HDR Video Reproduction Device Luminance Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

During random access playback of HDR videos, unnatural changes in luminance can occur due to the absence of Dynamic metadata at the destination picture, leading to unintended luminance compression and an unnatural appearance of the video.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating Dynamic metadata into the HDR video stream, specifically adding it to the first picture of a GOP or as specified by EP_map, ensures that luminance compression is performed based on intended metadata, preventing unnatural changes during random access playback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If Dynamic metadata is not added to the destination picture during random access, then the video playback can proceed without metadata overhead, but unnatural luminance changes occur due to unintended luminance compression

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveluminance consistencyVSAvoidmetadata absence
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by adding Dynamic metadata to the first picture of each GOP (Group of Pictures) during the encoding stage. This ensures that when random access occurs at GOP boundaries, the destination picture already has the necessary luminance information embedded, preventing unnatural luminance changes without requiring real-time metadata generation or transmission during playback.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If Dynamic metadata is added to each picture in the HDR video stream, then luminance compression can be accurately controlled, but the data stream size and processing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveluminance control accuracyVSAvoidmetadata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the HDR video stream into GOP (Group of Pictures) segments and adding Dynamic metadata only at the beginning of each GOP (to the first picture). This segmentation approach maintains accurate luminance control for each segment while reducing the overall metadata quantity and processing complexity compared to adding metadata to every single picture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3712891B1Reproduction device, reproduction method, and program
Publication Date: 2023.10.11 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP3712891B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3712891B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3712891B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a recording medium, a playback apparatus, a playback method, and a program that are designed to prevent an unnatural change in luminance during random access. The information processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present technology generates dynamic metadata including information regarding luminance of a picture, and encodes HDR video data such that the dynamic metadata is added to each picture serving as a random access point. For example, the dynamic metadata can be allowed to be added to the first picture of a GOP, the first picture serving as the random access point during fast-forward playback/rewind playback or cueing playback. The present technology can be applied to a Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc player.