Method and system for synchronization of an auxiliary sound source which may contain multiple language channels to motion picture film, video tape, or other picture source containing a sound track

Claim 3

The method of Claim 1, characterized in that: said intrinsic characteristics comprise inherent information regarding the audio message itself.

Claim 4

The method of Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: said intrinsic characteristics comprise audio pattern characteristics of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively).

Claim 5

The method of Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: said intrinsic characteristics comprise syllabic structure characteristics of said audio message of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19), respectively.

Claim 6

The method of Claim 4, characterized further in that: said syllabic structure characteristics relate to audio magnitude distributions occurring within syllabic structures.

Claim 7

The method of Claim 4 or 5, characterized further in that: said syllabic structure characteristics are limited to those occurring below a predetermined upper frequency limit which is sufficiently low to avoid imposing unduly high rate requirements on the correlating.

Claim 8

The method of Claim 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, characterized further in that: said intrinsic characteristics relate to the envelopes of the audio message of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively).

Claim 9

The method of Claim 7, characterized further in that: said intrinsic characteristics relate to the absolute value envelopes (no negative numbers) of the audio message of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively).

Claim 10

The method of Claim 8, characterized further in that: said absolute value envelopes are confined to less than a predetermined upper frequency limit.

Claim 11

The method of Claim 6 or 9, characterized in that: said predetermined upper frequency limit is about 50 Hertz.

Claim 15

The method of Claim 13, wherein said audio message of said first audio signal (21) and said audio message of said second audio signal both include the same spoken first language, characterized further by: providing at least a third audio signal (19A,19B or 19C) of an audio message including a spoken second language being a translation of said spoken first language; causing said third audio signal to run in synchronism with said second audio signal; whereby synchronizing said second audio signal with said first audio signal also causes said third audio signal to be synchronized with said first audio signal and thereby to be in appropriate relationship to the motion involved with said viewable images (128); and providing for selection of said third audio signal for obtaining the audio message thereof including said spoken second language to be presented to the viewer in appropriate relationship to the motion involved with said viewable images.

Claim 17

The method of Claim 15, wherein said audio message of said first audio signal (21) is associated with viewable images (128) involving motion provided by operation of an audio-and-picture medium (124) and wherein the audio message of the second audio signal (19) which has been synchronized with the first audio signal is presented to a viewer of the images and wherein a discontinuity in said medium due to a missing part thereof may occur causing the viewable images and the first audio signal suddenly to appear to jump ahead thereby briefly causing loss of synchronization, characterized by: upon loss of synchronization due to occurrence of such a discontinuity immediately cross fading (16) from said second audio signal (23) to said first audio signal (21) for presenting to the viewer the audio message of the first audio signal; searching for those portions of said temporarily stored current segment of said time-advanced second audio signal having intrinsic characteristics correlating with intrinsic characteristics of the audio message of the first audio signal now being presented to the viewer for re-establishing synchronization; and cross fading back from said first audio signal to said second audio signal for presentation to the viewer the audio message of the second audio signal after synchronization has been reestablished.

Claim 18

The method of Claim 26, characterized in that: said audio-and-picture medium (124) is a motion picture film; and a discontinuity in said medium is due to a film splice at which a part of the film as it was originally produced is now missing.

Claim 19

The method of Claim 16 or 17, wherein the audio message of said first signal (21) and the audio message of said second signal (19) both include the same spoken first language, characterized further by: providing at least a third audio signal (19A, 19B or 19C) of an audio message including a spoken second language being a translation of said spoken first language; causing said third audio signal to run in synchronism with said second audio signal, including causing the audio message of said third audio signal to have the same advance in time as the audio message of said second signal relative to the audio message of said first signal and temporarily storing (18A, 18B or 18C; 54A) a continuously updated current segment of the time-advanced third audio signal, said current segment of said third audio signal having an audio message of time duration at least equal to said predetermined time difference; whereby synchronizing said second audio signal with said first audio signal also causes said third audio signal to be synchronized with said first audio signal and thereby to be in appropriate relationship to the motion involved with said viewable images; and enabling selection of said third audio signal for obtaining the audio message thereof including said spoken second language for presentation to the viewer in appropriate relationship to the motion involved with said viewable images.

