Playback Audio Segment Control After Mute to Cut Bandwidth

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing multimedia playback devices continue to download audio segments unnecessarily when sound is muted, consuming bandwidth on telecommunications networks.

Innovation Solution

The playback device stops receiving audio segments upon detection of a sound interruption, either by halting audio segment requests or using substitute audio segments stored in the buffer to maintain playback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the playback device continues to download audio segments after sound is muted, then the audio buffer remains filled, but network bandwidth is unnecessarily consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous playbackVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by storing substitute audio segments in the audio buffer before the sound is muted. When muting occurs, these pre-stored substitute segments are used to maintain continuous playback without requiring further network downloads, thus preventing unnecessary bandwidth consumption while ensuring playback reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of audio segment source by switching from network-downloaded segments to locally stored substitute segments. This parameter change allows the playback device to maintain audio output continuity after muting without consuming additional network bandwidth, resolving the contradiction between reliable playback and bandwidth efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of energy

If the playback device stops downloading audio segments when sound is muted, then bandwidth consumption is reduced, but the audio buffer may become empty causing playback interruption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth consumptionVSAvoidcontinuous playback

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-storing multiple substitute audio segments in the audio buffer before the muting event occurs. This ensures that when downloads stop after muting, the buffer contains sufficient substitute content to maintain playback continuity without interruption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates copies of audio segments and stores them as substitute segments in the audio buffer. These copied segments serve as replacements when original downloads are stopped, ensuring continuous playback while reducing bandwidth consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If substitute audio segments are stored in the buffer before sound interruption, then continuous playback is maintained, but device memory usage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous playbackVSAvoidmemory usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by storing only a limited number of substitute audio segments in the buffer rather than maintaining unlimited audio content. This partial storage is sufficient to bridge the period after muting until unmute occurs, ensuring continuous playback while controlling memory usage within acceptable limits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4668759A1Method for managing access, by a playback device, to a multimedia content after cutting off the sound

Publication Date: 2025.12.24 ORANGE SA

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Figure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method of managing access, by a reading device (STB), to multimedia content comprising audio (Sa1) and video (Sv1) segments downloaded successively for playback, characterized in that the reception of data representing a sound cut-off (SND OFF) by the reading device (STB) of the content causes a stoppage of the download of the audio segments (Sai,Sai+1,...).