JP7537908B2 - Audio distribution delay adjustment device, audio distribution delay adjustment system, and audio distribution delay adjustment program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a distribution audio delay adjustment device, a distribution audio delay adjustment system, and a distribution audio delay adjustment program.

When watching events such as concerts and air shows at the event venue, there is a need to be able to listen to entertaining commentary and detailed explanations. In recent years, when watching live broadcasts of sporting events on television, there is also a need to be able to watch the broadcast while listening to commentary and explanations by a wide variety of casters, in addition to the commentary and explanations officially provided by the television program.

However, for example, when a user is watching an event at a large event venue, if the location where the event is taking place is far from the location of the user watching the event, the audio generated at the event will reach the user with a delay according to the distance. It is also known that live television broadcasts are broadcast with a delay of at least 2 to 3 seconds from the local time when the video was shot, due to the effects of encoding and decoding in digital broadcasting. This delay time varies depending on the network, equipment, and decoding performance of the receiver that are passed through, and furthermore, live television broadcasts may be delayed by a few minutes due to the convenience of the broadcasting station. On the other hand, when audio is distributed over the Internet, the delay is kept to around 1 second, compared to the delay at these event venues and live television broadcasts.

Therefore, when audio such as commentary and live coverage of an event is distributed via the Internet to users watching the event at the event venue or to users watching the event on television, the following problems arise. First, for users at the event venue, there is a timing discrepancy between the audio actually occurring at the event and the distributed audio. For example, at a concert venue, if the name of the next song is announced by the distributed audio before the next song is heard, it is a letdown for the user and an inconvenience for the performer. Also, for users watching television, there is a problem of a discrepancy in timing between the television image and the distributed audio. For example, in a live broadcast of a soccer game, if the audio announces that a goal has been scored even though the image shows that the goal has not yet been scored, it is a letdown and an inconvenience for the user.

In relation to the above problems, a technology has been disclosed for synchronizing the timing of broadcasting and streaming when a broadcasting station distributes video and audio using both broadcasting and streaming (see Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a technique for adding recording time information to streaming information in advance, recording reception time information of the broadcast signal in a receiving device, and reproducing the streaming information and broadcast signal in the receiving device so that the recording time information of the streaming information and the reception time information of the broadcast are synchronized.

JP 2004-128836 A

However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is applicable only when streaming information and broadcast signals are generated at one broadcasting station and received at one receiving device, and does not take into consideration the above-mentioned situation that is the problem of the present invention.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a distribution audio delay adjustment device, a distribution audio delay adjustment system, and a distribution audio delay adjustment program that can appropriately adjust the timing at which audio is output to users when audio such as commentary and live commentary is distributed in real time to coincide with an event being held.

The above objectives will be achieved by the following means:

The distributed audio delay adjustment device has an acquisition unit, a distribution unit, an adjustment unit, and a determination unit . The acquisition unit acquires, from a distribution terminal, distributed audio information related to distributed audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event being held. The distribution unit is configured to be able to distribute, in real time, the distributed audio information acquired by the acquisition unit to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distributed audio. The adjustment unit adjusts the degree of delay in the timing at which the distributed audio information is output at the user terminal. The determination unit determines the distance between the generation position of audio related to the event and the position of the user terminal that outputs the distributed audio information . The adjustment unit adjusts the degree of delay in accordance with the distance determined by the determination unit. The distribution unit distributes the distributed audio information in accordance with the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit.
The distribution audio delay adjustment device also has an acquisition unit, a distribution unit, an adjustment unit, and a setting unit. The acquisition unit acquires distribution audio information related to distribution audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event to be held from a distribution terminal. The distribution unit is configured to be able to distribute the distribution audio information acquired by the acquisition unit in real time to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distribution audio. The adjustment unit adjusts the degree of delay in the timing at which the distribution audio information is output at the user terminal. The setting unit accepts a delay setting for adjusting the degree of delay. The setting unit accepts the delay setting based on an instruction accepted from a user at the user terminal. The adjustment unit adjusts the degree of delay in consideration of the delay setting accepted by the setting unit. The distribution unit distributes the distribution audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit.
The delivery audio delay adjustment device also includes an acquisition unit, a delivery unit, and an adjustment unit. The acquisition unit acquires delivery audio information related to the delivery audio for real-time delivery in accordance with an event to be held from a delivery terminal. The delivery audio information acquired by the acquisition unit is configured to be able to be delivered in real time to a user terminal of a user who listens to the delivery audio. The adjustment unit adjusts the degree of delay in the timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal. The delivery audio is for real-time delivery in accordance with video of an event broadcast on television, and timestamp information indicating a timestamp related to the video is displayed on the video. The adjustment unit photographs and analyzes the video at a user terminal used by a user who watches the video and delivery audio, and adjusts the degree of delay based on the timestamp obtained by acquiring timestamp information included in the video. The delivery unit delivers the delivery audio information in accordance with the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit.
The delivery audio delay adjustment device also includes an acquisition unit, a delivery unit, and an adjustment unit. The acquisition unit acquires delivery audio information related to the delivery audio for real-time delivery in accordance with an event to be held from a delivery terminal. The delivery audio information acquired by the acquisition unit is configured to be able to be delivered in real time to a user terminal of a user who listens to the delivery audio. The adjustment unit adjusts the degree of delay in the timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal. The delivery audio is for real-time delivery in accordance with a video of an event broadcast on television, and the in-video audio included in the video includes timestamp information indicating a timestamp related to the video. The adjustment unit acquires and analyzes the in-video audio at a user terminal used by a user who watches the video and delivery audio, and adjusts the degree of delay based on the timestamp obtained by acquiring the timestamp information included in the in-video audio. The delivery unit delivers the delivery audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit.
The delivery audio delay adjustment device also includes an acquisition unit, a delivery unit, and an adjustment unit. The acquisition unit acquires delivery audio information related to the delivery audio to be delivered in real time in accordance with an event to be held from a delivery terminal. The delivery unit is configured to be able to deliver the delivery audio information acquired by the acquisition unit in real time to a user terminal of a user who listens to the delivery audio. The adjustment unit adjusts the degree of delay in the timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal. The delivery unit delivers the delivery audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit, and is capable of delivering a plurality of delivery audio information with different delivery timings prepared in advance, and adjusts the timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal by selecting the delivery audio information to be used from the plurality of delivery audio information according to the degree of delay.
The distributed audio delay adjustment device also has an acquisition unit, a distribution unit, and an adjustment unit. The acquisition unit acquires distributed audio information related to the distributed audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event being held from a distribution terminal. The distribution unit is configured to be able to distribute the distributed audio information acquired by the acquisition unit in real time to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distributed audio. The adjustment unit adjusts the degree of delay in the timing at which the distributed audio information is output at the user terminal. The acquisition unit acquires text information, which is information obtained by converting the distributed audio into text, based on the distributed audio information. The distribution unit distributes the distributed audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit.

The distributed audio delay adjustment system includes the above-mentioned distributed audio delay adjustment device and a user terminal that receives the distributed audio information. The user terminal includes an output unit that adjusts the output timing of the distributed audio information so that the distributed audio information is output in accordance with the degree of delay.

The distributed audio delay adjustment program is configured to cause a computer to execute steps (a), (a1), (b), and (c). Step (a) acquires distributed audio information related to distributed audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event to be held from a distribution terminal. Step (a1) identifies the distance between the location of the sound related to the event and the location of the user terminal that outputs the distributed audio information . Step (b) distributes the distributed audio information acquired in step (a) in real time to the user terminal of the user who listens to the distributed audio. Step (c) adjusts the degree of delay according to the distance identified by step (a1) . Step (c) adjusts the degree of delay in the timing at which the distributed audio information is output at the user terminal. Step (b) distributes the distributed audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted in step (c).
The distributed audio delay adjustment program is configured to cause a computer to execute steps (a), (b), (c), and (c1). Step (a) acquires distributed audio information related to distributed audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event to be held from a distribution terminal. Step (b) distributes the distributed audio information acquired in step (a) in real time to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distributed audio. Step (c) adjusts the degree of delay of the timing at which the distributed audio information is output at the user terminal. Step (c1) accepts a delay setting for adjusting the degree of delay based on an instruction accepted from a user at the user terminal. Step (c) adjusts the degree of delay in consideration of the delay setting accepted in step (c1). Step (b) distributes the distributed audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted in step (c).

According to the distributed audio delay adjustment device of the present invention, distributed audio information regarding distributed audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event being held is acquired from a distribution terminal, and when distributing the distributed audio in real time to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distributed audio, the degree of delay in the timing at which the distributed audio information is output at the user terminal is adjusted, and the distributed audio information is delayed and distributed according to the adjusted degree of delay. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the timing at which audio is output to the user when audio such as commentary and live commentary is distributed in real time in accordance with an event being held.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a distribution audio delay adjustment system to which a distribution audio delay adjustment device according to a first embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a user terminal. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a distribution terminal. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a server. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a server. 4 is a sequence chart showing an example of a flow of processes executed in the delivery audio delay adjustment system according to the first embodiment. 10 is a sequence chart showing another example of the flow of processes executed in the delivery audio delay adjustment system according to the first embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a distribution audio delay adjustment system to which a distribution audio delay adjustment device according to a second embodiment is applied. FIG. 10 is a sequence chart showing a flow of processing executed in a delivery audio delay adjustment system according to a second embodiment. 10 is a sequence chart showing a flow of processes executed in a delivery audio delay adjustment system according to a modified example.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings have been exaggerated for the convenience of explanation, and may differ from the actual ratios.

First Embodiment
In the first embodiment, an example will be described in which a delay in audio distributed in real time to users watching an event at an event venue is adjusted.

<Overall system configuration>
1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a distribution audio delay adjustment system to which a distribution audio delay adjustment device according to a first embodiment is applied. The distribution audio delay adjustment system of this embodiment adjusts the delay of distribution audio that is distributed in real time to a user terminal 10 of a user watching an event at an event venue.

As shown in FIG. 1, the distribution audio delay adjustment system is composed of a user terminal 10, a distribution terminal 20, and a server 30.

The user terminal 10 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet PC used by a user who wants to listen to the audio being distributed in real time.

The distribution terminal 20 is a terminal or device used by a distributor to distribute audio in real time.

The server 30 is provided, for example, by a business that provides a real-time distribution service using the distribution terminal 20, and distributes distribution audio information sent from the distribution terminal 20 to the user terminal 10. The server 30 holds multiple pieces of distribution audio information with different distribution timings, and distributes them to the user terminal 10. Note that only one server 30 may be provided, and the single server 30 may distribute distribution audio information to the user terminal 10 with different distribution timings. Alternatively, multiple servers 30 may be provided. In this case, the servers 30 may be located isolated from each other so that they have different communication environments and network delays.

Each component is connected via a network and can communicate using various wired or wireless communication methods. Each component is described in detail below.

<User terminal 10>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a user terminal.

As shown in FIG. 2, the user terminal 10 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, an operation display unit 14, and a voice input/output unit 15. Each component is connected to each other via a bus so that they can communicate with each other.

The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the above-mentioned components and executes various calculation processes according to a program. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 functions as an output unit.

The storage unit 12 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various programs and data in advance, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores programs and data as a working area, and a hard disk that stores various programs and data.

The communication unit 13 has an interface for communicating with other terminals and devices via a network. The communication unit 13 transmits and receives various data to and from the server 30, for example.

The operation display unit 14 is, for example, a touch panel display that displays various information and accepts various inputs from the user.

The audio input/output unit 15 is composed of a microphone or an audio input terminal for inputting audio, and a speaker or an audio output terminal for outputting audio. For example, the audio input/output unit 15 outputs audio corresponding to distributed audio information acquired from the server 30, and receives audio input.

