Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and program logic in storage media to process media data for quality enhancement. The media data is for rendering at a wireless device. Environmental quantities are accepted from one or more sensors located remote from the wireless device but sufficiently close to be indicative of similar quantities in the device's environment. The sensors at in or connected to a network node. At the network node, the method includes processing the media data using the environmental quantities to generate processed data, and wirelessly sending the processed output to the resource constrained device for rendering, such that the processed output is usable by the resource constrained device to render or to process and render the media data.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and program logic in storage media to process media data for quality enhancement. Information is accepted from a resource constrained device, e.g., a wireless portable device related to the quality enhancement and/or environmental quantities such as background noise and/or ambient lighting for the device. Media data is data processed to achieve quality enhancement using at least some of the accepted information to generate processed output. The data processing of the media data includes processing when or where one or more resources sufficient for the processing are available.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention divides an audio signal into auditory events, each of which tends to be perceived as separate and distinct, by calculating the spectral content of successive time blocks of the audio signal, calculating the difference in spectral content between successive time blocks of the audio signal, and identifying an auditory event boundary as the boundary between successive time blocks when the difference in the spectral content between such successive time blocks exceeds a threshold. In another aspect, the invention generates a reduced-information representation of an audio signal by dividing an audio signal into auditory events, each of which tends to be perceived as separate and distinct, and formatting and storing information relating to the auditory events. Optionally, the invention may also assign a characteristic to one or more of the auditory events. Auditory events may be determined according to the first aspect of the invention or by another method.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention divides an audio signal into auditory events, each of which tends to be perceived as separate and distinct, by calculating the spectral content of successive time blocks of the audio signal (5-1), calculating the difference in spectral content between successive time blocks of the audio signal (5-2), and identifying an auditory event boundary as the boundary between successive time blocks when the difference in the spectral content between such successive time blocks exceeds a threshold (5-3). In another aspect, the invention generates a reduced-information representation of an audio signal by dividing an audio signal into auditory events, each of which tends to be perceived as separate and distinct, and formatting and storing information relating to the auditory events (5-4). Optionally, the invention may also assign a characteristic to one or more of the auditory events (5-5).

Abstract: A method for time aligning audio signal, wherein one signal has been derived from the other or both have been derived from another signal, comprises deriving reduced-information characterizations of the audio signals, auditory scene analysis. The time offset of one characterization with respect to the other characterization is calculated and the temporal relationship of the audio signals with respect to each other is modified in response to the time offset such that the audio signals are coicident with each other. These principles may also be applied to a method for time aligning a video signal and an audio signal that will be subjected to differential time offsets.

Abstract: A method for determining if one audio signal is derived from another audio signal or if two audio signals are derived from the same audio signal compares reduced-information characterizations of said audio signals, wherein said characterizations are based on auditory scene analysis. The comparison removes from the characterisations or minimizes in the characterisations the effect of temporal shift or delay on the audio signals (5-1), calculates a measure of similarity (5-2), and compares the measure of similarity against a threshold. In one alternative, the effect of temporal shift or delay is removed or minimized by cross-correlating the two characterizations. In another alternative, the effect of temporal shift or delay is removed or minimized by transforming the characterizations into a domain that is independent of temporal delay effects, such as the frequency domain. In both cases, a measure of similarity is calculated by calculating a coefficient of correlation.

Abstract: A method for determining if one audio signal is derived from another audio signal or if two audio signals are derived from the same audio signal compares reduced-information characterizations of said audio signals, wherein said characterizations are based on auditory scene analysis. The comparison removes from the characterisations or minimizes in the characterisations the effect of temporal shift or delay on the audio signals(5-1), calculates a measure of similarity(5-2), and compares the measure of similarity against a threshold. In one alternative, the effect of temporal shift or delay is removed or minimized by cross-correlating the two characterizations. In another alternative, the effect of temporal shift or delay is removed or minimized by transforming the characterizations into a domain that is independent of temporal delay effects, such as the frequency domain. In both cases, a measure of similarity is calculated by calculating a coefficient of correlation.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention divides an audio signal into auditory events, each of which tends to be perceived as separate and distinct, by calculating the spectral content of successive time blocks of the audio signal (5-1), calculating the difference in spectral content between successive time blocks of the audio signal (5-2), and identifying an auditory event boundary as the boundary between successive time blocks when the difference in the spectral content between such successive time blocks exceeds a threshold (5-3). In another aspect, the invention generates a reduced-information representation of an audio signal by dividing an audio signal into auditory events, each of which tends to be perceived as separate and distinct, and formatting and storing information relating to the auditory events (5-4). Optionally, the invention may also assign a characteristic to one or more of the auditory events (5-5).

Abstract: A method for time aligning audio signal, wherein one signal has been derived from the other or both have been derived from another signal, comprises deriving reduced-information characterizations of the audio signals, auditory scene analysis. The time offset of one characterization with respect to the other characterization is calculated and the temporal relationship of the audio signals with respect to each other is modified in response to the time offset such that the audio signals are coicident with each other. These principles may also be applied to a method for time aligning a video signal and an audio signal that will be subjected to differential time offsets.

Abstract: A method for time scaling and/or pitch shifting an audio signal analyzes an audio signal using multiple psychoacoustic criteria to identify a region of the audio signal in which the omission of a portion of the audio signal or the repetition of a portion of the audio signal is inaudible or minimally audible, it selects a splice point in the region of the audio signal, it deletes a portion of the audio signal beginning at the splice point or it repeats a portion of the audio signal ending at the splice point, and it reads out the resulting audio signal at a rate that yields a desired audio signal time duration and a desired time scaling and/or pitch shifting.