Method and Apparatus for Controlling Time-Scale Modification During Multi-Media Broadcasts

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for broadcasting information to one or more client devices from a broadcaster that is not a client device, which one or more client devices utilize presentation rates to present audio in broadcast information at various presentation rates using time-scale modification, and which method includes: (a) the broadcaster broadcasting non-time-scale modified information; and (b) the broadcaster broadcasting guidance information used to determine presentation rates for use by the one or more client devices in presentation of audio in the broadcast information using time-scale modification; wherein the guidance information is broadcast prior to or after a time of broadcast of the broadcast information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for broadcasting information to one or more client devices from a broadcaster that is not a client device, which one or more client devices utilize presentation rates to present audio in broadcast information at various presentation rates using time-scale modification, and which method comprises:
 the broadcaster broadcasting non-time-scale modified information; and   the broadcaster broadcasting guidance information used to determine presentation rates for use by the one or more client devices in presentation of audio in the broadcast non-time-scale modified information using time-scale modification;   wherein the guidance information is broadcast prior to or after a time of broadcast of the broadcast information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the guidance information is broadcast prior to the time of broadcast of the broadcast information and wherein the guidance information includes presentation rate rule information that is adapted to be used by the one or more client devices to determine a time in the future after the broadcast information has been received by the one or more client devices to process the guidance information to obtain presentation rates for portions of the broadcast information; and
 wherein the guidance information further includes control commands that are adapted to be used by the one or more client devices to change client device configuration data. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the guidance information comprises time-stamp information that is adapted to be used by the one or more of the client devices in analyzing the guidance information to determine a time of presentation. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the guidance information comprises multiple presentation rates for a portion of the broadcast information that are adapted to be used to present the portion to respective ones of multiple audiences. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the multiple presentation rates comprise a presentation rate for children, a presentation rate for teenagers, and a presentation rate for adults. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the broadcaster utilizes client device identifier information for broadcasting the guidance information. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the guidance information comprises presentation rate rule information that requires presentation rate information received by the one or more client devices for a commercial in broadcast information that has been presented less than a predetermined number of times to be specified as unmodifiable. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the guidance information further comprises presentation rate rule information that requires presentation rate information received by the one or more client devices for a commercial in the broadcast information that has been presented less than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time interval to be specified as unmodifiable. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the guidance information is adapted to be used to regulate presentation so that only predetermined portions but not all of the audio in the broadcast information must be presented at predetermined rates for audio or skipped altogether. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the guidance information includes a predetermined presentation rate for audio in public service broadcasts, a predetermined presentation rate for audio in emergency broadcasts, or a predetermined presentation rate for audio in public safety broadcasts. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the guidance information is adapted to cause predetermined commercial advertisements to be presented at predetermined presentation rates. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the guidance information is adapted to cause causes presentation rates to be increased for adult portions of the broadcast information if one or more of the client devices are configured for general audience viewing rather than for adult audience viewing. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the guidance information is adapted to cause causes a duration of predetermined adult scenes or language to be of a predetermined length. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the guidance information includes information that corresponds to a configuration of one or more of the client devices. 
     
     
         15 . A method for broadcasting information to one or more client devices from a broadcaster that is not a client device, which one or more client device utilizes devices that utilize presentation rates to present audio in broadcast information at various presentation rates using time-scale modification, and which method comprises:
 the broadcaster broadcasting non-time-scale modified information;   the broadcaster broadcasting guidance information used to determine presentation rates for use by the one or more client devices device in presentation of audio in the broadcast non-time-scale modified information using time-scale modification;   wherein the guidance information is broadcast prior to or after a time of broadcast of the broadcast information; and   programming a device located in one or more of the one or more client devices or elsewhere, which device is used to process the guidance information to obtain a presentation rate for use by one or more of the one or more client devices in presentation of audio in a portion of the broadcast information.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the guidance information comprises codes which are adapted to be processed by one or more of the one or more client devices using one or more of look-up tables, rules, and algorithms stored at one or more of the one or more of the client devices. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the one or more of look-up tables, rules, and algorithms are stored at or before a time of broadcast of the broadcast information.