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US 6,640,147 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for late buffer processing
AssigneesSony Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
InventorsRoger Mather Duvall, Richard Joseph Oliver
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Late audio buffer processing for intelligently muting audio output when audio buffers are not read fast enough from disk into digital signal processing (DSP) memory. Given a playback audio recorder, each channel of audio is associated with a forward and a reverse late threshold signals which are enabled when the processing of an audio buffer for that channel is delayed. When an audio buffer for that channel is delayed, the late threshold signal sets in motion the muting of that specific audio channel for a predetermined amount of time. If and when the system catches up, normal playback resumes. Otherwise, the channel stays muted.
Claims21
A method for late audio buffer processing comprising:
- monitoring a current time for at least one late threshold for at least one audio channel on an audio playback and record medium, said at least one late threshold associated at least one said audio channel;
- monitoring a trigger threshold object for the at least one said audio channel to initiate retrieval of audio data;
- enabling said late threshold if the current time indicates a next audio data is not made available within a predetermined period of time defined by a corresponding at least one late threshold value;
- providing access to a silence buffer being processed in place of next audio data and sending a buffer length of said audio data which is late to a digital signal processor which has access to said silence buffer.
1 more element
A method for late audio buffer processing comprising:
- monitoring a current time for at least one late threshold for at least one audio channel on an audio playback and record medium, said at least one late threshold associated at least one said audio channel,
- monitoring at least one ready threshold and at least one trigger threshold of each said audio channel in an audio node mapping list, said audio node mapping list being a linked list of buffer nodes having buffer node addressing information for each audio data to be placed in a buffer corresponding to a buffer node in said audio node mapping list;
- enabling said late threshold if the current time indicates a next audio data is not made available within a predetermined period of time defined by a corresponding at least one late threshold value;
- providing access to a silence buffer being processed in place of next audio data.
1 more element
An audio playback record apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of buffer mapping lists, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists associated with each audio channel on the apparatus, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists having a plurality of buffer nodes with buffer address information for each buffer to which an audio data is to be placed;
- a real time module (RTM) having at least one late threshold coupled to each said plurality of buffer mapping lists, said at least one late threshold configured to be enabled if next audio data to be processed is not received within a predetermined time;
- a silence buffer coupled to one of said buffers on one of said plurality of buffer mapping lists for which said at least one late threshold was enabled, said silence buffer configured to be processed in place of said next audio data;
- and
- an asynchronization input/output mechanism configured to retrieve audio data in response to a trigger signal from said at least one late threshold and to schedule said silence buffer in response to receipt of a late signal from said late threshold.
2 more elements
An audio playback record apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of buffer mapping lists, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists associated with each audio channel on the apparatus, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists having a plurality of buffer nodes with buffer address information for each buffer to which an audio data is to be placed;
- a real time module (RTM) having at least one late threshold coupled to each said plurality of buffer mapping lists, said at least one late threshold configured to be enabled if next audio data to be processed is not received within a predetermined time, said RTM further comprises (i) a real time timer coupled to said late threshold, said real time timer configured to monitor each audio channel on the device for timely processing of said audio data and (ii) at least one ready threshold associated with each audio channel on the apparatus, said at least one ready threshold configured to indicate when the apparatus is ready to accept audio data for processing, said at least one ready threshold for an audio channel coupled to a corresponding one of a plurality of audio node mapping list;
- and
- a silence buffer coupled to one of said buffers on one of said plurality of buffer mapping lists for which said at least one late threshold was enabled, said silence buffer configured to be processed in place of said next audio data.
1 more element
An audio playback record apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of buffer mapping lists, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists associated with each audio channel on the apparatus, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists having a plurality of buffer nodes with buffer address information for each buffer to which an audio data is to be placed;
- a real time module (RTM) having at least one late threshold coupled to each said plurality of buffer mapping lists, said at least one late threshold configured to be enabled if next audio data to be processed is not received within a predetermined time, said RTM further comprises (i) a real time timer coupled to said late threshold, said real time timer configured to monitor each audio channel on the device for timely processing of said audio data and (ii) at least one trigger threshold associated with each audio channel, said at least one trigger threshold configured to trigger the actual retrieval of said audio data, said at least one trigger threshold for an audio channel coupled to a corresponding one of said plurality of audio node mapping list;
- and
- a silence buffer coupled to one of said buffers on one of a plurality of buffer mapping lists for which said at least one late threshold was enabled, said silence buffer configured to be processed in place of said next audio data.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a storage element that comprises,
- a plurality of buffer mapping lists, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists associated with each audio channel on the system, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists having a plurality of buffer nodes with buffer address information for each buffer to which an audio data is to be placed,
- a real time module (RTM) having at least one late threshold coupled to each buffer on each said plurality of buffer mapping lists, said at least one late threshold configured to be enabled if next audio data to be processed is not received within a predetermined time, said RTM further comprises a real time timer configured to monitor each audio channel on the system for timely processing of said audio data,
- a plurality of audio node mapping lists, each said plurality of audio node mapping lists associated with each audio channel on the device, each said plurality of audio node mapping lists having a plurality of buffer nodes with buffer address information for each buffer to which an audio data is to be placed;
- a silence buffer coupled to one of said buffers on one of said plurality of buffer mapping lists for which said at least one late threshold was enabled, said silence buffer configured to be processed in place of said next audio data;
- and
- a processor coupled to said storage element, said processor for executing said RTM.
4 more elements
A system comprising:
- a storage element that comprises,
- a plurality of buffer mapping lists, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists associated with each audio channel on the system, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists having a plurality of buffer nodes with buffer address information for each buffer to which an audio data is to be placed,
- a real time module (RTM) having at least one late threshold coupled to each buffer on each said plurality of buffer mapping lists, said at least one late threshold configured to be enabled if next audio data to be processed is not received within a predetermined time, said RTM further comprises a real time timer configured to monitor each audio channel on the system for timely processing of said audio data, and at least one ready threshold associated with each audio channel on the device, said at least one ready threshold configured to indicate when the device is ready to accept audio data for processing, said at least one ready threshold for an audio channel coupled to a corresponding one of said plurality of audio node mapping list,
- a silence buffer coupled to one of said buffers on one of a plurality of buffer mapping lists for which said at least one late threshold was enabled, said silence buffer configured to be processed in place of said next audio data;
- and
- a processor coupled to said storage element, said processor for executing said RTM.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- a storage element that comprises,
- a plurality of buffer mapping lists, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists associated with each audio channel on the system, each said plurality of buffer mapping lists having a plurality of buffer nodes with buffer address information for each buffer to which an audio data is to be placed,
- a real time module (RTM) having at least one late threshold coupled to each buffer on each said plurality of buffer mapping lists, said at least one late threshold configured to be enabled if next audio data to be processed is not received within a predetermined time, said RTM further comprises a real time timer configured to monitor each audio channel on the system for timely processing of said audio data, and at least one trigger threshold associated with each audio channel on the device, said at least one trigger threshold configured to trigger the actual retrieval of said audio data, said at least one trigger threshold for an audio channel coupled to a corresponding one of a plurality of audio node mapping lists,
- a silence buffer coupled to one of said buffers on one of a plurality of buffer mapping lists for which said at least one late threshold was enabled, said silence buffer configured to be processed in place of said next audio data;
- and
- a processor coupled to said storage element, said processor for executing said RTM.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.