Method system & apparatus for synchronizing an auxiliary sound source containing multiple language channels with motion picture film video tape or other picture source containing a sound track

For use with a system for providing an audience with viewable images depicting motion wherein persons are depicted talking, said viewable images being derived from a picture source having an associated sound signal track for providing a first sound signal synchronized in real time with the viewed images for reproducing a first audio message including a first spoken language synchronized in real time with lip motions of persons depicted talking by the images, said sound signal track having been derived from a master recording or high quality duplicate thereof, apparatus comprising:

• an auxiliary digital sound signal source having a prime language channel for providing a second sound signal for producing a second audio message including said first spoken language, said prime language channel having been derived from said master recording or high quality duplicate thereof;
• means for correlating intrinsic characteristics of said second audio message with intrinsic characteristics of said first audio message for synchronizing said second sound signal in real time with said first sound signal for causing said second audio message to be synchronized in real time with the viewed images, with said first spoken language in said second audio message being synchronized in real time with lip motions of persons depicted talking by the images;
• said auxiliary digital sound signal source also comprising at least one translation language channel for providing a third sound signal for reproducing a third audio message including a second spoken language different from and being a translation of said first spoken language;
• said second spoken language in said third audio message being arranged and timed for enabling articulation of said second spoken language to appear generally to correspond in real time with lip motions of persons depicted talking by the images;
• said translation channel running in synchronism with said prime language channel for synchronizing of said second sound signal in real time with said first sound signal to cause said third sound signal to be synchronized in real time with said first sound signal, with articulation of said second spoken language appearing generally to correspond with lip motions of persons depicted talking by the images;
• and
• means accessible to the audience for enabling members of the audience to select to hear said first spoken language or said second spoken language during viewing of said images depicting motion.

In a system providing an audience with viewable images depicting motion and wherein a sound signal track is associated with a source of said viewable images for providing a first sound signal synchronized in real time with said viewable images for reproducing a first audio message including a first spoken language synchronized in real time with lip motions of persons depicted talking by said images, a method for providing at least one other audio message synchronized in real time with said viewable images and including a second spoken language being a translation of said first spoken language, with articulation of said second spoken language appearing generally to correspond with lip motions of persons depicted talking by said images, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an auxiliary digital sound signal source having a prime language channel and at least one translation language channel,
• recording in said prime language channel a second sound signal made from a master recording or high quality duplicate thereof corresponding with a master recording or high quality duplicate thereof from which said sound signal track was made for enabling said prime language channel to be used for reproducing the first audio message including the first spoken language, with informational content of the first audio message reproduced from said prime language channel being the same as informational content of the first audio message reproduced from said sound signal track, except for higher sound quality being reproducible from said prime language channel;
• recording in said translation channel a third sound signal for reproducing a second audio message including a second spoken language which is a translation of said first spoken language and wherein articulation of said second spoken language is arranged and timed for corresponding generally in real time with lip motions depicted in said viewable images;
• operating said auxiliary sound signal source with said translation channel running in synchronism in real time with said prime language channel;
• reproducing said second sound signal from said prime language channel;
• reproducing said third sound signal from said translation channel;
• synchronizing said second sound signal in real time with said first sound signal by correlating informational content of said second sound signal with the same informational content of said first sound signal;
• thereby synchronizing in real time the first audio message reproduced from said prime language channel with the first audio message reproduced from said sound signal track;
• thereby causing the third sound signal reproduced from said translation language channel running in synchronism in real time with said prime language channel also to be synchronized in real time with the first audio message reproduced from said sound signal track for causing articulation of the spoken second language to correspond generally in real time with the lip motions depicted in said viewable images;
• and
• selecting to be heard by the audience the first audio message reproduced from said prime language channel or the second audio message reproduced from said translation language channel, depending upon a desire by the audience to hear said first spoken language or said second spoken language.

In a system providing an audience with viewable images depicting motion and wherein a sound signal track is associated with a source of said viewable images for providing a first sound signal synchronized in real time with said viewable images for reproducing a first audio message including a first spoken language synchronized in real time with lip motions of persons depicted talking by said images, apparatus for providing at least one other audio message synchronized in real time with said viewable images and including a second spoken language which is a translation of said first spoken language, with articulation of said second spoken language appearing generally to correspond with lip motions of persons depicted talking by said images, said apparatus comprising:

