Accessibility Content Rendering With AI-Generated Sign Language Tracks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing accessibility solutions for individuals with disabilities, such as sign language translation, are expensive, inconvenient, and lack the ability to capture emotional intensity and emphasis, while analogous challenges exist for vision-compensated and neurodiversity-sensitive content.

Innovation Solution

A system and method utilizing machine learning models to automate the rendering of accessibility-enhanced content, including sign language performance, synchronized with primary content, using video tokens and emotive data sets to dynamically generate facial expressions and gestures, and optionally incorporating haptic effects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If human sign language translators are used, then emotional intensity and emphasis can be captured, but cost increases and scalability is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemotional intensity captureVSAvoidscalability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses AI models to copy and replicate the performance patterns of human sign language translators. The system trains on video data of human translators to create synthetic sign language performances that replicate emotional intensity and emphasis without requiring actual human translators for each content piece, thereby achieving scalability while maintaining quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of human translators with an automated AI-based system. The AI model processes audio content and generates corresponding sign language video outputs automatically, eliminating the need for manual human intervention in the translation process and enabling unlimited scalability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If human sign language translators are used, then translation quality is high, but cost and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetranslation qualityVSAvoidtime consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary training of the AI model using a comprehensive dataset of sign language performances. Once trained, the model can rapidly generate translations for new content without requiring time-consuming manual translation processes, thus reducing time consumption while maintaining high translation quality through the pre-learned patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent substitutes the time-consuming manual translation process with an automated AI system that processes content instantly. The AI model analyzes audio input and generates synchronized sign language video outputs in real-time, dramatically reducing the time required compared to human translators.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Device complexity

If hand signals alone are used for sign language translation, then simplicity is maintained, but emotional intensity and emphasis are lost

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesimplicityVSAvoidemotional intensity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamic variations in the sign language performance to convey emotional intensity and emphasis. The AI model adjusts factors such as speed, force, facial expressions, and body movements in real-time based on the emotional content of the audio, transforming static hand signals into dynamic, emotionally expressive performances that accurately reflect the source material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes multiple parameters of the sign language performance including speed, force, facial expressions, and body movements to convey emotional intensity. The AI model modulates these parameters dynamically based on the emotional content, allowing the same basic sign to be performed with varying intensity and emphasis to match the original audio's emotional tone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4334927B1Accessibility enhanced content rendering
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 DISNEY ENTERPRISES INC
  • EP4334927B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4334927B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4334927B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

A user system for rendering accessibility enhanced content includes processing hardware, a display, and a memory storing software code. The processing hardware executes the software code to receive primary content from a content distributor and determine whether the primary content is accessibility enhanced content including an accessibility track. When the primary content omits the accessibility track, the processing hardware executes the software code to perform a visual analysis, an audio analysis, or both, of the primary content, generate, based on the visual analysis and/or the audio analysis, the accessibility track to include at least one of a sign language performance or one or more video tokens configured to be played back during playback of the primary content, and synchronize the accessibility track to the primary content. The processing hardware also executes the software code to render, using the display, the primary content or the accessibility enhanced content.