RANDOM ACCESS VIDEO PLAYBACK SYSTEM ON A NETWORK

• US 20030088646A1
• Filed: 04/07/1999
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: YEO, BOON-LOCK
• Granted Patent: US 6,711,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• 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 16/745 the internal structure of a single video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus of previewing and playing back source video frames is disclosed.

In one embodiment, temporal snapshots of said source video frames are generated and are stored along with said source video frames on a server, wherein each of said temporal snapshots corresponds to a segment of said source video frames. Then said server transmits said temporal snapshots to its client. Said temporal snapshots are presented as individual images to a user on said client. Said user can then browse through and randomly select said images and playback corresponding said segments of said source video frames independent from downloading or playing back said source video frames from said server.

Claims

1. A method for previewing and playing back source video frames from a server on a client, comprising:

a. receiving server-generated temporal snapshots from said server, wherein each of said temporal snapshots corresponds to a segment of said source video frames;

b. presenting said temporal snapshots as individual images on said client; and

c. allowing a user of said client to browse through and randomly select said images and playback corresponding said segments of said source video frames independent from downloading or playing back said source video frames from said server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein 1(b) further comprises:

a. displaying said images horizontally or vertically in an application window; and

b. displaying a media playback window within said application window, wherein said media playback window plays back either all or portions of said source video frames.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein 2(a) further comprises:

a. organizing hierarchically said source video frames into scenes and said temporal snapshots;

b. generating first images corresponding to said scenes and second images corresponding to said temporal snapshots; and

c. displaying said first images horizontally and said second images vertically or said first images vertically and said second images horizontally within said application window.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein 3(c) further comprises:

displaying said second images after said user selects from said first images.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein 1(b) further comprises:

a. displaying said images horizontally or vertically in a first application window; and

b. displaying a media playback window in a second application window, wherein said media playback window plays back either all or portions of said source video frames.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein 5(a) further comprises:

a. organizing hierarchically said source video frames into scenes and said temporal snapshots;

b. generating first images corresponding to said scenes and second images corresponding to said temporal snapshots; and

c. displaying said first images horizontally and said second images vertically or said first images vertically and said second images horizontally within said first application window.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein 6(c) further comprises:

displaying said second images after said user selects from said first images.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein 1(c) further comprises:

allowing said user to access any part of said source video frames either during or after said server'"'"'s transferring of said source video frames to said client.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said server communicates with said client through a unicast networking scheme.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said server transmits said video source frames to said client through a multicast networking scheme and in response to said user'"'"'s selection of said images, transforms said multicast networking scheme to a unicast networking scheme.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein said application window is a web browser window.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein said first application window and said second application window are web browser windows.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said user selects said images with an input device.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein 1(c) further comprises:

a. storing portions of said segments of said source video frames from said images on said client; and

b. in response to said user'"'"'s random selection, playing back the corresponding stored portions before playing back said segments of said source video frames from said server.

15. A machine readable medium having embodied thereon instructions, which when executed by a server machine and a client machine, causes said client machine to:

a. receive server-generated temporal snapshots from said server machine, wherein each of said temporal snapshots corresponds to a segment of said source video frames;

b. present said temporal snapshots as individual images on said client machine; and

c. allow a user of said client machine to browse through and randomly select from said images and playback corresponding said segments of said source video frames independent from downloading or playing back said source video frames from said server machine.

16. The machine readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said instructions for 15(b) further comprises:

a. displaying said images horizontally or vertically in an application window; and

b. displaying a media playback window within said application window, wherein said media playback window plays back either all or portions of said source video frames.

17. The machine readable medium according to claim 16, wherein said instructions for 16(a) further comprises:

a. organizing hierarchically said source video frames into scenes and said temporal snapshots;

b. generating first images corresponding to said scenes and second images corresponding to said temporal snapshots; and

c. displaying said first images horizontally and said second images vertically or said first images vertically and said second images horizontally within said application window.

18. The machine readable medium according to claim 17, wherein said instructions for 17(c) further comprises:

displaying said second images after said user selects from said first images.

