Audio Navigation Metadata for Precise Dialog Replay

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for replaying missed media content, such as dialog in video content, are not content-aware, often rewinding too far back or inaccurately positioning the replay, leading to frustrating user experiences.

Innovation Solution

A method of generating and embedding navigation points into media content metadata, such as an AC-4 bitstream, that accurately aligns with audio content to enable targeted navigation to points of interest, like dialog beginnings, using existing dialog detection capabilities to minimize computational complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional replay methods are used to miss media content, then users can replay content, but the replay position is inaccurate and rewinds too far back

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereplay positioning accuracyVSAvoidunnecessary replay duration
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of audio content during encoding to pre-identify dialog regions and generate navigation metadata before playback. This allows the media player to directly jump to the beginning of missed dialog without unnecessary rewinding, resolving the contradiction by preparing navigation information in advance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces navigation metadata as an intermediary layer between the media content and the player. This metadata contains pre-computed dialog region information that mediates between the raw audio content and the replay function, enabling precise positioning without requiring complex real-time analysis during playback.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If content-aware navigation is implemented, then navigation precision is improved, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenavigation point accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the audio content into distinct dialog regions using voice activity detection and speech endpointing algorithms during encoding. By dividing the continuous audio stream into discrete navigable segments with clear boundaries, the system achieves high navigation precision while keeping the processing algorithms relatively simple and computationally efficient.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The encoding system performs self-service by automatically analyzing and tagging dialog regions during the encoding process itself, without requiring separate post-processing or complex real-time analysis during playback. The navigation metadata is generated as a byproduct of the encoding process, minimizing additional computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3677037B1Media-aware navigation metadata
Publication Date: 2026.01.07 DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORP
  • EP3677037B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3677037B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3677037B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for processing media content having video content and associated audio content. A method of processing media content having video content and associated audio content comprises the method includes receiving the video content and the associated audio content, analyzing the associated audio content, determining one or more navigation points for enabling navigation of the media content based on the analysis, wherein the one or more navigation points indicate points of interest in the associated audio content for short-term rewinding and/or fast forwarding, embedding the one or more navigation points into metadata for the media content, and outputting the video content, the associated audio content, and the metadata.