• auxiliary digital sound signal source means having a prime language channel and at least one translation language channel,
• said prime language channel having recorded therein a second sound signal made from a master recording or high quality duplicate thereof corresponding with a master recording or high quality duplicate thereof from which said sound signal track was made for enabling said prime language channel to be used for reproducing the first audio message including the first spoken language, with informational content of the first audio message reproduced from said prime language channel being the same as informational content of the first audio message reproduced from said sound signal track, except for higher sound quality being reproducible from said prime language channel;
• said translation channel having recorded therein a third sound signal for reproducing a second audio message including a second spoken language which is a translation of said first spoken language and wherein articulation of said second spoken language is arranged and timed for corresponding generally in real time with lip motions depicted in said viewable images;
• said auxiliary sound signal source means operating with said translation channel running in synchronization in real time with said prime language channel;
• means for reproducing said second sound signal from said prime language channel;
• means for reproducing said third sound signal from said translation channel;
• correlation means for synchronizing said second sound signal in real time with said first sound signal by correlating intrinsic characteristics of said second sound signal with intrinsic characteristics of said first sound signal;
• thereby synchronizing in real time the first audio message reproduced from said prime language channel with the first audio message reproduced from said sound signal track;
• thereby providing the third sound signal reproduced from said translation language channel synchronized in real time with the first audio message reproduced from said sound signal track with articulation of the spoken second language corresponding generally in real time with the lip motions depicted in said viewable images;
• and
• means for selecting to be heard by the audience the first audio message reproduced from said prime language channel or the second audio message reproduced from said translation language channel, depending upon a desire by the audience to hear said first spoken language or said second spoken language.

For use in providing an audience with viewable images accompanied by sound, said viewable images being provided from a motion picture film, said viewable images showing people moving and talking and said motion picture film having at least one sound signal track on the film for reproducing a first audio message including a first spoken language synchronized with lip motions of people shown talking and wherein correlation means synchronize an audio message from auxiliary sound signal source means with said first audio message, a system for providing an audience with an audio message selectable from among audio messages each including a spoken language different from said first spoken language and different from each other and wherein lip motions of people shown talking generally appear to correspond with articulation of such different spoken language, said system comprising:

• auxiliary sound signal source means having a plurality of sound signal channels;
• one of said sound signal channels being a prime channel having recorded therein an audio message including said first spoken language;
• said audio message recorded in said prime channel having been derived from a master recording or high quality duplicate of a master recording from which was derived said sound signal track on the motion picture film;
• said correlation means correlating said audio message of said prime channel with said first audio message for synchronizing said audio message of said prime channel with said first audio message;
• other sound signal channels of said auxiliary sound signal source means being translation channels;
• said translation channels having recorded therein respective audio messages including spoken languages which are different from each other and different from said first spoken language;
• each respective spoken language in a respective audio message of a respective translation channel having been arranged and timed for lip motions of people shown talking generally to appear to correspond with articulation of the respective spoken language in the respective audio message reproducible from the respective translation channel;
• said translation channels being synchronizable with said prime channel;
• and
• language selection means for selection of an audio message from a translation channel to be heard by an audience while viewing the images.

For use in a system for providing an audience with viewable images accompanied by sound, said viewable images being provided from a motion picture film, said viewable images showing people talking and said motion picture film having at least one sound signal track for providing a first audio message including a first spoken language wherein articulation is synchronized with lip motions of people shown talking and wherein correlation means synchronize an audio message from auxiliary sound signal source means with said first audio message, apparatus for providing an audience with an audio message including a second spoken language different from said first spoken language and wherein lip motions of people shown talking generally appear to correspond with articulation of second spoken language, said apparatus comprising:

• auxiliary sound signal source means including a plurality of sound signal channels;
• one of said sound signal channels being a prime language channel;
• said prime language channel having recorded therein an audio message derived from a master recording or high quality duplicate of a master recording from which was derived said sound signal track;
• said correlation means correlating said audio message of said prime language channel with said first audio message for synchronizing said audio message of said prime language channel with said first audio message while an audience is provided with said viewable images;
• another of said sound signal channels being a second language channel;
• said second language channel having recorded therein an audio message including a second spoken language different from said first spoken language;
• said second spoken language being arranged and timed during recording for lip motions of people shown talking by said viewable images generally to appear to correspond with articulation of said second spoken language;
• said audio message of said second language channel being synchronized with said audio message of said prime language channel while an audience is provided with said viewable images;
• and
• means for providing an audience with said audio message of said second language channel for an audience to see said viewable images while hearing the audio message from said second language channel wherein lip motions of people shown talking by said viewable images generally appear to correspond with articulation of said second spoken language heard by the audience.

A method for presenting an audience with viewable images accompanied by sound, wherein said viewable images show people talking and wherein a source of said viewable images includes at least one sound signal track for providing a first audio message including a first spoken language having articulation synchronized with lip motions of people shown talking and wherein an audio message of an auxiliary source is correlatable with said first audio message for synchronizing said audio message of said auxiliary source with said first audio message, said audio message of said auxiliary source being

• derived from a master recording or high quality duplicate thereof from which was derived said sound signal track, said method presenting an audience with a second spoken language different from said first spoken language, said method comprising the steps of:
• recording in a translation language channel said second audio message including said second spoken language;
• said second spoken language in said second audio message being arranged and timed during recording for lip motions of people shown talking by said viewable images generally to appear to correspond with articulation of said second spoken language;
• synchronizing said second audio message with said audio message of said auxiliary source during presenting of said viewable images;
• and
• providing an audience with said second audio message for an audience to see said viewable images while hearing said second audio message including said second spoken language with lip motions of people shown talking by said viewable images generally appearing to correspond with articulation of said second spoken language in said second audio message.