19. The machine readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said instructions for 15(b) further comprises:

a. displaying said images horizontally or vertically in a first application window; and

b. displaying a media playback window in a second application window, wherein said media playback window plays back either all or portions of said source video frames.

20. The machine readable medium according to claim 19, wherein said instructions for 19(a) further comprises:

a. organizing hierarchically said source video frames into scenes and said temporal snapshots;

b. generating first images corresponding to said scenes and second images corresponding to said temporal snapshots; and

c. displaying said first images horizontally and said second images vertically or said first images vertically and said second images horizontally within said first application window.

21. The machine readable medium according to claim 20, wherein said instructions for 20(c) further comprises:

displaying said second images after said user selects from said first images.

22. The machine readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said instructions for 15(c) further comprises:

allowing said user to access any part of said source video frames either during or after said server'"'"'s transferring of said source video frames to said client.

23. The machine readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said server machine communicates with said client machine through a unicast networking scheme.

24. The machine readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said server machine transmits said video source frames to said client machine through a multicast networking scheme and in response to said user'"'"'s selection of said images, transforms said multicast networking scheme to a unicast networking scheme.

25. The machine readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said application window is a web browser window.

26. The machine readable medium according to claim 19, wherein said first application window and said second application window are web browser windows.

27. The machine readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said user selects said images with an input device.

28. The machine readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said instructions for 15(c) further comprises:

a. storing portions of said segments of said source video frames from said images on said client; and

b. in response to said user'"'"'s random selection, playing back the corresponding stored portions before playing back said segments of said source video frames from said server.

29. A system for previewing and playing back source video frames, comprising:

a server, a client coupled to said server through a network;

a temporal snapshot generator for generating temporal snapshots from source video frames received by said server;

a server database for storing said source video frames and said temporal snapshots for said server, wherein each of said temporal snapshots corresponds to a segment of said source video frames; and

a display application on said client for presenting said temporal snapshots received from said server as individual images, wherein said display application allows a user of said client to browse through and randomly select said images and playback corresponding said segments of said source video frames independent from downloading or playing back said source video frames from said server.

30. The system according claim 29, wherein said display application further comprises:

a. an application window for displaying said images horizontally or vertically; and

b. a media playback window within said application window, wherein said media playback window plays back either all or portions of said source video frames.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein said display application further comprises:

a. a display organizer for organizing hierarchically said source video frames into scenes and said temporal snapshots and for generating first images corresponding to said scenes and second images corresponding to said temporal snapshots; and

b. said application window for displaying said first images horizontally and said second images vertically or said first images vertically and said second images horizontally within said application window.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein said application window displays said second images after said user selects from said first images.

33. The system according to claim 29, wherein said display application further comprises:

a. a first application window for displaying said images horizontally or vertically; and

b. a second application window for displaying a media playback window, wherein said media playback window plays back either all or portions of said source video frames.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein said display application further comprises:

a. a display organizer for organizing hierarchically said source video frames into scenes and said temporal snapshots and for generating first images corresponding to said scenes and second images corresponding to said temporal snapshots; and

b. said first application window for displaying said first images horizontally and said second images vertically or said first images vertically and said second images horizontally.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein said first application window displays said second images after said user selects from said first images.

36. The system according to claim 29, wherein said display application allows said user to access any part of said source video frames either during or after said server'"'"'s transferring of said source video frames to said client.

37. The system according to claim 29, wherein said server communicates with said client through a unicast networking scheme.

38. The system according to claim 29, wherein said server transmits said video source frames to said client through a multicast networking scheme and in response to said user'"'"'s selection of said images, transforms said multicast networking scheme to a unicast networking scheme.

39. The system according to claim 30, wherein said application window is a web browser window.

40. The system according to claim 33, wherein said first application window and said second application window are web browser windows.

41. The system according to claim 29, wherein said user selects said images with an input device.

42. The system according to claim 29, wherein said client further comprises:

an intelligent prefetcher for storing portions of said segments of said source video frames from said individual images on said client, and in response to said user'"'"'s random selection, for playing back the corresponding stored portions before playing back said segments of said source video frames from said server.