Fast metadata generation and delivery

• US 20050203927A1
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vivcom, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vivcom, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Hyeokman, Sull, Sanghoon, Chun, Seong Soo, Kim, Jung Rim, Yoon, Ja-Cheon
• Application Number:
  US11/071,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20050203927A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/71 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

Fast metadata indexing and delivery for broadcast audio-visual (AV) programs by using template, segment-mark and bookmark on the visual spatio-temporal pattern of an AV program during indexing. The broadcasting time carried on a broadcast transport stream is used as a locator allowing direct access to a specific temporal position of a recorded AV program.

Claims

1. A method of indexing an audio-visual (AV) program comprising:

indexing an AV program with segmentation metadata, wherein a specific position and interval of the AV program are represented by a time-index; and

using at least one technique selected from the group consisting of template, segment-mark and bookmark on a visual spatio-temporal pattern of an AV program during indexing to create a segment hierarchy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the segment hierarchy comprises a tree view of segments for the AV program being indexed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a template of a segment hierarchy comprises a pre-defined representative hierarchy of segments for AV programs.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, when a template of a segment hierarchy is available during indexing, a new segment is automatically generated at the position of the segment hierarchy corresponding to the position of the template segment hierarchy.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein, when a template is not available, a new segment is created in the segment hierarchy.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising utilizing the broadcasting time carried on a broadcast transport stream as a locator allowing direct access to a specific temporal position of a recorded AV program.

7. A graphical user interface (GUI) for a real time indexer for an AV program comprising:

a visual spatio-temporal pattern;

a segment-mark button; and

a bookmark button.

8. The GUI of claim 7, further comprising one or more of:

a list of consecutive frames;

a segment hierarchy in textual description;

a list of key frames at a same level of the segment tree hierarchy;

an information panel;

a AV/media player; and

a template of a segment hierarchy.

9. A method of indexing an AV program comprising:

using a template of a segment hierarchy.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

using a visual spatio-temporal pattern.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

visually marking a position of interest on a spatio-temporal pattern.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

automatically generating a new segment at a position of the segment hierarchy corresponding to a position of the template segment hierarchy.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining a default title for the new segment from a corresponding segment in the template.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the segment hierarchy shows a tree view of segments for the AV program being indexed.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein:

a segment comprises a set of consecutive shots; and

a shot comprises a set of consecutive frames having similar scene characteristics;

further comprising;

obtaining a key frame for a segment by selecting one of the frames in a segment, for example, the first frame of the segment.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the segment hierarchy is provided with operations to manipulate the hierarchy.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the operations are selected from the group consisting of group, ungroup, merge and split.

18. A method of reusing segmentation metadata for a given AV program delivered at a different times on a same broadcasting channel or on different broadcasting channels, or via different types of delivery networks comprising:

adjusting the time-indices in segmentation metadata for the AV program; and

delivering the segmentation metadata;

wherein a specific position of the AV program in the segmentation metadata is represented by a time-index.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein adjusting the time-indices comprises:

transforming time-indices into broadcasting times.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein adjusting the time-indices comprises:

transforming time-indices into media times relative to a broadcasting time of the start of the AV program.