Adaptive Video Snippet Selection for Flicker-Free Fast Forward
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional video playback modes during fast forward and rewind are difficult to navigate, often resulting in flickering or missing the desired stopping point due to inconsistent frame rates and poor frame selection.
Innovation Solution
Sub-sampling video frames into snippets with adaptive frame selection based on scene, motion, and content analysis, allowing for higher frame rates without flickering and enabling precise stopping points by displaying consecutive motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional playback modes display frames at the same frame rate as normal playback during fast forward, then the video sequence maintains consistent timing, but the video sequence exhibits flickering and is difficult to see or understand
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by displaying frames at regular intervals during fast forward playback. Instead of continuous playback, frames are selected and displayed at periodic intervals (e.g., every Nth frame), which eliminates flickering while maintaining the perception of motion. This periodic sampling approach allows the video to be played back at higher speeds without the visual artifacts of conventional continuous playback.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-selecting and buffering frames before fast forward playback begins. The system identifies and stores candidate frames in advance, organizing them into groups that can be efficiently displayed during fast forward. This preliminary preparation ensures that frames are ready for immediate display at the appropriate intervals, enabling smooth fast forward playback without flickering.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional playback modes display fewer frames at a slower frame rate to avoid flicker, then flickering is reduced, but the larger jumps between frames may jump the frames that contain the desired stopping point
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the video stream into multiple groups of frames, where each group contains a specific number of consecutive frames. During fast forward playback, the system selects one frame from each group for display, creating a segmented sampling pattern. This segmentation allows for finer control over frame selection, enabling the system to maintain both reduced flickering and improved stopping point precision by ensuring that the desired frame falls within one of the displayed groups.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the frame selection process adaptive rather than fixed. The system dynamically adjusts which frames are displayed during fast forward playback based on user interaction and playback progress. When the user releases the fast forward button, the system dynamically selects the most appropriate frame from the buffered groups to display as the stopping point, ensuring precision while maintaining the benefits of reduced frame rates.
3Productivity
If fast forward playback uses larger jumps between frames to achieve higher speed, then playback speed increases, but it becomes difficult to press play at precisely the moment intended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-buffering multiple candidate frames before fast forward playback begins. The system identifies and stores groups of consecutive frames in advance, organized in a way that facilitates precise stopping. When the user releases the fast forward button, the system can immediately display the appropriate frame from the pre-buffered groups, ensuring both high playback speed and precise stopping accuracy without requiring large frame jumps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies feedback by continuously monitoring playback progress and user input during fast forward playback. The system uses this feedback information to dynamically adjust frame selection and timing, ensuring that the displayed frames provide accurate visual feedback about playback position. This allows the user to precisely control the stopping point by releasing the fast forward button at the intended moment, with the system responding immediately by displaying the correct frame from the buffered groups.
Data Source
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AI summary
System and methods for improved playback of a video stream are presented. Video snippets are identified that include a number of consecutive frames for playback. Snippets may be evenly temporally spaced in the video stream or may be content adaptive. Then the first frame of a snippet may be selected as the first frame of a scene or other appropriate stopping point. Scene detection, object detection, motion detection, video metadata, or other information generated during encoding or decoding of the video stream may aid in appropriate snippet selection.