Fine-grained synchronization of a decompressed audio stream by skipping or repeating a variable number of samples from a frame

A method for improving synchronism while processing a stream of data, comprising:

• buffering a first frame of the stream of data in a memory circuit prior to transferring the frame of data to an output port connected to another device;
• determining a first presentation time for transferring the first frame of data to the output port;
• determining a time difference between the first presentation time and a first reference time when the first frame is to be actually transferred;
• transferring only a portion of the first frame of data to the output port in accordance with the time difference to lengthen or shorten a time to transfer the frame so that synchronism between a second presentation time of a second frame of data and a second reference time is improved.

An audio reproduction system, comprising:

• means for acquiring a stream of data which contains encoded audio data;
• a data device for processing the stream of data connected to the means for acquiring, the data device operable to form at least one channel of PCM data on an at least one device output terminal;
• a digital to analog converter connected to the output terminal operable to convert the channel of PCM data to an analog audio signal on a D/A output terminal;
• a speaker subsystem connected to the D/A output terminal;
• wherein the data device further comprises:
• a first memory circuit operable to hold at least a first frame of the stream of data, the first frame of data having a preselected number of data words, the memory circuit connected to an address bus and to a data bus;
• a port for transferring the stream of data to another device;
• means for determining a first presentation time for the frame of data;
• means for determining a first reference time;
• a processing unit connected to the first memory circuit and to the port;
• the processing unit operable to transfer the first frame of data to the port, the processing unit being further operable to determine a first time difference between the first presentation time and the first reference time;
• and
• means for transferring only a first portion of the first frame in accordance with the first time difference, whereby synchronism between a second presentation time of a second frame of data and a second reference time is improved.