Method of Automatically Editing Media Recordings

• US 20080101762A1
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Muvee Technologies Pte Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Muvee Technologies Pte Ltd.
• Inventors: Ng, Yee Cheng, Victoria, Emarson, Mafrudy, Bin Rubani, Morgan, Philip Norman, Swee, Eu Gin Terence, Achanta, Shri Venkata Radhakrishna, Kellock, Peter Rowan, Lo, Sheng, Beauregard, Gerald Thomas, Subramanian, Srikumar Karaikudi
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/52
• 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 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A method (100) of automatically editing audio and visual recordings to produce an audio-visual production using computer processing means. The method (100) involves a first step (101) of setting production criteria in which the desired production duration, target device, maximum execution time and location of media files are specified. In a second step (102) a style is selected for applying to the media files. A third step (103) of selecting ones of the media files involves selecting those media files in folders which have been accessed most recently by a user, based on awarding a score to folders. In a fourth step (104), the selected style is applied. This is followed in a fifth step (105) by rendering the production to the target device.

Claims

1. A method of automatically editing at least visual media recordings to produce a media production using computer processing means, the method including the steps of:

a) setting production criteria, the production criteria including criteria indicative of at least one of;

a location in which a collection of discrete media recordings, including at least discrete visual media recordings, is stored so as to be accessible by the computer processing means and from which recordings are to be selected, a preferred duration of the media production, and the type of device on which the media production is to be played;

b) automatically selecting ones of the discrete media recordings, including at least ones of the discrete visual media recordings, from the or another collection thereof based on attributes of the recordings or of groups of the recordings.

c) producing editing instructions indicative of how the selected recordings are to be operated on by the or other computer processing means to produce a media production that satisfies the production criteria.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the collection of discrete media recordings includes discrete audio recordings and step (b) includes selecting ones thereof based on attributes of the recordings or of groups of the recordings.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each recording has attributes associated therewith indicating at least one of:

the time of recording, the geographical location of recording, the subject of the recording, the title of the recording, the time the recording was last accessed by a user, and the frequency of access by the user.

4. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein groups of recordings each have attributes associated therewith indicating when one or more of the recordings in that group was accessed, recorded and/or modified, and/or indicating the subject and/or title of one or more of the recordings in that group.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein one or more group is a group of recordings that is located together in a folder or directory organised under a computer filing system and wherein the attributes of each such group of recordings indicate when the folder or directory containing the group was accessed, created, modified;

and/or indicate the level of that folder or directory in a hierarchy of such folders and/or directories; and

/or indicate the title of the folder or directory containing the recordings in that group.

6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step (b) includes selecting discrete ones of the media recordings based on similarity between at least a respective corresponding attribute of each recording.

7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step (b) includes selecting groups of the recordings based on similarity between at least a respective corresponding attribute of each group.

8. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step (b) includes scoring groups based on their attributes and selecting groups that have similar scores.

9. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step (b) includes ranking groups in order based on a first corresponding attribute and selecting juxtaposed ones of the groups when so ranked.

10. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step (b) includes ranking groups in order based on a first corresponding attribute and awarding each ranked group a first score indicative of its rank.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein step (b) includes subsequently ranking groups in order based on a second corresponding attribute and awarding each group a second score indicative of its rank based on that second attribute.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein step (b) includes using the first and second scores to arrive at an overall ranking based on at least both the first and second attributes, and includes selecting one or more groups based on its position in that overall ranking.

13. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein each group is a group of one recording.

14. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step (b) includes selecting ones of the discrete media recordings in the collection, or groups thereof, on the basis that each recording or group has a respective and corresponding attribute that includes common information.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the common information includes at least one of:

a number, word, part of a word, and a plurality of words.

16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the common information is contained in a title of the recording or group.

17. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the visual recordings is a recording of a single still image, such as a photograph.

18. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the location in which the collection of discrete media recordings is stored is within a filing system organised under a computer operating system.

19. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the media recordings are stored in one or more directories or folders in a filing system organised under a computer operating system.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein each discrete media recording is a respective file in such a directory or folder.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the production criteria set in step (a) includes specifying at least one directory or folder, the contents of which are to constitute the collection.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein specifying at least one directory or folder results in any sub-directory or sub-folder contained therein also being specified, such that the contents of the or each sub-directory or sub-folder additionally forms or form part of the collection.

23. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein where the location includes a reference to one or more media recordings that are stored elsewhere, but accessible by the computer processing means, that or those recordings are considered as if they were in the location.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the references are links in a filing system organised under a computer operating system.

25. A method according to claim 23 or claim 24, wherein the references are in the form of a playlist.

26. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the production criteria in step (a) includes specifying at least one playlist that is accessible by the computer processing means.

27. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the production criteria in step (a) includes specifying at least one website at which at least part of the collection of media recordings is located.

28. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step (a) includes setting a production criterion indicative of a supply of media recordings information from which information indicative or one or more media recordings is supplied.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the or each supply may include one or more media streams.

30. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least some of media recordings are files organised under a computer operating system and wherein the attributes include pre-existing information normally assigned by the operating system to such files or to a folder or directory in which the files are stored.

31. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the attributes for one or more recording include information assigned to that or those recordings by a user.

32. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the attributes for one or more recording include information that rates the user'"'"'s preference for the or each recording to which the attributes relate.

33. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step (b) includes the step of producing a list of discrete media recordings and includes entering in that list one or more of the attributes of each media recording.

34. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method includes the step of assigning one or more attributes to one or more of the discrete media recordings in the collection.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the method includes analysing one or more media recordings in order to generate content information indicative of the content of at least part of that recording, the content information then being assigned to the respective recording as an attribute for use in the selecting of step (b).

36. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the production criteria set in step (a) includes a criterion indicative of the time that should be spent in carrying out the method or in carrying out one or more of the steps thereof.

37. A method according to claim 36, when dependent on claim 35, wherein the criterion specified in claim 36 determines the time that should be spent in analysing the media recordings in order to generate the content information and/or the list of media recordings.

38. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method includes the step of generating an estimate of how long it would take to analyse one or more of the media recordings so as to produce content information therefor, and optionally includes including information indicative of this estimated analysis time in an attribute assigned to the or each respective recording.

39. A method according to claim 38, wherein the method includes the subsequent step of using the information indicative of the estimated analysis time in step (b) to select media recordings that can be analysed in a time specified in the production criteria of step (a).

40. A method according to any one of claims 35, and claims 36 to 39 when dependent on claim 35, wherein the production criteria in step (a) includes an additional criterion indicative of the time that should be spent in analysing in step (b) so as to produce the content information.

41. A method according to claim 35, and any one of claims 36 to 40 when dependent on claim 33, wherein recordings that can be analysed more quickly selected for a first media production produced by a first performance of the method by the computer processing means.

42. A method according to any one of claims 36, and claims 37 to 42 when dependent on claim 36, wherein the method includes the step of performing background analysis of one or more media recordings so as to produce content information therefor or to generate an estimate of how long it would take to perform analysis to produce content information therefor, this step being performed substantially in parallel to one or more of the other steps and/or when one, more or all of those other steps are not being performed.

43. A method according to any preceding claim when including the features of claim 28 and/or claim 29, wherein the method includes the stop of analysing some or all of the supply of media recordings as the or each supply is received.

44. A method according to claim 43, wherein the method includes analysing one or more media streams in real time.

45. A method according to claim 44, wherein the method carries out the subsequent steps thereof to produce also and/or play the production in real time

46. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the attributes include user-created links between certain of the discrete media recordings in the collection thereof.

47. A method according to claim 46, wherein the method includes the step of a user creating such links.

48. A method according to claim 46 or 47, wherein in step (b), selecting one recording that includes such a link to another recording then results in additionally selecting that other recording.

49. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method includes the step of recording that one or more media recordings has or have been selected in one iteration of the method, such that it or they can be omitted from the or a subsequent iteration of the method.

50. A method according to claim 49, wherein the method keeps count of the number of times that one or more of the media recordings is or are selected, such that it progressively tends not to select those recordings as their count increases.

51. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method includes the step of setting style information that determines the editing instructions and hence the way in which the selected media recordings are operated on in step (c) so as to determine the way in which the selected media recordings are presented when the production is played back.

52. A method according to claim 51, wherein the step of setting the style information precedes step (b) and the style information at least partly determines the media recordings that are selected in step (b).

53. A method according to claim 52, wherein the style information results in media recordings being selected that fit or in some way reflect the style of which the style information is indicative.

54. A method according to claim 51, wherein the step of setting the style information follows step (b) and the style information is at least partly determined by the media recordings that are selected in step (b).

55. A method according to claim 54, wherein the style information is at least partly determined by at least one of the attributes for the media recordings selected in step (b).

56. A method according to any one of claims 51 to 55, wherein the style information is determined by a user selecting a particular style from a list of styles and the method includes the step of the computer processing means receiving style information from the user.

57. A method according to anyone or claims 51 to 56, wherein the style information is determined automatically in a random way.

58. A method according to claim 57, wherein the style information is determined automatically such that each iteration of the method results in a style being set that differs from the style set in the previous and/or the following iteration.

59. A method according to any one of claims 51 to 58, wherein the style information is determined automatically at least partly based on the time and/or date of initiating one or more steps of the method

60. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step (c) is followed by the step of the computer processing means carrying out the instructions produced in step (c) so as to produce the media production.

61. A method according to claim 60, wherein the media production is produced in a form in which it can, for example, be played by display means, and/or transmitted to other computer processing means and/or computer storage means for storage therein.

62. A method according to claim 61, wherein step (c) is followed by the step of transmitting information indicative of the media production to other computer processing means for storage and/or display by those other means, the transmitting being in the form of data streaming.

63. A method according to any one of claims 60 to 62, wherein the step of carrying out the instructions produced in step (c) so as to produce the media production, is so as to produce the production in realtime.

64. A method according to claim 63, wherein not all of the instructions are carried out, or wherein the instructions are produced, or wherein the instructions are carried out, in such a way that the production can be played in realtime.

65. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method is such that the production can be produced with no input from the user, save as to initiate the running of the method, the method automatically performing the subsequent steps.

66. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method is such that the media production can be produced by the input of one or two or three separate instructions by a user.

67. A method according to claim 66, wherein the instruction is, or the instructions include, specifying the production criterion or criteria;

specifying the attribute or attributes on which the selection is to be based;

or selecting the style.

68. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method includes the step of the computer processing means automatically downloading media recordings from an external target device in communication therewith to store those recordings on local storage means accessible by the computer processing means.

69. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method includes the step of the computer processing means automatically transmitting information indicative of the media production to an external target devices such that the media production can be played thereon.

70. A method according to claim 68 or 69, wherein the automatic downloading and/or transmitting takes place automatically upon the computer processing means and the device being brought into communication with one another.

71. A method according to any preceding claim such that it is repeatedly performed by the computer processing means and is interruptable by user intervention.

72. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the steps of the method, apart from the playback of a media production produced by the method, are continuously carried out so as to at least produce the editing instructions of step (c) for one or more media productions whilst a media production that was produced previously by the method is being played.

73. Computer processing means programmed and operable to carry out a method according to any preceding claim.

74. A computer program including code portions which when executed by computer processing means cause those means to carry out a method according to any preceding claim.

75. A record carrier having information recorded therein or thereon which is readable by computer processing means to cause those means to carry out a method according to any preceding claim.

76. A record carrier according to claim 75 that is an electrical signal or a radio frequency signal.