Trick Mode Audio Guide for Video Content Understanding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Multimedia players during trick mode operations, such as fast forward or reverse, mute the audio and make it difficult for users to understand the content being played, as the speed increases, leading to a lack of clarity on the video segment being viewed.

Innovation Solution

The method involves preparing additional audio content, which can be in the form of separate audio files or a playlist, that summarizes the video segments during trick mode operations, allowing users to understand the main content by playing these additional audio files alongside the main video file, even at increased playback speeds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the playback speed is increased during trick mode operations, then the efficiency of content searching is improved, but the user's understanding of the video content deteriorates due to audio muting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent searching efficiencyVSAvoidvideo content understanding
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary audio guide system that mediates between the fast-forward video playback and the user's need to understand content. The audio guide provides summarized narration of video segments, acting as a bridge that compensates for the lost audio information during trick mode operations while allowing fast playback to continue.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the video content into multiple sections and provides corresponding audio summaries for each segment. This segmentation allows the system to provide targeted information about specific video portions being viewed during fast forward, enabling users to understand key content without needing to watch every frame at normal speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If the audio is muted during trick mode operations, then the device complexity is reduced, but the user experience deteriorates due to inability to understand video content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio processing complexityVSAvoiduser experience
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of processing and transmitting full-quality audio during trick mode, the patent uses simplified audio copies or summaries of the video content. These audio guides are pre-prepared or generated summaries that convey essential information without requiring complex real-time audio processing, thus maintaining low device complexity while improving user experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If additional audio content is provided during trick mode, then the user's understanding of video content is improved, but the data transmission volume increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevideo content understandingVSAvoiddata transmission volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of audio data from full-quality continuous audio to compressed segment-based audio summaries. By transforming the audio into condensed summaries that capture only essential information for each video segment, the system provides adequate content understanding while significantly reducing the data transmission volume compared to transmitting complete audio tracks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2596626B8Method for content presentation during trick mode operations
Publication Date: 2018.11.21 INTERDIGITAL MADISON PATENT HLDG

AI summary

It is provided a method for content presentation during trick mode operations, wherein a main content file is associated with a plurality of additional content files, and each additional content file corresponds to a content segment of the main content file, the method comprises, during a chosen trick mode operation of a content segment of the main content file, playing back at least one additional content file, which is selected among the plurality of additional content files, corresponding to the content segment for chosen trick mode operation.