- Number
- 9575970
- Published
- 2017-02-21
- Filed
- 2013-07-08
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Irmler; Holger
- CPC
- G06F16/489
- Verdict
- Medium Notable software
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Synchronizes remotely delivered audio with live visual components — relevant to live shows/parades with real-time audio-visual sync.
Abstract
A method and system are provided to synchronize an audio program output at a location remote to a site of a visual display such as a fireworks show, a water and light show, or other event or show with a large visual display visible from distances over which the originally sourced audio is delayed, degraded in quality, or lost. The method includes providing a live show including a visual display with components triggered by one or more control signals. The method further includes concurrently providing an audio output that may include playback of a soundtrack associated with the visual display with a sound system of amobile device. The audio output is provided at a location that is remote from the site ofthe visual display, and the audio output is synchronized in time with the components of the visual display using the control signals or a preset start time.
Background
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS(1) FIG. 1 illustrates a display system adapted for synchronizing audio components or output with live visual components when the audio components or output (e.g., a soundtrack for a show) are output at a location that is geographically remote or distant from the visual components (e.g., a fireworks display);(2) FIG. 2 illustrates a functional block drawing of a mobile device such as acellular telephone, a smartphone, wireless tablet, or the like that is configured for usein providing audio output that is synchronized with a remotely provided visual display; and(3) FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method of providing an audio playback of a soundtrack or sound file that is time synchronized with a live show and its visual displaycomponents.DETAILED DESCRIPTION(4) The present description is directed toward methods andsystems for providing an audio program or output on an audio system (or audio output device) that is remote to the presentation of a visual display. Remote in this description typically means any distance that is considered outside a defined audible range for a particular local audio system operating in synchronization with the visual display. The visual display may, for example, be a water show with fountains and lighting, may be a laser or light show, may be a fireworks show, or may be another display that may include visual components that are visible from significant distances such as several hundred yards up to seve
Claims
1. A methodfor presenting audio programming in synchronization with a visual event, comprising: witha visual display system, presenting a visual display at a first location, wherein one or more visual components are triggered by control signals during the presenting; in synchronization with the presenting of the visual display, providing first audio output from an audio system positioned at or proximate to the first location; and concurrently with the presenting of the visual display, providing, with a client device at a second location, an audio program including second audio output that is time synchronized with the one or more visual components of the visual display concurrently presented at the first location, wherein the second audio output and the one or more visual components of the visual display aretime synchronized without substantially delaying, after the time synchronization, the presenting of the visual display or the providing of the second audio output, wherein the visual components of the visual display presented by the visual display system are directly viewable in the second location from the visual display system during the presenting of thevisual display at the first location, and wherein the second location is remote from the first location whereby the first audio output from the audio system is of a poorer qualityat the second location than the first location, is lost prior to reaching the second location, or is delayed prior to reaching the second location causing loss of the synchronization with the visual display at the second location.
8. A method for synchronizing remote playback of a soundtrack associated with a live visual display, comprising: on a mobile device, storing a soundtrack associated with a show comprising visual display components presented at a display location; triggering operation of a sound system of the mobile device to play the stored soundtrack to synchronize components of the soundtrack with presenting the visual display components of the show at the display location without adding substantial delay after synchronization; determining a geographic location of the mobile device; andwhen the geographic location is outside a predefined set of locations, blocking the triggering of operation of the sound system to play the soundtrack on the mobile device, wherein the playing of the soundtrack is initiated upon a determination that the time matches a predefined start time for the show or wherein the method further comprises receiving a communication indicating a start control signal starting the show has been issued at the display location and, in response to the receiving, initiating the triggering operation on themobile device.
12. A display system, comprising: a visual display system provided at a show site; a local audio system provided at the show site; a display control system operating to concurrently trigger operation of the visual display system and the local audio system to output, respectively, a visual display with a plurality of visual components and an audio output with audible components synchronized with the visual components; and a remote audio system operating to play a soundtrack with audible components without added substantial delay being added after synchronization relative to the concurrently triggered operation of the visual display system and the local audio system, wherein the playing of the audible components are synchronized with the visual components of the visual display, whereinthe remote audio system is provided a location spaced apart at least 50 yards from the local audio system and wherein the remote audio system initiates the playing of the soundtrack based upon a predefined start time for operating of the visual display system to provide the visual display at the show site or based upon a signal issued by the display controlsystem to trigger the operation of the visual display system or the local audio system.
15. A method for presenting audio programming in synchronization with a visual event, comprising: with a visual display system, presenting a visual display at a first location, wherein one or more visual components are triggered by control signals during the presenting; in synchronization with the presenting of the visual display, providing first audio outputfrom an audio system positioned at or proximate to the first location; and concurrently with the presenting of the visual display, providing, with a client device at a second location, an audio program including second audio output that is time synchronized with the one or more visual components of the visual display, wherein the second audio output and theone or more visual components of the visual display are time synchronized without substantially delaying being added after synchronization relative to the presenting of the visualdisplay or the providing of the second audio output at any time during the method, wherein the visual components of the visual display presented by the visual display system are viewable in the second location, without requiring use of a display screen at the second location, during the presenting of the visual display at the first location, wherein the second location is remote from first location, and wherein the audio program is stored in memory on the client device prior to beginning the presenting of the visual display at the first location.