Fingerprint-Based Content Segmentation for Efficient Editing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for representing and managing digital content, such as video files, are inefficient due to their contiguous nature, leading to increased editing time and cost, storage requirements, and difficulties in accessing and synchronizing content across devices, as they require re-encoding the entire file even for minor edits or synchronized playback.
Innovation Solution
A method that dynamically segments digital content into fingerprint-defined segments, allowing for flexible playback order determination using a content segment sequencing representation, enabling efficient editing, storage, and synchronization by segmenting content at a frame resolution rate and using identifiers for each segment to manage and play back content segments independently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If digital video content is stored as a contiguous file, then the content can be played back linearly, but the entire file must be retranscoded for any editing, increasing time and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the contiguous video file into multiple discrete content segments, each with its own identifier. This allows individual segments to be edited independently without retranscoding the entire file, resolving the contradiction by enabling efficient editing while maintaining the ability to playback content sequentially or selectively.
2Ease of manufacture
If the entire video file is given to a post production facility for editing, then all portions can be processed, but access to specific portions becomes difficult or impossible to restrict
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the video file into segments with unique identifiers, the system enables fine-grained access control where specific segments can be granted or denied to different facilities or users. This resolves the contradiction by providing both comprehensive processing capability and selective access control without increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a content segment sequencing representation and identifier system that acts as an intermediary between the video content and processing facilities. This mediator enables controlled access and management of content segments without requiring direct access to the entire file, resolving the access control dilemma.
3Productivity
If playback devices render content in a linear process, then the content can be displayed continuously, but the devices lack contextual awareness of the video being rendered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-establishes a content segment sequencing representation that defines the playback order of segments before actual playback occurs. This preliminary structuring provides contextual information to playback devices in advance, allowing them to maintain both continuous playback and contextual awareness through the predefined sequence identifiers.
4Reliability
If time metrics are used to synchronize coordinated content across devices, then synchronization can be achieved, but the metrics become corrupted or uninterpretable when portions are skipped, lost, dropped, replayed, paused, or edited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-based synchronization metrics with a segment identifier-based sequencing system. Instead of relying on temporal measurements that corrupt when playback is interrupted or modified, the system uses discrete segment identifiers that remain valid regardless of playback interruptions, edits, or reordering, thereby maintaining both reliability and flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Digital content, such as video, audio, multimedia, and similar files may be segmented at a determined frame resolution rate and analyzed to determine a fingerprint for each content segment. An identifier that uniquely identifies each content segment may be determined based on the fingerprint of the respective content segment. The identifier may be associated with data relating to the content segment and with one or more identifiers that uniquely identify other content segments of the content. The content segment identifiers may be used to construct a content segment sequencing representation that represents the playback of the content segments in playback order.