<Delivery Terminal 20>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the distribution terminal.

As shown in FIG. 3, the distribution terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a memory unit 22, a communication unit 23, an operation display unit 24, and an audio input/output unit 25. Each component is connected to each other via a bus so that they can communicate with each other.

The control unit 21, memory unit 22, communication unit 23, operation display unit 24, and audio input/output unit 25 of the distribution terminal 20 have the same functions as the control unit 11, memory unit 12, communication unit 13, operation display unit 14, and audio input/output unit 15 of the user terminal 10, so further explanation will be omitted. Each component of the distribution terminal 20, such as the control unit 21 and audio input/output unit 25, can be composed of dedicated high-performance equipment to achieve high-quality real-time audio distribution. For example, the distribution terminal 20 is composed of a headset with a high-performance microphone and headphones, a processor that converts audio information acquired by the microphone into data in a format advantageous for real-time distribution, and a communication module that transmits the generated data, all housed together in a case.

<Server 30>
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the server.

As shown in FIG. 4, the server 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33. The components are connected to each other via a bus so that they can communicate with each other. In this embodiment, the server 30 functions as a distribution audio delay adjustment device.

The control unit 31, memory unit 32, and communication unit 33 of the server 30 have the same functions as the control unit 11, memory unit 12, and communication unit 13 of the user terminal 10, so further explanation will be omitted.

The storage unit 32 stores the distribution audio information transmitted from the distribution terminal 20. The storage unit 32 also stores information related to distribution timing and delay time. The storage unit 32 also stores information related to the position of the sound source, which is the position where the sound related to the event is generated, and information related to the position of the user terminal 10. The information related to the position of the sound source may be set in advance for each event, or may be acquired by transmitting GPS position information acquired by an information terminal provided in the sound source to the server 30. The information related to the position of the user terminal 10 is acquired, for example, by transmitting GPS position information acquired by the user terminal 10 to the server 30. The above-mentioned information related to the position is stored as coordinate information corresponding to a position in a predetermined coordinate system, such as latitude and longitude.

<Functions of Server 30>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server control unit.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 31 of the server 30 functions as an acquisition unit 311, a distribution unit 312, an adjustment unit 313, an identification unit 314, and a setting unit 315 by loading a program and executing processing.

The acquisition unit 311 acquires from the distribution terminal 20 distribution audio information regarding the distribution audio that is distributed in real time in accordance with the event being held. The distribution unit 312 is configured to be able to distribute the distribution audio information acquired by the acquisition unit 311 in real time to the user terminal 10 of the user who is listening to the distribution audio.

The adjustment unit 313 adjusts the degree of delay in the timing at which the distributed audio information is output at the user terminal 10.

The determination unit 314 determines the distance between the location where the sound related to the event is generated and the location of the user terminal 10 that outputs the distributed sound information.

The setting unit 315 accepts delay settings to adjust the degree of delay.

<Processing in the distribution audio delay adjustment system of the first embodiment>
Fig. 6A is a sequence chart showing an example of a flow of processing executed in the delivery audio delay adjustment system according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6B is a sequence chart showing another example of a flow of processing executed in the delivery audio delay adjustment system according to the first embodiment. The processing of each component shown in the sequence charts of Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B is stored as a program in the storage unit of each component, and is executed by the control unit of each device controlling each unit.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the distribution terminal 20 acquires distribution audio, which is audio for distribution uttered by the distributor, via the audio input/output unit 25 (step S201).

Next, the distribution terminal 20 generates distribution audio information in a format suitable for real-time distribution based on the distribution audio acquired in the processing of step S201 (step S202) and transmits it to the server 30.

The user terminal 10 receives an audio distribution instruction from the user via operation of the operation display unit 14, etc. (step S101), and transmits an audio distribution request to the server 30.

The server 30 determines the distance between the position of the sound source, which is the position where sound related to the event is generated, and the position of the user terminal 10 (step S301). The server 30 calculates and determines the distance between the position of the sound source and the position of the user terminal 10 based on information related to the position of the sound source stored in the storage unit 32 and information related to the position of the user terminal 10.

The server 30 adjusts the degree of delay in the timing of delivering the delivery audio information to the user terminal 10 according to the distance between the position of the sound source identified in the processing of step S301 and the position of the user terminal 10 (step S302). For example, if the sound source and the user terminal 10 are about 1 km apart at an outdoor event, it takes about 3 seconds for the sound generated at the sound source to travel through the air and reach the user's position. On the other hand, sound delivered in real time reaches the user terminal 10 with a delay of about 1 second. In this case, the server 30 adjusts the degree of delay so that the timing of delivering the delivery audio information to the user terminal 10 is delayed by about 2 seconds according to the distance between the user terminal 10 and the position of the user terminal 10.

At this time, the server 30 may prepare multiple files of distributed audio information with different distribution timings in its own device and select an appropriate file from among them to distribute. Alternatively, the server 30 may distribute the distributed audio information from another server 30 with a different distribution timing.

The server 30 adjusts the degree of delay in the processing of step S302 and then transmits the distribution audio information to the user terminal 10. The server 30 transmits information indicating the degree of delay in the distribution timing together with the distribution audio information to the user terminal 10.

The user terminal 10 outputs the distributed audio via the audio input/output unit 15 based on the distributed audio information transmitted from the server 30 (step S102).

The user terminal 10 then determines whether a delay setting has been accepted from the user (step S103). The user listens to the distributed audio output from the user terminal 10, judges whether the timing matches with the sound arriving directly from the sound source of the event, and inputs a delay setting (delay time setting) into the user terminal 10 based on the judgment result. The user terminal 10 accepts the delay setting by displaying, for example, a slider-type switch or button for adjusting the delay setting on the operation display unit 14 and accepting an operation from the user.

If the delay setting has not been accepted (step S103: NO), the user terminal 10 proceeds to processing in step S104.

