Managing playback of synchronized content

• US 8,855,797 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Story, Guy A. Jr., Israel, Bruce N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIEGEL, DAVID F
• Application Number:
  US13/070,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen touch screen note input, e.g. using a displayed keyboard G10H2220/241; personal digital assistant [PDA] G10H2230/015
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/325 Synchronizing two or more audio tracks or files according to musical features or musical timings synchronised lyrics, e.g. for karaoke G10H2220/011

Abstract

A computing device may provide a control interface that enables the user to manage the synchronized output of companion content (e.g., textual content and corresponding audio content). For example, the computing device may display a visual cue to identify a current location in textual content corresponding to a current output position of companion audio content. As the audio content is presented, the visual cue may be advanced to maintain synchronization between the output position within the audio content and a corresponding position in the textual content. The user may control the synchronized output by dragging her finger across the textual content displayed on the touch screen. Accordingly, the control interface may provide a highlight or other visual indication of the distance between the advancing position in the textual content and the location of a pointer to the textual content indicated by the current position of the user'"'"'s finger.

Claims

1. A system for synchronizing output of audio content with textual content, the system comprising:

one or more data stores that store textual content, audio content, and content synchronization information, wherein the content synchronization information corresponds to information for synchronizing the textual content and the audio content;

an input device that obtains an input pointer referencing a location within the textual content;

a display device that presents the textual content;

an output device that outputs the audio content; and

a processor in communication with the one or more data stores, the input device and the output device, the processor operative to;

cause output of the audio content via the output device;

cause presentation of the textual content on the display device;

maintain, based at least in part on the synchronization information, synchronization between an output pointer of the textual content presented on the display device and an associated position of the audio content output via the output device, wherein the associated position of the audio content advances during output of the audio content, and wherein the output pointer indicates a position within the textual content corresponding to a current output position of the audio content;

obtain, from the input device, the input pointer referencing the location within the textual content presented on the display device;

during advancement of the output pointer, determine, independent of the obtained input pointer, a position of the output pointer corresponding to the current output position of the audio content;

determine a lead interval based at least in part on a difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the textual content referenced by the input pointer; and

modify a speed at which the audio content is output via the output device based at least in part on the determined lead interval.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein maintaining, based at least in part on the synchronization information, synchronization between the output pointer of the textual content and the associated position of the audio content comprises updating the output pointer of the textual content to correspond to the associated position of the audio content during output of the audio content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein obtaining the input pointer referencing the location within the textual content from the input device comprises obtaining a location corresponding to at least one of a word, syllable, letter, sentence, line, paragraph, chapter, stanza, section, or column in the textual content.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises at least one of a touch screen, a mouse, a stylus, a remote control, a game controller, or a motion detector.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined lead interval is indicated by a visual cue.

6. A computer-implemented method outputting first content and second content, the computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more computing devices,

causing output of a first content and a second content;

maintaining, based at least in part on synchronization information, synchronization between an output pointer of the second content and an associated position of the first content, wherein the associated position of the first content advances during output of the first content, and wherein the output pointer indicates a position within the second content corresponding to a current output position of the first content;

obtaining, from an input device, an input pointer referencing a position within the second content being presented;

during advancement of the output pointer, determining, independent of the obtained input pointer, a position of the output pointer corresponding to the current output position of the first content;

determining a lead interval based at least in part on a difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the position of the second content referenced by the input pointer; and

modifying an attribute associated with the output of the first content based at least in part on the determined lead interval.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein modifying an attribute associated with the output of the first content comprises at least one of increasing or decreasing a speed at which the first content is output.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein increasing a speed at which the first content is output includes skipping output of one or more segments of the first content.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first content comprises audio content.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein increasing the speed at which the audio content is output includes increasing the speed without a change in a pitch of the audio content, and wherein decreasing the speed at which the audio content is output includes decreasing the speed without a change in a pitch of the audio content.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein maintaining, based at least in part on the synchronization information, synchronization between the output pointer of the second content and the associated position of the first content comprises updating the output pointer of the second content to correspond to the associated position of the first content during output of the first content.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the second content comprises textual content.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein obtaining the input pointer referencing the position within second content from the input device comprises obtaining a position corresponding to at least one of a natural feature and a predefined feature of the second content.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the input device comprises at least one of a touch screen, a mouse, a stylus, a remote control, a game controller, or a motion detector.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the determined lead interval is indicated by at least one of a visual cue, an auditory cue, or a tactile cue.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the visual cue comprises highlighting of the textual content.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein modifying an attribute associated with the output of the first content based at least in part on the determined lead interval comprises modifying the attribute if the lead interval satisfies a threshold value.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the threshold value is indicated by at least one of a visual cue, an auditory cue, or a tactile cue.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the threshold value is determined based at least in part on input by a user.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein modifying an attribute associated with the output of the first content based at least in part on the determined lead interval comprises modifying the attribute if the lead interval is determined to at least one of exceed the threshold value for a predetermined length of time, or drop below the threshold value for a predetermined length of time.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising updating the output pointer of the second content based at least in part on the input pointer.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 further comprising causing output of the first content beginning from a new position of the first content associated with the updated output pointer.

