Apparatus for providing a video lip sync delay and method therefore

• US 7,830,968 B1
• Filed: 01/07/1999
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Anderson, Mark Robert, Deiss, Michael Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, SHAWN S
• Application Number:
  US09/582,451
• Time in Patent Office: 4,324 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.28, 375/240.25, 375/240, 375/240.26, 725/151, 725152-153, 725/37, 725131-134, 725139-142, 725 63- 70, 725/87, 725/110, 725/120, 348/446, 348/555, 348/554, 348/423, 348/425, 348/426, 348/387.1, 348/725, 348/728, 348/729, 348/731, 382/233, 382/235
• US Class Current: 375/240.28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42638 involving a hybrid front-end, e.g. analog and digital tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4392 involving audio buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/602 for digital sound signals

Abstract

A digital receiver for processing one of a packetized input data stream and a digitized standard definition input signal is provides a delay in the processing of the standard definition audio input signal to maintain synchronism with the processing of a corresponding standard definition video signal.

Claims

1. A receiver comprising:

(a) a first input for receiving a packetized input data stream comprised of multiplexed and compressed packets, each of said packets having at least header and payload data;

(b) a second input for receiving an analog signal;

(c) a decoder unit partitioning said packetized data stream to generate a video component and an audio component;

(d) a processor processing said analog signal to generate a digitized audio signal and a digitized video signal;

(e) first digital signal processing arrangement decompressing said video component of said packetized data stream, and digital signal processing said decomposed video component and said digitized video signal to generate a video output signal;

(f) second digital signal processing arrangement decompressing said audio component of said packetized data stream, and digital signal processing said decompressed audio component and said digitized audio signal to generate an audio output signal;

(g) a delay selectively delaying the audio output signal for the digitized audio signal to synchronize an audible audio signal with a displayable video signal; and

(h) a converting arrangement transposing said video output signal to the displayable video signal and said audio output signal to the audible output signal.

2. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said delay comprises an adjustable memory device.

3. The receiver of claim 2 wherein said delay is connected to said second digital signal processing arrangement.

4. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said delay includes said partitioning decoder unit.

5. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said second digital signal processing arrangement further comprises a processing element digital signal processing the digitized audio signal and the decompressed audio component.

6. The receiver of claim 5 wherein said processing element in said second digital signal processing arrangement comprises a surround sound processor.

7. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said first digital signal processing arrangement comprises a converter converting said digitized video signal having an interlace video format into a digitized video signal having a progressive scan format.

8. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the delay is disposed such that the delaying occurs before the digital signal processing of the digitized audio signal has been completed.

9. The receiver of claim 8, wherein the delaying occurs before the digital signal processing of the digitized audio signal.

10. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the delay is disposed such that the delaying occurs after the digital signal processing of the digitized audio signal.

11. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the first digital signal processing arrangement comprises a converting element for digital signal processing the digitized video signal and the decompressed video component.

12. A method for processing input signals having video and audio components, said method comprising:

receiving a packetized input data stream comprised of multiplexed and compressed packets, each of said packets having at least header and payload data;

receiving an analog signal;

partitioning said packetized data stream to generate a video component and an audio component;

processing said analog signal to generate a digitized video signal and a digitized audio signal;

decompressing said video component of said packetized data stream to generate a decompressed video signal, and digital signal processing said decompressed video signal and said digitized video signal to generate a video output signal;

decompressing said audio component of said packetized data stream to generate a decompressed audio signal, and digital signal processing said decompressed audio signal and said digitized audio signal to generate an audio output signal;

delaying the audio output signal for the digitized audio signal to synchronize an audible audio signal with a displayable video signal; and

transposing said video output signal to the displayable video signal and said audio output signal to the audible output signal.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of delaying is performed before the step of digital signal processing said digitized audio signal has been completed.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of delaying is performed before the step of digital signal processing said digitized audio signal.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising converting said digitized video signal into a progressive scan format.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of delaying is performed after the step of digital signal processing said digitized audio signal.

17. A receiver comprising:

a tuner receiving a packetized input data stream comprised of multiplexed and compressed packets, each of said packets having at least header and payload data;

an input for receiving an analog signal;

a processor processing said analog signal to generate a digitized audio signal and a digitized video signal;

a transport decoder unit partitioning said packetized data stream to generate a video component and an audio component;

a first digital signal arrangement decompressing said video component to generate decompressed video signal, wherein said first digital signal processing arrangement applies a first digital signal processing function to said decompressed video signal and said digitized video signal to produce a video output signal;

a second digital signal arrangement decompressing said audio component to generate decompressed audio signal, wherein said second digital signal processing arrangement applies a second digital signal processing function to said decompressed audio signal and said digitized audio signal to generate an audio output signal;

a delay selectively delaying the audio output signal for the digitized audio signal to synchronize an audible audio signal with a displayable video signal; and

a converting arrangement transposing said video output signal to the displayable video signal and said audio output signal to the audible output signal.

18. The receiver of claim 17, wherein the delay is disposed such that the delaying occurs before the digital signal processing of the digitized audio signal has been completed.

19. The receiver of claim 18, wherein the delaying occurs before the digital signal processing of the digitized audio signal.

20. The receiver of claim 17, wherein the delay is disposed such that the delaying occurs after the digital signal processing of the digitized audio signal.