System for delivering audio content

0001The invention relates to a system for delivering audio content according to the features of claim 1.

0002The invention is generally related to a method for providing audio content during movies, displayed or available to be displayed at the theater. It includes head or ear mounted speakers, such as headphones, for listening to audio dialog for movies which are being shown in a language foreign to the viewer of the movie or for the benefit of those who are hearing impaired. It relies on a communication mechanism for delivering this audio information in real time or near real time. The invention can also be used to display announcements or other audio information at events such as sporting, art, or educational events. This application is related to concurrently filed application entitled, "Head mounted display for viewing subtitles and closed captions in movie theaters," and pending application "Multimedia I/O Interface Device for use at Entertainment Events," both commonly assigned.

0003The world motion picture industry has developed into a multibillion dollar a year business. Centered in the US, the industry is creating hundreds of feature films per year which generate billions of dollars annually at the box office. Due to the combinations and mergers which now characterize the motion picture industry, movies are being made by large diversified media companies which also own consumer product companies. As a result, motion pictures are more frequently being used as vehicles for advertising products and promoting the parent company's suite of goods. Even before movies start in the theater, it is now common to see commercials being played, and there are always short trailers describing other upcoming or currently released movies. Thus, it is important to these media companies to maximize their return on investment by making the movies available to the largest possible viewing audience. There are tens of thousands of movie showings in the U.S. alone each day which creates an enormous potential for market exposure. However, at the present there are several significant segments of the market which are not being addressed by the motion picture industry. First of all, is the hearing impaired segment. According to the National Association of the Deaf, a U.S. based non-profit organization, there are 28 million deaf or hard of hearing persons in the U.S. alone. This is at least 10% of the nation's population and is likely to be a consistent or higher percentage in other countries as well. It includes those who are completely deaf and those with selective deafness who have difficulty hearing dialog over other ambient sounds and noises. Currently, the motion picture industry creates movies with no provisions to accommodate those people. Deaf persons are forced to wait until the movie comes out on video and to get a copy with the dialog in subtitle format at the bottom of the picture. This text corresponds in real time to all verbal dialog in the movie. A problem with this is that even when the movies do come out on video cassette, most are not available with this feature. Thus, deaf people are discouraged from or unable to watch movies either in their first run or at home. A potential solution is to use subtitled text in the movie theater so that hearing impaired people can read the dialog while others listen to it. This is being done on a very small scale in a few cities. There are currently six theaters in six different cities which have dedicated screens for open captions which are permanently displayed and tens of others which show captioned versions on certain days of the month. The open captions appear as printed text at the bottom of the screen simultaneous to the dialog. The reason this captioning hasn't become more pervasive is that those who are not hearing impaired, who make up a much larger percentage of the population, do not wish to see this text being displayed as it visually detracts from the image on the screen. Also, it is not cost effective to broadcast two versions of the movie, one with subtitles and one without them when only ten percent or less of the box office ticket is hearing impaired. Hearing impaired people with selective deafness can wait until the few first run movies that are captioned come out on video tape and comfortably watch them at home where they can control the volume. However, they are generally discouraged from attending the theater because it is difficult for them to discriminate the dialog over the ambient sound and there are currently no provisions which allow for individualized amplification of the dialog in the theater.

0004Recently, two class action lawsuits have been filed in the U.S., one in Oregon and the other in the District of Columbia, against movie theater companies. The suits assert that these companies have not made sufficient efforts to accommodate hearing impaired persons at the theater. The lawsuit states that the theaters failed to make "reasonable modification" in their practices, and failed to take necessary steps to insure that deaf people are not excluded from or denied first run movies. Thus, there is a clear and present need for a solution to mitigate this problem, a solution which will be cost effective and robust, but which will not alienate current movie goers. It is in the interest of the film makers, the theater owners, and the viewing public to come up with an effective solution to this problem.

0005The second significant demographic currently being ignored by the motion picture industry is the non-English speaking one. Thus, the same problem of non-accommodation exists with respect to foreign language dialog. A significant percentage of persons living in the U.S. do not speak English at least as a first language. According to the 1990 census, Hispanic Americans accounted for 8.8% of the U.S. population. By the 2000 census, this percentage will likely be well over 10%. Asian Americans such as Chinese, Vietnamese, and Koreans also make up an important percentage of the national demographic. Much of the rapid growth of each of these populations is due to the recent immigration of persons who speak little or no English. These people are discouraged from seeing first run movies at the theater because they are unable to understand the English dialog. However, the media industry is recognizing the market power of this demographic as evidenced by the growth of Hispanic television and radio networks and Asian television networks. This problem could be potentially solved by writing subtitled translation of the dialog on the screen; however, this still suffers from the limitation that it is visually displeasing to those who do not need the subtitled text. Also, it allows for only two simultaneous languages to be broadcast, the one the sound track is recorded in and the subtitled one.

0006Another demographic is native citizens who wish to watch foreign films which are shown in the U.S. In larger metropolitan cities, popular foreign movies are frequently played at theaters in their original language either without subtitles or with permanent subtitles. It would be desirable for persons attending these films to designate a language to view the movies in.

0007Thus, there exists a need for a cost effective system for allowing viewers of movies to listen to dialog, which corresponds in real time or near real time to the dialog of the movie, in a language of the viewer's choice and can be selectively amplified.

0008It is an object of this invention to create a system which is devoid of the shortcomings described above.

0009It is another object of this invention to create a system for listening to audio corresponding to real time dialog of motion pictures.

0010It is an additional object of this invention to create a system which allows viewers to selectively amplify the dialog portion of the a movie's audio soundtrack.

0011Another object of this invention is to create a system which will deliver that dialog to a viewer in synchronization with spoken action on the screen.

0012Yet another object of this invention is to create a system which will provide individualized volume control for the dialog portion of the audio of motion pictures while at the movie theater or elsewhere.

0013Still yet another object of this invention is to provide a system which is worn on the head or over the ears.

0014A further object of this invention is to provide a system which will provide dialog audio content of movies to hearing impaired persons in a manner which is able to be selectively amplified within frequency bands by the viewer.

0015Yet another additional object of this invention is to provide a system which allows users to selectively choose the language of dialog that they will listen to.

0016These and additional objects of this invention are accomplished generally through a head worn device for listening to dialog while watching motion pictures at the movie theater or for listening to information while attending public events.

0017Additional advantages and characteristics result from the following description of several embodiments of the invention in connection with the drawings. In the drawings are shown: <dl id="dl0001"><dt>Fig. 1</dt><dd>illustrates a theater embodiment with all the system components;</dd><dt>Fig. 2</dt><dd>illustrates an exemplary headphone-type device in a wired connection embodiment;</dd><dt>Fig. 3</dt><dd>illustrates an exemplary headphone-type device with an integral control module;</dd><dt>Fig. 4</dt><dd>illustrates an exemplary ear piece-type headset embodiment of the system;</dd><dt>Fig. 5</dt><dd>illustrates a wireless embodiment with an integral control module, battery, and wireless receiver; and</dd><dt>Fig. 6</dt><dd>illustrates a close up view of an exemplary control module with optional concessions interface.</dd></dl>

0018Figure 1 illustrates a system level diagram of the fundamental components. The film source 101 feeds through a communications link 102 to a central router/processor 103. The router/processor 103 will at least handle the broadcast of the audio dialog. Optionally, it may perform on-the-fly conversion of source's audio dialog to one or more alternative languages prior to transmission. By "different audio dialog" or "different dialog" or "alternative language" is meant throughout this disclosure and claims any dialog different from the original movie dialog, different in either the language of the dialog, or in a version of the movie soundtrack which has only the spoken, sung, or otherwise verbalized portion of the movie's audio soundtrack but remains in the original language. The output of this router 103 will be transmitted through communications link 104, which could be a wired or wireless link, to the individual user audio devices 105.

0019Figure 2 illustrates a minimal embodiment including the audio headphone-type speakers 105 with power/signal cable 106 and attached connector 107 for connecting to a power/signal source. Figure 3 is similar in scope, but includes control module 108, which affords control of the output of the headphone speakers 105.

0020Figure 4 demonstrates a different type of speaker embodiment, namely, ear piece type speakers 109, which may or may not include control module 108 for controlling the speakers 109. These ear piece-type speakers 109 are another popular and accepted type of headphone speaker.

0021Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary wireless embodiment for the system whereby the audio headphone device 105 receives its signal wirelessly via the integrated control module, battery, and wireless receiver 110. This device 110, combines the functionality of the control module 108, but also supplies power for the headphones 105 and receives the signal representative of the audio dialog via a wireless communication protocol 104.

