# US 10,871,936 B2 · Playback device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,936 B2 - Document ID: US10871936B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/918,202 - Filed: 2018-03-12 - Published: 2018-10-11 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-11 - Assignees: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Eiji Nakata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871936B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - G10L 13/00: Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems - G11B 27/005: {Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording (for television signals H04N5/783)} - G11B 27/10: Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract A playback device includes a first generator, a second generator and a combiner. The first generator processes main audio data to output first audio data. The second generator processes additional audio data to output second audio data. The combiner combines the first audio data with the second audio data. While a sampling frequency of the main audio data is different from a sampling frequency of the additional audio data, the second generator generates the second audio data to adjust a playback speed of the additional audio data based on the sampling frequency of the main audio data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A playback device comprising: a first decoder that processes main audio data to output first audio data; a microcomputer that processes additional audio data to output second audio data, the microcomputer including a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that generates the additional audio data according to a user operation relative to the playback device in accordance with a settable sampling frequency and a settable playback speed that are settable to the TTS engine, respectively; and a data processor that combines the first audio data with the second audio data, while a sampling frequency of the main audio data is different from a sampling frequency of the additional audio data, the microcomputer generating the second audio data to adjust a playback speed of the additional audio data based on the sampling frequency of the main audio data to synchronize the playback speed of the additional audio data with a playback speed of the main audio data, the microcomputer further determining whether the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is adjustable to the sampling frequency of the main audio data by designating the settable sampling frequency that is settable to the TTS engine, in response to determining that the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is unadjustable to the sampling frequency of the main audio data by designating the settable sampling frequency that is settable to the TTS engine, the microcomputer adjusting the playback speed of the additional audio data based on the sampling frequency of the main audio data to synchronize the playback speed of the additional audio data with the playback speed of the main audio data by designating the settable playback speed that is settable to the TTS engine independently of designating of the settable sampling frequency that is settable to the TTS engine, the microcomputer further generating the additional audio data, and adjusting the playback speed of the additional audio data that has been generated by the microcomputer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The playback device according to claim 1, wherein while the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is higher than the sampling frequency of the main audio data, a second decoder of the microcomputer generates the second audio data to increase the playback speed of the additional audio data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The playback device according to claim 1, wherein while the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is lower than the sampling frequency of the main audio data, a second decoder of the microcomputer generates the second audio data to decrease the playback speed of the additional audio data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The playback device according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer that controls the first decoder and the data processor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The playback device according to claim 4, wherein the microcomputer determines a multiple by which the playback speed of the additional audio data is adjusted. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The playback device according to claim 4, wherein the microcomputer generates first decode data indicative of an encoding type of the main audio data, and outputs the main audio data and the first decode data to the first decoder. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The playback device according to claim 6, wherein the first decoder generates the first audio data based on the main audio data and the first decode data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The playback device according to claim 7, wherein the first decoder decodes the main audio data based on the first decode data to generate the first audio data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The playback device according to claim 4, wherein the microcomputer generates second decode data indicative of a multiple by which the playback speed of the additional audio data is adjusted and an encoding type of the additional audio data, and outputs the additional audio data and the second decode data to a second decoder of the microcomputer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The playback device according to claim 9, wherein the second decoder generates the second audio data based on the additional audio data and the second decode data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The playback device according to claim 10, wherein the second decoder decodes the additional audio data based on the second decode data to generate the second audio data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The playback device according to claim 4, wherein the microcomputer outputs the additional audio data based on an operational command to the playback device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The playback device according to claim 1, wherein while the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is unadjustable to the sampling frequency of the main audio data, a second decoder of the microcomputer adjusts the playback speed of the additional audio data based on the sampling frequency of the main audio data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The playback device according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer generates the additional audio data with the sampling frequency that has been adjusted to the sampling frequency of the main audio data while the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is adjustable to the sampling frequency of the main audio data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The playback device according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer adjusts the playback speed of the additional audio data that has been generated by the microcomputer while the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is unadjustable to the sampling frequency of the main audio data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The playback device according to claim 13, wherein the microcomputer generates the additional audio data based on an operational command to the playback device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The playback device according to claim 16, wherein the microcomputer generates the additional audio data by converting text data indicative of the operational command to the playback device into the additional audio data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The playback device according to claim 1, wherein the data processor has a converter that processes the second audio data to raise an audio level of the additional audio data while the audio level of the additional audio data is at or below a first threshold value. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The playback device according to claim 18, wherein the converter further processes the second audio data to lower the audio level of the additional audio data while the audio level of the additional audio data is at or above a second threshold value that is higher than the first threshold value.