Claim 20

The second of Claim 15, 16, 17 or 18, wherein said first audio signal (21) comprises a first plurality of respective channel signals for enabling the audio message thereof to be reproduced with at least left and right sound components and wherein said second audio signal (19) comprises a second plurality of respective channel signals for enabling the higher quality audio message thereof to be reproduced at least with left and right sound components, said method being characterized by: adding together characteristics of said first plurality of respective channel signals for providing a first monaural signal (80) containing audio message information from said first plurality of respective channel signals; adding together characteristics of said second plurality of respective channel signals for providing a second monaural signal (90) containing audio message information from said second plurality of respective channel signals; correlating (17) intrinsic characteristics of said second monaural signal with intrinsic characteristics of said first monaural signal; and selectively withdrawing (26) from said current segment those portions thereof corresponding to portions of said second monaural signal having intrinsic characteristics correlating with said intrinsic characteristics of said first monaural signal.

Claim 21

The method of Claim 19, characterized by: temporarily storing (18, 54, 54A) continuously updated current segment of the respective channel signals of said time-advanced second audio signal; said continuously updated current segment having an audio message time length at least equal to said advance in time; temporarily storing (92 or 114) a continuously updated current segment of said second monaural signal (90); said continuously updated current segment of said second monaural signal exactly relating with said continuously updated current segment of the respective channel signals of said second audio signal; selectively removing (26) from temporary storage those portions of said continuously updated segments of the respective channel signals of said second audio signal having exactly relating portions of said second monaural signal (90) whose intrinsic characteristics are correlating (17) with the intrinsic charateristics of said first monaural signal (80); and using the selectively removed portions for providing the second audio signal synchronized (23) with said first audio signal (21).

Claim 22

The method of Claim 19 or 20, characterized in that: said first monaural signal (80) is a digital signal; said second monaural signal (90) is a digital signal; and intrinsic characteristics of said digital second monaural signal are correlated (17) with intrinsic characteristics of said digital first monaural signal.

Claim 23

The method of Claim 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21, characterized by: providing a first digital signal (80) representative of intrinsic characteristics of said audio message of said first audio signal (21); providing a second digital signal (90) representative of intrinsic characteristics of the audio message of said continuously updated current segment of said second audio signal (19); temporarily storing (92 or 114) said second digital signal; correlating (17) intrinsic characteristics of said second digital signal with intrinsic characteristics of said first digital signal for selectively withdrawing (26) from said current segment those portions thereof having corresponding characteristics of said second digital signal correlating with intrinsic characteristics of said first digital signal; and utilizing said withdrawn portions for providing the second audio signal synchronized (23) with said first audio signal (21).

Claim 24

The method of Claim 21 or 22, characterized in that: said first digital signal (80) includes first data regarding the absolute value at uniformly spaced respective points in real time of the envelope of the audio message of said first audio signal (21); said second digital signal (90) includes second data regarding the absolute value at uniformly spaced selective points in time of the envelope of the audio message of said continuously updated current segment of said second audio signal (19); said uniformly spaced selective points in time being spaced in audio message time by the same amount as said uniformly spaced respective points in real time; and correlating (17) said second data with said first data for determining the selective withdrawl of those portions of said current segment.

Claim 25

The method of Claim 23, characterized by: correlating (17) said second data with said first data by re-iterative subtractions (Sl through Sn); and utilizing the lowest continuous differences (Dl through Dn) resulting from said re-iterative subtractions for determining correlation.

Claim 27

The method of Claim 25, characterized in that: said predetermined time difference is no more than about 10 seconds.

Claim 28

The method of Claim 26, characterized in that: said predetermined time difference is in the range from about 6 seconds to about 10 seconds.

Claim 32

The method of Claim 29, characterized in that: said audio message of said first signal (21) is associated with viewable images (128) involving motion; the audio message of the second signal (19) which has been synchronized with the audio message of the first signal is available for presentation to a viewer of said images involving motion.

