Annotation Framework for Video

• US 20080154908A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Datar, Mayur, Garg, Ashutosh, Mittal, Vibhu
• Granted Patent: US 7,559,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier

Abstract

A system and method for transferring annotations associated with a media file. An annotation associated with a media file is indexed to a first instance of that media file. By comparing features of the two instances, a mapping is created between the first instance of the media file and a second instance of the media file. The annotation can be indexed to the second instance using the mapping between the first and second instances. The annotation can be processed (displayed, stored, or modified) based on the index to the second instance.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving annotations, the method comprising:

receiving from a client device a request for annotations associated with a segment of a first instance of a media file, the first instance of the media file being displayed at the client device;

mapping the segment of the first instance of the media file to a corresponding segment of a second instance of the media file, the second instance of the media file stored at a host device remotely located from the client device;

retrieving an annotation associated with the corresponding segment of the second instance of the media file; and

transmitting the annotation to the client device for processing thereon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for annotations includes a feature of the first instance of the media file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein mapping the segment of the first instance of the media file to a corresponding segment of a second instance of the media file comprises searching for the feature in the second instance of the media file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file comprises a video.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the segment of the first instance comprises mapping a first frame of the segment of the first instance to a corresponding frame of the second instance of the media file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation comprises a segment of audio.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation comprises a description of the media file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation comprises an advertisement.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation comprises a command.

10. A method for processing annotations associated with a media file, the method comprising:

determining a feature of a first segment of the media file;

requesting from a server an annotation associated with the media file, the request including the feature of the first segment of the media file;

receiving from the server a response to the request, said response comprising an annotation associated with a second segment of the media file; and

processing the annotation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the feature identifies content in the second segment of the media file.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the media file comprises a video.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first segment comprises a first frame and wherein the second segment comprises a second frame.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the annotation comprises a segment of audio.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the annotation comprises a description of the media file.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the annotation comprises an advertisement.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the annotation comprises a command.

18. A method of storing annotations comprising:

receiving from a first client device a first annotation, wherein the first annotation is associated with a segment of a first instance of a media file, the first instance of the media file being displayed at the first client device;

mapping the segment of the first instance of the media file to a first corresponding segment in a second instance of the media file, the second instance of the media file stored at a host device remotely located from the first client device; and

storing the first annotation, wherein the first annotation is indexed to the first corresponding segment of the second instance of the media file.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a feature of the first instance of the media file.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein mapping the segment of the first instance of the media file to the first corresponding segment of the second instance of the media file comprises searching for the feature in the second instance of the media file.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the media file comprises a video.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein mapping the segment of the first instance comprises mapping a first frame of the segment of the first instance to a corresponding frame of the second instance of the media file.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the first annotation comprises a segment of audio.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the first annotation comprises a description of the media file.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the first annotation comprises an advertisement.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the first annotation comprises a command.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving from a second client device a second annotation; and

storing the second annotation, wherein the second annotation is indexed to the first corresponding segment of the second instance of the media file.

28. A system for indexing annotations comprising:

a feature detector, configured to create a mapping of a first instance of a media file to a second instance of the media file;

an annotation retriever, configured to retrieve an annotation indexed to the first instance of the media file; and

an annotation indexer, configured to index the annotation to the second instance of the media file using the mapping.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

an annotation displayer, configured to display the annotation together with the second instance of the media file.

30. A system for retrieving annotations, the system comprising:

means for receiving from a client device a request for annotations associated with a segment of a first instance of a video, the first instance of the video being displayed at the client device, the request for annotations includes a feature of the first instance of the video;

means for mapping the segment of the first instance of the video to a corresponding segment of a second instance of the video, the second instance of the video stored at a host device remotely located from the client device, said means further comprising means for searching for the feature in the second instance of the video;

means for retrieving an annotation associated with the corresponding segment of the second instance of the video; and

means for transmitting the annotation to the client device for display thereon.