If the delay setting has been accepted (step S103: YES), the user terminal 10 transmits information indicating the accepted delay setting to the server 30.

The server 30 readjusts the degree of delay based on the delay setting transmitted from the user terminal 10 (step S303), and transmits the distribution audio information with the adjusted distribution timing to the user terminal 10. At this time, the server 30 transmits information indicating the degree of delay in the distribution timing together with the distribution audio information to the user terminal 10.

The user terminal 10 then determines whether or not adjustment of the output timing is necessary (step S104). The user terminal 10 determines whether or not adjustment of the output timing is necessary based on, for example, the delay setting received in the processing of step S103 and information indicating the degree of delay of the distributed audio information transmitted from the server 30. Alternatively, the user terminal 10 may output the distributed audio information transmitted from the server 30 and receive an instruction from a user who listens to the distributed audio as to whether or not adjustment of the output timing is necessary.

If adjustment of the output timing is not required (step S104: NO), the user terminal 10 proceeds to processing in step S106.

If adjustment of the output timing is necessary (step S104: YES), the user terminal 10 adjusts the timing of outputting the distributed audio information transmitted from the server 30 (step S105). For example, the user terminal 10 adjusts the output timing by buffering the distributed audio information transmitted from the server 30 for a predetermined period of time before outputting it, rather than immediately outputting it.

Next, the user terminal 10 outputs the distributed audio via the audio input/output unit 15 based on the distributed audio information transmitted from the server 30 (step S106).

The process relating to the delay setting in step S103 and the process relating to the output timing adjustment in steps S104 to S105 may be executed together, or one of the processes may be executed selectively. For example, if the user inputs an instruction to the user terminal 10 in the process of step S103 to delay the distribution audio by 2 seconds, the user terminal 10 may send a delay setting for delaying the distribution timing by 1 second to the server 30, obtain distribution audio information delayed by 1 second, and buffer the obtained distribution audio information for 1 second before outputting it. This makes it possible to achieve the 2-second delay in distribution audio desired by the user.

In the example of FIG. 6A above, the server 30 identifies the distance between the position of the sound source and the position of the user terminal 10 in the process of step S301, but the distance may be identified by the user terminal 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the user terminal 10 may receive information on the position of the sound source from the server 30 after executing the process of step S101. In this case, the user terminal 10 calculates and identifies the distance between the position of the sound source and the position of the user terminal 10 based on the information on the position of the sound source received from the server 30 and its own position information in the process of step S1011, and transmits information indicating the identified distance to the server 30. As a result, the server 30 can identify the distance between the position of the sound source and the position of the user terminal 10 based on the information transmitted from the user terminal 10 in the process of step S301, and use it as a reference value for adjusting the degree of delay in subsequent processes.

As described above, according to the distributed audio delay adjustment system of this embodiment, distributed audio information regarding distributed audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event being held is obtained from the distribution terminal 20, and when distributing the distributed audio in real time to the user terminal 10 of the user who listens to the distributed audio, the degree of delay in the timing at which the distributed audio information is output at the user terminal 10 is adjusted, and the distributed audio information is delayed and distributed according to the adjusted degree of delay. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the timing at which audio is output to the user when audio such as a live commentary or commentary is distributed in real time in accordance with an event being held.

The distributed audio delay adjustment device system also identifies the distance between the location where the audio related to the event is generated and the location of the user terminal 10 that outputs the distributed audio information, and adjusts the degree of delay according to the identified distance. This allows, for example, when a user is watching an event at a large event venue, to appropriately match the timing of the audio generated at the event with the audio of the live broadcast or commentary that is being distributed in real time.

Second Embodiment
In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which a delay in audio delivered in real time to users watching an event via live television broadcasting through digital broadcasting is adjusted.

<Overall system configuration>
7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a distribution audio delay adjustment system to which a distribution audio delay adjustment device according to the second embodiment is applied. The distribution audio delay adjustment system of this embodiment adjusts the delay of distribution audio that is distributed in real time to a user terminal 10 of a user watching an event via live television broadcasting by digital broadcasting.

As shown in FIG. 7, the distributed audio delay adjustment system is composed of a user terminal 10, a distribution terminal 20, and a server 30. A user listens to the distributed audio distributed to the user terminal 10 while watching live broadcast video aired on a television 40. The live broadcast video aired on the television 40 is captured by television broadcasting equipment 50 within the event venue and delivered to the television 40 via equipment such as a television station system 60 and a radio tower.

Due to the effects of encoding and decoding in digital broadcasting, the live broadcast video is delayed by at least 2 to 3 seconds from the time the video was shot at the event venue. The delay time also varies depending on the network and equipment passed through, the decoding performance of the receiver, etc. Furthermore, depending on the broadcasting station's circumstances, live television broadcasts may be delayed by several minutes to several tens of minutes. On the other hand, the delay time for audio delivered to user terminal 10 via a network such as the Internet is kept to around 1 second.

The configurations of the user terminal 10, the distribution terminal 20, and the server 30 included in the distribution audio delay adjustment system of the second embodiment are similar to those of the distribution audio delay adjustment system of the first embodiment, so further explanation is omitted.

<Processing in the distributed audio delay adjustment system according to the second embodiment>
FIG. 8 is a sequence chart showing the flow of processing executed in the delivery audio delay adjustment system according to the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, the distribution terminal 20 acquires the distribution audio uttered by the distributor via the audio input/output unit 25 (step S211).

Next, the distribution terminal 20 generates distribution audio information in a format suitable for real-time distribution based on the distribution audio acquired in the processing of step S211 (step S212) and transmits it to the server 30.

The user terminal 10 receives an audio distribution instruction from the user via operation of the operation display unit 14, etc. (step S111), and transmits an audio distribution request to the server 30. In response to the audio distribution request from the user terminal 10, the server 30 transmits the distribution audio information received from the distribution terminal 20 to the user terminal 10. At this time, as in the first embodiment, the degree of delay related to the distribution timing may be adjusted. For example, in an environment where the degree of communication delay varies depending on the communication distance, the distance between the position of the distribution terminal 20 and the position of the user terminal 10 may be specified, and the degree of delay may be adjusted depending on the specified distance.

