Whitepaper

IMPROVED ACCESSIBILITYIN MOVIE THEATERS AND THEATERS
WITH ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION:HELLO! MOVIEMarch 2024

HELLO! MOVIE - Evixar Whitepaper

11. INTRODUCTION (PREFACE)
Evixar Inc. (“Evixar”) creates novel technologies to provide barrier-free environments inpublic entertainment spaces such as movie theaters and theaters, which have beencommercially rolled out across Japan since around 2020. This paper reports on thepositive impacts of the barrier-free film screening and performing arts exhibition method(“Method”) that was designed by Evixar for individuals with visual or auditory
impairment and offers them an audio guide that can be heard through a smartphone alongwith a caption guide that can be viewed through glasses. These technologies have alreadybeen widely integrated into the industry’s infrastructure. The paper also explains how theacoustic communication technology underpinning the Method works, describes thetechnological background of the related patents, and introduces the key features of
Evixar’s new product, HELLO! MOVIE.
Since the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities came into
effect in 2016 followed by the Act on the Promotion of Measures for Improving
Information Accessibility, Use, and Communication for Persons with Disabilities that
became effective in 2022, public and commercial facilities have been facing a growing
need to make their information environments more barrier-free for persons withdisabilities who use them. In particular, in light of the amended Act for Eliminating
Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities that is scheduled to come into effect inApril 2024, the industry needs to reach a consensus on a comprehensive service solutionthat can be adopted nationwide across all films, theatrical productions, etc. and implement
the solution.
The Method had to meet the two distinct requirements of reasonable accommodation andentertainment value. According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, reasonable accommodation means “necessary and appropriate modification
and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in aparticular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an
equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

2. BACKGROUND: BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS ANDTECHNOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS
Reasonable accommodation must be considered not only at actual service sites catering
to persons with disabilities but also during the production, development, and preparation
phases in order to ensure sustainable operation and effective cost control. Therefore, therequirements have been jointly examined by persons with disabilities as end users, film
producers, theater companies, event promoters, experts on barrier-free design, etc.
To implement highly-scalable barrier-free design for the viewing of films, theatrical
productions, etc., the experience must be delivered using a post-production,
supplementary service method that is entirely separate from the films and performing arts
programs. The method must also be deployed with the prior consent of the producers so
HELLO! MOVIE - Evixar Whitepaper2

that their artistic intentions and envisioned entertainment value are not compromised tothe extent possible. In the film and performing arts industry, there has been a viewing
option that provides audio and caption guides synced with the visual and auditory content
as it unfolds. The realistic approach has been to devise a method that can widely distributeand provide a guide function without hindering the production process. However, theconventional guide service method can only be deployed using special equipment that
ensures information security, which means that few facilities can adopt the method. In
addition, for commercial reasons the conventional method is only available for limited
periods after the films are released.
Since movie theaters and theaters are where the service is offered, the ideal method would
allow both able-bodied and disabled people to simultaneously enjoy the same content in
the same space once the programs are released to the public, regardless of time or facility.
However, it is difficult to accurately predict the number of people with disabilities whowill come to each showing and require the guide service. As the producers decide at theirdiscretion whether to create and offer a guide service to accompany their films andperforming arts programs, the guide method must allow the scale of the service to be
adjusted after its actual introduction and operation.
In view of the business requirements described above, Evixar set out to identify thetechnological requirements of an app that would be used by persons with disabilities on
the smart devices (smartphones and smart glasses) that are widely used by them, assumingthat they will bring their own devices to the event venues and operate the guide appthemselves. Evixar identified the following basic requirements:- can work on widely used smart devices;- can function with existing equipment and in the existing environment available at any
movie theaters and theaters nationwide;- is ease to use;
- can function on devices in airplane mode with all telecommunication functions
disabled; and- the guide function can only be used in movie theaters and theaters.
As for the caption guide, Evixar decided to limit the use on smart glasses so that lightleakage from the devices would not affect other audience members sitting nearby.

