Variable rate video playback with synchronized audio
First Claim
1. For use with an audiovisual display system in which an original set of audio data and a related original set of video data can be used to generate an audiovisual display at a normal display rate, a method for enabling the apparent display rate of the audiovisual display to be varied from the normal display rate, the method comprising the steps of:
- defining a correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data;
determining a target display rate or rates for the audiovisual display by evaluating the audio and/or video data to automatically determine the value of the target display rate or rates, the evaluation comprising the steps of analyzing the original set of audio data and calculating the target display rate or rates based upon the analysis of the original set of audio data, wherein;
the step of analyzing the original set of audio data further comprises the step of ascertaining the stress with which spoken portions of the audio data are uttered; and
the step of calculating further comprises the step of calculating the target display rate or rates based upon the relative stresses of the spoken portions of the audio data;
creating a modified set of audio data, based upon the target display rate or rates and an evaluation of the content of the original set of audio data, that corresponds to the original set of audio data; and
creating a modified set of video data, based upon the modified set of audio data, the correspondence between the modified set of audio data and the original set of audio data, and the correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention enables the apparent display rate of an audiovisual display to be varied. The invention can modify an original set of audio data in accordance with a target display rate, then modify a related original set of video data to conform to the modifications made to the audio data set, such that the modified audio and video data sets are synchronized. When the modified audio and video data sets so produced are used to generate an audiovisual display, the audiovisual display has an apparent display rate that approximates the target display rate. The target display rate can be faster or slower than a normal display rate at which an audiovisual display system generates an audiovisual display from the original sets of audio and video data. The target display rate can be established solely by a user instruction, by analysis of the audiovisual data, or by modification of a user-specified nominal target display rate based upon analysis of the audiovisual data. Preferably, the method for modifying the original audio data set is one that produces a modified audio data set that can be used to generate an audio display having little or no distortion.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. For use with an audiovisual display system in which an original set of audio data and a related original set of video data can be used to generate an audiovisual display at a normal display rate, a method for enabling the apparent display rate of the audiovisual display to be varied from the normal display rate, the method comprising the steps of:
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defining a correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data; determining a target display rate or rates for the audiovisual display by evaluating the audio and/or video data to automatically determine the value of the target display rate or rates, the evaluation comprising the steps of analyzing the original set of audio data and calculating the target display rate or rates based upon the analysis of the original set of audio data, wherein; the step of analyzing the original set of audio data further comprises the step of ascertaining the stress with which spoken portions of the audio data are uttered; and the step of calculating further comprises the step of calculating the target display rate or rates based upon the relative stresses of the spoken portions of the audio data; creating a modified set of audio data, based upon the target display rate or rates and an evaluation of the content of the original set of audio data, that corresponds to the original set of audio data; and creating a modified set of video data, based upon the modified set of audio data, the correspondence between the modified set of audio data and the original set of audio data, and the correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. For use with an audiovisual display system in which an original set of audio data and a related original set of video data can be used to generate an audiovisual display at a normal display rate, a method for enabling the apparent display rate of the audiovisual display to be varied from the normal display rate, the method comprising the steps of:
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defining a correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data; determining a target display rate or rates for the audiovisual display by evaluating the audio and/or video data to automatically determine the value of the target display rate or rates, the evaluation comprising the steps of analyzing the original set of audio data and calculating the target display rate or rates based upon the analysis of the original set of audio data, wherein; the step of analyzing the original set of audio data further comprises the step of ascertaining the speaking rate at which spoken portions of the audio data are uttered; and the step of calculating further comprises the step of calculating the target display rate or rates based upon the relative speeds of the spoken portions of the audio data; creating a modified set of audio data, based upon the target display rate or rates and an evaluation of the content of the original set of audio data, that corresponds to the original set of audio data; and creating a modified set of video data, based upon the modified set of audio data, the correspondence between the modified set of audio data and the original set of audio data, and the correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. For use with an audiovisual display system in which an original set of audio data and a related original set of video data can be used to generate an audiovisual display at a normal display rate, a method for enabling the apparent display rate of the audiovisual display to be varied from the normal display rate, the method comprising the steps of:
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defining a correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data; determining a target display rate or rates for the audiovisual display by evaluating the audio and/or video data to automatically determine the value of the target display rate or rates, the evaluation comprising the steps of analyzing the original set of audio data and calculating the target display rate or rates based upon the analysis of the original set of audio data, wherein; the step of analyzing the original set of audio data further comprises the steps of; ascertaining the stress with which spoken portions of the audio data are uttered; ascertaining the speaking rate at which spoken portions of the audio data are uttered; and combining corresponding stresses and speaking rates to produce audio tension values for the spoken portions; and the step of calculating further comprises the step of calculating the target display rate or rates based upon the audio tension values of the spoken portions of the audio data; creating a modified set of audio data, based upon the target display rate or rates and an evaluation of the content of the original set of audio data, that corresponds to the original set of audio data; and creating a modified set of video data, based upon the modified set of audio data, the correspondence between the modified set of audio data and the original set of audio data, and the correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. For use with an audiovisual display system in which an original set of audio data and a related original set of video data can be used to generate an audiovisual display at a normal display rate, a method for enabling the apparent display rate of the audiovisual display to be varied from the normal display rate, the method comprising the steps of:
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defining a correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data; determining a target display rate or rates for the audiovisual display by evaluating the audio and/or video data to automatically determine the value of the target display rate or rates, the evaluation comprising the steps of analyzing the original set of audio data and calculating the target display rate or rates based upon the analysis of the original set of audio data creating a modified set of audio data, based upon the target display rate or rates and an evaluation of the content of the original set of audio data, that corresponds to the original set of audio data, wherein the step of creating a modified set of audio data further comprises the steps of; (i) dividing the original set of audio data into a plurality of segments, each segment representing a contiguous portion of the original set of audio data that occurs during a specified duration of time, each segment being adjacent to one or two other segments such that there are no gaps between segments and adjacent segments do not overlap; (ii) selecting a first segment; (iii) selecting a second segment, the second segment temporally adjacent to the first segment; (iv) overlapping an end portion of the first segment with an end portion of the second segment that is adjacent to the first segment, the end portion of the first segment including first segment overlap data and the end portion of the second segment including second segment overlap data; (v) identifying as part of the modified set of audio data the audio data from the first segment that is not part of the first segment overlap data; (vi) blending corresponding first segment overlap data and second segment overlap data; and (vii) determining whether there are additional segments in the original set of audio data that have not been overlapped with an adjacent segment, wherein; if there are additional segments, the following steps are further performed; (viii) combining the blended overlap data with the audio data from the second segment that is not part of the second segment overlap data; (ix) selecting the combined data as a new first segment; (x) selecting a new second segment that is temporally adjacent to the new first segment and that has not previously been selected as a segment; and (xi) repeating steps (i) through (vii); and if there are not additional segments, the following step is further performed;
(xii) identifying as part of the modified set of audio data the blended data and the audio data from the second segment that is not part of the second segment overlap data; andcreating a modified set of video data, based upon the modified set of audio data, the correspondence between the modified set of audio data and the original set of audio data, and the correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data.
