Frame Correlator for Video Animation Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

In environments where video streams and animation sequences are combined, accurately synchronizing frames to ensure smooth rendering and handling of user input without overburdening the computer's processing power is challenging, as animation rendering requires significant resources and can lead to delays or poor animation quality.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for correlating video frames and animation frames at different speeds using a video decoder, animation renderer, and frame correlator, where the frame correlator synchronizes animation frames with video frames based on their respective indices, ensuring timely display and storage of correlated frames in animation frame buffers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If animation rendering is given high priority to ensure smooth animation, then animation quality is improved, but user input handling becomes delayed due to excessive processing power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanimation rendering speedVSAvoiduser input response time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-renders animation frames and stores them in a buffer before they are needed for display. This allows the animation renderer to work ahead of time without blocking user input handling, as completed frames are stored and ready for correlation with video frames when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system divides the animation rendering process into discrete frames that can be independently rendered, buffered, and correlated with video frames. This segmentation allows parallel processing where animation frames are prepared in advance while video decoding and user input handling proceed separately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If animation rendering is given low priority to allow other tasks to run smoothly, then user input handling is improved, but animation quality deteriorates due to insufficient processing power

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser input responsivenessVSAvoidanimation rendering speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

By pre-rendering and buffering animation frames, the system ensures that animation quality is maintained through adequate processing resources while the actual display timing is decoupled from the rendering process, allowing user input handling to proceed without interruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The frame buffer acts as an intermediary between the animation renderer and the display system. It decouples the rendering process from the display timing, allowing the renderer to operate at its own pace while ensuring frames are ready when needed for correlation with video.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If video stream and animation sequence are processed in parallel to improve performance, then processing efficiency is improved, but frame synchronization becomes difficult due to different processing speeds

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoidframe synchronization accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses frame counters and correlation logic that monitor the state of both video and animation frames. When a video frame is ready, the system checks the corresponding animation frame counter to determine which animation frame should be correlated, creating a feedback mechanism that maintains synchronization despite different processing speeds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of frame correlation from time-based to index-based. By correlating frames based on their sequential indices rather than strict timing, the system can handle parallel processing at different speeds while maintaining accurate correspondence between video and animation frames.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Device complexity

If pre-rendering entire animation sequence is done to simplify synchronization, then frame correlation is simplified, but real-time rendering capability is lost due to excessive memory requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesynchronization complexityVSAvoidmemory usage

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of pre-rendering the entire animation sequence, the system pre-renders only the necessary animation frames up to the current point and buffers them for correlation. This reduces memory requirements from storing all animation frames to storing only those needed for current and near-future correlation with video frames.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS7990386B2Method for correlating animation and video in a computer system

Publication Date: 2011.08.02 ORACLE AMERICAN INC

AI summary

A method for correlating a video stream at a first speed and an animation sequence at a second speed that includes decoding the video stream to obtain a video frame, rendering the animation sequence to obtain an animation frame, wherein the first speed and the second speed are not equal, and correlating the animation frame with the video frame to obtain a correlated animation frame according to a frame index of the animation frame and a frame index of the video frame.