Integrated Imaging Metadata Transmission for Frame Alignment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing techniques for associating image sensor metadata with audiovisual data require separate transmission and subsequent frame-alignment, leading to inefficiencies and reduced reliability for real-time applications.

Innovation Solution

Systems and methods for transmitting metadata and audiovisual data in a frame-aligned manner by incorporating metadata into predefined data structures or channels, such as HDMI InfoFrames, ensuring synchronized delivery without additional processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If metadata and audiovisual data are transmitted separately, then transmission flexibility is improved, but frame alignment reliability deteriorates due to temporal calibration requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission flexibilityVSAvoidframe alignment reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines metadata and audiovisual data into a single transmitted data structure, where metadata is embedded within the same transmission channel as the audiovisual data. This merging eliminates the need for separate transmission channels and their associated temporal calibration requirements, while maintaining the ability to handle different data types through a unified structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent nests metadata within the audiovisual data transmission structure, specifically embedding metadata fields within the data structure of the transmission protocol. This allows the metadata to be contained within the existing transmission framework without requiring a completely separate transmission system, thus maintaining flexibility while ensuring alignment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Adaptability or versatility

If metadata is transmitted on a separate channel from audiovisual data, then transmission independence is improved, but processing efficiency deteriorates due to post-transmission frame alignment requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission independenceVSAvoidprocessing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges metadata transmission with audiovisual data transmission by embedding metadata within the same data structure and transmission channel. This eliminates the need for post-transmission frame alignment operations, allowing receiving devices to process data immediately without additional calibration steps, thereby significantly improving processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs the frame alignment action in advance by pre-synchronizing metadata and audiovisual data within the same transmission structure. This preliminary alignment action eliminates the need for subsequent post-transmission calibration operations, allowing receiving devices to directly process the data without additional time-consuming alignment steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If separate transmission channels are used for metadata and audiovisual data, then transmission robustness is improved, but real-time utilization capability deteriorates due to temporal calibration delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission robustnessVSAvoidtemporal calibration delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines metadata and audiovisual data into a single transmission channel with a unified data structure. This merging ensures that both data types arrive simultaneously at the receiving device without requiring temporal calibration, thereby eliminating calibration delays while maintaining robustness through the integrated transmission approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs synchronization in advance by pre-aligning metadata and audiovisual data within the same transmission structure before they reach the receiving device. This preliminary synchronization action eliminates the need for post-transmission temporal calibration, removing the time delay associated with calibration operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12439001B2Systems and methods for efficient transmission of imaging metadata

Publication Date: 2025.10.07 STRYKER CORP

AI summary

A system for transmission of imaging metadata comprises a sensor configured to capture audiovisual data and a data transmission device. The data transmission device receives captured audiovisual data from the first sensor and receives metadata, wherein the metadata is metadata of a first type. The data transmission device generates a data structure corresponding to a first frame of a video feed, wherein the data structure is generated in accordance with a predefined data specification, wherein generating the data structure comprises setting an indicator in the data structure to indicate that a second type of metadata should not be read from a first field in the data structure and writing the first metadata to the first field in the data structure. The data transmission device transmits the data structure along with the captured audiovisual data.