System and method for synchronizing audio and video signals for a listening system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10178281-B2
Application number	US-201414444753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2014
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for synchronizing audio and video signals for a listening system. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method including receiving an audio signal and a video signal from an external device. The audio signal is processed and transmitted to a hearing assistance device having a wearer. In various embodiments, the video signal is transmitted to a video display using a delay such that the audio signal and the video signal are synchronized for the wearer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising
receiving an audio signal and a video signal from an external device synchronized to a network clock signal;
processing the audio signal and converting the audio signal into a wireless signal and transmitting the wireless signal to a hearing assistance device having a wearer;
transmitting the video signal to a video display using a delay based on a round-trip wireless signal delay between the external device and the hearing assistance device using a received acknowledgement from the hearing assistance device, such that the wireless signal and the video signal are synchronized for the wearer and synchronized to the network clock signal; and
delaying the audio signal to the video display using the delay to synchronize the audio signal and video signal to the display.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein using a delay includes using a predetermined delay based on the audio path to and through the hearing assistance device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein using a delay includes calculating the delay by measuring time between transmission of the audio signal to the hearing assistance device and receipt of an acknowledgement from the hearing assistance device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein using a delay includes synchronizing clocks with the hearing assistance device.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising assigning a time stamp upon transmission of the audio signal to the hearing assistance device and calculating the delay based on receipt of an acknowledgment from the hearing assistance device.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein synchronizing clocks includes using network clock synchronization based on IEEE 1588.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising transmitting the video signal to the video display such that the audio signal and the video signal are synchronized for all viewers of the video display.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the audio signal includes encoding the audio signal over a first time period.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the hearing assistance device in configured to decode the audio signal over a second time period.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the delay is calculated using the first time, the second time, and a transmission time.

11. A streaming device, comprising
a wireless input configured to receive an audio signal and a video signal from an external device;
a processor configured to:
process the audio signal and convert the audio signal into a wireless signal and transmit the wireless signal to a hearing assistance device having a wearer;
transmit the video signal to a video display using a delay based on a round-tri wireless signal delay between the external device and the hearing assistance device using a received acknowledgement from the hearing assistance device, such that the wireless signal and the video signal are synchronized for the wearer, wherein the delay is calculated using network clock synchronization to synchronize clocks with the external device; and
delay the audio signal to the video display using the delay to synchronize the audio signal and video signal to the display.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the streaming device is an assistive listening device (ALD).

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the video display includes a television.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the hearing assistance device includes a hearing aid.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the hearing aid includes an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the hearing aid includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid.

17. The device of claim 14 , wherein the hearing aid includes an in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aid.

18. The device of claim 14 , wherein the hearing aid includes a receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid.

19. The device of claim 14 , wherein the hearing aid includes a completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aid.

20. The device of claim 14 , wherein the hearing aid includes a receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) hearing aid.

Assignees

• Starkey Labs Inc

Inventors

• Fischer Brian

Classifications

• H04N5/067 Primary

  Arrangements or circuits at the transmitter end · CPC title

• H04N21/4307

  Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen · CPC title

• H04N5/44

  Receiver circuitry {for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards} (H04N5/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R25/00

  Electric hearing aids · CPC title

• H04N5/602

  for digital sound signals · CPC title