Audio-video content control

• US 10,701,459 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Broadcasting Corporation
• Original Assignee: British Broadcasting Corporation
• Inventors: Rankine, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Sunghyoun
• Application Number:
  US15/739,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20180184179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A controller for controlling the output of an audio-video feed has an input for receiving audio-video content and a vector engine arranged to produce a continuous metadata value of M dimensions at intervals from the audio-video content. The metadata value may indicate aspect of the video content such as rate, pace, tone or other such information. A low pass filter and hysteresis filter are then provided to filter the continuous metadata value to produce a binary output. The binary output is provided to a retrieval module arranged to control the audio-video content in dependence upon the binary output. In this way, automated segmentation of audio-video content may be reliably achieved.

Claims

1. A controller for controlling the output of audio-video content, comprising:

an input for receiving audio-video content;

a vector engine arranged to receive the audio-video content and to produce a continuous metadata value of M dimensions, at intervals;

a low pass filter arranged to receive the continuous metadata value and to pass changes below a threshold to a hysteresis filter, the changes comprising a filtered complex continuous metadata value;

the hysteresis filter arranged to receive the filtered complex continuous metadata value and to produce a binary output from results of the hysteresis filter and the low pass filter, wherein the hysteresis filter has a deviation between top and bottom thresholds as a function of the standard deviation of the continuous metadata value; and

a retrieval module arranged to receive the binary output and to assert a control signal to allow control of the audio-video content in dependence on the binary output.

2. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the audio-video content comprises a programme.

3. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the audio-video content comprises a live feed.

4. A controller according to claim 1 wherein the binary output indicates the presence of chapter points.

5. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the continuous metadata value indicates one or more of rate, pace, tone or other mood information.

6. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the hysteresis filter has a centre point determined by taking the average of samples of the filtered complex continuous metadata value.

7. A controller according to claim 6, wherein the centre point is determined by taking the average of selected maximum and minimum samples.

8. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the retrieval module is arranged to store chapter points for the audio-video content.

9. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the retrieval module is arranged to select alternative audio-video content if the binary output changes state.

10. A method for controlling the output of audio-video content, comprising:

receiving audio-video content;

producing, using a vector engine, a continuous metadata value of M dimensions, at intervals from the audio-video content;

filtering, using a low pass filter arranged to receive the continuous metadata value and to pass changes below a threshold to a hysteresis filter, the changes comprising a filtered complex continuous metadata value;

filtering, using the hysteresis filter arranged to receive the filtered complex continuous metadata value and to produce a binary output from results of the hysteresis filter and the low pass filter, wherein the hysteresis filter has a deviation between top and bottom thresholds as a function of the standard deviation of the continuous metadata value; and

asserting a control signal derived from the binary output to allow control of the audio-video content in dependence on the binary output.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the audio-video content comprises a programme.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the audio-video content comprises a live feed.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the binary output indicates the presence of chapter points.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the continuous metadata value indicates one or more of rate, pace, tone or other mood information.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein the hysteresis filter has a centre point determined by taking the average of samples of the filtered complex continuous metadata value.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the centre point is determined by taking the average of selected maximum and minimum samples.

17. A method according to claim 10, wherein the retrieval module is arranged to store chapter points for the audio-video content.

18. A method according to claim 10, wherein the retrieval module is arranged to select alternative audio-video content if the binary output changes state.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive audio-video content;

receive the audio-video content and to produce a continuous metadata value of M dimensions, at intervals;

receive, through a low pass filter, the continuous metadata value and to pass changes below a threshold to a hysteresis filter, the changes comprising a filtered complex continuous metadata value;

receive, through the hysteresis filter, the filtered complex continuous metadata value and to produce a binary output from results of the hysteresis filter and the low pass filter, wherein the hysteresis filter has a deviation between top and bottom thresholds as a function of the standard deviation of the continuous metadata value;

receive the binary output and to assert a control signal to allow control of the audio-video content in dependence on the binary output.

20. A device comprising:

a controller for controlling the output of audio-video content, the controller including;

an input for receiving audio-video content;

a vector engine arranged to receive the audio-video content and to produce a continuous metadata value of M dimensions, at intervals;

a low pass filter arranged to receive the continuous metadata value and to pass changes below a threshold to a hysteresis filter, the changes comprising a filtered complex continuous metadata value;

the hysteresis filter arranged to receive the filtered complex continuous metadata value and to produce a binary output from results of the hysteresis filter and the low pass filter, wherein the hysteresis filter has a deviation between top and bottom thresholds as a function of the standard deviation of the continuous metadata value; and

a retrieval module arranged to receive the binary output and to assert a control signal to allow control of the audio-video content in dependence on the binary output.