Intelligent audio mixing among media playback and at least one other non-playback application

• US 8,036,766 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Joseph Mark, Li, Frank Zening, Lindahl, Aram
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saunders, Jr.; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/530,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20080075296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 463/35
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

In operation of an electronics device, audio based on asynchronous events, such as game playing, is intelligently combined with audio output nominally generated in a predictive manner, such as resulting from media playback. For example, an overall audio output signal for the electronic device may be generated such that, for at least one of audio channels corresponding to predictive manner processing, the generated audio output for that channel included into the overall audio output signal is based at least in part on configuration information associated with a processed audio output signal for at least one of the audio channels corresponding to asynchronous events based processing. Thus, for example, the game audio processing may control how audio effects from the game are combined with audio effects from media playback.

Claims

1. A method for intelligently combining audio effects generated in accordance with a game process with audio from a media player on a portable computing device, the method comprising:

receiving audio from the media player;

receiving a plurality of sound effects from the game process, wherein the sound effects are generated in response to game-playing actions of a user of the portable computing device;

for each of the plurality of sound effects, receiving sound effect configuration information indicating chain or loop specifications for the corresponding sound effect;

determining if there are enough active audio channels to play the plurality of sound effects and the audio from the media player simultaneously;

modifying the audio from the media player at least in part in accordance with the sound effect configuration information; and

when there are not enough active audio channels to play the plurality of sound effects and the audio from the media player simultaneously, mixing selected ones of the plurality of sound effects with the modified audio from the media player based on pre-established priorities and based on the sound effect configuration information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-established priorities include a least recently used (LRU) standard.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising polling each channel at regular intervals to determine which channels are active.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sound effect configuration information includes a definition of a corresponding sound effect.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixing includes modifying the volume of the audio to a lower volume than it was originally output while still permitting a user of the portable computing device to hear the audio.

6. A portable media device comprising:

a game process arranged to generate sound effects when the game process is operating;

a media player configured to play music with or without the game process operating; and

an effects and media playback combiner configured to output media from the media player to an output device without modification when the game process is not operating, and to receive the sound effects generated by the game process and mix the sound effects received from the game process with the media from the media player when the game process is operating, wherein the mixing includes examining sound effect configuration information received from the game process, wherein the sound effect configuration information include chain or loop specifications and format and amount of the sound effects, and wherein the sound effect configuration information is used to modify the media from the portable media player before the media is mixed with the sound effects generated by the game process.

7. The portable media device of claim 6, wherein the effects and media playback combiner is further configured to determine if there are enough active channels to play the sound effects with the media simultaneously by periodically polling each channel of the output device, and when there are not enough active channels to play the sound effects and the media simultaneously, selecting particular sound effects to mix with the media based on pre-established priorities.

8. The portable media device of claim 6, wherein the mixing includes fading the media.

9. The portable media device of claim 6, wherein the mixing includes modifying the pitch of the media.

10. The portable media device of claim 6, wherein the mixing includes modifying the volume of the media.

11. An effects and media playback combiner comprising:

means for receiving media from the media player;

means for receiving a plurality of sound effects from the game process, wherein the sound effects are generated in response to game-playing actions of a user of the portable computing device;

means for, for each of the plurality of sound effects, receiving sound effect configuration information indicating chain or loop specifications for the corresponding sound effect;

means for modifying the media received from the media player at least in part in accordance with the sound effect configuration information;

means for determining if there are enough active channels to play the plurality of sound effects and the media simultaneously; and

means for, when there are not enough active channels to play the plurality of sound effects and the media simultaneously, mixing selected ones of the plurality of sound effects with the media based on pre-established priorities and based on the sound effect configuration information.

12. The effects and media playback combiner of claim 11, wherein the chain specifications include an indication of an ordering as to how the plurality of sound effects should be played and delay parameters between the playing.

13. The effects and media playback combiner of claim 11, wherein the loop specifications include an indication of a number of times each of the sound effects should be repeated.

14. The effects and media playback combiner of claim 11, wherein the sound effects configuration information is generated programmatically.

15. The effects and media playback combiner of claim 11, wherein the sound effects configuration information is controlled by the game process.

16. A portable media device comprising:

an output device having n channels of output;

an effects and media playback combiner;

a media player controlled by a user to play selected media items according to an order indicated by the user and send the played selected media items to the effects and media playback combiner,

a game process configured to generate sound effects in response to game actions undertaken by a user within the game process and to send the generated sound effects with corresponding sound effect configuration information to the effects and media playback combiner; and

wherein the effects and media playback combiner is configured to, upon receipt of the generated sound effects and corresponding sound effect configuration information from the game process and the played selected media items from the media player, modify the played selected media items at least in part in accordance with the sound effect configuration information wherein the modified played media items and the sound effects are mixed in a manner that allows the user to hear both the modified played media items and the generated sound effects simultaneously, wherein the mixing includes determining how many of the n channels of output are available and eliminating certain sound effects from being played according to a least recently used standard if there are not enough channels of output available to play all of the generated sound effects and the modified played media simultaneously.

17. The portable media device of claim 16, wherein each of the n channels of input includes processing elements.

18. The portable media device of claim 17, wherein the processing elements include digital rights management.

19. The portable media device of claim 17, wherein the processing elements include time scale modification.

20. The portable media device of claim 17, wherein the processing elements include sample rate conversion.

21. The portable media device of claim 17, wherein the processing elements include equalization.

22. A computer readable medium for storing in non-transitory tangible form computer instructions executable by a processor for intelligently combining sound effects from a game process with media from a media player on a portable computing device, the method performed at an effects and media playback combiner distinct from the game process and the media player, the computer readable medium comprising:

computer code for receiving media from the media player;

computer code for receiving a plurality of sound effects from the game process, wherein the sound effects are generated in response to game-playing actions of a user of the portable computing device;

computer code for, for each of the plurality of sound effects, receiving sound effect configuration information indicating chain or loop specifications for the corresponding sound effect;

computer code for modifying the audio at least in part in accordance with the sound effect configuration information;

computer code for determining if there are enough active channels to play the plurality of sound effects and the media simultaneously; and

computer code for, when there are not enough active channels to play the plurality of sound effects and the media simultaneously, mixing selected ones of the plurality of sound effects with the media based on pre-established priorities and based on the sound effect configuration information.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the sound effect configuration information includes a specification of fade duration and final fade level.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22, further comprising computer code for periodically polling the channels to determine how many are active.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the sound effect configuration information includes left and right pan information.

26. A method for intelligently combining audio effects generated in accordance with a game process with audio from a media player by a portable computing device, the method comprising:

receiving audio from the media player;

receiving a plurality of sound effects from the game process generated in response to game-playing actions of a user of the portable computing device;

receiving sound effect configuration information from the game process for at least one of the plurality of sound effects;

modifying the audio from the media player at least in part in accordance with the sound effect configuration information; and

mixing the modified audio and the at least one sound effect having the sound effect configuration information.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, further comprising:

determining if there are enough active audio channels to play the plurality of sound effects and the audio from the media player simultaneously; and

when there are not enough active audio channels to play the plurality of sound effects and the audio from the media player simultaneously, mixing selected ones of the plurality of sound effects with the modified audio from the media player based on pre-established priorities and based on the sound effect configuration information.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the pre-established priorities include a least recently used (LRU) standard.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising polling each channel at regular intervals to determine which channels are active.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the sound effect configuration information includes a definition of a corresponding sound effect.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the mixing includes modifying the volume of the audio to a lower volume than it was originally output while still permitting a user of the portable computing device to hear the audio.