Interactive Movie Playback Engine With Uninterrupted Audio Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for playing interactive audiovisual movies on optical discs face interruptions due to physical movement of the reader head, making them unsuitable for dynamic changes in video segments, which disrupt the narrative flow and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A computerized device and method that utilize a playback engine and movie episode data objects with separate audio tracks and playback instructions, allowing for dynamic and interactive changes in audio/video segments without interrupting the media playback, enabling seamless transitions based on user decisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If optical discs are used to store and reproduce audiovisual movies, then the data of an entire movie can be stored on one or more discs, but dynamic changes from one segment to a selected non-consecutive segment cause noticeable interruptions due to physical movement of the reader head
Solution Approach 1:
The audio track is segmented into multiple independent audio segments, each corresponding to different video segments. This allows the audio playback to be independently controlled and switched without requiring physical movement of the reader head, thereby eliminating interruptions during segment transitions while maintaining the ability to store entire movie data on optical discs
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary processing system is introduced that receives video segment selection signals and automatically switches between corresponding audio segments. This intermediary mechanism coordinates the playback of audio and video segments, ensuring seamless transitions without physical reader head movement, thus resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and transition interruption time
2Adaptability or versatility
If the reader head moves physically to read selected segments on optical discs, then non-consecutive segments can be accessed, but this causes noticeable interruptions that disrupt the narrative flow
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical reader head movement system is replaced with an electronic audio segment switching system. Instead of physically moving the reader head to access different segments, the system electronically switches between pre-loaded audio segments based on video segment selection, eliminating mechanical movement and its associated interruptions, thus maintaining both segment selection flexibility and narrative flow continuity
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple audio segments are pre-loaded and prepared in advance corresponding to different video segments. This preliminary preparation allows instant switching between audio segments without requiring physical reader head movement, ensuring that audio-visual synchronization is maintained while preserving narrative flow continuity during dynamic segment changes
3Duration of action of stationary object
If loop playback of images is used with continuous sound stream output, then slideshows can be played while reader head moves to read new segments, but the sound stream becomes out of synchronization with the images
Solution Approach 1:
The audio playback system is made dynamic and adaptive, automatically adjusting which audio segment is played based on the currently displayed video segment. This dynamic switching mechanism ensures that audio and visual content remain synchronized throughout loop playback, preventing the loss of synchronization information while maintaining continuous playback duration
Solution Approach 2:
A feedback mechanism is implemented that monitors the current video segment being displayed and automatically selects and switches to the corresponding audio segment. This feedback-based control ensures that audio-visual synchronization is maintained during loop playback, preventing desynchronization while allowing continuous playback without interruptions
Data Source
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AI summary
For playing an interactive audiovisual movie, a movie episode data object which comprises a plurality of audio/video segments, separate audio tracks, and playback instructions is stored (51) in a data store of a computerized playback device. The playback device retrieves (52) the playback instructions and, in accordance with the playback instructions, retrieves (S31) and plays (532) audio/video segments, generates (535) interface elements for receiving from a user decision commands while playing the audio/video segments, and retrieves (S31) and plays (S32) further audio/video segments depending on the user decision commands. The playback device further retrieves (S33) one of the separate audio tracks and plays (S34) the separate audio track uninterruptedly while playing an end of a first audio/video segment and a start of a second audio/video segment which is played subsequently to the first audio/video segment. Thus, an audio track is played uninterruptedly across the boundary of two consecutive audio/ video segments.