Video Playback Angle Switching via Pre-decoded Channel Buffers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current video playback systems, such as DVD players, are limited by the number of selectable angles and experience significant delays when switching between them due to buffer updating and decoding processes, which can take several seconds.
Innovation Solution
The system reads multiple video streams from a DVD disc and stores them in buffers, allowing a selector to immediately direct the chosen stream to a video decoder upon user input, reducing switching delays by pre-assembling data in buffers and utilizing a demultiplexer to filter the current stream efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system uses traditional buffer updating and decoding processes for angle switching, then the system maintains data integrity and proper video processing, but the switching delay increases to several seconds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-decoding and pre-processing multiple video angle streams before they are needed. The system maintains multiple decoded video streams in buffer memory simultaneously, so when a user requests an angle change, the selected stream is already prepared and can be switched to immediately without waiting for decoding. This resolves the contradiction by performing the time-consuming decoding operation in advance while maintaining data integrity through proper buffer management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the video data processing by separating the decoding of different angle streams into independent parallel processes. Each angle stream is decoded and stored in separate buffer regions, allowing independent preparation of multiple streams. This segmentation enables the system to maintain multiple ready-to-play streams simultaneously, eliminating the sequential processing bottleneck that causes switching delays while ensuring each segment maintains its data integrity.
2Speed
If the system pre-decodes and stores multiple video streams in buffers, then the angle switching speed increases to instantaneous, but the device complexity and memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary decoding of multiple angle streams and stores them in buffer memory before user selection. This allows instantaneous switching because the selected stream is already decoded and ready for output. The buffer management complexity is handled through systematic addressing schemes where each angle stream is allocated specific buffer regions, and the controller manages buffer updates and selection through programmed sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces buffer memory as an intermediary between the data source and the video output. The buffer acts as a mediator that decouples the complex decoding process from the simple selection process. Once streams are pre-loaded into the buffer, switching becomes a simple matter of selecting which buffered stream to output, rather than managing complex real-time decoding and switching operations simultaneously.
3Reliability
If the system limits the number of selectable angles to maintain performance, then the system remains stable and manageable, but the versatility and user choice are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments video data into distinct angle streams, with each stream independently decoded and stored in separate buffer regions. This segmentation allows the system to efficiently manage multiple angle options by organizing them in structured buffer areas with specific addressing schemes. The system can handle a practical number of angles (such as up to 9 as mentioned in the background) while maintaining stability through systematic buffer management and controlled parallel processing of segmented streams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal buffer management system that can accommodate multiple angle streams through a standardized addressing and selection mechanism. The same buffer structure and control logic can handle any number of angle streams within system capabilities, providing versatility without requiring separate management systems for each angle. This multi-functional approach allows the system to adapt to different content requirements while maintaining operational stability.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide faster user-selected scene switching during playback of a video production. In one embodiment, several channels of video (e.g., several video streams each depicting a different camera angle) are read from interleaved data on a DVD disc. Each channel's data is maintained in a channel buffer that is input to a video decoder via a selector. When a signal from a user input device indicates that a user has selected a new channel, the selector can immediately provide the selected channel's data from the channel buffer to the video decoder, thus providing an increase in switching speed.