Claim 33

The method of Claim 30, characterized by: cross fading (16) from said second signal (23) to said first signal (21) upon loss of synchronization due to occurrence of such a discontinuity for causing said audio message of the first signal to be available for presentation to a viewer of said images depicting motion; searching for and selectively withdrawing (26) those portions of said current segment of said time-advanced and temporarily stored second signal whereat the audio message has intrinsic characteristics correlating with intrinsic characteristics of the audio message of the first signal for re-establishing synchronization; and cross fading back from said first signal to said second signal for the higher quality audio message of the second signal to be available for presentation to a viewer of said images (128) involving motion.

Claim 34

The method of Claim 30 or 31, wherein the audio message of said first signal (21) and the audio message of said second signal (19) both include the same spoken first language, characterized further by: providing (144, 146 or 148) at least a third audio signal (19A, 19B or 19C) of an audio message including a spoken second language being a translation of said spoken first language; causing said third audio signal to run in synchronism with said second audio signal, including causing the audio message of said third audio signal to have the same advance in time as the audio message of said second signal relative to the audio message of said first signal and temporarily storing (18A, 18B or 18C; 54A) a continuously updated current segment of the time-advanced third audio signal, said current segment of said third audio signal having an audio message of time duration at least equal to said predetermined time difference; whereby synchronizing said second audio signal with said first audio signal also causes said third audio signal to be synchronized with said first audio signal and thereby to be in appropriate relationship to the motion involved with said viewable images (128); and enabling said third audio signal to be selected for obtaining the audio message thereof including said spoken second language for presentation to the viewer in appropriate relationship to the motion involved with said viewable images.

Claim 35

The method of Claim 29, 30, 31 or 32, characterized by: deriving a first sequence of indicia (80) indicative of intrinsic characteristics of said lower quality audio message of said first signal (21); deriving a second sequence of indicia (90) indicative of intrinsic characteristics of said higher quality audio message of said second signal (19); correlating intrinsic characteristics of said portions of said higher quality audio message of said second signal with intrinsic characteristics of said lower quality audio message of said first signal by correlating (17) portions of said second sequence of indicia with said first sequence of indicia; and selectively removing (26) from temporary storage (18, 54, 54A) those portions of said time-advanced second signal having corresponding indicia correlating with indicia of the audio message of said first signal.

Claim 36

The method of Claim 33, characterized by: causing said second sequence of indicia (90) to be advanced in time relative to the lower quality audio message of the first signal (21) by said predetermined interval of time; temporarily storing (92, 114) a continuously updated current segment of the time-advanced second sequence of indicia (90); and correlating (17) portions of said temporarily stored current segment of the time-advanced second sequence of indicia with said first sequence of indicia (80) for determining those portions of said time-advanced second signal to be selectively removed (26) from temporary storage (18, 54, 54A).

Claim 37

The method of Claim 33 or 34, characterized in that: said first sequence of indicia (90) is indicative of syllabic structures of the lower quality audio message signal (21); and said second sequence of indicia (90) is indicative of syllabic structures of the higher quality audio message signal (19).

Claim 38

The method of Claim 35, characterized in that: said first sequence of indicia (80) is indicative of syllabic structures of an absolute value envelope of the lower quality audio message signal (21); and said second sequence of indicia (90) is indicative of syllabic structures of an absolute value envelope of said higher quality audio message signal (19).

Claim 39

The method of Claim 36, characterized in that: said first sequence of inidica (80) is indicative of syllabic structures of an absolute value envelope of said lower quality audio message signal (21) below a predetermined upper frequency limit, and said second sequence of indicia (90) is indicative of syllabic structures of an absolute value envelope of said high quality audio message signal (19) below said predetermined upper frequency limit.

Claim 40

The method of Claim 37, characterized in that: said predetermined upper frequency limit is 50 Hertz.

Claim 44

The method of Claim 41, characterized in that said interval of time is in the range from about 6 seconds to about 10 seconds.

