Television system

• US 8,233,089 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pace PLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wood, Kevin, Belford, James
• Primary Examiner(s): YENKE, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/416,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 348/180, 348/515, 348/516, 348/512, 715/716, 715/723, 715/727, 360/18
• US Class Current: 348/515
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56

Abstract

A method is provided for synchronising visual and audio data for a television system. The television system includes display means for displaying visual data thereon and audio means for allowing audio data to be sounded via said system. The method includes the steps of undertaking one of displaying a visual indicator on said display means or sounding an audio indicator via said audio means and, after a time delay or period of time, undertaking the other of displaying the visual indicator or sounding the audio indicator, the period of time between the display of said visual indicator and the sounding of said audio indicator being adjustable by a user of said television system using synchronisation means.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing visual and audio data for a television system, said method comprising:

receiving and processing digital data from a broadcaster at a remote location to provide video, audio and/or auxiliary data for a television system including a broadcast data receiver, a display for displaying visual data thereon and audio means for allowing audio data to be sounded via said system, the display or audio means television system being a source of delay for displaying the video data or sounding the audio data;

and said method includes the steps of undertaking one of displaying a visual indicator on said display or sounding an audio indicator via said audio means and, after a time delay or period of time, undertaking the other of displaying the visual indicator or sounding the audio indicator, and;

adjusting the period of time between the display of said visual indicator and the sounding of said audio indicator, the period being adjustable by a user of said television system using user synchronization means provided in or controlled by the broadcast data receiver to achieve a time period adjustment setting to synchronize the audio data sounded with the visual data displayed and wherein said time period adjustment setting is used as a presentation time stamp (PTS) to override an existing PTS or to reset a PTS of an incoming data stream received by, or stored data at, the broadcast data receiver to allow a user selected level of synchronization between said visual and audio data and the visual and audio indicators used are independent of, and distinguishable from, the visual and audio data received by said television system from a remote source.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the visual and audio indicators are stored in memory forming part of or associated with the television system.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the synchronization means includes one or more user selectable on-screen display options.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the one or more user selectable on-screen display options allow a user to undertake any or any combination of increase the time period, decrease the time period, set the time period and/or cancel the time period already set.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein a visual icon or graphics is provided on the display screen on selection of the synchronization method to indicate to the user what level of adjustment of the time period has been made or can still be achieved.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the visual icon or graphics includes a time bar with marker means provided thereon, the ends of the time bar representing the upper and lower limits of adjustment of the time period.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the marker means is movable by a user between the upper and lower limits.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the adjustment means are adjusted by a user using user input means including any or any combination of a keyboard, joystick, mouse, remote control, one or more cursor keys and/or touch screen display.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the user selects initiation of the synchronization method from a set up screen option on a menu display.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the display means is in the form of a plasma display screen or LCD screen.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the audio indicator is in the form of one or more sounds which are audible and recognizable to a user.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the audio indicator is in the form of a bang sound.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein the visual indicator is in the form of a flash of light or color on the display screen.

14. A method according to claim 1 wherein the start and end points of the visual and audio indicators are substantially simultaneous, thereby providing a clear point in time which can allow a user to synchronize the audio and visual indicators together.

15. A method according to claim 1 wherein display and sounding of the visual and audio indicators respectively are repeated at pre-determined time intervals once the synchronization method is initiated until a user saves the selected time period of synchronization or synchronization has been achieved.

16. A method according to claim 1 wherein the time period available for adjustment of the audio and visual indicators is set between −

300 ms and +300 ms.

17. A method according to claim 1 wherein the time delay or time period can initially be substantially zero seconds and the adjustment increases the separation of the audio and visual indicators in time.

18. A television system, comprising:

a broadcast data receiver for receiving and processing digital data from a broadcast at a remote location to provide video, audio and/or auxiliary data for said television system;

display means for displaying video data thereon and audio means for allowing audio data to be sounded via said system, and wherein the display means or audio means of the television system is a source of delay for displaying the video data or sounding the audio data and said broadcast data receiver includes synchronization means for allowing user synchronization of said received video or audio data in said television system at said audio means and said display means, said broadcast data receiver synchronization means arranged to allow a user to adjust the period of time between one of a display of a visual indicator generated and displayed on said display means or the sounding means of an audio indicator generated and sounded via said audio means relative to the other of said visual or audio indicator, to achieve a time period adjustment setting and means are provide to cause the time period adjustment setting to be used as a presentation time stamp (PTS) to override an existing PTS and/or to reset a PTS of an incoming data stream received by, or stored data at, the broadcast data receive to allow a user selected level of synchronization between said visual and audio data and the visual and audio indicators are independent of, and distinguishable from, the video and audio data received by said television system from a remote source.

19. A television system according to claim 18 wherein the visual and audio indicators are separated by a time delay or time period prior to adjustment using said synchronization means.