Method for synchronizing computerized audio output with visual output

• US 5,621,538 A
• Filed: 11/13/1995
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tubby Electronic Entertainment
• Original Assignee: Sirius Publishing, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Darrell, Gnant, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/556,635
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/310, 358/342, 358/311, 358/341, 358/343, 360/13, 360/14.1, 360/14.2, 360/14.3, 84/477 R, 84/478, 84/462, 84/453, 84/DIG. 6, 348/500, 348/515, 348/552
• US Class Current: 386/207
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/368 displaying animated or moving pictures synchronized with the music or audio part
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/011 Lyrics displays, e.g. for karaoke applications
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/022 Control panels
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

The inventive method is a method for synchronizing computerized video images with an audio output. The audio output may be in the form of an audio track stored on a compact disk. The synchronization method uses a timing index which corresponds to the audio track on the compact disk. The computer repeatedly reads the audio timing index and compares it to a data table of known video timing codes. Each time the compact disk timing index is read and determined to be greater than or equal to the current value from the data table the next video image is shown.

Claims

1. Method for controlling synchronization of video and audio signals on a computer, comprising the steps of:

a. inputting an audio time index value from a input/output device into the computer;

b. initiating a computer interrupt timing sequence in response to said input audio time index value, said computer interrupt timing sequence having a regular periodicity at a first timing rate;

c. reading a video time index value, having a second timing rate different from the first timing rate, the video time index value being read at least once during each regular period of the computer interrupt timing sequence, the video time index value being read from a data file into at least one memory register of the computer;

d. playing the audio signals from the input/output device such that the audio signals are audible to the human ear;

e. comparing the audio time index value to the video time index value during each regular period of the computer interrupt timing sequence; and

f. displaying a video signal mapped at the video time index value in response to an audio time index value which is greater than or equal to the video time index value, such that said video signal is synchronized to said played audio signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of inputting an audio time index value further comprises reading said audio time index value from a compact disc.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of inputting an audio time index value further comprises the step of assigning a time index value for music notes in a music melody line.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of inputing an audio time index value further comprises the step of reading at least one file of time index values from a recording medium having a music melody line written thereupon.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said step of assigning an audio time index value further comprises the steps of assigning an audio time index value in the format of hours:

minutes;

seconds;

frame, wherein the frame value equals n/75 seconds, where n is an integer between 0 and 75, and writing the frame value onto a recording medium.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of initiating a computer interrupt timing sequence, further comprises the step of setting an interrupt timer for a cycle less than or equal to 1/30th second.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reading a video time index value further comprises the steps of:

a. providing a music lyric score;

b. assigning a plurality of video index values corresponding to a plurality of lyric syllables in the music lyric score;

c. writing said video time index values to at least one data file; and

d. reading said data at least one data file to at least one memory register in the computer.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of assigning a plurality of video index values further comprises the step of assigning a time index value for each lyric syllable in the music score.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of reading a video time index value further comprises the steps of assigning a video index time value in the form of hour:

minute;

seconds;

frame, in which the frame value equals n/75 seconds, where n is an integer between 0 and 75, and writing the frame value onto a recording medium.

10. Method for synchronization of digitally recorded video and audio signals, comprising the steps of:

a. constructing a data table having a plurality of first time index values based upon a first sampling rate of an audio signal source and a plurality of second time index values based upon a second sampling rate of a video signal source, the first and second sampling rates being different from one another, a plurality of musical notes in a melody line each mapped to a first time index value and a corresponding second time index value and a plurality of video display units each mapped to a first time index value, a corresponding second time index value and a musical note;

b. writing said constructed data table to a computer-readable medium;

c. reading one of said first time index values from the constructed written data table on the computer-readable medium;

d. initiating a timing sequence corresponding to the second sampling rate in response to the first audio time index value, the first timing sequence having a regular periodicity;

e. reading a first of the plurality of musical notes and a first of the plurality of video display units having the second time index value, the second time index value being read at least once during each regular period of the timing sequence;

f. comparing the second time index value read for the musical note with the second time index value read for the video display unit; and

g. displaying on a computer display, the video display unit having a read second time index value greater than or equal to the second time index value for the musical note read during the same regular period of the timing sequence.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of

constructing said data table further comprises the step of defining each of said plurality of video display units as lyric syllables.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step constructing a data table further comprises the steps of timing the appearance of musical notes on a one-thirtieth seconds timing period and assigning a first time index value comprising hours:

minutes;

seconds;

frame to at least some musical notes, wherein the frame value equals n/30 seconds, where n is an integer between 0 and 30.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said step of assigning a first time index value further comprises the step of converting the frame value into seventy-fifth second values such that the frame value equals n/75 seconds, where n is an integer between 0 and 75, and writing the frame value onto the recording medium.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of initiating a timing sequence, further comprises the step of setting an interrupt for a cycle less than or equal to 1/30th second.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of constructing a data table further comprises the step of assigning a second time index value for each lyric syllable in a music lyric score.

16. The method according to claim 10 wherein the step of writing the constructed data table further comprises the step of writing at least one data file of first and second time index values.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of writing at least one data file of first and second time index values further comprises the step of writing said at least one data file of first and second time index values to a recording medium and reading said at least one data file into at least one memory register of a central processing unit.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of constructing a data table further comprises the steps of timing the appearance of lyric syllables notes on a one-thirtieth seconds timing period and assigning the second time index value comprising hours:

minutes;

seconds;

frame to at least some musical notes, wherein the frame value equals n/30 seconds, where n is an integer between 0 and 30.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said step of assigning an second time index value further comprises the step of converting the frame value into seventy-fifth second values such that the frame value equals n/75 seconds, where n is an integer between 0 and 75, and writing the frame value onto the recording medium.