Audio output distribution

• US 9,357,215 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Boden, Scott D. Boden
• Original Assignee: Michael Boden, Scott D. Boden
• Inventors: Boden, Michael, Boden, Scott D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/764,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20130155318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 341/51, 348/425.4, 348/469, 348/515, 348/14.08, 348/705, 370/240.26, 370/259, 370/261, 370/328, 370/345, 370/401, 370/433, 381/79, 381/22, 382/176, 455/3.06, 455/214, 455/550.1, 455/414.3, 700/94, 704/201, 704/500, 704/229, 709/219, 709/204, 725/39, 725/109, 725/116, 725/143, 352/40, 386/241, 375/240.26, 375/259, 379/87, 713/171
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/90 using coding techniques not provided for in groups H04N19/10-H04N19/85, e.g. fractals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/631 Multimode Transmission, e.g. transmitting basic layers and enhancement layers of the content over different transmission paths or transmitting with different error corrections, different keys or with different transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages

Abstract

In some embodiments, a request for an audio stream associated with a video output may be received. Upon receiving the request, the requested audio stream may be encoded for transmission over a network and sent to a user device associated with the request.

Claims

1. A method for providing audio output distribution, the method comprising:

receiving a request for at least one audio stream, wherein the audio stream is communicated from a video display output device comprising an audio input port;

encoding the requested at least one audio stream for transmission over a network after the audio stream has been communicated from the audio input port of the video display output device; and

transmitting the encoded at least one audio stream over the network to a user device associated with the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded at least one audio stream is provided to the user device in sync with the video output.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one audio stream comprises one of a plurality of audio streams, wherein each of the plurality of audio streams are associated with one of a plurality of television programs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one audio stream comprises one of a plurality of alternate audio streams associated with the video output.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for the at least one audio stream comprises an identifier associated with a requesting device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein encoding the requested at least one audio stream for transmission comprises addressing the encoded at least one audio stream according to the identifier associated with the requesting device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically resyncing the at least one audio stream with a current position of the video output.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio stream is communicated from a video display output device through analog audio outputs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the requested at least one audio stream is encoded into a digital audio output for transmission over the network.

10. An apparatus for distributing an audio stream from a video display output device comprising an audio input port, the apparatus comprising:

an audio input connector in communication with the audio input port of the video display output device;

a network transceiver in communication with the audio input connector; and

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive an audio stream from the audio input port of the video display output device via the audio input connector,

encode the audio stream for transmission, and

transmit the encoded stream to at least one receiver.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request from at least one second receiver to join the audio stream; and

transmit the encoded stream to the at least one receiver and the at least one second receiver.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

encode a video stream associated with the audio stream; and

transmit the encoded video stream to the at least one receiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to create a wireless network associated with the network transceiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the encoded audio stream over the created wireless network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, where the created wireless network comprises an ad-hoc wireless network in accordance with the 802.11 specification.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the audio input connector is in analog communication with the video display output device and the network transceiver is in analog communication with the audio input connector.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive the analog audio stream via the audio input connector,

encode the audio stream for digital transmission, and

transmit the digitally encoded stream to at least one receiver.

18. A system for distributing a plurality of audio streams from at least one video display output devices comprising an audio input port, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processor coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processor is configured to;

encode each of a plurality of audio streams, wherein each of the plurality of audio streams are communicated from the audio input port of the at least one video display output devices,

generate a listing interface of the plurality of encoded audio streams,

receive a request for at least one of the encoded audio streams, and

transmit the at least one encoded audio stream over a communications medium.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein being configured to transmit the at least one encoded audio stream over the communications medium comprises being configured to multicast the at least one encoded audio stream over the communications medium to a plurality of user devices.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein being configured to transmit the at least one encoded audio stream over the communications medium comprises being configured to unicast the at least one encoded audio stream over the communications medium to a subscribed user device.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein being configured to generate the listing interface of the plurality of encoded audio streams comprises being configured to generate a web page accessible over the communications medium.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the received request comprises a plurality of user information associated with a user device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of user information comprises a user preference.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of user information comprises a user subscription.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of audio streams are communicated through analog output from the at least one video display output devices.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the plurality of audio streams are encoded into a digital audio output for transmission over the communications medium.