Media Overlay Placement Avoiding Moving Object Obstruction

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing media overlay systems often disrupt the user's experience by not predicting the movement of non-static objects, leading to obstructive placement even when trying to avoid static objects.

Innovation Solution

A media guidance application that detects and tracks the movement of objects of interest within a media asset, calculates their projected path, and strategically places overlays to avoid overlapping with the object's path, ensuring minimal obstruction during media consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If overlay is placed to convey notifications to the user, then the notification function is improved, but the viewing experience deteriorates due to obstruction of objects of interest

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification deliveryVSAvoidviewing experience obstruction

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary tracking of moving objects and predicts their future positions before placing the overlay. By calculating the projected path of objects of interest in advance, the system can pre-determine safe placement locations for overlays that will not obstruct moving objects during their movement trajectory.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The overlay placement system transitions from static avoidance of objects to dynamic prediction of object movement paths. The system continuously updates the projected location of moving objects based on their current position and velocity, enabling real-time adaptive overlay placement that accounts for object motion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If overlay placement avoids only static objects, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but disruption to moving objects increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoverlay placement systemVSAvoiddisruption to moving objects

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary tracking of moving objects and predicts their future positions before placing the overlay. By calculating the projected path of objects of interest in advance, the system can pre-determine safe placement locations for overlays that will not obstruct moving objects during their movement trajectory.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary prediction mechanism that mediates between the overlay placement requirement and the moving object trajectory. This prediction layer acts as a buffer, calculating where objects will be in the future and using this information to guide overlay placement decisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Area of stationary object

If overlay is placed in the path of movement of an object, then screen space utilization is improved, but user enjoyment deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoverlay placement areaVSAvoiduser enjoyment

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary tracking of moving objects and predicts their future positions before placing the overlay. By calculating the projected path of objects of interest in advance, the system can pre-determine safe placement locations for overlays that will not obstruct moving objects during their movement trajectory.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from object tracking data to dynamically adjust overlay placement decisions. By continuously monitoring object position and velocity, the system receives feedback about potential obstructions and adapts overlay placement to avoid areas where objects are predicted to move.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12015819B2Systems and methods for minimizing obstruction of a media asset by an overlay by predicting a path of movement of an object of interest of the media asset and avoiding placement of the overlay in the path of movement

Publication Date: 2024.06.18 ADEIA GUIDES INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided herein for minimizing obstruction of a media asset by an overlay by predicting a path of movement of an object of interest of the media asset and avoiding placement of the overlay in the path of movement. To this end, a media guidance application may detect an object of interest in a first frame of a media asset, and may determine a determining a first location of the object in the first frame and a second location of the object of interest in a second frame. The media guidance application may calculate, based on the first location and the second location, a projected location of the object of interest in a third frame of the media asset, and may generate for display an overlay in a location that does not overlap with any of the first location, the second location, and the projected location.