0022Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary control module 108. Language selection buttons 112 are included to allow the wearer to choose at least one language to listen to the audio dialog in. A volume control dial or button 111 is also included for adjusting the output level of the headphone speakers 105. There may also be a concessions interface 113 depending upon where the device is used, which contains item selection buttons 114 allowing users to select specific concession items to be delivered to their location. This will be particularly useful if the device is used in a movie theater or other location as it will allow persons to order concession items without having to leave their seat. By "movie theater" is meant throughout this disclosure and claims, anywhere a movie can be seen.

0023The invention is directed to a method of delivering individualized audio dialog in movie theaters or at other events. It is comprised essentially of a headphone-type speaker device 105 with integrated amplifier with gain control, a central router/processor 103, and a transmission protocol 104. The headphones 105 can be in the form of typical stereophonic headphones or alternatively a monophonic headphone. The device will possess a control 111 allowing viewers to selectively amplify the dialog portion of the audio. This dialog whether in the same language or a different will be correlated to the instant dialog occurring in the motion picture. This will allow hearing impaired persons who have difficulty in discriminating dialog over ambient noise in a movie theater to go to the theater and follow the dialog in a manner that is transparent to those who are not hearing impaired. It will allow those persons with partial hearing loss to selectively amplify the dialog on the sound track which is output by their speaker(s), persons such as those who wear hearing aid devices to amplify the sound of voices and other noises. Finally, it can also have a control 112 for selecting the language of the spoken dialog, which will allow viewers who wish to see or listen to the dialog in a language other then the one being transmitted on the screen the ability to do so. This will create the opportunity for non-native speakers to attend movies they might otherwise be discouraged from attending.

0024The invention will require the ability to deliver in real time the dialog content to the viewers' headphone units 105 so that it will be correlated to the action on the screen. For this invention to work robustly and accurately, several versions of the dialog will have to be created when the final version of the movie is produced, both in English and other popular languages. This is frequently done with popular U.S. produced movies and television shows when they are broadcast abroad. The dialog is dubbed over in whatever the native language is of the country in which it is broadcast in. Initially, it may be most cost effective to make several versions of the dialog prior to showing the movie and then selectively broadcasting the different dialogs. However, as computers and voice processors become more robust, it will become possible to on-the-fly process the audio sound track, parse out the voice dialog, translate it both verbatim and in context, and to rebroadcast the desired language of broadcast. In this manner the central processor 103 would ideally be a certain time period ahead of the actual output to the screen so that enough time will be available for this processing. It will be particularly useful for digital movies and analog movies with digital soundtracks encoded, as the digital nature of the source makes it easier to perform voice processing on it, removing the step of analog to digital (A/D) conversion which might otherwise be necessary. This standard can also be used or delivering commercial information, movie trailer dialog, and safety information such as that which is typically broadcast prior to the beginning of a feature presentation.

0025Once the audio, if in a different language, is produced and is synchronized with the action in the movie, it needs to be delivered to the audio headphone device of the viewers. If it is the same language as the original movie, then it merely needs to be delivered to the headphones of the viewer for selective amplification. To perform the actual transmission there will be a central router/processor 103 which is in communication 102 with the film source 101. It will transmit at least one version of the dialog to the head phone devices 105 via transmission protocol 104. Optionally, it may take the audio from the movie source, in the form of an electronic signal, and if necessary, perform translation of the audio in near real time before transmission. The actual transmission can be accomplished through one of several embodiments using existing technology. These embodiments can be generally segmented into two types, wired and unwired. In a wired embodiment, the device itself has a plug on it that plugs into a connector which is integral to the movie theater seat. Much like airplane headphones, with some additional functionality, the user merely sits down and plugs the device 105 in. The connector 107 will provide both power and content to the device 105. This will eliminate the need for an integral power supply, will enhance reliability of the system, and minimize the cost of the individual devices. In this embodiment, the device 105 will be a commercially available device which can be purchased at the theater or elsewhere by persons wishing to take advantage of this feature. This will minimize the necessary investment by the theater owners since the viewers will be supplying their own equipment while the theaters merely supply the backbone to support it and a plug interface. It will also allow for a uniform standard interface to be established between viewer's devices 105 and the theaters delivery system. The format of the audio itself could be either digital or analog, as only fairly narrow bandwidth will be required to carry this audio dialog information.

