Curated I-Frame Playlists for Dual-Mode Trick Play
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media playback systems face inefficiencies in trick play mode due to reliance on I-frame only playlists, which are not universally available, leading to bandwidth wastage and slow processing in scan mode, and lack of user control in scrub mode.
Innovation Solution
Curate I-frames for high-speed playback by selecting frames based on scene change detection, interval, and size, generating internal I-frame only playlists that reduce bandwidth usage and enhance user control in both scrub and scan modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an I-frame only playlist is generated for trick play mode playback, then high resolution frames can be displayed independently, but bandwidth is wasted and fetching time increases due to including all I-frames from each segment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary I-frames (first I-frame of each segment and selected additional I-frames based on scene changes) from the original playlist to create a curated internal I-frame only playlist. This selective extraction eliminates unnecessary I-frames while maintaining the capability for independent frame decoding during trick play operations, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption and fetch time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the video content into logical units (segments) and selectively includes only specific I-frames from each segment (primarily the first I-frame and selected additional ones based on scene changes). This segmentation approach allows the system to maintain independent decoding capability for each segment while significantly reducing the total number of I-frames that need to be fetched and stored.
2Manufacturing precision
If all I-frames are processed by the decoder in scan mode, then high resolution frames are available for display, but system efficiency decreases due to slow processing speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and pre-selects only the essential I-frames (first I-frame of each segment and additional I-frames at scene changes) into a curated playlist before scan mode playback. This pre-extraction eliminates the need to process all I-frames during playback, significantly improving system processing speed while maintaining the availability of high resolution frames for display when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs the I-frame selection and curation action in advance (before playback) by analyzing scene changes and identifying key I-frames. This preliminary action prepares an optimized internal I-frame only playlist that enables fast scan mode playback without requiring real-time processing of all I-frames, thereby improving system productivity while maintaining frame quality.
3Speed
If a curated I-frame only playlist is used for scan mode, then bandwidth is reduced and playback speed improves, but user control is limited compared to scrub mode with full I-frame playlist
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic system that can switch between two operational modes: scan mode using the curated internal I-frame only playlist for high-speed automated playback, and scrub mode using the full original playlist for user-controlled frame-by-frame navigation. This dynamic switching allows the system to optimize playback speed when automated scanning is needed while preserving full user control flexibility when manual navigation is required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional playback system that can operate in both scan mode (using the curated internal I-frame playlist for automated high-speed playback) and scrub mode (using the full original playlist for manual frame-by-frame control). This universal design allows the same system to provide both high-speed automated playback and detailed user-controlled navigation, depending on the operational mode activated.
4Device complexity
If I-frame only playlist is selected regardless of video speed, then simple selection logic is used, but frame rate consistency is compromised during trick play operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the selection criteria for I-frames based on the detected scene change parameters. Instead of using a fixed time-interval-based selection, the system dynamically adjusts which I-frames to include based on scene change detection, ensuring that key visual transitions are captured. This parameter-based selection maintains frame rate consistency during trick play operations while keeping the selection logic relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are described herein for playback of streaming media content during a dual mode trick play operation. An I-frame only playlist is generated from a media content stream. The I-frame only playlist includes a plurality of I-frames. A set of I-frames are selected from the plurality of I-frames for scan play back mode based on metadata associated with the media content stream. A curated I-frame only playlist of the selected set of I-frames is generated for display during scan play back mode. In one embodiment, the selected set of I-frames is an I-frame identified at the beginning of each of the segments.