System and method for tracking an object in a video and linking information thereto

• US 20040227768A1
• Filed: 02/25/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creatier Interactive LLC
• Original Assignee: Creative Frontier, Inc.
• Inventors: Kaesman, Ann Marie, Arnold, Glenn Christopher, Bates, Daniel Louis, Le, Thach Cam, Geaga, Jorge, Jaroszewicz, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,804,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots

Abstract

An image processing system for use in development and playback of interactive video. In a development mode of operation, pixel or video objects are selected in a frame by way of a developmental graphical user interface. The system automatically tracks the selected pixel objects in the preceding and succeeding video frames by determining range limits for various color variables of the selected pixel object to compensate for the effects in lighting changes and decompression effects. The system automatically locates pixel objects within the calculated range limits in the preceding and succeeding video frames and generates a pixel object file which identifies the coordinates of the selected pixel object in each frame. The pixel object file is linked to a data object file which links the selected pixel objects to data objects. The pixel object file and data object file, collectively “linked video files,” are created during a development mode of operation. During a playback mode of operation, the linked video files are imported to a video hosting platform which includes a video playback application and a common media player application programming interface (API) for playback of the video content. The video playback application supports processing of the linked video files to enable pixel objects to be selected by a pointing device and linked to data objects by way of a client side graphical user interface.

Claims

1. An image processing for linking one or more pixel objects to selected data objects in a sequence of video frames, the image processing system comprising:

a video capture system for capturing a frame of said sequence of video frames to be viewed defining a captured video frame;

a user interface for enabling a user to select one or more pixel objects in said captured frame and

a video linking system including a pixel object tracking system for automatically tracking selected pixel objects in any preceding and/or succeeding frames in said sequence of video frames defining selected pixel objects as a function of a color value of said selected pixel object, said video linking system generating one or more linked video files which identify the pixel objects by frame number and location within the file, providing one or more links to data for each pixel object.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said data content has a predetermined playback rate and said video linking system may sample said video content at a sample rate of less than said predetermined playback rate.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said sample rate may be three (3) frames per second.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said video linking system is configured to identify segment breaks in said video content.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said segment breaks are determined by determining the median average pixel values for a series of frames and comparing changes in the pixel values relative to the median average and indicating a segment break when the change in pixel values represent at least a predetermined change relative to the median average.

7. The image processing system as recited in claim 5, wherein said compensation system is configured to automatically compensate for changes in said color values as a function of breaks between segments.

8. The image processing system as recited in claim 7, wherein a segment corresponds to one frame or video.

9. The image processing system as recited in claim 8, wherein a segment corresponds to more than one frame or video.

6. (Canceled)

10. An image processing system for lining one or more pixel objects to selected data objects in a sequence of video frames, the image processing system comprising:

a video and pixel object capture system for enabling a frame of said sequence of video frames to be viewed and one or more pixel objects in said frame to be selected and captured; and

a video linking system for automatically tracking selected pixel objects in preceding and succeeding frames in said sequence of video frames, said video linking system generating one or more linked video files which identify the pixel objects by frame number and location within the file, providing one or more links to data for each pixel object, wherein said video linking system is configured to identify segment breaks in said video content.