DVR Audio Fingerprint Timing Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital video recorders (DVRs) face challenges in accurately recording media content when programs run beyond their scheduled end times, leading to missed portions of desired programs and unnecessary recording of preceding or subsequent content due to slow data update rates and inadequate timing adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A system that captures audio content, generates an audio fingerprint, and matches it to theme song fingerprints to determine if a program is on-schedule, allowing for adjustments to the recording start and end times based on calculated time deltas and tolerance factors to ensure complete recording of intended content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a DVR uses scheduled listings data to record programs, then recording can be automated based on broadcast schedules, but recording accuracy deteriorates when programs run beyond scheduled end times
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the actual broadcast timing of programs by detecting audio fingerprints and compares this feedback against the scheduled listings data. When timing deviations are detected, the system automatically adjusts the recording end times to match actual program durations, resolving the contradiction between automated recording and recording accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of program timing by capturing and analyzing audio fingerprints before finalizing recording parameters. This preliminary action allows the DVR to proactively adjust recording schedules based on actual broadcast patterns rather than relying solely on predetermined schedules.
2Reliability
If a DVR extends recording time to capture programs running late, then complete program capture is improved, but memory space is wasted on undesired content
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts recording parameters based on real-time detection of program timing deviations. By using audio fingerprinting to identify actual program start and end times, the DVR flexibly modifies recording durations to capture complete programs without extending beyond actual content, thereby optimizing memory space utilization while ensuring complete program capture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the recording end time parameter based on detected program timing deviations. When a program runs late, the end time is extended only by the actual deviation amount rather than using fixed increments, ensuring complete capture while minimizing wasted storage space.
3Ease of manufacture
If a DVR uses fixed increment extensions for recording, then implementation is simple, but recording precision deteriorates with unpredictable results
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical approach of fixed increment extensions with an acoustic detection mechanism using audio fingerprinting. This substitution enables precise detection of actual program timing by analyzing audio content, replacing crude time-based estimation with accurate content-based identification, thereby improving recording timing precision while maintaining automated operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A portion of audio content of a multimedia program, such as a television program, is captured from a network. An audio fingerprint is generated based on the portion of audio content, and the audio fingerprint is matched to one of multiple theme song fingerprints stored in a database. An expected theme song time offset associated with the matched theme song fingerprint is retrieved from the database. It is determined whether the program is running on-schedule, based on the time the portion of audio content occurred, a scheduled start time of the program, and/or the expected theme song time offset. If it is determined that the program is running off-schedule, an adjusted start time and/or an adjusted end time of the program are calculated. The program is recorded by a recorder based on the adjusted start time and/or the adjusted end time.