Multimedia Stream Processing for Viewpoint Diversity and Quality

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users with mobile terminals lack the capability to produce high-quality video streams of events due to limited equipment and technical skills, and are restricted by a single viewpoint and environmental disturbances, making it difficult to share optimal video experiences with others.

Innovation Solution

A method to split video streams into sequences with different broadcasting characteristics, allowing for processing and optimization based on shooting parameters, privacy settings, and event context, enabling the replacement of certain sequences with higher quality or diverse viewpoints from other streams, while maintaining personal content privacy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a user records video with a mobile terminal, then the user can capture events personally, but the video quality and viewpoint diversity are limited due to single-camera constraints and crowd position

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveviewpoint diversityVSAvoidequipment requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple video streams from different users into a single synthesized broadcast stream. The server receives streams from multiple mobile terminals, processes them to identify complementary viewpoints, and merges them into an optimized output that provides diverse perspectives without requiring any single user to possess multiple cameras or professional equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The server acts as an intermediary that receives raw video streams from multiple users, processes them to determine broadcasting characteristics and identify replacement opportunities, and generates the final optimized broadcast stream. This intermediary process enables viewpoint diversity while keeping individual user equipment simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If a user broadcasts live video from a crowd position, then personal recording is enabled, but visual and audio disturbances reduce video quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevideo qualityVSAvoidenvironmental disturbances
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system identifies and skips over low-quality segments affected by disturbances. When analyzing broadcast characteristics, the server detects periods where environmental factors degrade video quality and replaces those segments with alternative footage from other users' streams, effectively rushing through the problematic portions without including them in the final broadcast.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes the source parameter by switching between different user streams based on real-time quality assessment. When one user's video degrades due to environmental factors, the system changes to a different source (another user's stream) that provides acceptable quality, maintaining overall video standards throughout the broadcast.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple video streams are processed and synthesized, then viewpoint diversity and quality improve, but processing complexity and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebroadcast characteristicsVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments video streams into discrete sequences with specific broadcasting characteristics. By dividing the continuous video flow into manageable segments and analyzing them individually, the server can efficiently process multiple streams without being overwhelmed by the complexity of continuous real-time analysis of entire video feeds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs partial processing by focusing only on the essential characteristics needed for broadcast decisions rather than analyzing every aspect of each video stream. This selective approach to processing reduces computational complexity while still achieving the goal of optimizing viewpoint diversity and quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Manufacturing precision

If sequences are replaced from different streams, then broadcast quality improves, but maintaining privacy and proper attribution becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebroadcast qualityVSAvoidprivacy information
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms to track which sequences come from which source streams. By maintaining this attribution information throughout the processing pipeline, the server can properly attribute replaced sequences to their original sources, preserving privacy and credit information even as sequences are exchanged between different user streams.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2701398B1Method for processing a multimedia stream, corresponding server and computer program
Publication Date: 2021.05.26 ORANGE SA
  • EP2701398B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP2701398B1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP2701398B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The method involves sub-dividing a first multimedia stream (203) into consecutive sequences based on distribution characteristic associated with the sequences, where the sub-division is activated by distribution of the stream by communication terminal (100). A part of a first sequence associated with a preset distribution characteristic is replaced by a second part of a second sequence of second multimedia stream (213) pertaining to the event, where the second part is selected according to the characteristic associated with the first sequence to generate an optimized multimedia stream. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a processing server for processing a multimedia stream pertaining to a real event (2) a computer program comprising program code instructions for implementing a method for processing a multimedia stream pertaining to a real event.