Claim 45

In the showing of viewable images (128) involving motion and wherein the viewable images are provided by operation of a first medium (124) including first means for providing a first sound signal (21) to provide an audio message of first quality accompanying the viewable images and wherein said first means were derived from a master recording, the method of synchronizing with said first sound signal a second sound signal (19) of higher quality than said first quality but containing the same audio message to accompany the showing of the viewable images, said method being characterized by: providing a second medium (140) including second means (142) for providing said second sound signal; deriving said second means from the master recording or from a high quality duplicate of the master recording for enabling said second means to provide said second sound signal of said higher quality but containing the same audio message; starting operation (136) of said second medium before commencing operation (134) of the first medium; thereafter simultaneously operating both said second medium and said first medium for simultaneously providing both said second sound signal and said first sound signal but wherein the audio message of said second sound signal is preceding by a predetermined time interval the audio message of said first sound signal; accessibly placing in temporary storage (18, 54, 54A) a continuously updated current portion of said second sound signal having an audio message time duration at least equal to said predetermined time interval; and continually removing from temporary storage successive increments of said second sound signal wherein the audio message is correlated (17) with the currently occurring audio message of said first sound signal for providing said second sound signal synchronized (23) with said first sound signal; and utilizing the synchronized second sound signal for providing the same audio message as said first sound signal but at a higher quality to accompany the showing of the viewable images.

Claim 46

In the showing of viewable images (128) involving motion and wherein the viewable images are provided by operation of a first medium (124) including first means for providing a first sound signal (21) to provide an audio message of first quality accompanying the viewable images and wherein said first means were derived from a master recording, the method of synchronizing with said first sound signal a second sound signal (19) of higher quality than said first quality but containing the same audio message to accompany the showing of the viewable images, said method being characterized by: providing a second medium (140) including second means (142) for providing said second sound signal; deriving said second means from the master recording or from a high quality duplicate of the master recording for enabling said second means to provide said second sound signal of said higher quality but containing the same audio message; starting operation (136) of said second medium before commencing operation (134) of the first medium; thereafter simultaneously operating both said second medium and said first medium for simultaneously providing both said second sound signal and said first sound signal but wherein the audio message of said second sound signal is preceding by a predetermined time interval the audio message of said first sound signal; accessibly placing in temporary storage (18, 54, 54A) a continuously updated current portion of said second sound signal having an audio message time duration at least equal to said predetermined time interval; and continually removing from temporary storage successive increments of said second sound signal wherein the audio message is correlated (17) with the currently occurring audio message of said first sound signal for providing said second sound signal synchronized (23) with said first sound signal; and utilizing the synchronized second sound signal for providing the same audio message as said first sound signal but at a higher quality to accompany the showing of the viewable images.

Claim 47

The method of Claim 43, wherein said audio message of said first sound signal and said audio message of said second sound signal both include the same spoken first language, characterized by: providing further means (144, 146 or 148) for providing at least a third sound signal (19A, 19B or 19C) to provide an audio message including a spoken second language being a translation of said spoken first language; accessibly placing in temporary storage (18A, 18B or 18C; 54A) a continuously updated current portion of said third sound signal wherein the audio message corresponds with the audio message of the current portion in temporary storage of said second sound signal; continually removing (26A, 26B or 26C) from temporary storage successive increments of said third sound signal wherein the audio message corresponds with the currently removed successive increments of said second sound signal for providing a third sound signal (23A, 23B or 23C) synchronized with both said second and first sound signal; and utilizing the synchronized third sound signal for providing an audio message to accompany the showing of the viewable images (128) wherein the spoken second language is provided.

Claim 50

The system of Claim 45, characterized in that: said correlating means (17) includes first signal processing means (37, 72, 78) for said first audio signal and second signal processing means (84) for said second audio signal for correlating inherent information regarding the audio message itself in said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively).

Claim 51

The system of Claim 45 or 46, characterized in that: said correlating means (17) correlates audio pattern characteristics of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively).

Claim 52

The system of Claim 45, 46 or 47, characterized in that: said correlating means (17) correlates syllabic structure characteristics of said audio message of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively).

Claim 53

The system of Claim 45, 46, 47 or 48, characterized in that: said correlating means (17) includes magnitude comparison means (94, Sl-Sn, 86, 92 or 94, S, 86, 114) for correlating audio magnitude distributions occurring within syllabic structures of the audio messages of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively).

