VIDEO SCENE MATCHING ON RETURN FROM VIRTUAL RENDERING IN A CONSUMER DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDING DEVICE

• US 20100104005A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Bhogal, Kulvir S., Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Walker, Keith R., Amsterdam, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.10
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel

Abstract

A method, system and computer program provide a mechanism for smoothing the transition back from a virtual (computer generated) scene to a related video stream. An event such as a user input or timeout is received triggering a return to display of the video stream from a virtual scene related to content of the video stream. A number of time points and/or camera angles are either presented to the user or are automatically searched for the best match. The list may be presented in order according to an automatically detected matching criteria. The virtual scene may a scene constructed locally within a computer or digital video recorder (DVR) and the matching performed locally based on angle and time information provided from a content provider such as a server, or the virtual scene generation and matching may be performed at a remote location such as the content server.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a transition from a virtual scene to at least one video stream, the method comprising:

displaying the video stream;

transitioning to displaying the virtual scene, wherein the transitioning stores a time of the transition to displaying the virtual scene;

receiving an event indicating a request for the transition from the virtual scene to the video stream;

retrieving the stored time of the transition;

locating at least one time point of a selected one of the at least one video stream having a camera angle and content substantially matching match to an endpoint of the virtual scene, wherein the at least one time point of the at least one video stream is a time point after the stored time of the transition; and

displaying the selected video stream commencing at a selected one of the at least one time point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one video stream comprises multiple video streams, and wherein the locating selects the selected one of the multiple video streams according to a camera angle of the selected video stream having a closest match to a virtual camera angle of the endpoint of the virtual scene.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one video stream comprises a single video stream, wherein the selected video stream is the single video stream, and wherein the locating selects the selected one at least one time point having a closest content match to content of the endpoint of the virtual scene.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving receives the event as a user input indicating the request to transition from the virtual scene to the video stream, wherein the locating locates multiple combinations of the at least one time point and the at least one video stream, and wherein the method further comprises displaying a list of at least some of the multiple combinations to a user to select the selected video stream and a selected one of the at least one time point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the locating is performed within a consumer digital video recording device, and wherein the digital video recording device receives camera angle information from a remote service provider, wherein the locating determines the at least one time point of the selected video stream from the received camera angle information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the locating is performed within a consumer digital video recording device of a user, and wherein the digital video recording device extracts still image information from the at least one video stream, wherein the locating determines the at least one time point of the selected video stream by matching the still image information with the endpoint of the virtual scene.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual scene is generated within a consumer digital video recording device.

8. A consumer digital video recording device comprising a processor for selecting between a virtual scene and at least one video stream, wherein the processor executes program instructions stored within a storage of the digital video recording device, the program instructions comprising program instructions for:

displaying the video stream;

transitioning to displaying the virtual scene, wherein the transitioning stores a time of the transition to displaying the virtual scene;

receiving an event indicating a request for the transition from the virtual scene to the video stream;

retrieving the stored time of the transition;

locating at least one time point of a selected one of the at least one video stream having a camera angle and content substantially matching match to an endpoint of the virtual scene, wherein the at least one time point of the at least one video stream is a time point after the stored time of the transition; and

displaying the selected video stream commencing at a selected one of the at least one time point.

9. The consumer digital video recording device of claim 8, wherein the at least one video stream comprises multiple video streams, and wherein the program instructions for locating select the selected one of the multiple video streams according to a camera angle of the selected video stream having a closest match to a virtual camera angle of the endpoint of the virtual scene.

10. The consumer digital video recording device of claim 8, wherein the at least one video stream comprises a single video stream, wherein the selected video stream is the single video stream, and wherein the program instructions for locating select the selected one at least one time point having a closest content match to content of the endpoint of the virtual scene.

11. The consumer digital video recording device of claim 8, wherein the program instructions for receiving receive the event as a user input indicating the request to transition from the virtual scene to the video stream, wherein the program instructions for locating locate multiple combinations of the at least one time point and the at least one video stream, and wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for displaying a list of at least some of the multiple combinations to a user to select the selected video stream and a selected one of the at least one time point.

12. The consumer digital video recording device of claim 8, wherein the digital video recording device receives camera angle information from a remote service provider, and wherein the program instructions for locating determine the at least one time point of the selected video stream from the received camera angle information.

13. The consumer digital video recording device of claim 8, wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for extracting still image information from the at least one video stream, wherein the program instructions for locating determine the at least one time point of the selected video stream by matching the still image information with the endpoint of the virtual scene.

14. The consumer digital video recording device of claim 8, wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for generating the virtual scene.

15. A computer program product comprising program instructions for execution by a processor within a consumer digital video recording device including a storage for storing the program instructions, wherein the program instructions comprise program instructions for selecting between a virtual scene and at least one video stream, the program instructions comprising program instructions for:

displaying the video stream;

transitioning to displaying the virtual scene, wherein the transitioning stores a time of the transition to displaying the virtual scene;

receiving an event indicating a request for the transition from the virtual scene to the video stream;

retrieving the stored time of the transition;

locating at least one time point of a selected one of the at least one video stream having a camera angle and content substantially matching match to an endpoint of the virtual scene, wherein the at least one time point of the at least one video stream is a time point after the stored time of the transition; and

displaying the selected video stream commencing at a selected one of the at least one time point.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one video stream comprises multiple video streams, and wherein the program instructions for locating select the selected one of the multiple video streams according to a camera angle of the selected video stream having a closest match to a virtual camera angle of the endpoint of the virtual scene.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one video stream comprises a single video stream, wherein the selected video stream is the single video stream, and wherein the program instructions for locating select the selected one at least one time point having a closest content match to content of the endpoint of the virtual scene.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for receiving receive the event as a user input indicating the request to transition from the virtual scene to the video stream, wherein the program instructions for locating locate multiple combinations of the at least one time point and the at least one video stream, and wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for displaying a list of at least some of the multiple combinations to a user to select the selected video stream and a selected one of the at least one time point.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the digital video recording device receives camera angle information from a remote service provider, and wherein the program instructions for locating determine the at least one time point of the selected video stream from the received camera angle information.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for extracting still image information from the at least one video stream, wherein the program instructions for locating determine the at least one time point of the selected video stream by matching the still image information with the endpoint of the virtual scene.