23. A system for synchronizing playback of content comprising:

a data store that stores content synchronization information;

a processor in communication with the data store, the processor operative to;

during output of a visual content and an associated sequential content, maintain, based at least in part on the synchronization information, synchronization between an output pointer of the visual content and an associated position of the sequential content, wherein the associated position of the sequential content advances during output of the sequential content, and wherein the output pointer indicates a position within the visual content corresponding to a current output position of the sequential content;

obtain an input pointer that references a location within the visual content being output;

during advancement of the output pointer, determine, independent of the obtained input pointer, a position of the output pointer corresponding to the current output position of the sequential content; and

modify an attribute associated with the output of the sequential content based at least in part on a difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the visual content referenced by the input pointer.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein modifying an attribute associated with the output of the sequential content comprises at least one of increasing and decreasing the speed at which the sequential content is output.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein maintaining, based at least in part on the synchronization information, synchronization between an output pointer of the visual content and the associated position of the sequential content comprises updating the output pointer of the visual content to correspond to the associated position of the sequential content during output of the sequential content.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the input pointer is obtained from an input device.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the visual content referenced by the input pointer is indicated by at least one of a visual cue, an auditory cue, or a tactile cue.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein modifying an attribute associated with the output of the sequential content comprises modifying the attribute if the difference between the output pointer and the location within the visual content referenced by the input pointer satisfies a threshold value.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein modifying an attribute associated with the output of the sequential content comprises modifying the attribute if the difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the visual content referenced by the input pointer satisfies the threshold value for a predetermined length of time.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein modifying an attribute associated with the output of the sequential content comprises at least one of:

outputting the sequential content at a first rate if the difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the visual content referenced by the input pointer satisfies a first threshold value for a first predetermined length of time;

outputting the sequential content at a second rate if the difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the visual content referenced by the input pointer satisfies a second threshold value for a second predetermined length of time, wherein the second rate is faster than the first rate;

or

outputting the sequential content at a third rate if the difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the visual content referenced by the input pointer satisfies a third threshold value for a third predetermined length of time, wherein the third rate is faster than the second rate.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the first rate corresponds to at least one of a rate at which the sequential content was recorded, a rate determined by a user of the system, or a rate determined by a provider of the sequential content.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further operable to update the output pointer of the visual content based at least in part on the input pointer.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the processor is further operable to cause output of the sequential content beginning from a new position of the sequential content associated with the updated output pointer of the visual content.

34. A computer readable, non-transitory storage medium having at least one computer-executable component for providing synchronized content, the at least one computer-executable component comprising:

a content synchronization module operative, during output of a first content and an associated second content, to;

maintain, based at least in part on synchronization information, synchronization between an output pointer of the second content and an associated position of the first content, wherein the associated position of the first content advances during output of the first content, and wherein the output pointer indicates a position within the second content corresponding to a current output position of the first content;

obtain an input pointer that references a location within the second content;

during advancement of the output pointer, determine, independent of the obtained input pointer, a position of the output pointer corresponding to the current output position of the first content; and

modify an attribute associated with the output of the first content based at least in part on a difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the second content referenced by the input pointer.

35. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 34, wherein modifying an attribute associated with the output of the first content comprises at least one of increasing and decreasing the speed at which the first content is output.

36. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 34, wherein maintaining, based at least in part on the synchronization information, synchronization between an output pointer the second content and the associated position of the first content comprises updating the output pointer the second content to correspond to the associated position of the first content during output of the first content.

37. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 34, wherein the input pointer is obtained from an input device.

38. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 34, wherein modifying an attribute associated with the output of the first content comprises modifying the attribute if the difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the second content referenced by the input pointer satisfies a threshold value.

39. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 34, wherein modifying an attribute associated with the output of the first content comprises at least one of:

outputting the first content at a first rate if the difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the second content referenced by the input pointer satisfies a first threshold value for a first predetermined length of time;

outputting the first content at a second rate if the difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the second content referenced by the input pointer satisfies a second threshold value for a second predetermined length of time, wherein the second rate is faster than the first rate;

or

outputting the first content at a third rate if the difference between the determined position of the output pointer and the location within the second content referenced by the input pointer satisfies a third threshold value for a third predetermined length of time, wherein the third rate is faster than the second rate.