Segmented Timeline for a Media-Editing Application

• US 20100281383A1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Steinauer, Peter A., Breglio, Melissa, Pendergast, Colleen, Meaney, Brian, Stern, Mike, Cerf, Dave, Stikich, Michaelle, Holland, Jerremy, Lyons, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,631,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method that receives a timeline that includes several pieces of content. The method receives user input to divide the timeline into hierarchical segments of varying duration. The method defines associations between the pieces of content and at least one hierarchical level of the segments. In some embodiments, the method is performed by a media-editing application and the pieces of content are media clips inserted into the timeline by a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining a hierarchical structure for a timeline that includes content, the hierarchical structure comprising at least two levels of hierarchy;

defining items at each level of the hierarchy, the items at the lowest level of the hierarchy for representing the content and the items at each of the other levels for representing segments of time in the timeline; and

defining associations for associating items at successive levels of the hierarchy, wherein each item at a first level is for associating with at least one item at a second level higher than the first level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each item at the lowest level is for associating with exactly one item at the second lowest level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is for defining a media-editing application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the content comprises media clips.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the content comprises audio clips.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the content comprises video clips.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the timeline is a timeline of a composite media presentation.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the items at least one level of the hierarchy are for editing a composite media presentation defined by the timeline.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the content items at the lowest level of the hierarchy are editable to edit the composite media presentation.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the segment items at least one of the levels above the content are editable to edit the composite media presentation.

11. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for execution by at least one processor, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a timeline that comprises a plurality of pieces of content;

receiving user input to divide the timeline into hierarchical segments of varying duration; and

defining associations between the pieces of content and at least one hierarchical level of the segments.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer program is an operating system.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer program is a media-editing application.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the pieces of content are media clips inserted into the timeline by a user.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein each segment in the timeline is a duration of time specified by a user.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the hierarchical segments comprise segments at least two levels of hierarchy.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for defining associations comprises sets of instructions for:

defining associations between the pieces of content and segments at a lowest level of hierarchy; and

defining associations between segments at the lowest level and segments at a next lowest level.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein each piece of content is associated with at least one segment at the lowest level of hierarchy and at least one particular piece of content is associated with at least two particular segments at the lowest level of hierarchy.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the particular piece of content spans a particular duration of the timeline and a boundary between the two particular segments falls within the particular duration.

20. A method comprising:

defining a hierarchical structure for a timeline that includes content, the hierarchical structure comprising items at least two levels of hierarchy;

for each particular level of the hierarchical structure, defining a set of functionalities and attributes that apply to items at the particular level of the hierarchy,

wherein a set of functionalities and attributes for a first level is different for a set of functionalities and attributes at a second level.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the method is for defining a media-editing application.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the set of functionalities and attributes for each particular level comprises whether the items at the particular level are displayed in a user interface of the media-editing application.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the set of functionalities and attributes for each particular level comprises how the items are used for editing.