Claim 54

The system of Claim 46, characterized further in that: said first signal processing means (37, 72 and 78) and said second signal processing means (84) determine characteristics of syllabic structure limited to those occurring below a predetermined upper frequency limit which is sufficiently low to avoid imposing unduly high rate requirements on the correlating means (17).

Claim 55

The system of Claim 46, 47, 48, 49 or 50, characterized further in that: said correlating means (17) correlates the envelope characteristics of the audio message of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively.

Claim 56

The system of Claim 46 or 50, characterized in that: said first signal processing means (37, 72 and 78) and said second signal processing means (84) determine characteristics of the absolute value envelopes of the audio message of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively); and said correlating means (17) includes comparison means (94, Sl-Sn, 86, 92 or 94, S, 86, 114) for correlating said characteristics of the absolute value envelopes of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively).

Claim 57

The system of Claim 52, characterized further in that: said first signal processing means (37, 72, 78) and said second signal processing means (84) determine characteristics of the absolute value envelopes of the audio message of said first and second audio signals (21 and 19, respectively) confined to less than a predetermined upper frequency limit.

Claim 58

The system of Claim 50 or 53, characterized by: said predetermined upper frequency limit being about 50 Hertz.

Claim 59

The system of any preceding Claim 45-54, characterized in that: said correlating means (17) includes storage means (18, 54, 54A) supplied by said auxiliary sound signal means (140) for temporarily storing a continuously updated current segment of the second signal (21) having a current segment of the audio message of at least a predetermined time duration; and said control means causes said auxiliary sound signal means (140) to provide said second signal (19) to said storage means with the higher quality audio message preceding by said time duration the audio message of said first signal (21).

Claim 60

The system of Claim 55, characterized in that: said correlating means (17) includes re-iterative magnitude indicia comparison means (Sl through Sn).

Claim 61

The system of Claim 56, characterized by: second storage means (92 or 114) for temporarily storing indicia of magnitude characteristics of the current segment of the audio message temporarily stored in said first-mentioned storage means (18, 54 or 54A); and said re-iterative magnitude indicia comparison means Sl through Sn are connected with said second storage means.

Claim 64

The system of Claim 59, wherein said audio message of said first audio signal (21) and said audio message of said second audio signal both include the same spoken first language, characterized further in that: said auxiliary sound signal means provides at least a third audio signal (19A, 19B or 19C) of an audio message including a spoken second language being a translation of said spoken first language with said third audio signal running in synchronism with said second audio signal (19), whereby synchronizing said second audio signal with said first audio signal also causes said third audio signal to be synchronized with said first audio signal and thereby for the audio message of said second spoken language to be in appropriate relationship to the motion involved with said viewable images (128); and selection means (150) for selection of said third audio signal for obtaining the audio message thereof including said spoken second language to be presented in appropriate relationship to the motion involved with said viewable images.

Claim 65

The system of claim 59 or 60, characterized in that: said correlating means (17) includes storage means (18, 54 or 54A) for temporarily storing a continuously updated current segment of at least the second signal (19) having a current segment of the audio message of at least a predetermined time duration; said control means (31) causes said auxiliary sound signal means (140) to provide said second signal (19) to said storage means with the higher quality audio message preceding by said time duration the audio message of said first signal (21); and said correlating means selectively withdraws from said storage means those portions of said current segment of said second signal wherein the audio message thereof has intrinsic characteristics correlating with intrinsic characteristics of said audio message of said first audio signal (21) for providing (26) said second audio signal (23) synchronized with said first audio signal.

Claim 66

The system of Claim 61, characterized in that: said storage means (18, 18A, 18B, 18C or 54A) temporarily stores at least continuously updated current segments of the second signal (19) and the third signal (19A, 19B or 19C) each having a current segment of their respective audio messages with the same time duration.

