Associating buffers with temporal sequence presentation data

• US 8,797,329 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Virentem Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: EPL Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Goldhor, Richard S., Bianchi, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A
• Application Number:
  US13/454,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20120269496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 345/559, 345/473
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783

Abstract

Techniques are provided for managing Presentation Time in a digital rendering system for presentation of temporally-ordered data when the digital rendering system includes a Variable Rate Presentation capability. In one embodiment, Presentation Time is converted to Data Time, and Data Time is reported instead of Presentation Time when only one time can be reported. In another embodiment, a predetermined one of Presentation Time and Data Time is returned in response to a request for a Current Time.

Claims

1. A method for use in conjunction with a rendering system which renders temporal sequence presentation data including a plurality of data samples organized into a plurality of buffers stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the plurality of buffers is logically arranged in an ordered sequence, the method performed by at least one computer processor executing computer program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method comprising steps of:

(A) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, calculating a data time corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers based on a data time corresponding to the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence;

(B) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, storing, in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, data representing the data time corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers;

(C) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, storing, in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, data representing a presentation rate corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers;

(D) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, presentation rate modifying the data samples that have been organized into the particular one of the plurality of buffers based on the presentation rate corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers;

(E) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, calculating a presentation time corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers based on a presentation time corresponding to a buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence; and

(F) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, storing, in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, data representing the presentation time corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (A) comprises steps of, for each particular one of the plurality of buffers:

(A)(1) identifying a data time corresponding to the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence;

(A)(2) identifying an unmodified cumulative rendition period of the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence; and

(A)(3) calculating the data time of the particular one of the plurality of buffers as a sum of the data time identified in step (A)(1) and the unmodified cumulative rendition period identified in step (A)(2).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (E) comprises steps of, for each particular one of the plurality of buffers:

(E)(1) identifying a presentation time corresponding to the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence;

(E)(2) identifying a modified cumulative rendition period of the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence; and

(E)(3) calculating the presentation time of the particular one of the plurality of buffers as a sum of the presentation time identified in step (E)(1) and the modified cumulative rendition period identified in step (E)(2).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein (E)(2) comprises:

(E)(2) (a) identifying the number of samples in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers after presentation rate modifying the data samples that have been organized into the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers;

(E)(2)(b) identifying a modified rendition period of a sample in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers; and

(E)(2)(c) calculating a modified cumulative rendition period of the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers as a product of the number of samples identified in step (E)(2)(a) times the modified rendition period of the sample in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers identified in step (E)(2)(b).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the modified rendition period of the sample in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers is equal to the unmodified rendition period of that sample.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein (A)(2) comprises:

(A)(2)(a) identifying the number of samples in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers before presentation rate modifying the data samples that have been organized into the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers;

(A)(2)(b) identifying an unmodified rendition period of a sample in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers; and

(A)(2)(c) calculating an unmodified cumulative rendition period of the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers as a product of the number of samples identified in step (A)(2)(a) times the unmodified rendition period of the sample in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers identified in step (A)(2)(b).

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program instructions executable by at least one computer processor to perform a method for use in conjunction with a rendering system which renders temporal sequence presentation data including a plurality of data samples organized into a plurality of buffers stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the plurality of buffers is logically arranged in an ordered sequence, the method comprising steps of:

(A) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, calculating a data time corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers based on a data time corresponding to the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence;

(B) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, storing, in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, data representing the data time corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers;

(C) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, storing, in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, data representing a presentation rate corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers;

(D) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, presentation rate modifying the data samples that have been organized into the particular one of the plurality of buffers based on the presentation rate corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers;

(E) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, calculating a presentation time corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers based on a presentation time corresponding to a buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence; and

(F) for each particular one of the plurality of buffers, storing, in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, data representing the presentation time corresponding to the particular one of the plurality of buffers.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the step (A) comprises steps of, for each particular one of the plurality of buffers:

(A)(1) identifying a data time corresponding to the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence;

(A)(2) identifying an unmodified cumulative rendition period of the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence; and

(A)(3) calculating the data time of the particular one of the plurality of buffers as a sum of the data time identified in step (A)(1) and the unmodified cumulative rendition period identified in step (A)(2).

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the step (E) comprises steps of, for each of the plurality of buffers:

(E)(1) identifying a presentation time corresponding to the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence;

(E)(2) identifying a modified cumulative rendition period of the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers in the ordered sequence; and

(E)(3) calculating the presentation time of the particular one of the plurality of buffers as a sum of the presentation time identified in step (E)(1) and the modified cumulative rendition period identified in step (E)(2).

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises, wherein step (E)(2) comprises, for each particular one of the plurality of buffers:

(E)(2)(a) identifying the number of samples in the particular one of the plurality of buffers after presentation rate modifying the data samples that have been organized into the particular one of the plurality of buffers;

(E)(2)(b) identifying a modified rendition period of a sample in the particular one of the plurality of buffers; and

(E)(2)(c) calculating a modified cumulative rendition period of the particular one of the plurality of buffers as a product of the number of samples identified in step (E)(2)(a) times the modified rendition period of the sample in the particular one of the plurality of buffers identified in step (E)(2)(b).

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the modified rendition period of the sample in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers is equal to the unmodified rendition period of that sample.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein (A)(2) comprises:

(A)(2)(a) identifying the number of samples in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers before presentation rate modifying the data samples that have been organized into the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers;

(A)(2)(b) identifying an unmodified rendition period of a sample in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers; and

(A)(2)(c) calculating an unmodified cumulative rendition period of the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers as a product of the number of samples identified in step (A)(2)(a) times the unmodified rendition period of the sample in the buffer previous to the particular one of the plurality of buffers identified in step (A)(2)(b).