The user terminal 10 outputs the distributed audio via the audio input/output unit 15 based on the distributed audio information transmitted from the server 30 (step S112).

Next, the user terminal 10 determines whether the delay setting has been accepted (step S113).

For example, the user can listen to the distributed audio output from the user terminal 10, judge whether the timing is synchronized with the video and audio of the event being broadcast on the television 40, and input a delay setting into the user terminal 10 based on the result of the judgment.

Alternatively, a timestamp for the video broadcast on the television 40 may be encoded and included as timestamp information, and the video including the timestamp information may be displayed on the screen of the television 40. In this case, the user captures the video using a camera provided in the user terminal 10. The user terminal 10 analyzes the captured video to obtain the timestamp information contained in the video, and determines the delay status of the television video by comparing the obtained timestamp with the time information held in the user terminal 10. The user terminal 10 can determine an appropriate delay setting depending on the delay status and accept it as input.

Also, a timestamp related to the video broadcast on the television 40 may be encoded and included as timestamp information in the in-video audio contained in the video, and the audio including the timestamp information may be output from the speaker of the television 40. In this case, the user acquires the in-video audio using the audio input/output unit 15 of the user terminal 10. The user terminal 10 analyzes the acquired in-video audio to acquire timestamp information contained in the in-video audio, and determines the delay status of the television video by comparing the acquired timestamp with time information stored in the user terminal 10. The user terminal 10 can determine an appropriate delay setting depending on the delay status and accept it as input.

If the delay setting has not been accepted (step S113: NO), the user terminal 10 proceeds to processing in step S114.

If the delay setting has been accepted (step S113: YES), the user terminal 10 transmits information indicating the accepted delay setting to the server 30.

At this time, the distribution terminal 20 may also determine whether or not it has received a delay setting from the distributor (step S213). For example, the distributor transmits an audio distribution request from the distribution terminal 20 to the server 30 and obtains distribution audio information from the server 30. The distributor can then listen to the distribution audio output from the audio input/output unit 25, determine whether the timing is correct with the video and audio of the event being broadcast on television, and input a delay setting to the distribution terminal 20 based on the result of the determination. Note that the subject performing the above process is not limited to the distributor, and may be a staff member involved in the event or a staff member involved in distribution, for example, using an information terminal such as a smartphone owned by the distributor, and a television.

If the delay setting has not been accepted (step S213: NO), the distribution terminal 20 returns to the processing of step S211.

If a delay setting has been accepted (step S213: YES), the distribution terminal 20 transmits information indicating the accepted delay setting to the server 30.

The server 30 adjusts the degree of delay based on the delay setting transmitted from the user terminal 10 and/or the distribution terminal 20 (step S311), and transmits the distribution audio information with the adjusted distribution timing to the user terminal 10. At this time, the server 30 transmits information indicating the degree of delay in the distribution timing together with the distribution audio information to the user terminal 10.

The processes in steps S114 to S116 are similar to those in steps S104 to S106 in the first embodiment, and therefore further description will be omitted. As in the first embodiment, the process relating to delay setting in step S113 and the process relating to adjusting the output timing in steps S114 to S115 may be performed together, or either process may be performed alternatively.

Here, we will explain with a concrete example how to adjust the degree of delay in the delivery timing to adjust the output timing.

<Processing Example 1>
In processing example 1, a single server 30 stores a plurality of pieces of distributed audio information with different distribution timings. For example, the server 30 prepares a plurality of pieces of distributed audio information, such as distributed audio information without delay, distributed audio information with a distribution timing delayed by 2 seconds, distributed audio information with a 30 second delay, and distributed audio information with a 1 minute delay. Note that the number of pieces of distributed audio information prepared and the distribution timing are not limited to the above example.

The server 30 selects, from among multiple pieces of delivery audio information, delivery audio information with an appropriate delivery timing according to the degree of delay required, and delivers it to the user terminal 10. This selection may be performed by the user terminal 10. In this case, the server 30 notifies the user terminal 10 in advance of the delivery timing (delay time information) of the delivery audio information it holds.

The user terminal 10 buffers the received distributed audio information for the required time, taking into account the required delay time (delay setting) and the distribution timing of the distributed audio information, and then outputs it.

For example, if it is desired to delay the distributed audio by 45 seconds, the user terminal 10 can output the distributed audio with a 45-second delay by obtaining distributed audio information delayed by 30 seconds from the server 30, buffering it for 15 seconds, and then outputting it.

<Processing Example 2>
In processing example 2, a plurality of servers 30 store a plurality of pieces of delivery audio information with different delivery timings. For example, the plurality of servers 30 are isolated from each other and placed in different regions so that the communication environments and network delays are different. Each of the plurality of servers 30 prepares a plurality of pieces of delivery audio information, such as delivery audio information without delay, delivery audio information with a delivery timing delayed by 2 seconds, delivery audio information with a 30 second delay, and delivery audio information with a 1 minute delay. Note that the number of delivery audio information and the delivery timing prepared are not limited to the above example.

The user terminal 10 checks the network delay status of each server 30 by sending a test signal to the multiple servers 30 located in the different regions described above and checking the response from each server 30. The user terminal 10 buffers the received distributed audio information for the required time and then outputs it, taking into account the required delay time (delay setting), the distribution timing of the distributed audio information (delay time information), and the network delay status.

For example, if it is desired to delay the distributed audio by 45 seconds, the user terminal 10 checks the distribution delay status due to network delay of each server 30 and selects the server 30 with the least network delay (for example, a network delay of 1 second). In this case, the user terminal 10 obtains distributed audio information delayed by 30 seconds from the server 30, and taking into account the 1 second network delay, buffers it for 14 seconds before outputting it, thereby making it possible to output the distributed audio with a 45 second delay.

