Closed Caption Timing Alignment Using Audio-Text Comparison

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies struggle to ensure precise synchronization between audio and closed captioned text in video playback, leading to potential misalignment and poor accessibility for deaf viewers.

Innovation Solution

A management resource analyzes the alignment between audio and image samples by converting audio to text and comparing it with closed captioned text, determining a quality of playback timing alignment, and adjusting synchronization as needed to ensure accurate alignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If closed captioned text is displayed during video playback, then accessibility for deaf viewers is improved, but synchronization alignment between audio and text deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidsynchronization alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts text from both audio samples and image samples at corresponding timestamps, compares these texts to determine alignment quality, and uses this feedback to identify and correct synchronization issues between closed captioned text and video playback

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual synchronization adjustment with an automated system that uses text extraction, comparison algorithms, and metric calculation to objectively measure and correct timing alignment between audio and closed captioned text

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If text extraction and comparison is performed to verify synchronization, then alignment accuracy is improved, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates text copies from both audio samples (via speech-to-text conversion) and image samples (via OCR of closed captioned text overlay) at corresponding timestamps, then compares these copied texts to verify synchronization without requiring complex direct analysis of audio and video streams

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses text as an intermediary representation to bridge audio and video synchronization verification, converting both audio content and visual closed captioned text into comparable text format, thereby simplifying the synchronization check

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20260065943A1Closed caption text, video processing, and synchronization analysis

Publication Date: 2026.03.05 CHARTER COMM OPERATING LLC

AI summary

A management resource can be configured to receive a first text string associated with first content; the first text string is derived from a first audio sample of the first content. The management resource further receives a second text string associated with the first content; the second text string is derived from a first image sample of the first content. The management resource determines a first quality of playback timing alignment between the first audio sample and the first image sample based on comparison of the first text string and the second text string.