Text-Based Subtitle Reproduction Apparatus with Style Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multimedia storage systems face challenges in efficiently producing and editing subtitle or caption data due to its multiplexing with video, audio, and interactive graphic streams, and limited flexibility in changing output styles.
Innovation Solution
A storage medium and reproducing apparatus that separate text-based subtitle data from image data, using a subtitle decoder to convert presentation information into bitmap images based on style information, allowing for synchronized output and user-defined style changes, including support for multiple languages and effects like fade-in/out.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If bitmap-based caption data is multiplexed with video, audio, and interactive graphic streams, then the subtitle data can be integrated into the main AV data stream, but the production and edition of subtitle data become very difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments subtitle data from the multiplexed AV stream by extracting it as a separate component. The reproduction apparatus separates subtitle data from video, audio, and interactive graphic streams, allowing independent processing and editing while maintaining the ability to integrate them during playback. This segmentation enables easy production and edition of subtitle data without affecting other media components.
2Ease of operation
If bitmap-based caption data is used, then subtitles can be displayed on images, but the output style of the caption data cannot be changed in a variety of ways
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic style switching for subtitles by introducing a style selection mechanism. The reproduction apparatus can change output styles of captions dynamically based on user selection or preset configurations. Multiple style parameters (font, size, color, position) are stored and can be switched without regenerating the subtitle data, enabling versatile output style changes while maintaining easy display operation.
3Reliability
If caption data is multiplexed with other data streams, then a complete AV data stream can be created, but the big size of bitmap-based caption data becomes a problem
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts subtitle data from the multiplexed AV stream as a separate, independently manageable component. By taking out subtitle data from the integrated stream, the system allows for efficient compression and selective processing. The extraction mechanism enables the AV stream to maintain completeness for reliable playback while managing caption data size separately through efficient encoding and selective decompression only when needed for display.
Data Source
AI summary
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium and apparatus to reproduce from a storage medium are provided. The apparatus has a video decoder to decode audio-visual data and a subtitle decoder to receive text-based subtitle data having dialog presentation units and a dialog style unit defining a set of output styles to be applied to the dialog presentation units, converting the dialog presentation units into bitmap images based on the dialog style unit, and controlling an output of the converted dialog presentation units synchronized with decoded audio-visual data. Each dialog presentation unit has dialog text information, time information indicating a time for the dialog text information to be output, palette information defining colors to be applied to the dialog text information, and a color update flag indicating whether only the palette information has changed as compared with a graphical composition of a previous dialog presentation unit.