Synchronization mechanism and the implementation for multimedia captioning and audio descriptions
First Claim
1. A system for outputting at least one supplemental media stream designed to assist sense-impaired people in conjunction with a main media stream, the system comprising:
- (a) a media stream output device that outputs a main media stream and a supplemental media stream, wherein the supplemental media stream comprises captioning that displays in textual format either dialog of characters that are being displayed in the main media stream or sounds of events that occur in the main media stream;
(b) a timing module that monitors the timing of the output of the main media stream and generates triggering events associated with the timing of the output of the main media stream; and
(c) a media stream manager communicatively coupled to the media stream output device and to the timing module, and that;
(i) obtains the main media stream;
(ii) outputs the main media stream via the media stream output device;
(iii) monitors for and detects triggering events associated with the timing of the output of the main media stream generated by the timing module; and
(iv) upon detecting a triggering event;
(A) determines that the supplemental media stream is associated with the triggering eventand determines whether the supplemental media stream includes information indicating that the supplemental media stream is to be output synchronously or asynchronouslyand upon determining that the information indicates that the supplemental media stream is to be output asynchronously, outputs the supplemental media stream via the media stream output device such that the output of the main media stream is automatically suspended without user intervention while the supplemental media stream is output.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for outputting a media stream and supplemental media streams is provided. A media stream manager outputs the media stream and associated supplemental media streams on a media stream output device. A timing module generates triggering events in conjunction with the output of the media streams according to event data. The media stream manager monitors for and detects the triggering events during the output of the media streams. Upon detecting a triggering event, the media stream manager determines which supplemental media streams are associated with the triggering event and iteratively outputs each associated supplemental media stream to the media stream output device. Supplemental media streams are output either synchronously or asynchronously according to previously determined information. A supplemental media stream that is output asynchronously to the media stream suspends the media stream and the timing of the media stream while the supplemental media stream is output.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1. A system for outputting at least one supplemental media stream designed to assist sense-impaired people in conjunction with a main media stream, the system comprising:
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(a) a media stream output device that outputs a main media stream and a supplemental media stream, wherein the supplemental media stream comprises captioning that displays in textual format either dialog of characters that are being displayed in the main media stream or sounds of events that occur in the main media stream; (b) a timing module that monitors the timing of the output of the main media stream and generates triggering events associated with the timing of the output of the main media stream; and (c) a media stream manager communicatively coupled to the media stream output device and to the timing module, and that; (i) obtains the main media stream; (ii) outputs the main media stream via the media stream output device; (iii) monitors for and detects triggering events associated with the timing of the output of the main media stream generated by the timing module; and (iv) upon detecting a triggering event; (A) determines that the supplemental media stream is associated with the triggering event and determines whether the supplemental media stream includes information indicating that the supplemental media stream is to be output synchronously or asynchronously and upon determining that the information indicates that the supplemental media stream is to be output asynchronously, outputs the supplemental media stream via the media stream output device such that the output of the main media stream is automatically suspended without user intervention while the supplemental media stream is output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for outputting at least one supplemental media stream designed to assist sense impaired people in conjunction with a main media stream, the method comprising:
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(a) obtaining a main media stream and a supplemental media stream for output on a media stream output device, wherein the supplemental media stream comprises captioning that displays in textual format either dialog of characters that are being displayed in the main media stream or sounds of events that occur in the main media stream; (b) initializing a timing module to perform timing of the output of the main media stream and to generate triggering events associated with the timing of the output of the main media stream; (c) outputting the main media stream via the media stream output device; (d) monitoring for and detecting triggering events associated with the timing of the output of the main media stream generated by the timing module; and (e) upon detecting a triggering event; (i) determining that the supplemental media stream is associated with the detected triggering event and determining whether the supplemental media stream includes information indicating that the supplemental media stream is to be output synchronously or asynchronously and upon determining that the information indicates that the supplemental media stream is to be output asynchronously, outputting the supplemental media stream via the media stream output device such that the output of the main media stream is automatically suspended without user intervention while the supplemental media stream is output. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for carrying out a method comprising the steps of:
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(a) obtaining a main media stream and a supplemental media stream for output on a media stream output devices, wherein the supple mental media stream comprises captioning that displays in textual format either dialog of characters that are being displayed in the main media stream or sounds of events that occur in the main media stream; (b) initializing a timing module to perform the timing of the output of the main media stream and to generate triggering events associated with the timing of the output of the main media stream; (c) outputting the main media stream via the media stream output device; (d) monitoring for and detecting triggering events associated with the timing of the output of the main media stream generated by the timing module; and (e) upon detecting a triggering event; (i) determine that a supplemental media stream is associated with the detected triggering event and determine whether the supplemental media stream includes information indicating that the supplemental media stream is to be output synchronously or asynchronously and upon determining that the information indicates that the supplemental media stream is to be output asynchronously, output the supplemental media stream via the media stream output device such that the output of the main media stream is automatically suspended without user intervention while the supplemental media stream is output. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A system for outputting at least one supplemental media stream designed to assist sense-impaired people in conjunction with a main media stream, the system comprising:
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(a) an output means to output a main media stream and a supplemental media stream, wherein the supplemental media stream comprises captioning that displays in textual format either dialog of characters that are being displayed in the main media stream or sounds of events that occur in the main media stream; (b) a timing means to monitor the timing of the output of the main media stream and generate triggering events associated with the timing of the output of the main media stream; and (c) a management means communicatively coupled to the output means and to the timing means to; (i) obtain the main media stream; (ii) output the main media stream via the output means; (iii) monitor for and detect triggering events associated with the timing of the output of the main media stream generated by the timing means; and (iv) upon detecting a triggering event; (A) determine that the supplemental media stream is associated with the triggering event and determine whether the supplemental media stream includes information indicating that the supplemental media stream is to be output synchronously or asynchronously and upon determining that the information indicates that the supplemental media stream is to be output asynchronously, output the supplemental media stream via the output means such that the output of the main media stream is automatically suspended without user intervention while the supplemental media stream is output. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification