Supplemental Audio Generation for Video Content Context
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Solution Overview
Problem
Certain portions of audio-visual content are not suitable for playback in audio-only mode, leading to user inconvenience, increased processing power consumption, and bandwidth usage when users switch back to video mode to understand missing context.
Innovation Solution
A media application generates supplemental audio for content items that are not suitable for audio-only mode, using sensors to detect device orientation and user activity, and accessing metadata from multiple sources to provide text-to-speech and additional context, while also skipping or summarizing content to conserve bandwidth and processing resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If video mode is used to understand content context, then user understanding is improved, but bandwidth consumption and processing power increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential visual information (text and key visual elements) from video content and converts it to audio format through text-to-speech synthesis. This allows users to obtain content context without consuming video bandwidth or processing resources, as only audio data is transmitted and processed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces text-to-speech synthesis as an intermediary that converts visual text content into audio format. This mediator bridges the gap between video content and audio-only mode, enabling users to understand content context through audio without needing to switch to resource-intensive video mode.
2Loss of energy
If audio-only mode is used, then bandwidth and processing power are saved, but user understanding of content context deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary text-to-speech conversion of essential visual content (such as text overlays, subtitles, and key information) before audio-only playback. This preliminary action ensures that all necessary contextual information is already in audio format, allowing users to consume content fully in audio-only mode without losing understanding.
3Loss of information
If video mode is switched on during audio-only playback, then content understanding is improved, but device power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical action of switching display screens on with audio-based information delivery. Instead of activating the visual display system (which consumes significant power), the system uses text-to-speech audio output to convey the same information, thereby substituting a high-power mechanical system with a lower-power audio system.
4Adaptability or versatility
If text-to-speech generation is performed, then accessibility and content understanding are improved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial text-to-speech generation by selecting only the most essential visual elements (such as text overlays, subtitles, and key information) for conversion to audio, rather than converting all visual content. This selective approach maintains audio-only mode compatibility while significantly reducing processing time and computational resource requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for generating supplemental audio for an audio-only mode are disclosed. For example, a system generates for output a content item that includes video and audio. In response to determining that an audio-only mode is activated, the system determines that a portion of the content item is not suitable to play in the audio-only mode. In response to determining that the portion of the content item is not suitable to play in the audio-only mode, the system generates for output supplemental audio associated with the content item during the portion of the content item.