Non-Time Based Metadata Index for Media Tracks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media management systems face inefficiencies in handling time-based metadata tracks, particularly in identifying and retrieving metadata without scanning through the entire track, especially when metadata is intermittently absent, such as GPS data during indoor recordings.
Innovation Solution
A non-time based description of metadata is provided, using a set of keys that specify metadata types and their structures, allowing for an index that enables playback devices to determine metadata existence without examining the metadata track, with a reserved null value indicating absent metadata.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the entire metadata track is scanned to determine metadata existence, then complete metadata information can be found, but the time and computational resources required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating an index structure before metadata retrieval operations. The index pre-organizes metadata information by type and time associations, allowing playback devices to quickly locate and determine metadata existence without scanning the entire metadata track. This pre-processing step stores metadata type identifiers and their corresponding time ranges in an efficient data structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an index as an intermediary between the metadata track and the retrieval process. This index structure acts as a mediator that translates retrieval queries into efficient lookups, preventing direct scanning of the full metadata track. The index contains metadata type identifiers and time association information that enables indirect access to metadata without examining the complete track.
2Reliability
If metadata is stored in a time-based format, then temporal associations with media tracks are maintained, but searching and accessing specific metadata types becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the metadata track into discrete, type-specific segments organized in the index. Each metadata type is separately identified and indexed with its temporal associations, allowing the system to maintain time-based reliability while reducing search complexity. The index segments metadata by type identifiers, enabling targeted access without processing the entire time-based track.
3Reliability
If metadata is continuously recorded, then complete coverage of all time periods is achieved, but storage requirements and data management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential indexing information from the complete metadata track - specifically metadata type identifiers and their time associations. This extracted index contains minimal necessary data to enable efficient metadata retrieval without duplicating the full metadata content. The index takes out only the structural information needed for searching, leaving the actual metadata values stored separately in the time-based track.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, data processing systems and machine readable non-transitory storage media are described that can provide, in one embodiment, a non-time based description of types of metadata in a time based metadata track that can be associated with, in time, a time based media track. The description can include a set of keys, or other identifiers, that specify the types of metadata in the metadata track, and the description can also include values describing the structure of each key and values describing how to interpret each key.