Fingerprint-Based Live-Streaming Commentary Synchronization

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing media streaming technologies do not effectively allow for the real-time substitution or augmentation of undesirable audio or video content in broadcasts without disrupting the synchronization with the original stream, such as unwanted announcers or language barriers during events.

Innovation Solution

A system and method utilizing a broadcast server and client receiver with a shared common time source to generate and synchronize a fingerprinted media stream, allowing for seamless replacement or augmentation of audio or video content with alternative streams, maintaining synchronization with the original broadcast.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If alternative audio or video streams are substituted for the original broadcast content, then user customization and content selection are improved, but synchronization with the original broadcast events becomes difficult to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent selectionVSAvoidsynchronization

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-generates fingerprint templates from the original broadcast content before the actual playback. These templates serve as reference markers that enable real-time synchronization without requiring complex processing during live playback. The fingerprinting process is performed in advance, creating a library of temporal markers that can be quickly matched during content substitution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Audio or video fingerprints act as an intermediary mechanism between the alternative content stream and the original broadcast. These fingerprints serve as temporal reference points that mediate the synchronization process, allowing the system to align substituted content with original broadcast events without direct complex timing calculations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the original audio track is completely muted to remove undesirable announcers, then content quality is improved, but desirable audio elements such as crowd noise and referee calls are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveundesirable announcersVSAvoiddesirable audio elements

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the undesirable announcer audio tracks from the original broadcast while preserving the desirable elements such as crowd noise, referee calls, and other ambient sounds. This selective extraction allows users to remove specific unwanted content without losing other valuable audio information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different quality treatments to different portions of the audio stream. Undesirable announcer segments are removed or replaced, while desirable elements are preserved at their original quality. This local differentiation allows selective content modification without affecting the overall audio experience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Device complexity

If real-time content substitution is implemented without modifications to the existing broadcast, then system complexity is reduced, but synchronization precision between alternative and original content becomes difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebroadcast modification requirementsVSAvoidsynchronization alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces complex mechanical synchronization mechanisms with fingerprint-based temporal matching. Instead of using complex timing signals or mechanical coordination between broadcast and alternative content streams, the system uses audio/video fingerprinting technology to automatically align content based on characteristic temporal markers, significantly reducing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates fingerprint copies of the original broadcast content's temporal characteristics. These fingerprint representations are then used to synchronize alternative content without requiring direct access to or modification of the original broadcast stream, enabling synchronization through data copying rather than complex system integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10827231B2Systems and methods for customized live-streaming commentary

Publication Date: 2020.11.03 MYTEAMCALLS LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods for replacing a portion of a broadcast content with a customized, live-streaming alternate media stream are provided. Usable by applications developed for the Web, mobile devices, laptop or desktop computers, or broadcast television, the system includes a broadcast server to prepare customized media streams for a particular broadcast in communication with a client receiver capable of receiving a customized media stream and synching the stream with the particular broadcast of interest. Thus, the user may view the original broadcast with the alternative audio or video stream, in some cases in near real-time, and enjoy the alternative media stream seamlessly with the original broadcast. In order to provide the capabilities disclosed herein, a fingerprinting method is used to analyze the original broadcast and synchronize timing, without modifying the original broadcast data.