System and method for virtual content placement

• US 20080012988A1
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SeamBI Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SeamBI Ltd.
• Inventors: Morgenstern, Guy Salton, Tamir, Miky, Baharav, Ray
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/586
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2723 Insertion of virtual advertisement; Replacing advertisements physical present in the scene by virtual advertisement data processing systems or methods specially adapted for marketing G06Q30/02

Abstract

An apparatus and method for embedding artwork into a video in several phases. Initially, a segment suitable for artwork placement is identified and marked within an original video, and a container is implanted therein to determine the appropriate position and video transformations for future artwork objects. Then, an artwork provider experiments with sending artwork for each container and viewing that artwork placed within the video, until the current artwork is approved for placement. Finally, a final version, which includes the selected artwork embedded within the original video, is rendered, adapted for a distributor, and the end product is distributed and viewed conventionally. The container implantation is relatively labor intensive and therefore expensive, but costs are subsequently distributed over many sessions of different artwork placements within the same container. Typical applications are in advertising, art and fun.

Claims

1. A method for embedding artwork in videos, the method comprising:

a. preparing an original video for placement by;

i. obtaining said original video,

ii. marking a segment of said original video, thereby defining a marked segment, and

iii. implanting a container within said marked segment; and

b. repeating at least once a session of artwork placement by;

i. selecting an artwork piece for said container, and

ii. automatically placing said artwork piece within said container, thereby rendering a modified video segment wherein said artwork piece is animated in accordance with said marked segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said marking a segment is further made at least one more time for marking at least one more segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said implanting a container is further made at least one more time for implanting at least one more container.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said selecting and said automatically placing are made at least one more time within each said session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least once is at least twice.

6. A software product embedded in a computer readable media, for instructing at least one computer to:

a. prepare an original video for placement by;

i. obtaining said original video,

ii. receiving user instructions for marking a segment of said original video, thereby defining a marked segment, and

iii. receiving user instructions for implanting a container within said marked segment; and

b. repeat at least once a session of artwork placement by;

i. receiving an artwork piece for said container; and

ii. automatically placing said artwork piece within said container, thereby rendering a modified video segment wherein said artwork piece is animated in accordance with said marked segment.

7. The software product of claim 6, wherein said at least once is at least twice.

8. A method for embedding artwork in a marked video segment that forms part of an original video, according to a container that is respective to the marked video segment, the method comprising:

a. obtaining the video segment;

b. obtaining the container; and

c. repeating at least once;

i. receiving an artwork piece adapted for the container, and

ii. automatically placing said artwork piece within said container, thereby rendering a modified video segment wherein said artwork piece is animated in accordance with said marked segment; and

d. producing a modified version of the original video, said producing includes replacing the marked video segment with said modified video segment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least once is at least twice.

10. A service center for embedding content in videos, comprising:

a. a container implanter unit configured to prepare an original video for placement by;

i. obtaining said original video,

ii. marking a segment of said original video, thereby defining a marked segment, and

iii. implanting a container within said marked segment; and

b. a renderer unit configured to repeat at least once a session of artwork placement by;

i. selecting an artwork piece for said container, and

ii. automatically placing said artwork piece within said container, thereby rendering a modified video segment wherein said artwork piece is animated in accordance with said marked segment.

11. The service center of claim 10, wherein said at least once is at least twice.

12. A method for embedding content in videos, the method comprising:

a. obtaining an original video;

b. making at least one segment of said original video, thereby defining at least one marked segment;

c. implanting at least one container within at least one said marked segment;

d. placing within each said container a respective dummy, thereby automatically producing a demo version that shows each said dummy animated in accordance with said marked segment that is respective to said container that is respective to said dummy;

e. sending said demo version to an artwork provider;

f. receiving from said artwork provider, for each said container, a respective artwork piece; and

g. automatically producing a modified video that shows each said artwork piece animated in accordance with said marked segment that is respective to said container that is respective to said artwork piece.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of said demo version and said modified video is further compacted, in comparison with said original video, by at least one of the group consisting of:

excluding at least one part of said original video;

representing a video segment by a representative still image;

applying a lower resolution than said original video;

reducing the color space, and applying excessive video compression.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

h. creating a final version by placing each said respective artwork piece within each said container, within said original video.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

i. adapting said final version for a selected distributor, thereby providing an end product, and

j. sending said end product to said selected distributor.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein a sequence of said receiving followed by said automatically producing is further made at least one more time.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein a sequence of said sending followed by said receiving followed by said automatically producing is further made for another edition.

18. A method for placing content in videos, the method comprising:

a. obtaining an original video;

b. marking at least one segment of said original video, thereby defining at least one marked segment;

c. implanting at least one container within at least one said marked segment; and

d. for each unique edition of at least two different editions, repeating at least once;

i receiving from an artwork provider, for each said container;

a respective artwork piece,

ii automatically producing a modified video that shows each said artwork piece animated in accordance with said marked segment that is respective to said container that is respective to said artwork piece, and

iii sending said modified video to said artwork provider.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said modified video is further compacted, in comparison with said original video, by at least one of the group consisting of:

excluding at least one part of said original video;

representing a video segment by a representative still image;

applying a lower resolution than said original video;

reducing the color space; and

applying excessive video compression.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising, for at least one said edition:

creating a final version by placing each said respective artwork piece within each said container, within said original video

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

adapting said final version for a selected distributor thereby providing an end product, and sending said end product to said selected distributor.

22. A service center for embedding content in videos, comprising:

a. a container implanter unit configured to;

i. obtain an original video,

ii. mark at least one segment of said original video, thereby defining at least one marked segment, and

iii. implant at least one container within at least one said marked segment; and

b. a renderer unit configured to repeat at least once, for each unique edition of at least two different editions, the acts of;

i receiving from an artwork provider, for each said container, a respective artwork piece,

ii automatically producing a modified video that shows each said artwork piece animated in accordance with said marked segment that is respective to said container that is respective to said artwork piece, and

iii sending said modified video to said artwork provider.

23. The service center of claim 22, wherein said modified video is further compacted, in comparison with said original video, by at least one of the group consisting of:

excluding at least one part of said original video;

representing a video segment by a representative still image;

applying a lower resolution than said original video;

reducing the color space; and

applying excessive video compression.

24. The service center of claim 22, wherein said renderer unit is further configured to create a final version by placing each said respective artwork piece within each said container, within said original video.

25. The service center of claim 24, further comprising:

c. a producer unit configured to adapt said final version for a selected distributor thereby providing an end product, and send said end product to said selected distributor.

26. The service center of claim 22, wherein said repeat at least once is repeat at least twice.