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8. A method for modifying an original set of audio data to produce a modified set of audio data, comprising the steps of:
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(i) dividing the original set of audio data into a plurality of segments, each segment representing a contiguous portion of the original set of audio data that occurs during a specified duration of time, each segment being adjacent to one or two other segments such that there are no gaps between segments and adjacent segments do not overlap; (ii) selecting a first segment; (iii) selecting a second segment, the second segment temporally adjacent to the first segment; (iv) overlapping an end portion of the first segment with an end portion of the second segment that is adjacent to the first segment, the end portion of the first segment including first segment overlap data and the end portion of the second segment including second segment overlap data; (v) identifying as part of the modified set of audio data the audio data from the first segment that is not part of the first segment overlap data; (vi) blending corresponding first segment overlap data and second segment overlap data; and (vii) determining whether there are additional segments in the original set of audio data that have not been overlapped with an adjacent segment, wherein; if there are additional segments, the following steps are further performed; (viii) combining the blended overlap data with the audio data from the second segment that is not part of the second segment overlap data; (ix) selecting the combined data as a new first segment; (x) selecting a new second segment that is temporally adjacent to the new first segment and that has not previously been selected as a segment; and (xi) repeating steps (i) through (vii); and if there are not additional segments, the following step is further performed;
(xii) identifying as part of the modified set of audio data the blended data and the audio data from the second segment that is not part of the second segment overlap data. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for modifying an original set of audio data to produce a modified set of audio data, comprising:
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(i) means for dividing the original set of audio data into a plurality of segments, each segment representing a contiguous portion of the original set of audio data that occurs during a specified duration of time, each segment being adjacent to one or two other segments such that there are no gaps between segments and adjacent segments do not overlap; (ii) means for selecting a first segment; (iii) means for selecting a second segment, the second segment temporally adjacent to the first segment; (iv) means for overlapping an end portion of the first segment with an end portion of the second segment that is adjacent to the first segment, the end portion of the first segment including first segment overlap data and the end portion of the second segment including second segment overlap data; (v) means for identifying as part of the modified set of audio data the audio data from the first segment that is not part of the first segment overlap data; (vi) means for blending corresponding first segment overlap data and second segment overlap data; (vii) means for determining whether there are additional segments in the original set of audio data that have not been overlapped with an adjacent segment; (viii) means for performing, if there are additional segments, the following functions; combining the blended overlap data with the audio data from the second segment that is not part of the second segment overlap data; selecting the combined data as a new first segment; selecting a new second segment that is temporally adjacent to the new first segment and that has not previously been selected as a segment; and repeating steps (i) through (vii); and means for performing, if there are not additional segments, the function of identifying as part of the modified set of audio data the blended data and the audio data from the second segment that is not part of the second segment overlap data. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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21. A computer readable storage medium encoded with one or more computer programs for modifying an original set of audio data to produce a modified set of audio data, comprising:
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(i) instructions for dividing the original set of audio data into a plurality of segments, each segment representing a contiguous portion of the original set of audio data that occurs during a specified duration of time, each segment being adjacent to one or two other segments such that there are no gaps between segments and adjacent segments do not overlap; (ii) instructions for selecting a first segment; (iii) instructions for selecting a second segment, the second segment temporally adjacent to the first segment; (iv) instructions for overlapping an end portion of the first segment with an end portion of the second segment that is adjacent to the first segment, the end portion of the first segment including first segment overlap data and the end portion of the second segment including second segment overlap data; (v) instructions for identifying as part of the modified set of audio data the audio data from the first segment that is not part of the first segment overlap data; (vi) instructions for blending corresponding first segment overlap data and second segment overlap data; and (vii) instructions for determining whether there are additional segments in the original set of audio data that have not been overlapped with an adjacent segment, wherein; if there are additional segments, the following instructions are further performed; (viii) instructions for combining the blended overlap data with the audio data from the second segment that is not part of the second segment overlap data; (ix) instructions for selecting the combined data as a new first segment; (x) instructions for selecting a new second segment that is temporally adjacent to the new first segment and that has not previously been selected as a segment; and (xi) instructions for repeating steps (i) through (vii); and if there are not additional segments, the following instructions are further performed;
(xii) instructions for identifying as part of the modified set of audio data the blended data and the audio data from the second segment that is not part of the second segment overlap data. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification