[go: up one dir, main page]

WO2025109347A1 - System and method for improving the audio quality of web-radios - Google Patents

System and method for improving the audio quality of web-radios Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2025109347A1
WO2025109347A1 PCT/HU2024/000007 HU2024000007W WO2025109347A1 WO 2025109347 A1 WO2025109347 A1 WO 2025109347A1 HU 2024000007 W HU2024000007 W HU 2024000007W WO 2025109347 A1 WO2025109347 A1 WO 2025109347A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
web
radio
music
title
music library
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
PCT/HU2024/000007
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Sándor HARASTA
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of WO2025109347A1 publication Critical patent/WO2025109347A1/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H20/00—Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
    • H04H20/10—Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
    • H04H20/106—Receiver-side switching
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F17/00—Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
    • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
    • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
    • G11B27/102—Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
    • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
    • G11B27/11—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information not detectable on the record carrier
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H20/00—Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
    • H04H20/40—Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
    • H04H60/35—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users
    • H04H60/37—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
    • H04H60/372—Programme
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
    • H04H60/68—Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information
    • H04H60/73—Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information using meta-information
    • H04H60/74—Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information using meta-information using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter

Definitions

  • Web-radios are very popular often because of a superb selection of music, sometimes providing both many interesting new or little known titles and an even kind of style or mood throughout their playlist for long hours or even days without the repetition of titles. This quality of playlist compilation is to date not matched with so called radios within streaming music library apps that offer limited playlists and frequent repetitions. Web-radios, however, mostly suffer from low audio quality, due to low bitrate lossy compression used in their streams. Due to financial reasons they are often not in the position to improve the quality of their streams or to provide a non-free tier of higher audio quality streaming to paid users.
  • a system and method for improving audio quality of web-radios played by a computing device (computer, mobile phone, wearable, embedded computing system for home or vehicle audio, etc.) by connecting the web-radio app with a streaming music library in a way, where the actually played web-radio music track’s performer and title is looked up in the streaming music library and if found, the music library stream is played instead of the web-radio stream by the web-radio app or by an app connecting to both the web-radio app and the music library.
  • the system is comprised of the web-radio app or embedded part of an app that provides web-radio functionality, the music streaming library app or parts of an app that provides access to the contents of the music library and a connector app or embedded part of one of the apps that provides connector functionality between the web-radio and the music library app.
  • the connector might use a server-side app in a cloud (or a dedicated server on the network).
  • the entire system might be implemented within one single custom-built app as well. Possible implementations include cases when multiple music libraries are looked up, either in a preset order or randomly, and either the lookup stops at the music library where the web-radio’s actual title was found first, or all libraries are searched for the title and that music library’s stream is played which has the highest audio quality version of the title.
  • the web-radio broadcasts the performer and title of the next song that is recorded in the webradio app or the embedded part with web-radio functionality
  • the connector app or the embedded connector part looks up the performer and title in the music library or in multiple music libraries If found, the connector app or embedded connector part retrieves the high audio quality stream from the music library and serves it to the user or to the web-radio app that plays it back instead of the low audio quality web-radio stream of that title. If multiple music libraries are used, either their preset order determines which one’s stream is played or the highest available audio quality version is played back to the user. If not found, the following actions (or some other action not recorded here) might be taken based on the user’s preferences set in the settings of the web-radio app or the connector app or the app embedding these functionalities:
  • the original stream is played for that title in the low (or lower) audio quality, streamed from the web-radio
  • a recommended title is played as recommended by the music library based on the previously played titles from the music library, streamed from the music library
  • skip forward function is used on the web-radio, if available, to jump to the next title in the web-radio playlist
  • the non-music stream parts of the web-radio like channel signals, announcements, commercials or other non-music content might be treated similarly to point 4. based on user preference.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Data Mining & Analysis (AREA)
  • Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
  • Mathematical Physics (AREA)
  • Software Systems (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Reverberation, Karaoke And Other Acoustics (AREA)

Abstract

Presented here is a system and method for improving audio quality of web-radios played by a computing device (computer, mobile phone, wearable, embedded computing system for home or vehicle audio, etc.) by connecting the web-radio app with a streaming music library in a way, where the actually played web-radio music performer and title is looked up in the streaming music library and if found, the music library stream is played instead of the web-radio stream by the web-radio app. As web-radios typically stream much lower bitrate (resolution) version of music titles and streaming music libraries typically offer highest bitrate lossy or lossless or even high resolution lossless playback streams, this replacement can improve the audio quality of the played music drastically, while still playing the playlist of the web-radio live, as it is streamed.

Description

System and method for improving the audio quality of web-radios
Description
Background
Web-radios are very popular often because of a superb selection of music, sometimes providing both many interesting new or little known titles and an even kind of style or mood throughout their playlist for long hours or even days without the repetition of titles. This quality of playlist compilation is to date not matched with so called radios within streaming music library apps that offer limited playlists and frequent repetitions. Web-radios, however, mostly suffer from low audio quality, due to low bitrate lossy compression used in their streams. Due to financial reasons they are often not in the position to improve the quality of their streams or to provide a non-free tier of higher audio quality streaming to paid users. Increasing number of people use today high bandwidth networks with large or unlimited quotas of data, as well as high quality audio systems and sound emitters, ranging from quality mobile phones with hi-fi headsets to high-end players, amplifiers and speakers. These users are in a dilemma of choosing between loved and much enjoyed web-radio broadcasts with frustratingly unnatural sound of some of the instruments performing in the music or high quality streaming music libraries they are already paid users of with great sound quality but very limited and repetitive radio services. The system and method presented here solves this problem by serving high quality streaming music library playback for titles present in the given library (or in one of the multiple libraries the user has access to) while serving a replacement according to the user’s choice in the settings for titles not present in the library as detailed below.
Detailed description
Presented here is a system and method for improving audio quality of web-radios played by a computing device (computer, mobile phone, wearable, embedded computing system for home or vehicle audio, etc.) by connecting the web-radio app with a streaming music library in a way, where the actually played web-radio music track’s performer and title is looked up in the streaming music library and if found, the music library stream is played instead of the web-radio stream by the web-radio app or by an app connecting to both the web-radio app and the music library. As web-radios typically stream much lower bitrate (resolution) versions of music titles and streaming music libraries typically offer highest bitrate lossy or lossless or even high resolution lossless playback streams, this replacement can improve audio quality of the played music drastically, while still playing the playlist of the web-radio live, as it is streamed. The system allows for playing high audio quality music streams also based on the playlist of a previous period, like days or months before, provided that playlist data is saved already for that period by the system or the system has access to archives of playlists, as well as the live playlist just broadcasted by the web-radio. The system is comprised of the web-radio app or embedded part of an app that provides web-radio functionality, the music streaming library app or parts of an app that provides access to the contents of the music library and a connector app or embedded part of one of the apps that provides connector functionality between the web-radio and the music library app. The connector might use a server-side app in a cloud (or a dedicated server on the network). The entire system might be implemented within one single custom-built app as well. Possible implementations include cases when multiple music libraries are looked up, either in a preset order or randomly, and either the lookup stops at the music library where the web-radio’s actual title was found first, or all libraries are searched for the title and that music library’s stream is played which has the highest audio quality version of the title.
The flow of action within the system is the following:
1. The web-radio broadcasts the performer and title of the next song that is recorded in the webradio app or the embedded part with web-radio functionality The connector app or the embedded connector part looks up the performer and title in the music library or in multiple music libraries If found, the connector app or embedded connector part retrieves the high audio quality stream from the music library and serves it to the user or to the web-radio app that plays it back instead of the low audio quality web-radio stream of that title. If multiple music libraries are used, either their preset order determines which one’s stream is played or the highest available audio quality version is played back to the user. If not found, the following actions (or some other action not recorded here) might be taken based on the user’s preferences set in the settings of the web-radio app or the connector app or the app embedding these functionalities:
1. The original stream is played for that title in the low (or lower) audio quality, streamed from the web-radio
2. An another title is played from the track history of the web-radio playlist that is present in the music library with higher audio quality, streamed from the music library
3. A recommended title is played as recommended by the music library based on the previously played titles from the music library, streamed from the music library
4. skip forward function is used on the web-radio, if available, to jump to the next title in the web-radio playlist The non-music stream parts of the web-radio, like channel signals, announcements, commercials or other non-music content might be treated similarly to point 4. based on user preference.

Claims

Claims (16) I claim:
1. a system and method comprising a computing device or multiple connected computing devices that contain® non-transitory memory to store instructions and processor® to execute the stored instructions that cause the system to create or incorporate a web-radio player, a streaming music library player and a connector that takes the performer and title from the web-radio’s actual music track and looks up the given title in the music library and plays the title from the music library, if found, instead of the stream in the web-radio
2. a system and method of claim 1 , wherein the web-radio player contains and provides the connector functionality
3. a system and method of claim 1 , wherein the streaming music library player contains and provides the connector functionality
4. a system and method of claim 1 , wherein the web-radio, the connector and the streaming music library player functionalities are implemented in one application
5. a system and method of claim 1 , 2, 3 or 4, in which some of the components reside on the server-side in a cloud or dedicated server(s)
6. a system and method of claim 1 , 2, 3, 4 or 5, in which some of the components or functions are implemented via API calls
7. a system and method of claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, in which the original web-radio stream is played if the actual web-radio title is not available in the music library
8. a system and method of claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, in which a previous title form the webradio’s playlist is played from the music library if the actual web-radio title is not available in the music library
9. a system and method of claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, in which a title recommended by the music library is played from the music library if the web-radio’s actual title is not available in the music library
10. a system and method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, in which skip forward functionality of the web-radio is invoked, if available, if the web-radio’s current title is not available in the music library
11. a system and method of claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10, in which the original webradio stream is replaced by a track from the web-radio’s previous playlist served from the music library if the web-radio stream actually plays station signal, announcement, commercial or other non-music content
12. a system and method of claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10, in which the original webradio stream is replaced by a track from the music libraries recommendation served from the music library if the web-radio stream actually plays station signal, announcement, commercial or other non-music content
13. a system and method of claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10, in which skip forward functionality of the web-radio is invoked, if available, if the web-radio stream actually plays station signal, announcement, commercial or other non-music content
14. a system and method of claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10, in which the original webradio stream is played if the web-radio stream actually plays station signal, announcement, commercial or other non-music content
15. a system and method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14, in which multiple music libraries are used with multiple implemented players or API callers in a predefined or random order with the method of checking the next music library if the web-radio’s actual title is not found in the previously checked one(s) and playing the title from the music library where it was found first
16. a system and method of claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 , 12, 13 or 14, in which multiple music libraries are used with multiple implemented players or API callers with the method of checking all music libraries and playing the title from the music library where it was found to be available in the highest audio quality
PCT/HU2024/000007 2023-11-21 2024-10-22 System and method for improving the audio quality of web-radios Pending WO2025109347A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
HUP2300397 2023-11-21
HU2300397A HUP2300397A1 (en) 2023-11-21 2023-11-21 System and method for improving the sound quality of web radios

