Method and apparatus for enhancing and indexing video and audio signals

• US 20060008152A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Harpreet S. Sawhney, Keith Hanna, Rakesh Kumar
• Original Assignee: Harpreet S. Sawhney, Keith Hanna, Rakesh Kumar
• Inventors: Kumar, Rakesh, Hanna, Keith, Sawhney, Harpreet S.
• Application Number:
  US11/227,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20060008152A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/190
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7834 using audio features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7844 using original textual content or text extracted from visual content or transcript of audio data
• 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 27/031 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 27/11 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing a video sequence is disclosed. The apparatus may include a video processor for detecting and tracking at least one identifiable face in a video sequence. The method may include performing face detection of at least one identifiable face, selecting a face template including face features used to represent the at least one identifiable face, processing the video sequence to detect faces similar to the at least one identifiable face, and tracking the at least one identifiable face in the video sequence.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing video comprising:

a video processor for detecting and tracking at least one identifiable face in a video sequence.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video sequence may comprise video segments.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the video segments may be defined by scene cuts.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a database for storing the video segments, wherein a plurality of video segments are linked via the at least one identifiable face.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising

a database for storing images of the at least one identifiable face.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a database for storing tracks of the at least one identifiable face between video segments.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the database contains at least one index of the tracks of the at least one identifiable face.

8. A method of processing a video sequence, comprising:

performing face detection of at least one identifiable face;

selecting a face template including face features used to represent the at least one identifiable face;

processing the video sequence to detect faces similar to the at least one identifiable face; and

tracking the at least one identifiable face in the video sequence.

9. The method of claim of claim 8, wherein the video sequence may comprise video segments.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the video segments may be defined by scene cuts.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a database; and

storing at least one image of the at least one identifiable face in the database.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of detecting a face is performed by selecting the face portion of the at least one identifiable face in a video scene.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of tracking comprises tracking a person correlated to the at least one identifiable face when the person turns its face away from view or changes orientation.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a database, and

storing, in the database, tracks of the at least one identifiable face throughout the video sequence.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

indexing the stored tracks; and

storing the index in the database.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising:

locating at least one video segment from the index that contains the at least one identifiable face.

17. A method of processing a video sequence, comprising:

detecting an at least one identifiable face in the video sequence; and

tracking the detected at least one identifiable face in the video sequence.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

indexing the tracked at least one identifiable face.

19. The method of claim of claim 17, wherein the video sequence may comprise video segments.

20. The method of claim of claim 19, wherein the video segments may be defined by scene cuts.