Media File Track Grouping for Playback Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current media file formats, such as ISOBMFF, lack a mechanism to indicate relationships between groups of media tracks, limiting content creators' control over playback and the ability to specify dependencies between alternative tracks.
Innovation Solution
Introducing a method to author media tracks into a media file format where subsets of tracks are indicated as alternatives, using syntax elements like playout groups, track groups, or entity groups, to specify which tracks should be played back simultaneously, allowing for more flexible playback combinations based on device properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If alternate tracks are grouped without dependency indication, then playback flexibility is limited, but the media file format structure remains simple
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested grouping structures where track groups contain alternate groups, and playout groups coordinate multiple track groups. This hierarchical nesting allows complex playback dependencies to be organized in a structured manner, enabling content creators to specify that only one track from each alternate group plays back while coordinating playback across multiple groups through playout groups.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments track relationships into distinct hierarchical levels: track groups organize individual alternate tracks, while playout groups coordinate relationships between multiple track groups. This segmentation allows independent management of alternate track relationships within groups and their coordination across groups, providing fine-grained control over playback combinations.
2Ease of operation
If track dependency relationships are indicated, then content creator control is enhanced, but the complexity of the media file format increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables content creators to pre-define track grouping relationships and playback dependencies during media file authoring. By establishing track groups and playout groups in advance with explicit dependency indications, the playback system can automatically resolve which tracks to play based on these pre-specified rules, simplifying the playback operation while providing comprehensive control.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sets of media tracks are authored with alternate data, then playback options increase, but the mechanism to indicate relationships between groups is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces playout groups as intermediary structures that mediate relationships between multiple track groups. These playout groups contain references to track groups and specify coordination rules, acting as intermediaries that preserve and convey relationship information between otherwise independent track groups, enabling the playback system to understand and enforce cross-group dependencies.
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprising: authoring a plurality of sets of media tracks comprising at least a first set of media tracks and a second set of media tracks into a media file format, wherein a subset of tracks of the first set comprises alternate data for each other and a subset of tracks of the second set comprises alternate data for each other; and including, in or along a bitstream comprising a media file including or inferring said media tracks, an indication that said subset of tracks of the first set are alternatives to each other and said subset of tracks of the second set are alternatives to each other upon playback of the media tracks.