Facilitating access to digital video

• US 20050204288A1
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edward O. Clapper
• Original Assignee: Edward O. Clapper
• Inventors: Clapper, Edward O.
• Application Number:
  US11/095,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20050204288A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/02 Editing, e.g. varying the order of information signals recorded on, or reproduced from, record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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

A digital video editing system uses a graphical user interface which facilitates the selection of a video sequence of interest and its representation in a conveniently visualized form. Through the graphical user interface, the user may select a starting frame, a time interval, and a number of frames within the time interval which may be represented by thumbnail depictions of selected video frames. Once the video sequence is represented by a selected sequence of video frames over a selected interval, the user can then use editing techniques to manipulate the portions of the video sequence represented by the thumbnail depictions.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A method, comprising:

receiving a temporal length and a resolution associated with a sequence of video information; and

displaying a number of thumbnail images from the sequence of video information that both span the temporal length of the sequence of video information and are temporally spaced within the temporal length of the sequence of video information according to the resolution.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the resolution includes a total number of images to be displayed.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the displaying includes:

equally spacing the number of thumbnail images within the temporal length of video information at a temporal separation determined by the resolution.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the temporal length or the resolution is manually selected by a user.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the temporal length or the resolution is automatically determined from a default value.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving includes:

receiving a location within the sequence of video information, and wherein the displaying includes;

displaying the number of thumbnail images starting at the location within the sequence of video information.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the location is automatically determined from a default value.

38. A method, comprising:

receiving duration information that determines a start time and an end time of a portion of a sequence of video information;

receiving resolution information that includes a desired number of images; and

displaying a set of exemplary images that depict the portion of a sequence of video information, the set including one exemplary image at the start time, another exemplary image at the end time, and a remainder of the set of exemplary images spaced between the start time and the end time.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein set of exemplary images consists of the desired number of images.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the duration information includes the start time and a time interval that, when added to the start time, determines the end time.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

selecting a default duration as the time interval.

42. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

selecting a default time as the start time.

43. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

selecting a default number of images as the resolution information.

44. The method of claim 38, wherein the remainder of the set of exemplary images is equally spaced between the start time and the end time.

45. A machine-accessible medium including instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

obtain a temporal length and a resolution associated with a sequence of video information; and

display a number of thumbnail images from the sequence of video information that both span the temporal length of the sequence of video information and are spaced apart within the temporal length of the sequence of video information according to the resolution.

46. The medium of claim 45, wherein the resolution includes a total number of images to be displayed.