Techniques for navigating multiple video streams

• US 20060064716A1
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vivcom, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vivcom, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Hyeokman, Sull, Sanghoon, Kim, Jung Rim, Rostoker, Michael D., Seong, Yeon-Seok
• Application Number:
  US11/221,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064716A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/37
• 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 16/743 a collection of video files or sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/784 the detected or recognised objects being people
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/785 using colour or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7857 using texture G06F16/7837 takes precedence
• 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 27/105 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles

Abstract

Techniques for poster-thumbnail and/or animated thumbnail development and/or usage to effectively navigate for potential selection between a plurality of images or programs/video files or video segments. The poster and animated thumbnail images are presented in a GUI on adapted apparatus to provide an efficient system for navigating, browsing and/or selecting images or programs or video segments to be viewed by a user. The poster and animated thumbnails may be automatically produced without human-necessary editing and may also have one or more various associated data (such as text overlay, image overlay, cropping, text or image deletion or replacement, and/or associated audio).

Claims

1. A method of listing and navigating multiple video streams, comprising:

generating poster-thumbnails of the video streams, wherein a poster-thumbnail comprises a thumbnail image and one or more associated data which is presented in conjunction with the thumbnail image; and

presenting the poster-thumbnails of the video streams;

wherein the one or more associated data is positioned on or near the thumbnail image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating poster-thumbnails of the video streams further comprises:

generating a thumbnail image of a given one of the video streams;

obtaining one or more associated data related to the given one of the video streams; and

combining the one or more associated data with the thumbnail image of the given one of the video streams.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a pixel height of the thumbnail image is selected from the group consisting of (i) ⅛

(one eighth) or ¼

(one fourth) of the pixel height of a full frame image for the video stream broadcast with 1080i(p) digital TV format and (ii) ¼

(one fourth) of a pixel height of a full frame image for the video stream broadcast with 720p digital TV format.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein generating a thumbnail image of a given one of the video streams comprises:

generating at least one key frame of the given one of the video streams; and

manipulating the at least one key frame.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein, for a given key frame, manipulating the key frame comprises a combination of one or more of analysis, cropping, resizing and visually enhancing the key frame.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the video streams comprise TV programs selected from the group consisting of TV programs being broadcast and TV programs recorded in a DVR.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more associated data for the TV programs is selected from the group consisting of EPG data, channel logo and a symbol of the program.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein, the one or more associated data comprises textual information, and presenting the textual information further comprises:

determining font properties of the textual information;

determining a position for presenting the textual information with the thumbnail image; and

presenting the textual information with the thumbnail image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an aspect ratio of width to height for a thumbnail image is selected from a group of aspect ratios which are smaller than 1:

0.6 and at least 1;

1.2.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting poster-thumbnails of the video streams further comprises:

displaying the poster-thumbnail images for user selection of a video stream; and

providing a GUI for the user to browse multiple video streams.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein displaying the poster-thumbnails of the video streams for user selection of a video stream comprises displaying selected from the group consisting of displaying thinner-looking poster-thumbnails of the video streams on a single window and displaying wider-looking poster-thumbnails of the video streams on a single window.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

poster-thumbnails and one animated thumbnail or small-sized video with cursor indicator are listed on a single window.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

a poster-thumbnail changes to an animated thumbnail when the poster-thumbnail is selected by a user, and is displayed at the same position as its corresponding poster-thumbnail.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the animated thumbnail displays images or frames that are scaled down in size from the video stream while maintaining it'"'"'s original aspect ratio.

15. Apparatus for listing and navigating multiple video streams, comprising:

means for generating poster-thumbnails of the video streams, wherein a poster-thumbnail comprises a thumbnail image and one or more associated data which is presented in conjunction with the thumbnail image; and

means for presenting the poster-thumbnails of the video streams;

wherein the one or more associated data is selected from the group consisting of textual information, graphic information, iconic information, and audio; and

wherein the one or more associated data is positioned on or near the thumbnail image.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the video streams comprise TV programs selected from the group consisting of TV programs being broadcast and TV programs recorded in a DVR.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more associated data for the TV program is selected from the group consisting of EPG data, channel logo and a symbol of the program.

18. A system for listing and navigating multiple video streams, comprising:

a poster thumbnail generator for generating poster/animated thumbnails of the video streams;

means for storing the multiple video streams; and

a display device for presenting the poster thumbnails.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the poster/animated thumbnail generator comprises:

a thumbnail generator for generating thumbnail images;

an associated data analyzer for obtaining one or more associated data; and

a combiner for combining the one or more associated data with the thumbnail images.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the thumbnail generator further comprises:

a key frame generator for generating at least one key frame representing a given one of the video streams; and

further comprising one or more modules selected from the group consisting of;

an image analyzer for analyzing the at least one key frame;

an image cropper for cropping the at least one key frame;

an image resizer for resizing the at least one key frame; and

an image post-processor for visually enhancing the at least one key frame.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the combiner further comprises:

means for combining, selected from the group consisting of adding, overlaying, and splicing the one or more associated data on or near the thumbnail image.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the display device for presenting the poster thumbnails further comprises:

means for displaying the poster-thumbnail images for user selection of a video stream; and

means for providing a GUI for the user to browse multiple video streams.