Intelligent buffering and reporting in a multiple camera data streaming video system

• US 20020089587A1
• Filed: 12/07/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iMove Inc. (Digital Domain Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: iMove Inc. (Digital Domain Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: White, Patrick, Hunt, Brian, Ripley, G. David
• Application Number:
  US10/013,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20020089587A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/105
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234345 the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Multiple streams of data are streamed to a user'"'"'s terminal with images from different cameras. Low resolution thumbnail images tell the user what image streams are available. A focus stream provides high resolution images from a selected camera. A user can switch the focus stream to another stream by clicking on the associated thumbnail. An intelligent buffer is provided which anticipates the commands that will be issued by a user. Unused bandwidth is utilized to transmit data to the intelligent buffer to prepare to execute the anticipated commands. The data so accumulated is used to execute commands without any significant (or with less) latency. Data concerning a user and data concerning the operation of the system is gathered and added to a data base of user actions. Reports concerning the usage are later prepared.

Claims

1. ) A system for displaying to a user a selected one of a plurality of video streams, said selected video stream being a focus stream, said system comprising, a client system which can display said selected video stream, and a composite video containing a thumbnail image of each of said plurality of video streams, a server which receives a plurality of video streams, and said composite video stream, and which provides a selected one of said video streams and said composite video stream to said client system, an input device connected to said client system whereby a user can select one of said thumbnails thereby sending a signal to said server indicating which of said plurality of video streams should be sent to said client system, and an intelligent buffer system which anticipates the commands that will be issued by a user and which accumulates data so that said commands can be executed without any significant latency.

2. ) The system recited in claim 1 including means for accumulating and storing data concerning the operation of the system and means for preparing reports containing said data.

3. ) A system which streams data from a server to a client and wherein said client can issue commands which instruct the server to change the data being streamed to the client, an intelligent buffer at said client which gathers data concerning the commands normally issued by a user and which anticipates the next command which said user is likely to issue and which accumulates data so that said command can be executed without significant latency.

4. ) The system recited in claim 3 including means for accumulating and storing data concerning the operation of the system and means for preparing reports containing said data.

5. ) The system recited in claim 3 wherein a user can select which of a plurality of data streams are streamed from said server to said client, and wherein said intelligent buffer anticipates which stream a user will select and which accumulates data relative to said anticipated stream.

6. ) A system for selectively streaming a plurality of data streams from a server to a client, said client including a input device, whereby a user can issue a command to change the data being streamed from said server to said client, said system including an intelligent buffer which anticipates the commands that will be issued by said user and which downloads and stores information to execute the anticipated commands, whereby said commands can be executed with less latency.

7. ) The system recited in claim 6 wherein said intelligent buffer includes a memory for storing a series of commands issued by said user.

8. ) The system recited in claim 7 wherein said intelligent buffer includes a prediction program which examines the commands issued by said user and which predicts the next command which will be issued.

9. ) The system recited in claim 6 including a data gathering and reporting program.

10. ) The system recited in claim 7 wherein the stored commands issued by said user are utilized to prepare reports of the actions performed by said user.

11. ) The system recited in claim 6 wherein said intelligent buffer predicts the next command which will be issued by said user.