Playback Device Luminance Control for HDR Video Streams

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional playback devices struggle to appropriately express luminance for video streams with different dynamic ranges, particularly High Dynamic Range (HDR) video streams, as existing formats lack efficient methods for recording and managing these variations.

Innovation Solution

A playback device that includes an attribute reader to determine the dynamic range of a video stream from management information, a decoder to process the stream, and an outputter to provide decoded video information along with maximum luminance data, allowing for accurate expression of luminance based on the stream's type and method of encoding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional playback devices play back video streams without dynamic range information, then the playback process is simple, but the luminance expression is inaccurate for HDR video streams

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveluminance expression accuracyVSAvoidplayback device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The management information file is prepared in advance with dynamic range attributes (first attribute information) indicating whether the video stream uses first dynamic range or second dynamic range. This preliminary preparation allows the playback device to appropriately express luminance without adding complex real-time processing, as the necessary information is already organized and accessible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A management information file acts as an intermediary between the video stream and the playback device. This file contains correlated first attribute information that bridges the gap between the encoded video data and the playback processing, enabling accurate luminance expression without directly modifying the video stream or complicating the playback device hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a single recording medium format is used for all video streams, then the recording medium is simple to manage, but it cannot efficiently handle HDR video streams with different dynamic ranges

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with different dynamic rangesVSAvoidrecording medium structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The management information file is designed with universal structure that can handle both conventional video streams (first dynamic range) and HDR video streams (second dynamic range). The first attribute information provides a unified method to identify the dynamic range type, allowing a single recording medium format to efficiently manage multiple video stream types without requiring separate formats for each dynamic range.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If dynamic range information is added to video streams, then luminance can be accurately expressed, but the data management becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveluminance dynamic range accuracyVSAvoidmanagement information organization

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The dynamic range information (first attribute information) is merged into the existing management information file structure rather than being stored separately. This combining approach maintains accurate luminance dynamic range information while avoiding the creation of separate management systems, thus preventing information loss and keeping the overall management structure integrated and efficient.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11538502B2Playback device, playback method, and recording medium

Publication Date: 2022.12.27 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORP OF AMERICA

AI summary

A decoding system decodes a video stream, which is encoded video information. The decoding system includes a decoder that acquires the video steam and generates decoded video information, and a maximum luminance information acquirer that acquires, in a case where a dynamic range of luminance of the video stream is a second dynamic range that is wider than a first dynamic range, maximum luminance information indicating the maximum luminance of the video stream from the video stream. The decoding system also includes an outputter that outputs the decoded video information and the maximum luminance information. Where the dynamic range of luminance of the video stream is expressed by the maximum luminance of all pictures in the video stream as the maximum luminance information, the outputter outputs the decoded video information, along with the maximum luminance information indicating the maximum luminance of all pictures in the video stream.