US5712950A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for controlling play of multiple dialog audio tracks of a software carrier
Assignee: Warner Bros Home Entertainment Inc
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Filing: 1996-03-12
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Granted: 1998-01-27
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Expires: 2016-03-12
Abstract
Abstract A system for playing a selected one of multiple audio tracks recorded in synchronized fashion with a motion picture on an optical disk. The optical disk has encoded on it a mixing master music and effects ("M&E") track, or a switching master M&E track. Individual audio tracks are provided for language-specific versions of the same motion picture, but these tracks have data recorded in them only where there is dialog. In this way, for many a motion picture, all tracks but masters will have data recorded for well less than half of the running time of the motion picture. When a mixing master is used, it is mixed with a language-specific track when the latter has dialog; the mixing master contains no dialog. If a switching master is used, it may contain dialog recorded with the M&E; when a language-specific track has dialog recorded in it, it also contains M&E and the track is played to the exclusion of the switching master.
Inventors
- 👤 Christopher J. Cookson
- 👤 Lewis S. Ostrover
- 👤 Warren N. Lieberfarb
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 11:41
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N9/00; H04N9/79; H04N9/80; H04N9/82; H04N9/8205; H04N9/8233; H04N9/8244; G; G09; G09B; G09B5/00; G09B5/04; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/0033; G10H1/0041; G10H1/36; G10H1/361; G10H1/363; G11; G11B; G11B19/00; G11B19/02; G11B19/12; G11B20/00; G11B20/00086; G11B20/00094; G11B20/00115; G11B20/00123; G11B20/00137; G11B20/00144; G11B20/00159; G11B20/0021; G11B20/00485; G11B20/00557; G11B20/0071; G11B20/10; G11B20/10527; G11B20/12; G11B20/1217; G11B20/1254; G11B27/00; G11B27/10; G11B27/102; G11B27/105; G11B27/19; G11B27/28; G11B27/32; G11B27/327; G11B27/329; G11B27/34; G11B27/36; H04N9/804; H04N9/8042; H04N9/806; H04N9/8063; H04N9/8211; H04N9/8216; H04N9/8238; G10H2210/00; G10H2210/031; G10H2210/056; G10H2240/00; G10H2240/011; G10H2240/036; G11B2220/00; G11B2220/20; G11B2220/25; G11B2220/2537; G11B2220/2562; G11B2220/2583; G11B7/00; G11B7/002; G11B7/0037; G11B7/007; G11B7/013; H04N5/765; H04N5/775; H04N5/84; H04N5/85; H04N5/91; H04N5/913; H04N7/00; H04N7/01; H04N7/0117; H04N7/0122; H04N9/7921; H04N9/7925; H04N9/802; H04N9/8222
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A system for controlling play of the audio tracks of a digital software carrier, said software carrier having recorded thereon a plurality of synchronized audio tracks, each audio track being made up of a plurality of data blocks, and a code for each of said audio tracks identifying its use as either a switching master, including music and effects and dialog language, or a track to be switched with the switching master, comprising means for selecting a switching master of predetermined length and a shorter track containing audio segments to be switched with said switching master, and means for reading codes in the data blocks and for automatically switching between the selected tracks in accordance with said codes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
118 words
A system for controlling play of the audio tracks of a digital software carrier, said software carrier having recorded thereon a plurality of synchronized audio tracks, each audio track being made up of a plurality of data blocks, and a code for each of said audio tracks identifying its use as either a switching master, including music and effects and dialog language, or a track to be switched with the switching master, comprising means for selecting a switching master of predetermined length and a shorter track containing audio segments to be switched with said switching master, and means for reading codes in the data blocks and for automatically switching between the selected tracks in accordance with said codes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said audio tracks are digital audio tracks.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
A system in accordance with claim 2 including means for playing said software carrier and deriving therefrom said audio track codes and digital audio track signals, and means for processing said audio track codes to determine how said digital audio track signals should be switched and for deriving an analog audio signal therefrom.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system in accordance with claim 3 including control means for switching signals derived from said audio track signals in accordance with said audio track codes to derive said analog audio signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said software carrier has recorded thereon a code for each of said digital audio tracks indicative of the language of any dialog therein, and further including means for selecting a digital audio track to be switched in accordance with the dialog language desired by a user.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
75 words
A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein information recorded on said software carrier is recorded in separately identifiable blocks, each software carrier block contains indicia of which digital audio tracks in the block represent a signal, and said control means operates on only the digital audio tracks in any block that are required to derive an analog audio signal in accordance with the dialog language desired by a user and said audio track codes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said software carrier has recorded thereon an identification of the type of each digital audio track, and further including means for processing derived signals in accordance with said track type identifications.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
63 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said software carrier has recorded thereon a representation of the available dialog languages on the software carrier, and further including means for representing a default language, and means for selecting a digital audio track to be switched in accordance with the default language which is represented and the available dialog languages on the software carrier.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A system in accordance with claim 8 further including means, responsive to said default language matching none of said available languages, for allowing the user to choose an available language.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
117 words
A method for controlling play of the audio tracks of a digital software carrier, said software carrier having recorded thereon a plurality of synchronized digital audio tracks, each audio track being made up of a plurality of data blocks, and a code for each of said digital audio tracks identifying its use as either a switching master, including music and effects and dialog language, or a track to be switched with said switching master, comprising the steps of selecting a switching master of predetermined length and a shorter track containing audio segments to be switched with said switching master, reading codes in the data blocks, and switching between the selected tracks in accordance with said read codes.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
117 words
A method for controlling play of the audio tracks of a digital software carrier, said software carrier having recorded thereon a plurality of synchronized digital audio tracks, each audio track being made up of a plurality of data blocks, and a code for each of said digital audio tracks identifying its use as either a switching master, including music and effects and dialog language, or a track to be switched with said switching master, comprising the steps of selecting a switching master of predetermined length and a shorter track containing audio segments to be switched with said switching master, reading codes in the data blocks, and switching between the selected tracks in accordance with said read codes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said software carrier has recorded thereon a code for each of said digital audio tracks indicative of the language of any dialog therein, and further including the step of selecting a digital audio track to be switched in accordance with the dialog language desired by a user.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
74 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein information recorded on said software carrier is recorded in separately identifiable blocks, each software carrier block contains indicia of which digital audio tracks in the block represent a signal, and the only digital audio tracks in any block that are operated upon are those required to derive said analog audio signal in accordance with the dialog language desired by a user and said audio track codes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said software carrier has recorded thereon an identification of the type of each digital audio track, and further including the step of processing derived signals in accordance with said track type identifications.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said software carrier has recorded thereon a representation of the available dialog languages on the software carrier, and further including the steps of representing a default language, and selecting a digital audio track to be switched in accordance with the default language which is represented and the available dialog languages on the software carrier.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method in accordance with claim 14 further including the step of allowing the user to choose an available language responsive to said default language matching none of said available languages.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-01-26 | 2001-07-28 | 2002-01-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-01-26 | 2005-07-28 | 2006-01-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-01-26 | 2009-07-28 | 2010-01-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |