rate. A network-based media content storage device and associated logic to provide adjusted rate audio content are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing media content, the method comprising:

receiving media content from a content source at a set-top box device, wherein the media content includes video data having a first playback rate and audio data having the first playback rate;

transforming the audio data via a non-linear transformation to produce modified audio data having a second playback rate;

modifying the video data to produce modified video data having the second playback rate;

synchronizing the modified audio data and the modified video data to produce modified media content having the second playback rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content is received at the set-top box device over a content delivery network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the content delivery network is one of an internet protocol television network, a satellite network, and a cable television network.

4. A method of playback rate adjustment, the method comprising:

receiving an adjusted playback rate input for selected media content stored at a digital video recording device, the selected media content comprising audio and video;

processing the audio to identify speech portions including consonant portions, vowel portions and silent portions; and

applying a non-linear adjustment to the speech portions to produce adjusted audio at an adjusted audio playback rate.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising adjusting the video of the selected media content to produce an adjusted video at an adjusted video playback rate, wherein the adjusted audio playback rate is approximately the same rate as the adjusted video playback rate.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising synchronizing the adjusted audio to the adjusted video to produce adjusted media content.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing the adjusted media content to a destination device.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein applying the non-linear adjustment comprises duplicating selected frames associated one or more of the speech portions to extend the audio when the adjusted playback rate is slower than a recorded playback rate.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein applying the non-linear adjustment comprises deleting selected frames associated with one or more of the speech portions when the adjusted playback rate is faster than a recorded playback rate.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising interpolating between adjacent frames to smooth transitions between frames after the selected frames are deleted.

11. A system to adjust a playback rate, the system comprising:

a processor and a memory accessible to the processor, wherein the memory comprises;

a media content module executable by the processor to receive selected media content including audio data and video data;

an audio portion detection module executable by the processor to process the audio data to identify speech portions including consonant portions, vowel portions and silent portions of the audio data;

an audio adjustment module executable by the processor to receive an adjusted playback rate input and to selectively modify the speech portions of the audio data to produce an adjusted audio data at approximately the adjusted playback rate input.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises a video adjustment module executable by the processor to receive the adjusted playback rate input and to adjust the video data to produce an adjusted video data at approximately the adjusted playback rate input.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the audio adjustment module applies a non-linear adjustment to the audio data to preserve a pitch range of the audio data.

14. A network accessible digital storage device comprising:

a computer readable memory including media content comprising audio data and video data;

a network interface to a content delivery network; and

media playback rate adjustment logic to adjust a video playback rate and an audio playback rate of selected media content retrieved from the computer readable memory producing playback rate-adjusted media content including playback rate-adjusted audio data and playback rate-adjusted video data.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the selected media content is a portion of a streaming data file.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the playback rate-adjusted media is distributed via the network interface to at least one remotely located media playback device.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the network interface receives a playback command from the at least one remotely located media playback device.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the playback command is one of a fast-forward or a slowdown command.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the content delivery network is one of an internet protocol television (IPTV) network, a satellite network, and a cable television network.

20. A method of providing modified media content, the method comprising:

receiving a user-specified selection of media content at a network server;

retrieving the selected media content, the selected media content having an initial playback rate, wherein the selected media content comprises audio data having the initial playback rate and video data having the initial playback rate;

transforming the audio data to produce modified audio data having a second playback rate;

modifying the video data to produce modified video data having the second playback rate; and

combining the modified audio data and the modified video data to produce modified media content having the second playback rate.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the audio data is transformed via a non-linear transformation and wherein the modified audio data and the modified video data are synchronized.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the modified audio data is substantially pitch preserved with respect to the audio data at the initial playback rate.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the audio data has a first audio pitch range that is similar to a second audio pitch range of the modified audio data.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing the modified media content to a media playback device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the modified media content is stored at the media playback device.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the initial playback rate is equal to a recorded rate of the media content.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein transforming comprises applying a Waveform Similarity OverLap-Add (WSOLA) transformation to the audio data.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein transforming the media content further comprises applying a pitch adjustment to the audio data.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the second playback rate is greater than the initial playback rate.

30. The method of claim 20 wherein the second playback rate is less than twice the initial playback rate.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the second playback rate is less than the initial playback rate.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein modifying the media content further comprises adjusting the audio data by adding or removing a portion of the audio data.