GENERATING A COMBINED VIDEO STREAM FROM MULTIPLE INPUT VIDEO STREAMS

• US 20090300676A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: HARTER, William Hood JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for generating a combined video stream from multiple input video streams. A first video stream including a first product commercial generated to be played at a first playback speed and a second video stream including a second product commercial generated to be played at a second playback speed are processed. The second playback speed is faster than the first playback speed. A combined video stream is generated including a first panel in each frame to display the first video stream and a second panel in each frame to display the second video stream. When the combined video stream is played at the first playback speed the second video stream is rendered to appear at a slower speed than the second playback speed for which it was generated. When the combined video stream is played at the second playback speed the first video speed is rendered to appear at a faster speed than the first playback speed for which it was generated.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

processing a first video stream including a first product commercial generated to be played at a first playback speed;

processing a second video stream including a second product commercial generated to be played at a second playback speed, wherein the second playback speed is faster than the first playback speed; and

generating a combined video stream including a first panel in each frame to display the first video stream and a second panel in each frame to display the second video stream, wherein when the combined video stream is played at the first playback speed the second video stream is rendered to appear at a slower speed than the second playback speed for which it was generated and when the combined video stream is played at the second playback speed the first video speed is rendered to appear at a faster speed than the first playback speed for which it was generated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second video streams have first and second frame rates, respectively, wherein the first frame rate is greater than the second frame rate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the combined video stream comprises:

generating each frame of the first video stream into at least one frame of the first panel in the combined video stream at a first ratio of frames in the first video stream to frames in the combined video stream;

generating each frame of the second video stream into at least one frame of the second panel in the combined video stream at a second ratio of frames in the second video stream to frames in the combined video stream, wherein the second ratio is greater than the first ratio such that frames in the second video stream are generated into more frames in the second panel in the combined video stream than the frames in the first video stream are generated into the frames of the first panel in the combined video stream.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second video streams are separately filmed at the first and the second frame rates, respectively.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second video streams are separately filmed at a same frame rate, wherein the second video stream includes events included in the first video stream, wherein the same events in the second video stream appear on more frames than the same events in the first video stream.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input video stream including product commercial content filmed at a filming frame rate;

processing the input video stream to generate the first video stream including the input video stream generated to be played at the first playback speed, wherein the first product commercial comprises the product commercial content at the first playback speed; and

processing the input video stream to generate the second video stream generated to be played at the second playback speed, wherein the second product commercial comprises the product commercial content at the second playback speed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first playback speed is at the filming frame rate and wherein the second playback speed is at a frame rate less than the filming frame rate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first playback speed is a normal speed and wherein the second playback speed is a fast forward speed for a video player device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing and generating operations are performed by post production software to generate the product commercial in the first and second panels of the combined video stream.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input indicating sizes of the first and second panels in each frame of the combined video stream, wherein the first and second panels have sizes in the combined video stream corresponding to their indicated sizes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indicated sizes of the first and second panels are based on percentages of a viewing audience estimated to watch the first and second panels, wherein the first or second panel having a higher estimated viewing audience is set to a greater size in the frame than the first or second panel having a lower estimated viewing audience.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the combined video stream is inserted in a broadcast as a commercial segment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second product commercial comprise commercials for different products.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second product commercial comprise commercials for a same product.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second video streams include commercials for a plurality of products.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium including a video editor executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

processing a first video stream including a first product commercial generated to be played at a first playback speed;

processing a second video stream including a second product commercial generated to be played at a second playback speed, wherein the second playback speed is faster than the first playback speed; and

generating a combined video stream including a first panel in each frame to display the first video stream and a second panel in each frame to display the second video stream, wherein when the combined video stream is played at the first playback speed the second video stream is rendered to appear at a slower speed than the second playback speed for which it was generated and when the combined video stream is played at the second playback speed the first video speed is rendered to appear at a faster speed than the first playback speed for which it was generated.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second video streams have first and second frame rates, respectively, wherein the first frame rate is greater than the second frame rate.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein generating the combined video stream comprises:

generating each frame of the first video stream into at least one frame of the first panel in the combined video stream at a first ratio of frames in the first video stream to frames in the combined video stream;

generating each frame of the second video stream into at least one frame of the second panel in the combined video stream at a second ratio of frames in the second video stream to frames in the combined video stream, wherein the second ratio is greater than the first ratio such that frames in the second video stream are generated into more frames in the second panel in the combined video stream than the frames in the first video stream are generated into the frames of the first panel in the combined video stream.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second video streams are separately filmed at a same frame rate, wherein the second video stream includes events included in the first video stream, wherein the same events in the second video stream appear on more frames than the same events in the first video stream.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an input video stream including product commercial content filmed at a filming frame rate;

processing the input video stream to generate the first video stream including the input video stream generated to be played at the first playback speed, wherein the first product commercial comprises the product commercial content at the first playback speed; and

processing the input video stream to generate the second video stream generated to be played at the second playback speed, wherein the second product commercial comprises the product commercial content at the second playback speed.

21. An article of manufacture implementing a program executed to perform operations, the operations comprising:

processing a first video stream including a first product commercial generated to be played at a first playback speed;

processing a second video stream including a second product commercial generated to be played at a second playback speed, wherein the second playback speed is faster than the first playback speed; and

generating a combined video stream including a first panel in each frame to display the first video stream and a second panel in each frame to display the second video stream, wherein when the combined video stream is played at the first playback speed the second video stream is rendered to appear at a slower speed than the second playback speed for which it was generated and when the combined video stream is played at the second playback speed the first video speed is rendered to appear at a faster speed than the first playback speed for which it was generated.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the first and second video streams have first and second frame rates, respectively, wherein the first frame rate is greater than the second frame rate.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein generating the combined video stream comprises:

generating each frame of the first video stream into at least one frame of the first panel in the combined video stream at a first ratio of frames in the first video stream to frames in the combined video stream;

generating each frame of the second video stream into at least one frame of the second panel in the combined video stream at a second ratio of frames in the second video stream to frames in the combined video stream, wherein the second ratio is greater than the first ratio such that frames in the second video stream are generated into more frames in the second panel in the combined video stream than the frames in the first video stream are generated into the frames of the first panel in the combined video stream.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the first and second video streams are separately filmed at a same frame rate, wherein the second video stream includes events included in the first video stream, wherein the same events in the second video stream appear on more frames than the same events in the first video stream.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an input video stream including product commercial content filmed at a filming frame rate;

processing the input video stream to generate the first video stream including the input video stream generated to be played at the first playback speed, wherein the first product commercial comprises the product commercial content at the first playback speed; and

processing the input video stream to generate the second video stream generated to be played at the second playback speed, wherein the second product commercial comprises the product commercial content at the second playback speed.