METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING MULTIMEDIA CONTENT

• US 20080270569A1
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Miovision Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Miovision Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Thompson, David, McBride, Kurtis, Zhang, Di, Madill, Kevin, Silagadze, Vecheslav, Fairles, Chris, Brijpaul, Tony
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/783 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/462 Salient features, e.g. scale invariant feature transforms [SIFT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A method and system are provided for remotely analyzing multimedia content, in particular video, and extracting information from such multimedia content. The system analyses, e.g. a video file by way of an FTP, file upload or streaming data etc., and configuration settings specified in one embodiment by a separate entity at one of multiple server entities. The system also comprises one or more remote server entities utilizing data storage and data processing capabilities. In one embodiment the client sends a video source and configuration settings over a network, the remote server accepts the video source, generates configuration settings, and a data processing module analyzes the video content to extract data from the video.

Claims

1. A method for analysing multimedia content comprising:

obtaining said multimedia content from one or more remote client devices;

generating a set of configuration settings for said multimedia content indicative of how said multimedia content should be analyzed according to the nature of said multimedia content;

analyzing said multimedia content according to said configuration settings to extract data therefrom indicative of characteristics of said multimedia content; and

making said extracted data available to a corresponding, one of said remote client devices.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising reviewing said extracted data with respect to said multimedia content to verify correctness of said analyzing and modifying said extracted data if errors are found.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising generating information from said extracted data indicating the results of said analyzing;

and providing said information to said corresponding one of said remote client devices.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said multimedia content comprises video content and said analyzing, comprises performing computer vision techniques to identify, classify and track objects identified in said video content.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said video content is obtained in a form that balances bitrate, resolution and framerate to optimize transfer of the video content from said client devices.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein said video content is obtained as a stream of compressed data from said client devices and said method comprises decompressing said compressed data as it is received.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said obtaining is initiated though an intermediary server over a network, said intermediary server communicating with said client devices to redirect said multimedia content to one or more storage devices.

8. The method according to claim 1 utilizing a distributed computing system comprising one or more processing nodes for performing said analyzing and one or more storage nodes for storing said multimedia content and said configuration settings for said configuring, said processing nodes obtaining a copy of said multimedia content and a copy of said configuration settings from said storage nodes prior to said analyzing.

9. The method according to claim 2 wherein said reviewing is performed at one or more post processing sites, a copy of said multimedia content and said extracted data being provided to said post processing sites following said analyzing.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said configuration settings are generated at one or more configuration sites, said configuration sites accessing said multimedia content prior to said analyzing and utilizing a configuration tool adapted to provide a plurality of options for defining attributes associated with selected portions of said multimedia content for extracting said extracted data.

11. The method according to claim 2 wherein said reviewing comprises identifying additional configuration settings or modifications of existing configuration settings and providing configuration feedback for adjusting said configuration settings for refining analysis of related multimedia content.

12. The method according to claim 8 wherein said multimedia content is redirected by an intermediary server accessed by said client devices directly to said storage nodes, said intermediary server having copies of said multimedia content and said configuration settings downloaded to said processing nodes for said analyzing and being responsible for redirecting copies of said multimedia content and said extracted data to one or more post processing sites for reviewing said extracted data for correctness.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein said copies of said multimedia content and said extracted data are redirected from said processing nodes directly to said post processing sites for said reviewing.

14. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for causing a computing device to perform the method according to claim 1.

21. The system according to claim 1S, said at least one server entity comprising an intermediary server connected to said at least one client device over a network, wherein said obtaining is initiated through said intermediary server, said intermediary server communicating with said client devices to redirect said multimedia content to one or more storage devices.

22. The system according to claim 1S, said at least one server entity utilizing a distributed computing system comprising one or more processing nodes for performing said analyzing and one or more storage nodes for storing said multimedia content and said configuration settings for said configuring, said processing nodes configured for obtaining a copy of said multimedia content and a copy of said configuration settings from said storage nodes prior to said analyzing.

26. The system according to claim 22, said at least one server entity comprising an intermediary server accessed by said client devices, wherein said multimedia content is redirected by said intermediary server directly to said storage nodes, said intermediary server having copies of said multimedia content and said configuration settings downloaded to said processing nodes for said analyzing and being responsible for redirecting copies of said multimedia content and said extracted data to one or more post processing sites for reviewing said extracted data for correctness.

27. The system according to claim 26 wherein said copies of said multimedia content and said extracted data are redirected from said processing nodes directly to said post processing sites for said reviewing.

15. A system for analyzing, multimedia content comprising at least one server entity connected to one or more remote client devices over a network, said at least one server entity being configured for obtaining said multimedia content from said one or more remote client devices;

generating a set of configuration settings for said multimedia content indicative of how said multimedia content should be analyzed according to the nature of said multimedia content;

analyzing said multimedia content according to said configuration settings to extract data therefrom indicative of characteristics of said multimedia content, and making said extracted data available to a corresponding one of said remote client devices.

16. The system according to claim 15, said at least one server device being configured for reviewing said extracted data to verify correctness of said analyzing and for correcting said extracted data if errors are found.

17. The system according to claim 15, said at least one server entity being configured for generating information from said extracted data indicating the results of said analyzing;

and providing said information in a report for said corresponding one of said remote client devices.

18. The system according to claim 15 wherein said multimedia content comprises video content and said analyzing comprises performing computer vision techniques to identify, classify and track objects identified in said video content.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein said video content is obtained in a form that balances bitrate, resolution and framerate to optimize transfer of the video content from said client devices to said at least one server entity.

20. The system according to claim 18 wherein said video content is obtained as a stream of compressed data from said client devices and one of said at least one server entity is configured for decompressing said compressed data as it is received.

23. The system according to claim 16, said at least one server entity comprising one or more post processing sites, wherein said reviewing is performed at said one or more post processing sites, a copy of said multimedia content and said extracted data being provided to said post processing sites following said analyzing.

24. The system according to claim 15, said at least one server entity comprising one or more configuration sites, wherein said configuration settings are generated at said one or more configuration sites, said configuration sites configured for accessing said multimedia content prior to said analyzing and utilizing a configuration tool adapted to provide a plurality of options for defining attributes associated with selected portions of said multimedia content for extracting said extracted data.

25. The system according to claim 16 wherein said reviewing comprises identifying additional configuration settings or modifications of existing configuration settings and providing configuration feedback for adjusting said configuration settings for refining analysis of related multimedia content.