As described above, according to the distributed audio delay adjustment system of this embodiment, for distributed audio to be distributed in real time in accordance with the video of an event broadcast on the television 40, the user terminal 10 acquires timestamp information contained in the video of the television 40, and adjusts the degree of delay based on the acquired timestamp. This makes it possible to appropriately and easily adjust the timing at which audio is output to the user when audio such as a commentary or commentary is distributed in real time in accordance with an event broadcast live on television.

Furthermore, according to the distributed audio delay adjustment system of this embodiment, for distributed audio to be distributed in real time in accordance with the video of an event broadcast on the television 40, the user terminal 10 acquires timestamp information contained in the audio in the video of the television 40, and adjusts the degree of delay based on the acquired timestamp. This makes it possible to appropriately and easily adjust the timing at which audio is output to the user when audio such as a commentary or commentary is distributed in real time in accordance with an event broadcast live on television.

In addition, the audio delivery delay adjustment device system of the first and second embodiments can accept a delay setting for adjusting the degree of delay, and adjusts the degree of delay taking into account the accepted delay setting. This allows the timing of the audio to be delivered to be adjusted more flexibly and appropriately.

In addition, according to the delivery audio delay adjustment device system of the first and second embodiments, the delay setting is accepted based on an instruction accepted from the user at the user terminal 10. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the timing of the delivered audio to match the sensations of the user who is actually listening to the audio delivered in real time.

In addition, in the delivery audio delay adjustment device system of the first and second embodiments, the server 30 can deliver multiple pieces of delivery audio information with different delivery timings prepared in advance, and adjusts the timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal 10 by selecting the delivery audio information to be used from the multiple pieces of delivery audio information according to the degree of delay. This eliminates the need for the server 30 to implement complex processing to achieve different delivery timings. The server 30 can change the delivery timing simply by selecting delivery audio information with different delivery timings prepared in advance, simplifying processing and saving processing resources.

In addition, in the distributed audio delay adjustment device system of the first and second embodiments, the user terminal 10 adjusts the output timing of the distributed audio information so that the distributed audio information is output in accordance with the degree of delay. This allows the output timing of the distributed audio information to be adjusted in the user terminal 10 as well. Therefore, the timing at which real-time distributed audio is output to the user can be more appropriately adjusted according to the network delay conditions that differ for each user terminal 10 and the processing specifications of the user terminal 10, etc.

In addition, in the distributed audio delay adjustment device system of the first and second embodiments, the user terminal 10 adjusts the output timing of the distributed audio information by selecting the distributed audio information to be acquired from the server 30 from among multiple pieces of distributed audio information. This allows the user to select the distributed audio information to be acquired and adjust the output timing of the distributed audio information. Therefore, the timing at which real-time distributed audio is output to the user can be more appropriately adjusted according to the network delay conditions that differ for each user terminal 10 and the processing specifications of the user terminal 10, etc.

In addition, in the delivery audio delay adjustment device system of the first and second embodiments, the user terminal 10 adjusts the output timing of the delivery audio information by buffering the received delivery audio information for a predetermined period of time. This allows the user terminal 10 to more appropriately adjust the timing at which real-time delivery audio is output to the user in accordance with the required delay setting, the delivery timing of the acquired delivery audio information, the network delay conditions that differ for each user terminal 10, the processing specifications of the user terminal 10, etc.

In addition, in the delivery audio delay adjustment device system of the first and second embodiments, the user terminal 10 checks the delivery delay status of the delivery audio information to be delivered, and then adjusts the output timing of the delivery audio information taking the delivery delay status into consideration. This allows the user terminal 10 to more appropriately adjust the timing at which the audio delivered in real time is output to the user.

<Modification>
In each of the above embodiments, a modified example will be described in which, in addition to the distributed voice, information obtained by analyzing the voice and converting it into text is also distributed depending on the surrounding environment when the distributed voice is acquired and output.

<Overall system configuration>
The configuration of the delivery audio delay adjustment system according to the modified example is similar to that of the first and second embodiments, and therefore further description will be omitted.

<Processing in the distribution audio delay adjustment system according to the modified example>
The basic flow of the real-time audio distribution process and the distribution audio delay process in the distribution audio delay adjustment system according to the modified example is similar to that of the first and second embodiments, so further description will be omitted. Hereinafter, an example of a process for distributing information in which the distribution audio is converted into text according to the surrounding situation will be described in detail.

Figure 9 is a sequence chart showing the flow of processing executed in a distribution audio delay adjustment system according to a modified example.

As shown in FIG. 9, the distribution terminal 20 acquires the distribution audio emitted by the distributor via the audio input/output unit 25, as well as the surrounding noise level (step S221).

Next, the distribution terminal 20 generates distribution audio information in a format suitable for real-time distribution based on the distribution audio acquired in the processing of step S221 (step S222) and transmits it to the server 30 together with information indicating the noise level.

The user terminal 10 receives an audio distribution instruction from the user via operation of the operation display unit 14, etc., and acquires the surrounding noise level (step S121), and transmits a request for audio distribution and information indicating the noise level to the server 30.

Based on the information indicating the noise levels transmitted from the distribution terminal 20 and the user terminal 10, the server 30 determines whether the noise levels around the distribution terminal 20 and the user terminal 10 are greater than a predetermined threshold (step S321).

If the noise level is not greater than the predetermined threshold (step S321: NO), the server 30 transmits the distribution audio information sent from the distribution terminal 20 to the user terminal 10.

If the noise level is greater than the predetermined threshold (step S321: YES), the server 30 analyzes the distributed voice information using a publicly known voice recognition method to generate text information corresponding to the distributed voice (step S322). The text information also includes information regarding time so that the text can be displayed in association with the playback timing of the distributed voice.

Then, the server 30 adds the text information generated in the processing of step S321 to the distribution audio information transmitted from the distribution terminal 20 (step S323), and transmits the information to the user terminal 10.