0026In another embodiment, the audio data can be transmitted wirelessly. This could either be as closed circuit analog TV, RF, or through digital transmission means such as IEEE 802.11, or any other existing or yet undiscovered transmission protocol. If analog technology is used, a low power closed circuit radio transmitter could be placed in the projector room or elsewhere in the theater servicing the entire room with each language broadcast on a different channel band. If digital transmission is used, a wireless LAN transmitter/- receiver could be placed in the projector room or elsewhere in the theater so that wireless communications could be maintained with individual headphone headsets 105. The headsets 105 themselves will need to have wireless receiving means 110 in order to receive the signal. This could be a separate receiver box 110 which is connected to the headset which could also house the battery for the receiver or a receiver integral to the headset 105, or the seats themselves could contain the receiver or transceiver. If analog transmission means are utilized, then the headset will require an integral TV signal receiver and tuner. In either case it will be desirable to include a selective gain control 111 with the headphone speaker 105 or speakers so that those who are not completely deaf, but hearing impaired to the extent that they can not easily hear text dialog without selective amplification, due to other background noise and music in the movie soundtrack, can adjust the output level of the dialog to the optimum level for their individual needs.

0027In an additional embodiment, the device will have an integrated interface 113 for ordering food or beverages from the concession area outside the theater which are delivered to the seat location of the user/wearer of the system. When the users get the devices 105, upon arrival at the theater, or sometime before that, they can establish a billing account to pay for such items that are ordered while at the movie. Alternatively, they can pay for such items at time of delivery.

0028In yet another embodiment, the device 105 can be worn or carried at events or attractions such as sporting events, amusement parks, artistic events, or other publicly or privately attended events where audio information is broadcast aloud. In this manner promotional/- advertisement information, safety information, public service information, and information specific to the event or attraction can be delivered to those who are hearing impaired or those who don't speak the language of the broadcast dialog. This would not only enhance the experience of the attendees but would also allow those who are sponsoring and managing the event or attraction to deliver information to a wider audience further increasing the return on investment for themselves.

0029As to the power supply, in either wireless embodiment, the power could be supplied via a connector built in to the theater's seat, or the headset 105 itself could have an integral or attached battery supply. As more efficient fuel cells are developed, it will eventually become cost efficient to use batteries. However, at present, drawing the power for the device 105 from the connection in the theater's seats will increase overall system reliability, reduce costs, and eliminate device interrupts due to loss of power.

0030As to the headphone unit 105 itself, several commercial electronics companies such as Sony Corporation, Aiwa, Panasonic, RCA, and Toshiba, among others, all make small, high fidelity headphone speakers. They are worn comfortably on the head and can support direct analog or converted digital output. They will require slight modification to include a control unit 108 with channel selector, gain control, and optionally a commerce interface 113 for ordering concession items. The headphone unit 105 or control unit 108 may have a channel selector 112 which allows the wearer to selectively choose the language he wishes to listen to the audio dialog. It may also have gain control 111 which works like an equalizer allowing users to selectively amplify specific frequency bands. Modern hearing aids now can be tailored to meet the specific hearing deficiencies of those who wear them to that extent that frequency bands which are least audible to the wearer are amplified the most. Analogously, the device may have at least a bass and treble amplification control, and optionally, higher resolution controls for amplifying specific frequency bands within the spoken voice frequency spectrum of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

0031Thus, the disclosed invention overcomes the current deficiencies of the state of the art in the motion picture industry. It creates a new standard for selectively delivering alternative dialogs to viewers of movies in the theater that is invisible to those who are not using it. It provides heretofore unknown flexibility in accommodating those who are either hearing impaired or who do not understand the language the movie is being played in. It also provides a medium for interaction with the facility and/or event management and a platform for commercial transactions.

0032The preferred and optimumly preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein to illustrate the underlying principles of the invention, but it is to be understood that numerous modifications, designs, and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

List of Reference Signs

0033<dl id="dl0002" compact="compact"><dt>101</dt><dd>film source</dd><dt>102</dt><dd>communications link</dd><dt>103</dt><dd>router/processor</dd><dt>104</dt><dd>communications link/communication protocol</dd><dt>105</dt><dd>audio device</dd><dt>106</dt><dd>power/signal cable</dd><dt>107</dt><dd>connector</dd><dt>108</dt><dd>control module</dd><dt>109</dt><dd>speakers</dd><dt>110</dt><dd>receiver</dd><dt>111</dt><dd>volume control dial/button</dd><dt>112</dt><dd>language selection buttons</dd><dt>113</dt><dd>concessions interface</dd><dt>114</dt><dd>item selection buttons</dd></dl>