3. EVIXAR’S PROPRIETARY ELEMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES OF
AUDIO FINGERPRINT, AUDIO WATERMARK, AND
ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION
Evixar’s proprietary acoustic communication technology combines the elemental
technologies developed by Evixar, which are called audio fingerprints and audio
watermarks, that are related to acoustic signal processing. The Method controls the users’
and audience-space devices in sync with the program as it progresses, which isdetermined by the auditory data as the content unfolds. This syncing function is achievedby collating the time data of the unfolding scene with the time data of the audio and visual
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guide program without communicating with any external server, etc.
Audio fingerprinting is a technology that operates on teacher data comprised of thesignal-processed and encoded features of the predetermined target sounds, and matches
them to the encoded external sounds that are acquired through the devices’ microphones,
etc., to determine their identicality. One of the advantages of this technology is that it
cannot be misused in violation of privacy or copyright, as it does not track the film or
performing arts contents, and the data, once encoded, are no longer decodable, making iteasier to obtain permission from film producers and production companies whennegotiating the terms of their business use. Evixar’s proprietary algorithm has beendeveloped mainly for delivering the guide function through smartphones and smart
glasses and is highly robust. Its key features include the ability to detect audio signals thatare emitted from loudspeakers, transmitted through the air, and captured by the devices’
microphones.

Audio Fingerprint
Compares the features of master sound data (teacher data)with the features of the microphone-acquired sounds.
Auditory data of various
media contents

Fingerprint DB Conversion(teacher data)
to FP

Conversion
to FP

FP matching
Detected audio
matching
Syncing

Catches soundMany cases of successful
implementation in TV, films, toys,
etc.

Figure 1: Concept of audio fingerprint (FP) technology
Audio watermarking is Evixar’s technology of embedding text data, etc. that have been
converted from encrypted audio signals. Evixar’s proprietary algorithm provides superb
media durability, secrecy protection, reverberation, and noise resistance, and delivers
proven resistance to deterioration in sound quality. Hence, it can successfully decode theaudio signals emitted by the loudspeakers, transmitted through the air, and captured by
the devices’ microphones. This, for example, enables broadcast-type communication
between the loudspeakers that already exist at entertainment facilities and the audiencespace microphones, even in environments where there is no radio wave or wirelesscommunication technology.

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Audio Watermark
Broadcast audio
data, etc.

Information embedded in broadcast audio data, etc.
is detected by microphones.
Broadcast program andaudio watermarks
playedCatches soundWatermark datadetected

Watermark(data)(identifier)

Watermarked
sound* Within and outside
the audible range

Many cases of successful implementation in stadiums,
theaters, digital signage in public spaces, IoT, etc.

Figure 2: Concept of audio watermark technology
Evixar delivers highly distinct communication solutions by optimally combining the twoelemental technologies described above to meet the business and technologicalrequirements of each project.
Features of acoustic communication
i.
ii.
iii.

iv.
v.

Sound-enabled communication is highly compatible with broadcasting andstreaming services.
Communication is possible only using loudspeakers and microphones,
requiring minimal development and operation resources.
It is exempt from the certification requirements under the Radio Act because
no radio communication is involved, which removes the need to develop
solutions for export to other countries and to retest them to make sure they
comply with regulations of specific countries.
The communication range can be finely adjusted simply by turning up or
down the volume of the audio amplifier.
Data can be transmitted as far as acoustic waves reach because the RadioAct does not apply.

Business application ideas and advantagesi.

ii.

While wireless technology can transmit more data at faster rates, acoustic
communication is sufficiently useful for transmitting ID, trigger signals, andother smaller data.
Acoustic communication offers high throughput: detection of a watermark
signal takes only 0.1 second (inter-device buffer) (while similar
conventional technology requires a few seconds). Therefore, it is aneffective mode of communication in broadcast-type settings (simultaneous
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iii.

iv.

v.

vi.

and same-content communication).
It is able to detect watermark signals emitted from distant loudspeakers inpublic spaces, etc. where there is much electromagnetic interference andwireless/mobile communication is not necessarily stable (although it may
be stable inside homes, etc.). (For example, acoustic communication allows
for the detection of audio signals at all seats at a stadium, etc. that are
emitted from the existing loudspeakers with a low S/N ratio (i.e., high noisecontent), resulting in low sound pressure that makes detection difficult.
While smartphones and most other smart devices are equipped with
telephony functions, the performance characteristics of their microphones
are less dependent on the device model compared to other sensors.
Therefore, acoustic communication can be deployed and stably function on
the wide range of devices of diverse end users, including foreign nationals
visiting Japan.
It can be effectively deployed for applications that involve large audiencesof tens of thousands (while functioning properly, unaffected by network
congestion or packet loss).
It can also be used in any application environment where it is desirable toprohibit phone calls and the use of social media, etc. (the function remains
accessible to the users through their smartphones in airplane mode, forexample).

4. TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION IN MOVIE THEATERS
The Method can be deployed merely by using a special app called HELLO! MOVIE(https://hellomovie.info/) installed on the users’ devices, to which audio and caption
guide data created in advance is securely distributed over the internet. HELLO! MOVIE
is available to the public and can be downloaded at any time for free, and used on iOS,
Android, and smart glasses. The app also has an operability check function that can beused on the way to a movie theater, along with a search function to find out which films
are currently screening barrier-free (22 out of the 26 Japanese films that were released in
2022 and achieved at least 1 billion yen in ticket sales were HELLO! MOVIE-adapted).
If the app detects the auditory data of a film being screened in a movie theater, which isunavailable elsewhere, the guide function is activated only for those users who havepurchased tickets. This unlocking process is achieved with the audio fingerprint
technology explained earlier.

HELLO! MOVIE - Evixar Whitepaper

6Figure 3: Audio and caption guide service concept of HELLO! MOVIE

Caption glasses(rental service)

Special app for
rental in movie
theaters

Barrier-free common
platform(Accessibility improvement)(Installed on user’s
own device / caption
guide)(User’s own device /audio guide)

Figure 4: App and rental service configuration
For persons with disabilities, being able to watch the latest box-office hits alongside ablebodied fellow movie-goers is itself a novel value proposition for their entertainment
experience, which also produces positive knock-on effects on their families and friends.
The Method enables the barrier-free screening of films from the first day of their releasein any movie theater and in any seating position, through the guide data playback functionof the app installed on smart devices that are also commonly used by persons withdisabilities. As for smart glasses, which are not as widely used as smartphones, Evixar
has been making them available for rent with a growing number of movie theaters, sousers can go to their service counters to rent them. (This rental service is offered by over
80 movie theaters across Japan as of February 28, 2023.)

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Figure 5: Summary of technology implementation in movie theaters
HELLO! MOVIE - Evixar Whitepaper

8Furthermore, to meet the production and operational requirements, audio watermarking
is used to sync with the video content that is played before each film starts, while audio
fingerprints are used for syncing with the main film content. These two distinct synctechniques have two objectives: to start the syncing immediately after the main film starts,and to completely separate the main film production from the audio and caption guide
production employing the Method.

5. TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION IN THEATERS
Theaters where musicals, plays, and other theatrical productions are performed, mainly
use the caption guide function integral to the Method. The guide text is produced inadvance by observing the scripts and practice sessions and is transmitted to the special
app installed on the users’ devices, which is similar to how the app is implemented inmovie theaters. However, unlike films, which are commonly referred to as complete
packages, theatrical productions unfold on a time schedule that varies slightly from one
showing to the next, which requires time adjustments on the guide data playback function
in real time. Theaters’ business and technological requirements for achieving the samebarrier-free viewing experience across all showings also mean that making such time
adjustments for each showing must not require extra labor. In addition, theaters use radio
communication to operate certain stage devices and interference is not permitted, so theuse of wireless communication on the audience-space devices must be avoided.
To solve this issue, Evixar adjusted how the technology is implemented on films, andembedded audio watermarks in the sound effects and BGM of theatrical productions. Thisapproach allowed Evixar to embed in the theatrical production a function to correct inreal time any temporal asymmetry that had occurred between the on-stage performanceand the caption guide playback. This effort paid off, as the Method could then be
implemented on long-running productions. One example is the Disney musicals produced
by Shiki Theatre Company, which uses the Method to provide a caption guide service tothe hearing impaired and also a foreign language caption service to those not proficientin Japanese.