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2025109347A1 true WO2025109347A1 (en) 2025-05-30

Family

ID=95821520

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/HU2024/000007 Pending WO2025109347A1 (en) 2023-11-21 2024-10-22 System and method for improving the audio quality of web-radios

Country Status (2)

Country Link
HU (1) HUP2300397A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2025109347A1 (en)

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2009207036A (en) * 2008-02-29 2009-09-10 Denso Corp Audio device with reception function and music playback system
US8762351B2 (en) * 2008-12-31 2014-06-24 Apple Inc. Real-time or near real-time streaming with compressed playlists
US9065792B2 (en) * 2006-05-05 2015-06-23 Omnifone Limited Method of enabling digital music content to be downloaded to and used on a portable wireless computing device
US9716905B2 (en) * 2015-08-10 2017-07-25 Verizon Patent And Licensing Inc. Selective content delivery over diverse networks
US20200198547A1 (en) * 2018-12-24 2020-06-25 Hyundai Motor Company Method for playing music in vehicle audio system and vehicle audio system to which the method is applied
WO2023107625A1 (en) * 2021-12-08 2023-06-15 Rovi Guides, Inc. Systems and methods for improving audio playback at a playback device

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9065792B2 (en) * 2006-05-05 2015-06-23 Omnifone Limited Method of enabling digital music content to be downloaded to and used on a portable wireless computing device
JP2009207036A (en) * 2008-02-29 2009-09-10 Denso Corp Audio device with reception function and music playback system
US8762351B2 (en) * 2008-12-31 2014-06-24 Apple Inc. Real-time or near real-time streaming with compressed playlists
US9716905B2 (en) * 2015-08-10 2017-07-25 Verizon Patent And Licensing Inc. Selective content delivery over diverse networks
US20200198547A1 (en) * 2018-12-24 2020-06-25 Hyundai Motor Company Method for playing music in vehicle audio system and vehicle audio system to which the method is applied
WO2023107625A1 (en) * 2021-12-08 2023-06-15 Rovi Guides, Inc. Systems and methods for improving audio playback at a playback device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
HUP2300397A1 (en) 2025-05-28

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US10992276B2 (en) Metadata for ducking control
JP4012009B2 (en) Data reproduction method and data reproduction apparatus
US9378278B2 (en) Method and system for constructing and presenting a consumption profile for a media item
US10999649B2 (en) Auto-summarizing video content system and method
WO2008014059A2 (en) Playing content on multiple channels of a media device
US20140325032A1 (en) Skip Feature For A Broadcast Or Multicast Media Station
US20150286717A1 (en) Methods and Systems Related to Internet Radio Broadcasts
US20070276726A1 (en) In-stream advertising message system
CN101365266A (en) Information processing device, information processing method, and program
EP3125247B1 (en) Personalized soundtrack for media content
US10891100B2 (en) System and method for capturing and accessing real-time audio and associated metadata
US20150271598A1 (en) Radio to Tune Multiple Stations Simultaneously and Select Programming Segments
US8737643B2 (en) Method and system for assigning independent audio volume settings to components, channels, and media content
WO2025109347A1 (en) System and method for improving the audio quality of web-radios
US10225029B2 (en) System and method for generating customized digital content from a radio feed
US20130245798A1 (en) Method and apparatus for signal processing based upon characteristics of music
US11678010B1 (en) Method of improving audio for a published video
KR102265347B1 (en) System for sound source playback changing sound sourse reproduction ptobability by user selection and method thereof
US8923996B2 (en) High definition and high resolution music and/or video applications and methods of use thereof
RU2527732C2 (en) Method of sounding video broadcast
US20160050248A1 (en) Data-stream sharing over communications networks with mode changing capabilities
EP1519529B1 (en) Content output device providing personalized media content
US20250139158A1 (en) Managing track deletion in a stateless playback architecture
KR100698847B1 (en) Audio service method for mobile phones
US11569921B2 (en) System and method for capturing and accessing real-time audio and associated metadata

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 24893665

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1