Data processing method and storage medium, and program for causing computer to execute the data processing method

• US 20020002564A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Munetsugu, Toshihiko, Araki, Shoichi, Etoh, Minoru, Emura, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,134,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/500.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/739 in form of a video summary, e.g. the video summary being a video sequence, a composite still image or having synthesized frames
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7834 using audio features
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2575 DVD-RAMs
• 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: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A context of media content is represented by context description data having a hierarchical stratum. The context description data has the highest hierarchical layer, the lowest hierarchical layer, and other hierarchical layers. The highest hierarchical layer is formed from a single element representing content. The lowest hierarchical layer is formed from an element representing a segment of media content which corresponds to a change between scenes of video data or a change in audible tones. The remaining hierarchical layers are formed from an element representing a scene or a collection of scenes. A score corresponding to the context of a scene of interest is appended, as an attribute, to the element in each of the remaining hierarchical layers. A score relating to the time information about a corresponding media segment and a context is appended, as an attribute, to individual elements in the lowest hierarchical layer. In a selection step of a data processing method, the context of the media content is expressed, and one or a plurality of scenes of the media content is or are selected on the basis of the score of the context description data. Further, in the extraction step of the data processing method, only data pertaining to the scenes selected in the selection step are extracted.

Claims

1. A data processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting context description data described in a hierarchical structure,

wherein the hierarchical structure comprises;

the highest hierarchical layer in which time-varying media content and the context of the media content are formed into a single element representing media content;

the lowest hierarchical layer in which an element represents a media segment formed by dividing the media content and is assigned, as an attribute, time information relating to a corresponding media segment and a score; and

other hierarchical layers include elements which are directly or indirectly associated with at least one of the media segments and which represent scenes or a set of scenes; and

selecting at least one segmet from the media content, on the basis of the score assigned to the context description data.

2. The data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising an extraction step for extracting only data corresponding to the segment selected by the selection means, from the media content.

3. The data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising a playback step for playing back only data corresponding to the segment selected by the selection means, from the media content.

4. The data processing method according to claim 1, wherein the sore represents a contextual importance of media content.

5. The data processing method according to claim 1, wherein the score represents the degree of contextual importance of a scene of interest from the viewpoint of a keyword, and in the selection step there is selected a scene in which the score is used from at least one viewpoint.

6. The data processing method according to claim 1, wherein the media content corresponds to video data or audio data.

7. The data processing method according to claim 1, wherein the media content corresponds to data comprising video data and audio data, which are mutually synchronized.

8. The data processing method according to claim 6, wherein the context description data describe the configuration of video data or audio data.

9. The data processing method according to claim 7, wherein the context description data describe the configuration of each of video data sets and audio data sets.

10. The data processing method according to claim 8, wherein, in the selection step, a scene is selected by reference to context description data pertaining to video data or audio data.

11. The data processing method according to claim 8, wherein the selection step comprises a video selection step for selecting a scene of video data by reference to context description data of video data or an audio selection step for selecting a scene of audio data by reference to context description data of audio data.

12. The data processing method according to claim 9, wherein the selection means comprises a video selection step for selecting a scene of video data by reference to context description data of video data, and an audio selection step for selecting a scene of audio data by reference to context description data of audio data.

13. The data processing method according to claim 2, wherein the data to be extracted in the extraction step correspond to video data or audio data.

14. The data processing method according to claim 2, wherein the data to be extracted in the extraction step correspond to data comprising video data and audio data, which are mutually synchronized.

15. The data processing method according to claim 1, wherein media content comprises a plurality of different media data sets within a single period of time;

and the data processing method further comprises a determination step of receiving structure description data having a data configuration of the media content described therein and determining which one of the media data sets is to be taken as an object of selection, on the basis of determination conditions to be used for determining data as an object of selection; and

, in the selection step, data are selected from only the data sets, which have been determined as objects of selection by the determination means, by reference to the structure description data.

16. The data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination for receiving structure description data having a data configuration of the media content described therein and determines whether only video data, only audio data, or both video data and audio data are taken as an object of selection, on the basis of determination conditions to be used for determining data as an object of selection; and

wherein

in the selection step, data are selected from only the data sets determined as objects of selection by the determination means, by reference to the structure description data.

17. The data processing device according to claim 16, wherein media content comprises a plurality of different media data sets within a single period of time;

in the determination step, there are received structure description data having a data configuration of the media content described therein, and a determination is made as to which one of the video data sets and/or audio data sets is to be taken as an object of selection; and

in the selection means, data are selected from only the data sets determined as objects of selection by the determination means, by reference to the structure description data.

18. The data processing method according to claim 1, wherein representative data pertaining to a corresponding media segment are added, as an attribute, to individual elements of context description data in the lowest hierarchical layer;

and

in the selection step, there are selected the entire data pertaining to the media segment and/or representative data pertaining to a corresponding media segment.

19. The data processing method according to claim 18, wherein the entire data pertaining to the media segment correspond to media data, and the media content comprises a plurality of different media data sets within a single period of time;

and

the data processing method further comprises a determination step for receiving structure description data having a data configuration of the media content described therein and determining which one of the media data sets and/or representative data sets is to be taken as an object of selection; and

in the selection means, data are selected from only the data sets determined as objects of selection by the determination means, by reference to the structure description data.

20. The data processing method according to claim 18, further comprising:

a determination step for receiving structure description data having a data configuration of the media content described therein and determining whether only the entire data pertaining to the media segment, only the representative data pertaining to the media segment, or both the entire data and the representative data pertaining to a corresponding media segment are taken as objects of selection, on the basis of determination conditions to be used for determining data as an object of selection; and

wherein

in the selection step, data are selected from only the data sets determined as objects of selection by the determination means, by reference to the structure description data.

21. The data processing method e according to claim 15, wherein the determination conditions comprise at least one of the capability of a receiving terminal, the traffic volume of a delivery line, a user request, and a user'"'"'s taste, or a combination thereof.

22. The data processing method according to claim 2, further comprising a formation step for forming a stream of media content from the data extracted by the extraction means.

23. The data processing method according to claim 22, further comprising a delivery step for delivering the stream formed by the formation means over a line.

24. The data processing method according to claim 22, further comprising a recording step for recording the stream formed by the formation means on a data recording medium.

25. The data processing method according to claim 24, further comprising a data recording medium management step for re-organizing the media content that has already been stored and/or media content to be newly stored, according to the available disk space of the data recording medium.

26. The data processing method according to claim 24, further comprising a stored content management step for re-organizing the media content stored in the data recording medium according to the period of storage of the media content.

27. A computer-readable recording medium on which the data processing method according to any one of claims 1 through 26 is recorded in the form of a program to be performed by a computer.

28. A program for causing a computer to perform the data processing method according to any one of claims 1 through 26.