Method and apparatus for identifying selected portions of a video stream

• US 20050257151A1
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Peng
• Granted Patent: US 7,802,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/745 the internal structure of a single video sequence
• 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

A method is disclosed for identifying a selected portion of a video stream. A user interface is provided for designating a reference frame of a selected portion of a video stream. A processor is configured to compare the reference frame with other portions of the video stream to establish a similarity measure, process the similarity measure to identify a candidate region as a boundary of the selected portion of the video stream, and provide user access to the candidate region to designate the boundary for storage via the user interface.

Claims

1. Apparatus for identifying a selected portion of a video stream comprising:

a user interface for designating a reference frame of a selected portion of a video stream; and

a processor configured to;

compare the reference frame with other portions of the video stream to establish a similarity measure;

process the similarity measure to identify a candidate region which possibly contains a boundary of the selected portion of the video stream; and

provide user access to the candidate region to designate the boundary.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises:

a control panel having user actuatable software buttons;

a first display region for displaying an identity of the candidate region; and

a second display region for displaying multiple frames associated with the candidate region.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for producing a frame-by-frame similarity comparison.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for comparing the reference frame with other frames of the video stream to produce multiple quantities for inclusion in the similarity measure.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for filtering the similarity measure to produce a filtered similarity measure.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the comparing is based on at least one frame characteristic feature.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for normalizing multiple quantities used to produce the similarity measure.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for identifying valleys of the similarity measure.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for providing user access to each of plural candidate regions.

10. Method for identifying a selected portion of a video stream comprising:

receiving a designated reference frame of a selected portion of the video stream;

comparing the reference frame with other portions of the video stream to establish a similarity measure;

processing the similarity measure to identify a candidate region which possibly contains a boundary of the selected portion of the video stream; and

providing user access to the candidate region to designate the boundary.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the selected portion of the video stream is a sequence of frames.

12. Method according to claim 10, wherein the other portions of the video stream are the frames of a shot represented as a sequence of video data, wherein successive frames bear a relationship to one another.

13. Method according to claim 10, wherein the designated reference frame is compared with other frames of the video stream on a frame-by-frame basis.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein the designated reference frame of the video stream is selected via a user interface.

15. Method according to claim 10, wherein the designated reference frame of the video stream is selected via a user interface.

16. Method according to claim 10, wherein the comparing includes:

filtering the similarity measure to produce a filtered similarity measure.

17. Method according to claim 10, wherein the comparing is based on at least one frame characteristic feature.

18. Method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one frame characteristic feature is a color histogram.

19. Method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one frame characteristic feature is edge energy.

20. Method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one frame characteristic feature is represented as a vector quantity.

21. Method according to claim 10, wherein the comparing includes:

normalizing multiple quantities used to produce the similarity measure.

22. Method according to claim 10, wherein the processing includes:

identifying a valley of the similarity measure.

23. Method according to claim 22, comprising:

selecting for the valley, a number of frames associated with the valley as the candidate region.

24. Method according to claim 22, comprising:

selecting a set of frames extending from the valley in a first direction as the candidate region.

25. Method according to claim 22 comprising:

selecting a set of frames extending from the valley in a direction away from the reference frame as the candidate region.

26. Method according to claim 22, comprising:

selecting a set of frames extending from the valley in directions on either side of the valley as the candidate region.

27. Method according to claim 22, comprising:

identifying plural candidate regions of the similarity measure.

28. Method according to claim 27, comprising:

identifying one of the plural candidate regions as possibly containing a start frame of the selected portion of the video stream.

29. Method according to claim 27, comprising:

identifying one of the plural candidate regions as possibly containing an end frame of the selected portion of the video stream.

30. Method according to claim 27, comprising:

providing user access to each of the plural candidate regions.

31. Method according to claim 27, comprising:

listing the plural candidate regions in order on a user interface using a proximity of each candidate region to the reference frame.