Claim 67

The system of Claim 61 or 62, wherein said audio message of said first audio signal (21) is associated with viewable images (128) involving motion provided by operation of an audio-and-picture medium (124) and wherein the audio message of the second audio signal (19) which has been synchronized (23) with the first audio signal is presented to a viewer of the images and wherein a discontinuity in said medium may occur due to a missing part thereof causing the viewable images and the first audio signal suddenly to appear to jump ahead thereby briefly causing loss of synchronization, characterized by: cross fading means (16); said control means (31) controlling said cross fading means (16) and, upon loss of synchronization due to occurrence of such a discontinuity, said control means immediately producing cross fading from said second audio signal (23) to said first audio signal (21) for presenting the audio message of the first audio signal; said correlating means (17) searching for those portions of said temporarily stored current segment of said second audio signal having intrinsic characteristics correlating with intrinsic characteristics of the audio message of the first audio signal now being presented for re-establishing synchronization; and said control means then producing cross fading back from said first audio signal to said second audio signal for presentation of the audio message of the second audio signal after synchronization has been re-­established.

Claim 68

The system of Claim 63, characterized in that: said audio-and-picture medium (124) is a motion picture film; and a discontinuity in said medium is due to a film splice at which a part of the film as it was originally produced is now missing.

Claim 70

The system of Claim 61, 62, 63 or 64, wherein: said first audio signal (21) comprises a first plurality of respective channel signals for enabling the audio message thereof to be reproduced with at least left and right sound components and wherein said second audio signal (19) comprises a second plurality of respective channel signals for enabling the higher quality audio message thereof to be reproduced with at least left and right sound components, said system being characterized by: first signal processing means (37, 72, 78) for providing a first data signal (80) containing audio message information from said first plurality of respective channel signals; second signal processing means (84) for providing a second data signal (90) containing audio message information from said second plurality of respective channel signals; said correlating means (17) correlating intrinsic characteristics of said second data signal with intrinsic characteristics of said first data signal; and said correlating means (17) selectively withdraws from said current segment of the temporarily stored second signal (21) those portions thereof corresponding to portions of said second data signal having intrinsic characteristics correlating with said intrinsic characteristics of said first data signal.

Claim 71

The system of Claim 66, characterized by: storage means (92, 114) for temporarily storing a continuously updated current segment of said second data signal (90); said continuously updated temporarily stored current segment of said second data signal exactly relating with said continuously updated current segment of the temporarily stored second audio signal (19); said correlating means (17) selectively removing (26) from temporary storage means (81, 54, 54A) those portions of said continuously updated segment of said second second signal (21) having exactly relating portions of said second data signal (90) whose intrinsic characteristics are correlating with the intrinsic characteristics of said first data signal (80) for providing the second audio signal (23) synchronized with said first audio signal (21).

Claim 72

The system of Claim 65, 66 or 67 characterized in that: first signal processing means (37, 72, 78) provides said first data signal (80) includes first data regarding the characteristics at uniformly spaced respective points in real time of the audio message of said first audio signal (21); second signal processingmeans (84) provides said second data signal (90) including second data regarding the characteristics at uniformly spaced selective points in time of the audio message of said continuously updated current segment of said second audio signal (19); said uniformly spaced selective points in time being spaced in audio message time by the same amount as said uniformly spaced respective points in real time; and said correlating means (17) correlates said second data with said first data for determining synchronization.

Claim 73

The system of Claim 68, characterized in that: said first signal processing means (37, 72, 78) provides said first data indicative of syllabic structures of the audio message of said first audio signal (21); and said second signal processing means (84) provides said second data indicative of syllabic structures of the higher quality audio message of said second signal (19).

Claim 74

The system of Claim 68 or 69, characterized in that: said first signal processing means (37, 72, 78) provides said first data indicative of syllabic structures of an absolute value envelope of the audio message of said first audio signal (21); said second signal processing means (84) provides said second data indicative of syllabic structures of an absolute value envelope of said audio message of said second audio signal (19).

Claim 75

The system of Claim 70, characterized in that: said first signal processing means (37, 72, 78) provides said first data indicative of syllabic structures of an absolute value envelope of said audio message of said first audio signal (21) below a predetermined upper frequency limit; and said second signal processing means (84) provides said second data indicative of syllabic structures of an absolute value envelope of said audio message of said second audio signal (19) below said predetermined upper frequency limit.

