METHOD FOR SYNCHRONIZING MEDIA SERVICES

• US 20130169869A1
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Demoulin, Vincent, Thudor, Franck, Oisel, Lionel
• Application Number:
  US13/727,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20130169869A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/515
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/18 Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56

Abstract

A method is suggested enabling a person that watches a TV broadcasted live event to select and associate in a simple manner to the displayed video, an audio stream dealing with the same event but delivered by another source than the TV channel. The method relies on techniques allowing to know and to decode some available audio streams that deal with the same live event as the one currently displayed on TV and to synchronize these audio streams with the TV channel.

Claims

1. Method for synchronizing a first video and audio based media service having an audio and a video stream and one or several second media service(s) having at least an audio stream, wherein the audio stream of the first media service corresponds to the audio stream of second media service, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

receiving the first media service;

receiving at least one second media service;

synchronizing the reproduction of the audio streams of the first and the second media service; and

displaying a status indicator of the current synchronization state of the reproduction of the audio streams of the first and second media service.

2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of

updating the status indicator if the synchronization state changes.

3. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting one of the second media services for reproduction.

4. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of connecting a mobile device equipped with a display to a television receiver.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises the step of searching in an electronic program guide (EPG) for second media services corresponding to the audio stream of the first media service.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises the step of importing data representing the properties of the second media services from the electronic program guide (EPG).

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the step of displaying information indicative of the properties of one of the second media services.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of manually synchronizing the reproduction of the first and the second media service.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of automatically synchronizing the reproduction of the first and second media service.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the method further comprises the step of using audio fingerprints, meta data, and/or tags contained in the second media service for automatic synchronization.

11. Method according to claim 8, wherein the method further comprises the step of displaying a graphical representation of a slider on a display;

and

adjusting the slider position to obtain manual synchronization of the first and second media services.

12. Method according to claims 9, wherein the method further comprises the step of storing parameters which have been determined for obtaining synchronization between the first media service and the second media service.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of delivering the first and the second media services through Internet, cable network, satellite broadcast, terrestrial broadcast, DSL network, and WLAN network.

14. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of choosing an alternative output for the reproduction of the second media service.