Variable Content Playback in Fixed Length Frameworks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current digital media formats, such as Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD, require fixed-length content frameworks, making it difficult to play back variable length content without pre-defined clip information, leading to limitations in updating content and user experience issues.

Innovation Solution

The system provides methods to generate and play back supplemental content by retrieving and processing content into clips that conform to a fixed length framework, allowing for dynamic delivery of variable length content without requiring playback device restarts or updates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If variable length content is stored on a read-only disc, then the content can be played back, but the content becomes outdated immediately when recorded and cannot be updated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent update capabilityVSAvoidcontent currency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The content is divided into two separate segments: fixed-length content stored on the read-only disc and variable-length supplemental content stored separately (on the disc or remotely). This segmentation allows the fixed content to remain stable while the supplemental content can be updated independently, resolving the contradiction between content immutability and content updatability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A supplemental content management system acts as an intermediary between the fixed disc content and updateable supplemental content. This intermediary handles the integration of variable-length content with the fixed-length framework, enabling content updates without modifying the original read-only disc structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If supplemental content is delivered dynamically to match disc content, then content freshness is improved, but the fixed length framework requires complex processing to accommodate variable length content

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent freshnessVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Clip templates are pre-defined with specific duration parameters before supplemental content is delivered. This preliminary structuring allows the playback device to know in advance how to process and integrate variable-length supplemental content into the fixed-length framework, reducing processing complexity during actual playback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses parameter-based clip templates that define duration, timing, and synchronization characteristics. By changing these parameters dynamically based on the delivered supplemental content, the system can accommodate variable-length content while maintaining compatibility with the fixed-length framework without requiring complex structural modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If variable length supplemental content is processed to match fixed length clip templates, then playback compatibility is maintained, but the supplemental content must be segmented into multiple clips

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback compatibilityVSAvoidcontent segmentation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Variable-length supplemental content is automatically segmented into multiple fixed-length clips that conform to pre-defined clip templates. This segmentation is performed systematically based on template parameters, allowing the content to be divided into manageable chunks that can be played back within the fixed-length framework without requiring complex manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the segmentation process based on the actual length and characteristics of the delivered supplemental content. Clip boundaries and timing are flexibly determined to optimize the fit between variable-length content and fixed-length templates, reducing segmentation complexity while maintaining playback compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8644675B2Methods and systems for use in providing playback of variable length content in a fixed length framework

Publication Date: 2014.02.04 DELUXE MEDIA

AI summary

The present embodiments provide methods and systems for use in providing supplemental content to be played back with a portable storage medium. Some embodiments retrieve supplemental content associated with a portable storage medium distributed to be played back by a playback device; access a predefined clip template; process the supplemental content in accordance with the predefined clip template; and generate a plurality of clips of supplemental content in accordance with the predefined clip template, such that the plurality of clips of supplemental content have a playback length that is a fraction of a playback length of the supplemental content.