The user terminal 10 outputs the distributed voice based on the distributed voice information transmitted from the server 30 (step S112). At this time, if the user terminal 10 has received text information from the server 30, it displays the text information on the operation display unit 24 in accordance with the distributed voice.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which it is determined whether or not to generate and distribute text information depending on the noise level, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, text information may be generated and distributed depending on the user's hearing or other convenience. Alternatively, when the distributor and the user use different languages, the generated text information may be automatically translated using a known automatic translation technology, and the translated text information may be distributed as subtitles.

As described above, in the distributed audio delay adjustment system of this embodiment, the distributed audio information includes text information acquired based on the audio. This allows the distributed content to be reliably delivered to the user even in situations where it is difficult to clearly convey the content of the distributed audio through audio.

In addition, according to the delivery audio delay adjustment system of this embodiment, information regarding the noise level around the delivery terminal is acquired, and if the noise level is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, text information is delivered together with the delivery audio information. This allows the delivery content to be reliably conveyed to the user even if noise is mixed into the delivered audio.

In addition, according to the delivery audio delay adjustment system of this embodiment, information regarding the noise level around the user terminal is acquired, and if the noise level is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, text information is delivered together with the delivery audio information. This allows the delivery content to be reliably conveyed to the user even when the user cannot clearly hear the delivered audio due to loud noise around the user.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but may be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims.

For example, in each of the above embodiments, the server 30 constitutes a distribution audio delay adjustment device, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the user terminal 10 or an external device such as a server or controller other than the server 30 may execute some or all of the functions of the distribution audio delay adjustment device.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the user terminal 10, the distribution terminal 20, and the server 30 are mainly configured as a single independent device, but the configuration of the devices is not limited to this. The user terminal 10, the distribution terminal 20, and the server 30 may be configured as multiple devices, or may be configured as being included in a device having other functions. For example, the server 30 may be configured in a distributed manner on a cloud server consisting of a large number of servers. Alternatively, an application having the functions of the server 30 may be installed on the user terminal 10, and the processing of the server 30 may be executed on the user terminal 10.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, a smartphone, tablet PC, etc. used by a user are given as examples of the user terminal 10, but the implementation of the user terminal 10 is not limited to this. The user terminal 10 may be, for example, a wearable terminal such as a glasses-type information terminal worn on the user's head or a wristband-type information terminal worn on the arm, or may be an embedded type information terminal embedded in the user's body.

In addition, the processing units in the sequence charts and flowcharts in each of the above embodiments are divided according to the main processing content in order to make the processing easier to understand. The present invention is not limited by the way in which the processing steps are classified or the order of the processing. Each process can also be divided into more processing steps. Furthermore, one processing step may execute more processes, and the order of each processing step may differ from that of the flowcharts in this embodiment.

Although each of the above embodiments has been described as a separate embodiment, the processing of each embodiment can be executed in appropriate combination.

The means and methods for performing various processes in the system according to the above-described embodiment can be realized by either a dedicated hardware circuit or a programmed computer. The above-mentioned programs may be provided, for example, by a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk or a CD-ROM, or may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the programs recorded on the computer-readable recording medium are usually transferred to and stored in a storage unit such as a hard disk. The above-mentioned programs may also be provided as standalone application software, or may be incorporated into the software of the device as one function of the system.

10. User terminal,
11 control unit,
12 memory unit,
13 Communications Department,
14 Operation display unit,
15 Audio input/output unit,
20 distribution terminal,
21 control unit,
22 memory unit,
23 Communications Department,
24 Operation display unit,
25 Audio input/output unit,
30 servers,
31 control unit,
311 Acquisition unit,
312 Distribution Department,
313 Adjustment unit,
314 Specific part,
315 setting unit,
32 memory unit,
33 Communications Department,
40 Television,
50 Television broadcasting equipment,
60 Television station system.

Claims (21)

