Audio/video storage and retrieval for multimedia workstations by interleaving audio and video data in data file
First Claim
1. A method for storing and retrieving an audio data stream and corresponding frames of video data on a multimedia workstation, comprising the steps ofstoring the audio data stream in blocks from the workstation to a data file accessible by the workstation such that the audio data stream can be retrieved from the data file and reconstructed by the workstation into a continuous audio signal;
- storing the frames of video data from the workstation to the data file by inserting each of the frames of video data between the blocks of the audio data stream to position the frames of the video data with the blocks of the audio data stream;
attaching timing information to each of the frames of video data stored to the data file indicating a point in the audio data stream, also stored to the data file, corresponding in time to the frames of video data;
retrieving and audibly reproducing the audio data stream from the data file;
retrieving the frames of video data from the data file; and
displaying the frames of video data in response to audibly reproducing a portion of the audio data stream, retrieved from the data file, that corresponds to the timing information of the frames of video data.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for storing and retrieving synchronized audio/video "filmclips" to and from a data file of a multimedia computer workstation includes a storage means for a workstation to store audio and video data as digital data packets to the data file, and retrieval means for the workstation to retrieve audio and video data from the data file. The video data is presented as an image on the display of the workstation, while the audio data is sent to either amplified speakers or headphones. An audio data stream is stored to the data file such that the audio data can be retrieved from the data file and reconstructed into a continuous audio signal. The video data is stored to the data file such that each frame of video data is inserted into the stored audio data stream without affecting the continuity of the audio signal reconstructed by the workstation. Timing information is attached to each frame of video data stored to the file, and indicates a point in the continuous audio data stream which corresponds in time to the frame of video data. A synchronizer displays a frame of video data when the point in the audio data stream, corresponding to the timing information of the retrieved video frame is audibly reproduced by the workstation.
257 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method for storing and retrieving an audio data stream and corresponding frames of video data on a multimedia workstation, comprising the steps of
storing the audio data stream in blocks from the workstation to a data file accessible by the workstation such that the audio data stream can be retrieved from the data file and reconstructed by the workstation into a continuous audio signal; -
storing the frames of video data from the workstation to the data file by inserting each of the frames of video data between the blocks of the audio data stream to position the frames of the video data with the blocks of the audio data stream; attaching timing information to each of the frames of video data stored to the data file indicating a point in the audio data stream, also stored to the data file, corresponding in time to the frames of video data; retrieving and audibly reproducing the audio data stream from the data file; retrieving the frames of video data from the data file; and displaying the frames of video data in response to audibly reproducing a portion of the audio data stream, retrieved from the data file, that corresponds to the timing information of the frames of video data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A multimedia workstation, comprising:
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a storage application for enabling the workstation to store audio and video data, representing an audio data stream and frames of video data, as digital data packets, the packets including header information indicating lengths of the packets, wherein the storage application attaches timing information to each one of the frames of the video data stored to the data file indicating a point in the audio data stream also stored to the data file which corresponds in time to the frames of video data, the storage application including; an audio storage routine for storing the audio data stream from the workstation to the data file such that the audio data stream can be retrieved from the data file and reconstructed by the workstation into a continuous audio signal, and a video storage routine for storing the video data from the workstation to the data file such that each one of the frames of the video data stored to the data file is inserted into the audio data stream also stored in the data file by the workstation without affecting the continuity of the audio signal stream retrieved from the data file and reconstructed by the workstation; and a retrieval application for enabling the workstation to retrieve audio and video data from the data file which was stored as digital data packets by the storage application, the retrieval application retrieving and audibly reproducing the audio data stream from the data file, retrieving the frames of video data from the data file, and video data in response to audibly reproducing a portion of the audio data stream, retrieved from the data file, that corresponds to the timing information of the frames of video data. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A multimedia computer workstation, comprising:
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a video source for providing sequential frames of digitized video data; an audio source for providing a digitized audio data stream that represents a continuous audio signal synchronized to the sequential frames of digitized video data; a data storage device for storing blocks of the audio data stream and the frames of video data to a data file such that each one of the frames of video data stored to the data file is sequentially inserted into the audio data stream to interleave the frames of the video data with the blocks of the audio data stream, each one of the frames of video data comprising timing information indicating a point in the audio data stream also stored to the data file which corresponds in time to the frames of video data; a retrieval application for retrieving the audio data stream and the sequential frames of video data from the data file, and for synchronizing the frames of video data to the audio data stream in response to the timing information by displaying the frames of video data in response to audibly reproducing a portion of the audio data stream that corresponds to the timing information of the frames of video data; a device for audibly reproducing the retrieved audio data stream to generate a continuous audio signal; and a display for displaying the retrieved sequential frames of video data synchronized to the reproduced continuous audio signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A multimedia message storage apparatus for a video teleconferencing workstation, comprising
a receiver application program, executing on a processor of the workstation, for enabling the workstation to receive an audio and video data message from a remote source across a digital data network as digital data packets and store the received audio and video data packets to a data file accessible by the workstation, the audio and video data packets being formatted by the remote source so that an audio data stream and frames of video data from the remote source are stored to the data file such that the audio data stream can be retrieved from the data file and reconstructed by the workstation into a continuous audio signal and video data from the remote source is stored to the data file such that each frame of the video data is inserted into the audio data stream also stored in the data file without affecting the continuity of the audio signal stream retrieved from the data file and reconstructed by the workstation, the audio and video data including timing information attached to each frame of video data stored to the data file to indicate a point in the audio data stream also stored to the data file which corresponds in time to the frame of video data; - and
a retrieval application program, executing on the processor, for enabling the workstation to retrieve the audio and video data message from the data file which was stored as digital data packets by the receiver application program, the retrieval application retrieving and audibly reproducing the audio data stream from the data file, retrieving the frames of video data from the data file, displaying the frames of video data in response to audibly reproducing a portion of the audio data stream, retrieved from the data file, that corresponds to the timing information of the frames of video data. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for storing and retrieving an audio data stream and corresponding frames of video data on a multimedia workstation, comprising the steps of
storing the audio data stream in blocks from the workstation to a data file accessible by the workstation such that the audio data stream can be retrieved from the data file and reconstructed by the workstation into a continuous audio signal; -
storing the frames of video data from the workstation to the data file by inserting each of the frames of video data between the blocks of the audio data stream to position the frames of the video data with the blocks of the audio data stream also stored in the data file; attaching timing information to each of the frames of video data stored to the data file indicating a point in the audio data stream, also stored to the data file, corresponding in time to the frames of video data; retrieving and audibly reproducing the audio data stream from the data file; retrieving the frames of video data from the data file; and displaying the frames of video data in response to audibly reproducing a portion of the audio data stream, retrieved from the data file, that corresponds to the timing information of the frames of video data.
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Specification