Vibro-Kinetic Signal Encoding in Digital Cinema Audio

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current solutions for synchronizing, storing, and delivering vibro-kinetic signals with audio and video streams in digital cinema environments are not well adapted and face challenges in precision and robustness.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves encoding multi-channel vibro-kinetic signals as linear PCM mono streams over one AES3 channel, using the KineLink protocol, and employing modulation and compression techniques to ensure robustness against processing effects, with the motion decoder monitoring and decoding these signals in real-time to control motion platforms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If vibro-kinetic signals are transported using existing solutions, then signal delivery is possible, but synchronization precision and robustness against processing effects are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronization precisionVSAvoidsignal processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical synchronization methods with acoustic signal embedding. Vibro-kinetic signals are encoded as audio-frequency waveforms that can be transported through existing audio infrastructure, eliminating the need for separate synchronization hardware and improving precision through the inherent timing accuracy of audio systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an audio signal as an intermediary carrier for vibro-kinetic data. Instead of direct digital transmission vulnerable to processing effects, the control signals are modulated onto audio waveforms that can pass through audio processing equipment unchanged, with the intermediary audio signal protecting the embedded vibro-kinetic information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If vibro-kinetic signals are encoded as multi-channel streams, then signal information is complete, but transport robustness against processing effects is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransport robustnessVSAvoidsignal information completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple vibro-kinetic channels into a single mono audio stream by encoding positional information as frequency-modulated audio waveforms. This consolidation makes the signal resistant to stereo processing effects while preserving complete spatial information through the audio frequency spectrum, allowing the decoder to reconstruct the original multi-channel vibro-kinetic data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Stability of the object's composition

If existing transport protocols are used for vibro-kinetic signals, then delivery is possible, but synchronization stability with audio and video content is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronization stabilityVSAvoidintegration ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the audio transport system universal by embedding vibro-kinetic control signals within the existing audio stream infrastructure. The same audio channels that carry soundtrack information also carry motion platform control signals, eliminating the need for separate synchronization protocols and ensuring stable synchronization through the shared audio timing reference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2245847B1Transporting vibro-kinetic signals in a digital cinema environment
Publication Date: 2015.01.21 D-BOX TECHNOLOGIES
  • EP2245847B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2245847B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2245847B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There is described method for producing a computer file for inclusion in an audio bundle of a digital cinema file in which is encoded a multi-channel vibro-kinetic signal for controlling a motion platform. The audio bundle is for being transported over a digital transport link between a D-Cinema player and a motion decoder. The method comprises: obtaining a succession of blocks of vibro-kinetic samples from a vibro-kinetic file (e.g., a KineLink file); encoding binary data which represents the samples of the multi-channel vibro-kinetic signal into a sequence of monophonic PCM samples, according to a defined structure; and building a computer file using the encoded binary data, the computer file for incorporation into the audio bundle of the digital-cinema file, the encoded binary data for being transported over the digital transport link of the D-Cinema player to a motion decoder controlling the motion platform. A corresponding encoder, a corresponding decoder and a corresponding decoding method are also described.