Playback device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10871936-B2
Application number	US-201815918202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2018
Priority date	Apr 11, 2017
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

A playback device includes a first generator, a second generator and a combiner. The first generator processes main audio data to output first audio data. The second generator processes additional audio data to output second audio data. The combiner combines the first audio data with the second audio data. While a sampling frequency of the main audio data is different from a sampling frequency of the additional audio data, the second generator generates the second audio data to adjust a playback speed of the additional audio data based on the sampling frequency of the main audio data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A playback device comprising:
a first decoder that processes main audio data to output first audio data;
a microcomputer that processes additional audio data to output second audio data, the microcomputer including a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that generates the additional audio data according to a user operation relative to the playback device in accordance with a settable sampling frequency and a settable playback speed that are settable to the TTS engine, respectively; and
a data processor that combines the first audio data with the second audio data,
while a sampling frequency of the main audio data is different from a sampling frequency of the additional audio data, the microcomputer generating the second audio data to adjust a playback speed of the additional audio data based on the sampling frequency of the main audio data to synchronize the playback speed of the additional audio data with a playback speed of the main audio data,
the microcomputer further determining whether the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is adjustable to the sampling frequency of the main audio data by designating the settable sampling frequency that is settable to the TTS engine,
in response to determining that the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is unadjustable to the sampling frequency of the main audio data by designating the settable sampling frequency that is settable to the TTS engine, the microcomputer adjusting the playback speed of the additional audio data based on the sampling frequency of the main audio data to synchronize the playback speed of the additional audio data with the playback speed of the main audio data by designating the settable playback speed that is settable to the TTS engine independently of designating of the settable sampling frequency that is settable to the TTS engine,
the microcomputer further generating the additional audio data, and adjusting the playback speed of the additional audio data that has been generated by the microcomputer.

2. The playback device according to claim 1 , wherein
while the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is higher than the sampling frequency of the main audio data, a second decoder of the microcomputer generates the second audio data to increase the playback speed of the additional audio data.

3. The playback device according to claim 1 , wherein
while the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is lower than the sampling frequency of the main audio data, a second decoder of the microcomputer generates the second audio data to decrease the playback speed of the additional audio data.

4. The playback device according to claim 1 , wherein
the microcomputer that controls the first decoder and the data processor.

5. The playback device according to claim 4 , wherein
the microcomputer determines a multiple by which the playback speed of the additional audio data is adjusted.

6. The playback device according to claim 4 , wherein
the microcomputer generates first decode data indicative of an encoding type of the main audio data, and outputs the main audio data and the first decode data to the first decoder.

7. The playback device according to claim 6 , wherein
the first decoder generates the first audio data based on the main audio data and the first decode data.

8. The playback device according to claim 7 , wherein
the first decoder decodes the main audio data based on the first decode data to generate the first audio data.

9. The playback device according to claim 4 , wherein
the microcomputer generates second decode data indicative of a multiple by which the playback speed of the additional audio data is adjusted and an encoding type of the additional audio data, and outputs the additional audio data and the second decode data to a second decoder of the microcomputer.

10. The playback device according to claim 9 , wherein
the second decoder generates the second audio data based on the additional audio data and the second decode data.

11. The playback device according to claim 10 , wherein
the second decoder decodes the additional audio data based on the second decode data to generate the second audio data.

12. The playback device according to claim 4 , wherein
the microcomputer outputs the additional audio data based on an operational command to the playback device.

13. The playback device according to claim 1 , wherein
while the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is unadjustable to the sampling frequency of the main audio data, a second decoder of the microcomputer adjusts the playback speed of the additional audio data based on the sampling frequency of the main audio data.

14. The playback device according to claim 1 , wherein
the microcomputer generates the additional audio data with the sampling frequency that has been adjusted to the sampling frequency of the main audio data while the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is adjustable to the sampling frequency of the main audio data.

15. The playback device according to claim 1 , wherein
the microcomputer adjusts the playback speed of the additional audio data that has been generated by the microcomputer while the sampling frequency of the additional audio data is unadjustable to the sampling frequency of the main audio data.

16. The playback device according to claim 13 , wherein
the microcomputer generates the additional audio data based on an operational command to the playback device.

17. The playback device according to claim 16 , wherein
the microcomputer generates the additional audio data by converting text data indicative of the operational command to the playback device into the additional audio data.

18. The playback device according to claim 1 , wherein
the data processor has a converter that processes the second audio data to raise an audio level of the additional audio data while the audio level of the additional audio data is at or below a first threshold value.

19. The playback device according to claim 18 , wherein
the converter further processes the second audio data to lower the audio level of the additional audio data while the audio level of the additional audio data is at or above a second threshold value that is higher than the first threshold value.

Assignees

• Funai Electric Co

Inventors

• Nakata Eiji

Classifications

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G11B27/005

  Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording (for television signals H04N5/783) · CPC title

• G11B27/10

  Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel · CPC title

• G10L13/00

  Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems · CPC title