Patents

U.S. Patent 5,953,485 ("Audio")
Issued:Sep. 14, 1999
Title:Method And System For Maintaining Audio During Video Control.

Abstract:
A video method and system maintains a transmission of an audio of a video during a viewer controlled freezing, slowing, and/or zooming of the transmission of the video component of the video by automatically selecting, adjusting audio levels, looping, and producing audio effects, from a plurality of audio elements of the video, such as a foreground and background audio elements, in response to the viewer control of the transmission of the video component.
Claims:

• 1. A method of playing a video comprising the steps of:
  
  
  • allowing a viewer to control a playing of a video component of a full-motion video, said full-motion video having an audio component comprising at least one synchronized background audio element and at least one synchronized foreground audio element;
  • playing, at normal speed and responsive to the initiation of a viewer's control over the playing of said video component, an audio that includes said at least one synchronized background audio element and excludes said at least one synchronized foreground audio element; and
  • restoring, responsive to a termination of said viewer's control, the playing of said video component and said audio component.
• 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the excluding of said at least one synchronized foreground audio element is by adjusting the volume level of said at least one synchronized foreground audio element.
  
  
• 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said playing of an audio that includes said at least one synchronized background audio element comprises selectively adjusting the volume of said at least one synchronized background audio element.
  
  
• 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said viewer's control pauses the playing of the video component of said full-motion video; and wherein said termination of said viewer's control resumes the playing of said video component.
  
  
• 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said viewer's control pauses the playing of the video component of said full-motion video; wherein said termination of said viewer's control resumes the playing of said video component; and wherein the excluding of said at least one synchronized foreground audio element is by adjusting the volume level of said at least one synchronized foreground audio element.
  
  
• 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said viewer's control pauses the playing of the video component of said full-motion video; wherein said termination of said viewer's control resumes the playing of said video component; and wherein said playing of an audio that includes said at least one synchronized background audio element comprises selectively adjusting the volume of said at least one synchronized background audio element.
  
  
• 7. A method of playing a video comprising the steps of:
  
  
• allowing a viewer to control a playing of a video component of a full-motion video, said full-motion video having an audio component comprising a plurality of synchronized audio elements;
• playing, at normal speed and responsive to the initiation of a viewer's control over the playing of said video component, an audio generated from said plurality of synchronized audio elements and excludes at least one of said plurality of synchronized audio elements; and
• restoring, responsive to a termination of said viewer's control, the playing of said video component and said audio component.
  
  
• 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said playing an audio generated from said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises selectively utilizing said plurality of synchronized audio elements.
  
  
• 9. The method of claim 7, wherein said playing an audio generated from said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises selectively adjusting the volume level of at least one of the plurality of synchronized audio elements.
  
  
• 10. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises at least one background audio element and at least one foreground audio element; and wherein said playing an audio generated from said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises selectively adjusting the volume level of said at least one foreground audio element.
  
  
• 11. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises at least one background audio element and at least one foreground audio element; and wherein said playing an audio generated from said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises selectively adjusting the volume of said at least one background audio element.
  
  
• 12. The method of claim 7, wherein said viewer's control pauses the playing of the video component of said full-motion video; and wherein said termination of said viewer's control resumes the playing of said video component.
  
  
• 13. The method of claim 7, wherein said viewer's control pauses the playing of the video component of said full-motion video; wherein said termination of said viewer's control resumes the playing of said video component; and wherein said playing an audio generated from said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises selectively utilizing said plurality of synchronized audio elements.
  
  
• 14. The method of claim 7, wherein said viewer's control pauses the playing of the video component of said full-motion video; wherein said termination of said viewer's control resumes the playing of said video component; and wherein said playing an audio generated from said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises selectively adjusting the volume level of at least one of the plurality of synchronized audio elements.
  
  
• 15. The method of claim 7, wherein said viewer's control pauses the playing of the video component of said full-motion video; wherein said termination of said viewer's control resumes the playing of said video component; wherein said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises at least one background audio element and at least one foreground audio element; and wherein said playing an audio generated from said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises selectively adjusting the volume level of said at least one foreground audio element.
  
  
• 16. The method of claim 7, wherein said viewer's control pauses the playing of the video component of said full-motion video; wherein said termination of said viewer's control resumes the playing of said video component; wherein said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises at least one background audio element and at least one foreground audio element; and wherein said playing an audio generated from said plurality of synchronized audio elements comprises selectively adjusting the volume of said at least one background audio element.