System and method for capturing, editing, searching, and delivering multi-media content

• US 20080137756A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
• Original Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
• Inventors: Scherlis, William L., Burns, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,437,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.28
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream

Abstract

Apparatus is disclosed which may be operated according to a session acquisition mode, an editing mode, and a playback or distribution mode. In the session acquisition mode, in response to a global sync signal or a locally generated start signal, acquisition streams are automatically produced which capture an analog or digital input signal. Those acquisition streams produced by capture devices in sync with the global timeline (i.e., online devices) will have time indicia in sync with the global timeline. Those capture devices which are not in sync with the global timeline (i.e., offline devices) will have local time indicia. The system may inlcude one or more online capture devices that come online and go offline during the global time line, one or more online capture devices operating in conjunction with one or more offline capture devices, or a plurality of offline capture devices. The various acquisition streams are delivered, synchronously or asynchronously, to a server. Those streams having local time indicia are synchronized with the global timeline and the various acquisition streams are then stored. Low bit rate streams corresponding to the stored acquisition streams are generated for use in subsequent editing of the acquisition streams. The editing of the acquisition streams entails reviewing the various acquisition streams and selecting portions for replay. The portions selected for replay are identified through metadata which is then stored. The replay or distribution mode begins by editing the global timeline using the metadata generated in the editing mode so as to produce an edited timeline. The various acquisition streams are then rendered or played back according to the edited timeline to produce a distribution stream.

Claims

1. A system for storing media or event streams produced by a plurality of capture devices coming online and going offline during a time period defined by a global timeline, said system comprising:

a server for providing a global timeline and for storing a plurality of acquisition streams each synchronized to said global time line;

a plurality of capture devices each responsive to an analog or digital input signal for automatically producing one of said plurality of acquisition streams; and

a communication network for connecting said plurality of capture devices with said server, said plurality of capture devices being operated in an online mode with said server such that said plurality acquisition streams are delivered to said server, each of said plurality of acquisition streams having time indicia for aligning said acquisition stream with said global timeline regardless of when said capture device is turned on or off with respect to said global timeline.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein certain of said capture devices include a storage device for buffering an acquisition stream.

3. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising a storage device in communication with said server for storing uncompressed video.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of capture devices comprises computers.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of capture devices comprises a computer in combination with an analog capture device.

6. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising an editor responsive to low bit-rate versions of said plurality of acquisition streams stored by said server.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said editor produces metadata representing a desired distribution stream, said server being responsive to said metadata to produce an edited timeline.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said server is responsive to said edited timeline so as to produce said desired distribution stream.

9. The system of claims 7 wherein said metadata identifies a size and location for two viewing windows from a video stream.

10. A method for storing acquisition streams produced by a plurality of capture devices coming online and going offline during a time period defined by a global timeline, said method comprising:

providing a global timeline;

automatically producing a plurality of acquisition streams with a plurality of capture devices operated in an online mode with a server;

delivering said plurality of acquisition streams to a server, each of said plurality of acquisition streams having time indicia; and

storing said streams in a manner such that each stream is synchronized to said global time line regardless of when said capture device is turned on or off with respect to said global timeline.

11. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising buffering at least one of said acquisition streams.

12. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising automatically producing an acquisition stream with a capture device operated in an offline mode with respect to said server, and synchronizing said acquisition stream with said global timeline.

13. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising:

producing metadata representing a desired distribution stream;

using said metadata to modify said global timeline to produce an edited timeline; and

storing said edited timeline.

14. The method of claim 13 additionally comprising rendering a distribution stream from said edited timeline and said stored acquisition streams.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said metadata identifies a size and location for two viewing windows from a video stream.

16. A method for storing acquisition streams produced by a plurality of capture devices, comprising:

providing a global timeline;

automatically producing a plurality of acquisition streams with a plurality of capture devices operated in an offline mode with respect to a server;

delivering said plurality of acquisition streams to said server, each of said plurality of acquisition streams having local time indicia;

synchronizing each of said plurality of acquisition streams to said global timeline; and

storing said synchronized streams.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said synchronizing comprises aligning a local start time indicia with a global start time indicia.

18. The method of claim 16 additionally comprising:

producing metadata representing a desired distribution stream;

using said metadata to modify said global timeline to produce an edited timeline; and

using said edited timeline to produce a distribution stream.

19. A method for storing acquisition streams produced by a plurality of capture devices, comprising:

providing a global timeline;

automatically producing a first acquisition stream with a first capture device operated in an online mode with a server, said first acquisition stream containing time indicia in sync with said global timeline;

automatically producing a second acquisition stream with a second capture device operated in an offline mode with respect to said server, said second acquisition stream containing local time indicia not in sync with said global time line;

delivering said first and second acquisition streams to said server;

synchronizing said second acquisition stream to said global timeline; and

storing said first and second streams.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said synchronizing comprises aligning a local start time indicia with a global start time indicia.

21. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising:

producing metadata representing a desired distribution stream;

using said metadata to modify said global timeline to produce an edited timeline; and

using said edited timeline to produce a distribution stream.

22. A method of selecting portions of a video stream, comprising:

identifying two viewing windows from the video stream;

expressing metadata identifying the size and location of said viewing windows; and

storing said metadata.

23. A system for storing a plurality of acquisition streams, comprising:

a server for providing a global timeline;

a plurality of capture devices operated in an offline mode with respect to said server for automatically producing a plurality of acquisition streams each having local time indicia; and

a communication network for delivering said plurality of acquisition streams to said server, said server being responsive to each of said plurality of acquisition streams for synchronizing each of said plurality of acquisition streams to said global timeline and for storing said synchronized streams.

24. A system for storing acquisition streams, comprising:

a server for providing a global timeline;

a first capture device operated in an online mode with respect to said server for automatically producing a first acquisition stream having time indicia in sync with said global timeline;

a second capture device operated in an offline mode with respect to said server for automatically producing a second acquisition stream having local time indicia not in sync with said global time line;

a communication network for delivering said first and second acquisition streams to said serve, said server being responsive to said second acquisition stream for synchronizing said second acquisition stream to said global timeline and for storing said first and second streams.

25. A computer readable memory programmed with a series of instructions which, when executed, performs a method of selecting portions of a video stream, comprising:

identifying two viewing windows from the video stream;

expressing metadata identifying the size and location of said viewing windows; and

storing said metadata.