Media Synchronization via Audio Fingerprinting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for synchronizing haptic signals with audio and video media face challenges in accuracy, particularly in environments with ambient sound, reverberation, and multiple audio channels, leading to issues in identifying and synchronizing viewer-effect signals effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize microphones to capture audio portions of media signals, generate fingerprints, and match them with reference fingerprints to identify corresponding time positions, allowing for synchronized output of viewer-effect signals, such as haptic signals, with the media content, using a controller and database for precise synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If haptic signals are transmitted separately from audio/video signals, then the system can handle different audio channels and language tracks, but the synchronization accuracy deteriorates due to the need to retrieve and resynchronize the haptic signal
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-associates haptic signals with reference time positions of media content and stores them in a database. When synchronization is needed, the system retrieves the pre-stored haptic signal corresponding to the identified time position, eliminating the need for real-time resynchronization and maintaining high accuracy while supporting multiple audio channels and language tracks
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses audio fingerprints as an intermediary to bridge the haptic signal and media content. The fingerprint identifies the media content and time position, allowing the system to retrieve the correct haptic signal from storage without direct temporal synchronization, thus maintaining versatility while ensuring precision
2Adaptability or versatility
If audio fingerprints are used for synchronization, then the system can identify media content in complex audio environments, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to factors like reverberation, parasitic noise, and unknown sound level
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the captured audio fingerprint and compares it with stored reference fingerprints to identify media content and time positions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain synchronization even in complex audio environments by constantly verifying and adjusting the identification results
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates audio fingerprints as simplified representations (copies) of the complex audio signals. These fingerprints capture essential characteristics while filtering out irrelevant details like reverberation and noise, enabling reliable identification in complex environments without requiring direct analysis of the full audio signal
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures accurate and timely synchronization of viewer-effect signals with media content, improving the viewer experience by maintaining synchronization even in complex audio environments, such as those with multiple channels or language tracks.
Implementation Method 1
at least one microphone capturing an audio portion of the media signal from a surrounding environment
Data Source
AI summary
There is described a method for synchronizing a viewer-effect signal of a media content with a media signal of the media content. The method generally has: capturing an audio portion of the media signal from a surrounding environment using a microphone; obtaining a fingerprint from the captured audio portion of the media signal; from reference fingerprints associated with reference time positions of at least a reference media content, identifying a time position of the media content corresponding to the obtained fingerprint; obtaining the viewer-effect signal associated with the identified time position of the media content; and outputting the viewer-effect signal synchronized with the media signal using the identified time position of the media content for producing an effect to a viewer in synchronization with the media signal of the media content.