HELLO! MOVIE - Evixar Whitepaper

9Figure 6: Technology implementation in theaters

6. CONCLUSION
The key advantage of the Method and Evixar’s new HELLO! MOVIE product that
implements it is the ability to deliver the guide function as a post-production,
supplementary service, by harnessing acoustic communication technology, without
imposing any new burden on the conventional production flow or requiring any additional
investment in facilities and equipment. As of February 28, 2023, the HELLO! MOVIE
app had been downloaded over 300,000 times, while the caption glasses had been rented
over 13,000 times, establishing the Method as a crucial component integral to theindustry’s infrastructure.
As for Evixar’s audio and caption guide service, it could be implemented for wider
applications to broaden the user base, by catering to the needs of multilingual services
and with better contents planning, featuring commentaries on the backstories of films andtheatrical productions, how the world would be different in their eras, etc. Furthermore,assuming that the technologies found in users’ devices will continue to evolve, Evixar’s
innovative solutions will likely be applicable to immersive theaters (where audiences
experience theatrical performances while being immersed in them) and other next-gen
entertainment experiences that will be rolled out in the years to come.
Moreover, according to the 2022 Annual Report on the Aging Society issued by theGovernment of Japan, it is estimated that population aging will sharply increase over the
next forty years, as the percentage of individuals aged 65 years and older among thecountry’s entire population was only 5.1% in 1950 but rose to 9.3% in 2020 and is
projected to jump to 17.8% in 2060. Needless to say, as the country’s population ages,
HELLO! MOVIE - Evixar Whitepaper

10the number of persons with visual and auditory disabilities will also likely rise.
Evixar intends to step up its business development efforts by proposing solutions to
Hollywood-based film studios in the U.S. and other entertainment event promotersaround the world, building on its successes as described in this report and leveraging its
registered international patents on the acoustic-communication-based synchronization
technologies.

Sample media coverage of Evixar’s technologies
March 5, 2024. Barrier-free Screenings - Bringing Japanese DX Technology to the WorldThe Nikkei Business Daily, p. 2
August 3, 2022. Evixar obtains patents in the U.S. and Korea on caption guide techniques
for theaters and stages.
The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (East Japan edition), p. 26.
July 21, 2022. Evixar granted patents on a caption method for stage productions in the
U.S. and Korea, which displays captions in sync with scene progression and could
become a global standard.
The Sankei Shimbun, p. 12.
February 25, 2022. Patents granted in the U.S. and China on a guide service for movie
theaters.
The Nikkei Business Daily, p. 5
February 16, 2022. Enjoying theater with caption terminals lent to the auditorily impaired.
Laughter and deep emotional journeys all take place in sync.
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (evening edition).
April 12, 2020. Uncharted territory! Cutting-edge technology uses inaudible sounds.
Science ZERO. NHK Educational TV.
Related commendations
December 2023: the Prime Minister’s Commendation (Barrier-Free Universal Design
Promotion Award for 2023)
February 2023: Zero Project Award 2023
November 2022: MCPC Award 2022, Service & Solution category (Special Award)
March 2022: Tokyu Alliance Platform 2021, Demo Day (Futako-Tamagawa Award(Award for Excellence))

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Major publicity articles (translated from Japanese)
March 5, 2024. Barrier-free Screenings - Bringing Japanese DX Technology to the WorldThe Nikkei Business Daily, p. 2
Barrier-free access to information for people with disabilities in public and commercial
facilities has progressed, following the enactment of the Act for Eliminating
Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities in 2016 and the Act on the Promotion ofInformation Accessibility and Communication Measures for Persons with Disabilities in2022. From April 2024, the revised Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons
with Disabilities will require a wide range of businesses to provide “reasonableaccommodation.” Prior to this, the film industry conducted a series of demonstrations
with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Health, Labour andWelfare, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs andCommunications from around 2014.

Captioning with AR glasses helps people with hearing and visual impairment enjoy movies andplays

As a unified method for movie theaters nationwide, we have developed a guide service
for people with hearing and visual impairment using smartphones and smart glasses
equipped with our audio synchronization system. It recognizes the main sound of themovie and other sounds by using the microphone of the smart device and achieves thesynchronization and authentication necessary to play the guides, so that movie theaters
do not need to invest in new equipment. The audio and captioning data for the guide isdelivered directly to the user via the cloud, and the service can be launched at any timeonce the guide is complete. Aiming for reasonable accommodation for people withdisabilities, it is necessary to extend this not only to the sites where the service is provided,
HELLO! MOVIE - Evixar Whitepaper