Claim 76

The system of Claim 71, characterized in that: said predetermined upper frequency limit is about 50 Hertz.

Claim 77

The system of Claim 68, 69, 70, 71 or 72, in that: said first data regards the magnitude of the audio message of said first audio signal (21) at uniformly spaced respective points in real time; said second data regards the magnitude of the audio message of said continuously updated current segment of said second audio signal (19) at uniformly spaced selective points in time of the latter audio message; and said correlating means (17) includes comparison means (Sl-Sn) for comparing said second data with said first data.

Claim 78

The system of Claim 73, characterized in that: said comparison means (Sl-Sn) comprise re-iterative subtraction means; and said control means (31) includes means for determining the lowest continuous differences (Dl through Dn) resulting from said re-iterative subtractions for determining correlation.

Claim 80

The system of Claim 75, characterized in that: said predetermined time duration is no more than about 10 seconds.

Claim 81

The system of Claim 76, characterized in that: said predetermined time difference is in the range from about 6 seconds to about 10 seconds.

Claim 84

The system of Claim 79, characterized in that: said storage means (92, 114) for storing a continuously updated current segment of said second data signal (90) comprise a second FIFO overwriting memory store less complex than said first FIFO overwriting memory store; and said second FIFO overwriting memory store is connected to said control means (31) through subtraction means (Sl-Sn).

Claim 85

The system of Claim 80, characterized in that: said second signal (19) is a digital signal; and selection means (42) are provided connnected to said second FIFO overwriting memory store selecting and feeding thereto most significant bits of digital words of said second signal (19).

Claim 86

For use with a system for providing an audience with viewable images (128) involving motion, said viewable images being derived from a picture source (124) having an associated sound signal track for providing a first sound signal (21) synchronized in real time with the viewed images for reproducing a first audio message including a first spoken language synchronized in real time with the viewed images, apparatus comprising: an auxiliary sound signal source (140) having a first language channel (142) for providing a second sound signal (19) for producing a second audio message including said first spoken language; said auxiliary sound signal source also comprising at least one translation language channel (144, 146, 148) for providing at least a third sound signal (19A, 19B, 19C) for producing a third audio message including a second spoken language different from and being a translation of said first spoken language; said translation channel running in synchronism with said first language channel for causing said third sound signal to be synchronized in real time with said second sound signal; and said audio message of second sound signal including inherent characteristics which are sufficiently similar to inherent characteristics of said audio message of said first sound signal for enabling said second sound signal to be correlated with said first sound signal and thereby enabling said third sound signal to be syncvhronized in real time with said first sound signal with said third audio message including said second spoken language being synchronized in real time with the viewed images.

Claim 87

For use with a system for providing an audience with viewable images (128) involving motion, said viewable images being derived from a picture source (124) having an associated sound signal track for providing a first sound signal (21) synchronized in real time with the viewed images for reproducing a first audio message including a first spoken language synchronized in real time with the viewed images, apparatus comprising: an auxiliary sound signal source (140) having a first language channel (142) for providing a second sound signal (19) for producing a second audio message including said first spoken language; said auxiliary sound signal source also comprising at least one translation language channel (144, 146, 148) for providing at least a third sound signal (19A, 19B, 19C) for producing a third audio message including a second spoken language different from and being a translation of said first spoken language; said translation channel running in synchronism with said first language channel for causing said third sound signal to be synchronized in real time with said second sound signal; and said audio message of second sound signal including inherent characteristics which are sufficiently similar to inherent characteristics of said audio message of said first sound signal for enabling said second sound signal to be correlated with said first sound signal and thereby enabling said third sound signal to be syncvhronized in real time with said first sound signal with said third audio message including said second spoken language being synchronized in real time with the viewed images.

Claim 88

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 82, characterized by: selector (150) means in communication with said first language channel (142) and in communication with said second language channel; said selector means also being in communication with sound transducer means to be heard by an audience viewing said images; and said selector means including operable control means (155) selectively conditionable for supplying either said second or third sound signal to said sound transducer means for enabling the audience to hear either said second or third audio message synchronized in real time with the viewed images.