Variable rate video playback with synchronized audio

A method for modifying an original set of audio data to produce a modified set of audio data, comprising the steps of:

• (i) dividing the original set of audio data into a plurality of segments, each segment representing a contiguous portion of the set of audio data that occurs during a specified duration of time, each segment being adjacent to one or two other segments such that there are no gaps between segments and adjacent segments do not overlap;
• (ii) selecting a first segment;
• (iii) selecting a second segment, the second segment temporally adjacent to the first segment;
• (iv) overlapping an end portion of the first segment with an end portion of the second segment that is adjacent to the first segment, the end portion of the first segment including first segment overlap data and the end portion of the second segment including second segment overlap data;
• (v) identifying as part of the modified set of audio data the audio data from the first segment that is not part of the first segment overlap data;
• (vi) blending corresponding first segment overlap data and second segment overlap data;
• and
• (vii) determining whether there are additional segments in the original set of audio data that have not been overlapped with an adjacent segment, wherein:
• if there are additional segments, the method further comprises the steps of:
• combining the blended overlap data with the audio data from the second segment that is not part of the second segment overlap data;
• selecting the combined data as a new first segment;
• and
• selecting a new second segment that is temporally adjacent to the new first segment and that has not previously been selected as a segment;
• repeating steps (i) through (vii);
• and
• if there are not additional segments, the method further comprises the step of identifying as part of the modified set of audio data the blended data and the audio data from the second segment that is not part of the second segment overlap data.

A system for enabling the apparent display rate of an audiovisual display to be varied from a normal display rate, For use with an audiovisual display system in which a set of audio data and a related set of video data can be used to generate an audiovisual display at a normal display rate, comprising:

• means for defining a correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data;
• means for determining a target display rate for an audiovisual display;
• means for creating a modified set of audio data, based upon a target display rate and an evaluation of the content of the original set of audio data, that corresponds to the original set of audio data;
• and
• means for creating a modified set of video data, based upon the modified set of audio data, the correspondence between the modified set of audio data and the original set of audio data, and the correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data.

A computer readable medium encoded with one or more computer programs for enabling the apparent display rate of an audiovisual display to be varied from a normal display rate at which an audiovisual display system can generate a display from an original set of audio data and a related original set of video data, comprising:

• instructions for defining a correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data;
• instructions for determining a target display rate for the audiovisual display;
• instructions for creating a modified set of audio data, based upon the target display rate and an evaluation of the content of the original set of audio data, that corresponds to the original set of audio data;
• and
• instructions creating a modified set of video data, based upon the modified set of audio data, the correspondence between the modified set of audio data and the original set of audio data, and the correspondence between the original set of audio data and the original set of video data.