12but also to the production, development, and preparation phases to enable sustainable
operations and costs. This should be leveraged as an opportunity to drive digitaltransformation (DX) across the industry. It is desirable that both able-bodied and disabled
people can enjoy movies in the same place at the same time when movies are released tothe public, without being limited by time or facilities. On the other hand, it is difficult topredict the number of visitors with disabilities who will need a guide for each screeningor performance session, and the scale of the service must be adjustable afterwards throughdemonstration and operation.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of film-related companies, this method was adopted in
90% of the 34 Japanese films that earned box office revenues of 1 billion yen or more in
2023. The use of this service is now expanding to provide audio and other commentary
services to encourage people to visit movie theaters repeatedly; to link with penlight
performances at cheering screenings; and to provide multilingual guides to encourage theconsumption of experiences by foreigners visiting and staying in Japan. This is a
successful example of DX, where people with disabilities become early adopters (early
customers) and stimulate the entire industry.
These efforts and our achievements in building industry-wide DX and unified services
across Japan have been recognized. In February 2023, we won the Zero Project Award,
known as the Academy Award for barrier-free services, at the United Nations Office inVienna, and in December, we received the Prime Minister’s Commendation (Barrier-Free
Universal Design Promotion Award for 2023). In December 2023, we established asubsidiary, HELLO! MOVIE, through a corporate split-off in order to accelerate thebusiness. Hollywood studios in the U.S. are also showing strong interest. We aim to enter
the global market with Japan’s standardized technology.

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"A Vision of the World Where People Use Sound to See, Connect, and Enjoy"
April 7 2020. Audio Signal Processing Gives Birth to the Subtitle Glasses,
Fuji Sankei Business i, 15 times in total, 2020
Fukushima 50, a movie distributed by Shochiku and Kadokawa, has been a box-office hit
since its general release this past March. Over 60 movie theaters across Japan started
offering a unique service along with the release of the film, although no major advertising
campaign was done to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Can you guess what it is?
Answer: Renting out glasses that show subtitles.
These subtitle glasses, called “Jimaku Megane (literally ‘subtitle glasses’ in Japanese),”are essentially a text-guidance display device that can be worn by the user like regular
eyeglasses. The subtitles indicated on the transparent lenses can be viewed as though they
are on the movie screen, so the device enables those with hearing disabilities to enjoy
movies. This solution, which lets disabled individuals watch and enjoy movies on thesame screen simultaneously with individuals without hearing impairments, is a conceptthat has been tested in the film industry over the years. As such eyeglass-style devices
had not spread, it was decided to rent out these subtitle glasses which are based on theconcept.
Meanwhile, to offer a similar solution for the visually impaired, a free audio guidance
app called HELLO! MOVIE has also been released, which lets individuals with impaired
vision hear audio descriptions of what’s going on in the movies through their smartphoneearphones, either on iOS or Android. As smartphones have become widespread, users canenjoy using the app on their own devices. The app has been popular since around 2015.
The company behind the development and provision of these Jimaku Megane andHELLO! MOVIE app services is Evixar Inc., and I’m its president. Evixar’s main
business is audio signal processing, and we basically develop what’s commonly known
as seed technology. In this article series, I’d like to explain to readers how novel
technologies and systems get their names and what their key points are, such as how acertain application of audio signal processing technology became Jimaku Megane, while
also taking into account various social themes like the sustainable development goals(SDGs).
During the proof-of-concept experiments on using the device in movie theaters, both thebusiness requirements and technical requirements were identified, which included thefollowing:– The app must work properly in any movie theater nationwide with the existing
equipment, set-up, etc.
– It must be very easy to operate.
– It must function properly when the smartphone is in airplane mode, with all signaltransmission functions disabled, etc.
Such requirements happened to match what Evixar’s acoustic synchronization system
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could achieve. By installing a function into eyeglass-style devices and smartphones that
can identify the exact scene of a movie that is playing at any given moment based on thesound from the movie, the users can receive synchronized subtitle and audio guidance
data on their devices in a manner similar to augmented reality (AR), without having toperform any complex operations.
When I attended a movie-related symposium one day, I was approached by this personwith visual impairment, who greeted me and said, “Thanks to this invention, more andmore people with impaired vision are watching movies for fun, and I’m one of them.”
It’s moments like that when I realize the importance of recognizing and catering to theunique needs and strong wants of those who are struggling with various social issues, inorder to find workable solutions.

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