Content stream having encoded metadata for video enhancement

Number: 11695988
Published: 2023-07-04
Filed: 2021-07-15
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: Taylor; Alice Jane et al.
CPC: H04N21/435; H04N21/44016; H04N21/8126; H04N21/8133; H04N21/858
Verdict: Set aside content metadata streaming, plumbing/business
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

Abstract

A system for providing default content enhanced with supplemental content includes processing hardware and a memory storing a software code. The processing hardware executes the software code to receive a content stream including multiple video frames, a first video frame of the multiple video frames including first default content, first supplemental content, and first encoded metadata, and to decode the first encoded metadata of the first video frame to produce first decoded metadata. The processing hardware further executes the software code to select, using the first decoded metadata, at least a first portion of the first supplemental content for use in enhancing the first default content, transfer, using the first decoded metadata, the selected first portion of the first supplemental content to one or more predetermined locations in the first default content to produce an enhanced first video content, and output the enhanced first video content to a display device.

Background

BACKGROUND (1) Video content that enables user interactivity typically requires multiple starts and stops of video playback in order to make changes to the content. For example, a version of a video in which the user can change the language spoken by the characters typically requires pausing of the video in order to select the change, and then starting a different video stream with the alternate language content. Analogously, enabling user control of creative aspects of storytelling, such as alterations to lighting or color, or triggering of special effects, are virtually impossible to implement in a simple consumer playback platform that requires multiple playback stops and starts to effectuate the user desired creative changes. (2) In order to provide supplemental content, such as subtitles or interactive content, for use with primary content distributed to users, two data streams, a primary content stream and a supplemental content stream, are typically sent to the playback device of the user. The playback device must then synchronize the primary content, e.g., the primary video file, and the supplemental content, e.g., side car data files. Such synchronization can require considerable processing power, especially in the case of interactive content that contains complex rendering data that would require advanced GPUs to concurrently process and synchronize the rendering data with the playback of the primary content. This undesirably prevents users of many widely distribute

Claims

1. A system comprising: a processing hardware and a memory storing a software code; the processing hardware configured to execute the software code to: receive a content stream including a plurality of video frames each having at least one of a default content or a supplemental content, and encoded metadata including a metadata header portion and a metadata body portion, wherein the metadata header portion is embedded in same location within each of the plurality of video frames, wherein the metadata body portion is randomly located within each of the plurality of video frames on a per-frame basis, and wherein a first video frame of the plurality of video frames includes a first default content, a first supplemental content, and first encoded metadata; decode the first encoded metadata of the first video frame to produce a first decoded metadata; select, using the first decoded metadata, at least a first portion of the first supplemental content for use in enhancing the first default content; transfer, using the first decoded metadata, the selected first portion of the first supplemental content to one or more predetermined locations in the first default content to produce an enhanced first video content; and output the enhanced first video content to a display device. || 11. A method for use by a system including a processing hardware and a memory storing a software code, the method comprising: receiving, by the software code executed by the processing hardware, a content stream including a plurality of video frames each having at least one of a default content or a supplemental content, and encoded metadata including a metadata header portion and a metadata body portion, wherein the metadata header portion is embedded in same location within each of the plurality of video frames, wherein the metadata body portion is randomly located within each of the plurality of video frames on a per-frame basis, and wherein a first video frame of the plurality of video frames includes a first default content, a first supplemental content, and first encoded metadata; decoding, by the software code executed by the processing hardware, the first encoded metadata of the first video frame to produce a first decoded metadata; selecting, by the software code executed by the processing hardware and using the first decoded metadata, at least a first portion of the first supplemental content for use in enhancing the first default content; transferring, by the software code executed by the processing hardware and using the first decoded metadata, the selected first portion of the supplemental content to one or more predetermined locations in the first default content to produce an enhanced first video content; and outputting, by the software code executed by the processing hardware, the enhanced first video content to a display device.