Application Enhancement Tracks for Video Playback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital video distribution and playback systems face challenges in providing a high-quality user experience, particularly during visual-search and playback of multiple content titles, due to inefficiencies in key-frame placement and data rate requirements, leading to increased file sizes and processing loads, which compromise performance and consistency across different devices and network types.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Application Enhancement Tracks (AETs) that encode media files with reduced data rates, allowing for smooth visual-search at various speeds and directions, while reducing device processing demands, by incorporating a media server and client processor system that generates and transmits AETs, enabling efficient playback and preview capabilities across both PC and CE platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If visual-search is performed by displaying only key-frames, then data rate is reduced, but visual quality and smoothness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the video stream into key-frames and intermediate frames, processing them differently. Key-frames are displayed at full quality while intermediate frames are selectively decoded or skipped based on search speed requirements, achieving a balance between data rate efficiency and visual quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality levels to different parts of the video stream during visual-search. Full-quality key-frames are displayed at intervals while intermediate frames use reduced processing, creating local variations in quality that maintain overall visual coherence while reducing data rate requirements.
2Manufacturing precision
If visual-search displays frames at higher decoding rates, then visual smoothness is improved, but device processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic frame processing where the decoding rate and frame selection are adjusted based on the requested search speed. At lower speeds, more frames are decoded for smoothness; at higher speeds, frame skipping increases to reduce processing load, creating a dynamic adaptation to user needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes processing parameters (frame decoding rate, skip patterns) based on the visual-search speed requirement. This allows the system to optimize the balance between visual smoothness and processing load by adjusting parameters according to the specific search operation being performed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If reverse visual-search is implemented, then search functionality is improved, but visual consistency deteriorates due to different device operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal visual-search mechanism that handles both forward and reverse directions through the same key-frame/intermediate frame processing approach. This unified method ensures consistent visual behavior across different search directions and device types, eliminating platform-specific variations.
4Speed
If video stream is read at multiple times higher than standard rate, then visual-search speed is improved, but device subsystem performance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements strategic frame skipping during visual-search operations. By skipping intermediate frames and displaying only key-frames at high speeds, the system achieves rapid search performance without requiring the device subsystems to process every frame at maximum rate, reducing the performance burden.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods of providing enhanced digital media playback through application enhancement tracks are described. Application enhancement tracks are derived from the main content that they are associated with and are encoded to aid the performance of one or more functions related to the content, such as visual-search.