Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for playing back audio at faster or slower rates without pitch distortion

US5386493A · kind A · utility

158Cited by
3References
46Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 25, 1992
Grant dateJan 31, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 25, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG10H1/20
  • WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A computer implemented apparatus and method for modifying the playback rate of a previously stored audio or voice data file stored within a computer system without altering the pitch of the audio data file as originally stored. The present invention also maintains a high level of sound quality during playback. The present invention includes a double buffering system in order to perform all of the desired calculations in real time. A time stretching technique is employed upon the audio data file to decrease or increase playback rate which creates audio segments requiring joining processing. Junctions are smoothed by employing a cross-fade amplitude envelope filter and a compressor/limiter is used to maintain filter range. The system may operate on a desktop computer allowing for advantageous playback and audio data management options of stored voice and or sound data.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.