Digital Video Indexing for Precise Content Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital video recorders (DVRs) lack efficient indexing of recorded content, making it difficult for users to navigate through programs like sports events, reality shows, and news programs, where segment durations are unpredictable, and advertisements cannot be easily skipped.
Innovation Solution
A method of indexing digitally recorded audio and video programs, allowing users to navigate through segments with customizable indexes that can be downloaded from a server, enabling precise skipping of advertisements and content navigation, with options for manual or automatic selection based on user preferences and geolocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If digital video recorders store recorded content without indexing, then storage space is saved and device complexity is reduced, but users cannot efficiently navigate through programs or skip advertisements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the recorded video content into discrete segments or chapters, each with a unique identifier and metadata describing its content. This segmentation allows the system to create an index of navigable portions without requiring complex analysis of the entire video stream, resolving the contradiction between ease of navigation and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary indexing of recorded content by analyzing metadata, timestamps, and content characteristics before the user needs to navigate the video. This preliminary action creates ready-to-use navigation structures without requiring complex real-time processing during playback, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining acceptable system complexity.
2Productivity
If automatic indexing is implemented, then content navigation is improved, but processing time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial indexing by focusing computational resources on analyzing only the most relevant metadata fields, timestamps, and content markers rather than processing every frame or detail of the video. This partial action achieves sufficient indexing for navigation purposes while significantly reducing processing energy consumption and time requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of content analysis by using coarser-grained metadata and summary information rather than detailed frame-by-frame analysis. This parameter change allows the indexing system to operate at lower computational intensity, improving productivity while reducing energy consumption.
3Measurement precision
If fixed time-based segments are used for indexing, then implementation is simplified, but precision for unpredictable content durations is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic indexing by allowing segment boundaries and durations to be determined based on actual content characteristics rather than fixed time intervals. The system analyzes content markers, chapter titles, and temporal patterns to automatically define optimal segment boundaries, achieving precise measurement while maintaining relatively simple implementation through automated detection algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The indexing system incorporates feedback mechanisms where metadata analysis and content recognition continuously refine segment definitions. By using feedback from content markers and user interaction patterns, the system improves measurement precision without requiring overly complex manual configuration, resolving the contradiction between accuracy and implementation simplicity.
4Ease of operation
If advertisements are automatically identified and skipped, then user experience is improved, but advertising revenue is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the user and advertisements by creating a selective skipping mechanism. The system identifies advertisement segments through metadata analysis and provides users with the option to skip them, rather than automatically removing all ads. This intermediary approach improves ease of operation for users who want to skip ads while preserving advertising revenue through targeted, optional ad skipping rather than complete ad elimination.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus of indexing a previously digitally recorded program of an audio and video program comprising: first, downloading the digital recording of the audio and video program; second, downloading from a server an index of the digital audio and video program to be associated with the digital recording of the audio and video program so as to navigate the digital recording of the audio and video program; third associating the index to the digital audio and video recording enabling a user of the digitally recorded audio and video program to navigate the digital recording of the audio and video program according to the index; and fourth, enabling the user to navigate the indexed associated digital recording of the audio/video program using the index applied to the digital recording of the audio and video program among many other aspects not allowed regarding the length of this abstract.