Audio Playback Device Digital Content Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media playback systems face limitations in accessing and identifying digital audio content, particularly when metadata is lacking or not provided, requiring the control device to capture analog waveforms and convert them for content identification, which is inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A playback device is configured to receive digital data, send it to an identification system for content recognition, and then send the retrieved information back to a control device for metadata display, allowing for direct digital processing and reducing the need for analog conversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the control device captures analog waveforms and converts them for content identification, then audio content identification can be achieved, but the system complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the content identification function from the control device and relocates it to a dedicated identification system. The playback device sends digital data directly to this separate identification system, which specializes in audio fingerprinting and metadata retrieval. This extraction eliminates the need for the control device to perform analog waveform capture and conversion, reducing system complexity while maintaining identification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary identification system that acts as a mediator between the playback device and the control device. This intermediary receives digital audio data, performs content identification using specialized algorithms, and returns metadata to the control device. This intermediary layer simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing the complex identification functionality in a dedicated component.
2Loss of information
If the control device captures and converts analog waveforms for content identification, then content metadata can be retrieved, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the identification system pre-process and analyze audio content in the background. The system continuously monitors incoming digital audio streams, extracts fingerprints, and prepares metadata before user requests are made. This pre-processing approach ensures that when content identification is needed, the metadata is already available or can be rapidly retrieved, significantly reducing processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of analog waveform capture and conversion with a digital signal processing approach. Instead of capturing analog waveforms through microphones and performing analog-to-digital conversion, the system directly processes digital audio data using electronic algorithms for fingerprinting and identification. This substitution eliminates the time-consuming analog conversion step while maintaining identification accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If analog waveform capture and conversion is performed, then audio content can be identified, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces energy-intensive analog waveform capture and conversion mechanisms with efficient digital signal processing. By working directly with digital audio data already present in the playback system, the identification process avoids the high energy consumption associated with analog-to-digital conversion and analog signal amplification. Digital processing requires significantly less power while achieving the same identification accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An example implementation involves a playback device receiving digital data representing audio content, the digital data encoded in a first format. The playback device causes one or more speaker drivers to playback the audio content. The playback device decodes a portion of the received digital data to convert the portion of the received digital data from the first format to a second format and transmits, via a network interface to a computing device of an identification system, the decoded portion of the received digital data. The playback device receives, from via the network interface from the identification system, metadata corresponding to the audio content, and in response, causes a control device to display a graphical representation of the received metadata, wherein causing the control device to display the graphical representation comprises sending, via the network interface to the control device, the received metadata to the control device.