An acquisition unit that acquires, from a distribution terminal, distribution audio information related to distribution audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event being held;
a distribution unit capable of distributing the distribution audio information acquired by the acquisition unit to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distribution audio in real time;
an adjustment unit that adjusts a degree of delay in timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal;
a determination unit that determines a distance between a generation position of a sound related to the event and a position of the user terminal that outputs the distribution sound information,
The adjustment unit adjusts the degree of the delay in accordance with the distance identified by the identification unit;
The distribution unit is a distribution audio delay adjustment device that distributes the distribution audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit. A setting unit that receives a delay setting for adjusting the degree of the delay,
The delivery audio delay adjustment device according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the degree of the delay in consideration of the delay setting received by the setting unit. The delivery audio delay adjustment device according to claim 2 , wherein the setting unit accepts the delay setting based on an instruction accepted from the user at the user terminal. An acquisition unit that acquires, from a distribution terminal, distribution audio information related to distribution audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event being held;
a distribution unit capable of distributing the distribution audio information acquired by the acquisition unit to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distribution audio in real time;
an adjustment unit that adjusts a degree of delay in timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal;
A setting unit that accepts a delay setting for adjusting the degree of the delay,
The setting unit accepts the delay setting based on an instruction accepted from the user at the user terminal;
The adjustment unit adjusts the degree of the delay in consideration of the delay setting received by the setting unit;
The distribution unit is a distribution audio delay adjustment device that distributes the distribution audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit. The audio to be distributed is to be distributed in real time in accordance with the video of the event to be broadcast on television,
The video is displayed with timestamp information indicating a timestamp related to the video;
The adjustment unit is a distribution audio delay adjustment device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, which adjusts the degree of delay based on a timestamp obtained by photographing and analyzing the video on the user terminal used by the user who watches the video and the distribution audio and acquiring timestamp information contained in the video. An acquisition unit that acquires, from a distribution terminal, distribution audio information related to distribution audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event being held;
a distribution unit capable of distributing the distribution audio information acquired by the acquisition unit to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distribution audio in real time;
an adjustment unit that adjusts a degree of delay in timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal;
The audio to be distributed is to be distributed in real time in accordance with the video of the event to be broadcast on television,
The video is displayed with timestamp information indicating a timestamp related to the video;
The adjustment unit photographs and analyzes the video in the user terminal used by the user who watches the video and the distributed audio, and adjusts the degree of the delay based on the timestamp obtained by acquiring timestamp information included in the video;
The distribution unit is a distribution audio delay adjustment device that distributes the distribution audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit. The audio to be distributed is to be distributed in real time in accordance with the video of the event to be broadcast on television,
The audio in the video includes timestamp information indicating a timestamp related to the video;
The adjustment unit acquires and analyzes the audio in the video on the user terminal used by the user watching the video and the distributed audio, and adjusts the degree of delay based on the timestamp obtained by acquiring timestamp information contained in the audio in the video . An acquisition unit that acquires, from a distribution terminal, distribution audio information related to distribution audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event being held;
a distribution unit capable of distributing the distribution audio information acquired by the acquisition unit to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distribution audio in real time;
an adjustment unit that adjusts a degree of delay in timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal;
The audio to be distributed is to be distributed in real time in accordance with the video of the event to be broadcast on television,
The audio in the video includes timestamp information indicating a timestamp related to the video;
The adjustment unit acquires and analyzes the audio in the video in the user terminal used by the user who watches the video and the distributed audio, and adjusts the degree of the delay based on a timestamp obtained by acquiring timestamp information included in the audio in the video;
The distribution unit is a distribution audio delay adjustment device that distributes the distribution audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit. The distribution unit is
A plurality of pieces of delivery audio information with different delivery timings prepared in advance can be delivered,
A delivery audio delay adjustment device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 , which adjusts the timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal by selecting delivery audio information to be used from the multiple delivery audio information depending on the degree of the delay. An acquisition unit that acquires, from a distribution terminal, distribution audio information related to distribution audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event being held;
a distribution unit capable of distributing the distribution audio information acquired by the acquisition unit to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distribution audio in real time;
an adjustment unit that adjusts a degree of delay in timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal;
The distribution unit distributes the distribution audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted in the adjustment unit, and the distribution unit is capable of distributing a plurality of distribution audio information with different distribution timings prepared in advance, and a distribution audio delay adjustment device adjusts the timing at which the distribution audio information is output at the user terminal by selecting the distribution audio information to be used from the plurality of distribution audio information according to the degree of delay. The delivery audio delay adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the acquisition unit further acquires text information that is information obtained by converting the delivery audio into text based on the delivery audio information. An acquisition unit that acquires, from a distribution terminal, distribution audio information related to distribution audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event being held;
a distribution unit capable of distributing the distribution audio information acquired by the acquisition unit to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distribution audio in real time;
an adjustment unit that adjusts a degree of delay in timing at which the delivery audio information is output at the user terminal;
The acquisition unit acquires text information, which is information obtained by converting the distributed voice into text, based on the distributed voice information;
The distribution unit is a distribution audio delay adjustment device that distributes the distribution audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted by the adjustment unit. The acquisition unit further acquires, from the distribution terminal, information regarding a noise level around the distribution terminal,
The distribution audio delay adjustment device of claim 11 or 12, wherein the distribution unit distributes the text information acquired based on the distribution audio information together with the distribution audio information when the noise level around the distribution terminal acquired by the acquisition unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold. The acquisition unit further acquires information regarding a noise level around the user terminal;
A distribution audio delay adjustment device as described in any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the distribution unit distributes the text information acquired based on the distribution audio information together with the distribution audio information when the noise level around the user terminal acquired by the acquisition unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold. The acquisition unit further acquires information indicating the distribution voice translated into another language based on the distribution voice information or the text information,
15. The distribution audio delay adjustment device according to claim 11, wherein the distribution unit distributes the information translated into the other language together with the distribution audio information. A delivery audio delay adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 ,
A user terminal for receiving the distributed audio information,
The user terminal includes an output unit that adjusts an output timing of the delivery audio information so that the delivery audio information is output according to the degree of delay. The output unit adjusts the output timing of the distribution audio information by selecting the distribution audio information to be acquired from the distribution unit from among the multiple pieces of distribution audio information. 18. The distributed audio delay adjustment system according to claim 16 , wherein the output unit adjusts an output timing of the distributed audio information by buffering the received distributed audio information for a predetermined period of time. The delivery audio delay adjustment system according to any one of claims 16 to 18 , wherein the output unit adjusts an output timing of the delivery audio information in consideration of a delivery delay situation of the delivery audio information. A step (a) of acquiring, from a distribution terminal, distribution audio information relating to distribution audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event to be held;
A step (a1) of determining a distance between a location where a sound related to the event is generated and a location of a user terminal that outputs the distributed sound information;
A step (b) of distributing the distribution audio information acquired in the step (a) to the user terminal of the user who listens to the distribution audio in real time;
and (c) adjusting a degree of delay in timing at which the distributed audio information is output at the user terminal;
The step (c) adjusts the degree of the delay in response to the distance determined by the step (a1);
The step (b) is a distribution audio delay adjustment program for causing a computer to execute a process of distributing the distribution audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted in the step (c). A step (a) of acquiring, from a distribution terminal, distribution audio information relating to distribution audio for real-time distribution in accordance with an event to be held;
A step (b) of distributing the distribution audio information acquired in the step (a) in real time to a user terminal of a user who listens to the distribution audio;
(c) adjusting a degree of delay in timing at which the distributed audio information is output at the user terminal;
and (c1) accepting a delay setting for adjusting the degree of the delay based on an instruction accepted from the user at the user terminal;
The step (c) adjusts the degree of the delay taking into account the delay setting received by the step (c1);
The step (b) is a distribution audio delay adjustment program for causing a computer to execute a process of distributing the distribution audio information according to the degree of delay adjusted in the step (c).