Video processing system

• US 20050281535A1
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: YesVideo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: YesVideo, Inc.
• Inventors: Ahmad, Subutai, Ullal, Adwait, Fu, Sai-Wai, Edwards, Jeffrey Layne, Honey, Sadie Louise, Sit, Hon Pun
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/232
• 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 16/785 using colour or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/786 using motion, e.g. object motion or camera motion
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• 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 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• 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 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/87 Regeneration of colour television signals H04N9/80 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing video content. The method includes acquiring video data from a source. If the video data is not digitized, then the video data is digitized. The method includes generating scene indexes for the video data including a representative still image for each scene and combining the video data and scene indexes along with a media player on a video disc. The video player is operable to play the video data in accordance with the scene indexes including playing a scene from the video data on a client computer while displaying the representative stills for other of the scenes available for display on the video disc.

Claims

1. A method for producing a video disc comprising;

acquiring video data from a source;

if the video data is not digitized, then digitizing the video data;

generating one or more scene indexes for the video data including a representative still image for each scene;

automatically generating a contact sheet from the one or more representative still images for each scene; and

providing the contact sheet together with a video disc including the video data and scene indexes.

2. The method of claim 1, where generating and providing a contact sheet comprises printing thumbnail sized images corresponding to the one or more representative still images onto paper for inclusion with the video disc.

3. The method of claim 1, where:

the contact sheet includes a number N of thumb-nail sized representative still images;

generating one or more scene indexes comprises generating a number M scene indexes and corresponding representative still images, where M is greater than N; and

automatically generating a contact sheet comprises including only the first N representative still images in the contact sheet.

4. The method of claim 1, where:

the contact sheet includes a number N of thumb-nail sized representative still images;

generating one or more scene indexes comprises generating a number M scene indexes and corresponding representative still images, where M is less than N by the number X; and

automatically generating a contact sheet comprises selecting a scene that is longer than the other scenes, dividing the scene into at least X+1 equal pieces and selecting X new representative still images corresponding to at least some of the X+1 equal pieces, and including the M representative still images and the X new representative still images in the contact sheet.

5. A method for producing a video disc comprising;

acquiring video data from a source;

if the video data is not digitized, then digitizing the video data;

generating one or more scene indexes for the video data including a representative still image for each scene; and

combining the video data and one or more scene indexes along with a media player on a video disc, the media player being a software application that is operable to play the video data in accordance with the scene indexes including playing a scene from the video data on a client computer while displaying the representative stills for other of the scenes available for display on the video disc.

6. A method for producing a video based product comprising:

receiving video data;

generating one or more temporal indices, the one or more temporal indices indicating a division of the video data into distinct segments;

providing a media player, being a software application that is operable to play the video data on a client computer in accordance with the one or more temporal indices; and

packaging the video data, the one or more temporal indices and media player on a physical medium for delivery to the client computer.

7. The method of claim 6, where generating one or more temporal indices comprises performing a character recognition analysis of the video data and generating one or more temporal indices based on the character recognition analysis.

8. The method of claim 7, where performing a character recognition analysis of the video data comprises detecting an appearance or disappearance of a person in the video data.

9. The method of claim 6, where generating one or more temporal indices comprises performing a subject recognition analysis of the video data and generating one or more temporal indices based on the subject recognition analysis.

10. A method for producing a video based product comprising:

receiving video data;

performing a voice recognition analysis of the video data and generating one or more temporal indices based on the voice recognition analysis, the one or more temporal indices indicating a division of the video data into distinct segments;

providing a media player, being a software application that is operable to play the video data on a client computer in accordance with the one or more temporal indices; and

packaging the video data, the one or more temporal indices and the media player on a physical medium for delivery to the client computer.

11. The method of claim 10, where performing a voice recognition analysis further comprises detecting a change in speech pattern.

12. The method of claim 10, where performing a voice recognition analysis further comprises detecting different persons speaking.

13. A method for producing a video based product comprising:

acquiring video data;

generating one or more temporal indices, the one or more temporal indices indicating a division of the video data into distinct segments;

providing a media player, being a software application that is operable to play the video data on a client computer in accordance with the one or more temporal indices;

packaging the video data, the one or more temporal indices and the media player on a physical medium for delivery to the client computer; and

providing a media editor operable to generate one or more edit lists, each edit list defining a set of operations to be performed on the video data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

editing the video data in accordance with the edit lists.

15. The method of claim 13, where a set of operations included in an edit list to be performed on the video data includes at least one of the following:

trimming segments of the video data, applying one or more filters to the video data, applying one or more titles to the video data, or applying or more special effects to the video data.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising packaging the media editor onto the physical medium with the video data, one or more temporal indices and the media player.

17. A method for producing a video based product comprising:

receiving digitized video data;

receiving one or more temporal indices, a temporal index indicating a division of the video data into a distinct segment; and

providing a browser based application to a user of a client computer, the application operable to;

play the video data on the client computer in accordance with the one or more temporal indices.

18. The method of claim 17, where the browser based application is further operable to edit the video data based on user input received from the client computer.

19. The method of claim 17, where the browser based application is further operable to receive a user request to publish an album including at least some of the video data and some of the one or more temporal indices.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

publishing the album.

21. The method of claim 20, where publishing the album comprises packaging the video data and the one or more temporal indices on a physical medium for delivery to the user.

22. The method of claim 21, where publishing the album further comprises including a media player on the physical medium.

23. The method of claim 20, where publishing the album comprises generating an encoded version of album and streaming the encoded version to a computer.

24. The method of claim 23, where streaming the encoded version to a computer comprises streaming the encoded version over an Internet connection.

25. The method of claim 17, where the browser based application operable to play the video data on the client computer comprises instructions operable to communicate with a streaming server to receive the video data encoded into a format suitable for streaming.

26. The method of claim 25, where the encoded video data is a low resolution version of the video data, and where publishing the album comprises generating a high resolution encoded version of the album and streaming the high resolution encoded version to a computer.