Video storage and retrieval system and method

• US 20110119588A1
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VideoBank
• Original Assignee: VideoBank
• Inventors: Siracusano, Louis H. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,881,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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

A video image storage and retrieval system providing computer displays of timelines for video sequences, in which a first timeline shows time divisions for segments for the longer sequences, and the other timelines each provide for locating images within the segments. Timecodes in the other timelines are aligned with those in the first timeline so that searching for images in the other timelines is facilitated.

Claims

1. A video image storage and retrieval system comprising

(a) a video logger having a device for electronic tagging of video images to locate by timecode video image features of interest according to predetermined criteria,

(b) a timeline display device for receiving video images with electronic tags and displaying for said images a timeline image with markings indicating the time boundaries of pre-determined segments of a series of video images, and

(c) a cursor device for alignment with said timeline in one of said segments and selectively displaying video images from one segment at the location of said cursor.

2. A system as in claim 1 in which said display device displays at least one further timeline representative of a feature of selected ones of said video images and located by said tags, said further timeline being parallel to and aligned with the first-named timeline on a timecode basis, tagged images being adapted to be reproduced by means of said cursor device.

3. A system as in claim 2 in which said cursor device is adapted to display said tagged images together with information regarding said tagged images.

4. A system as in claim 3 in which said further timeline represents chat recorded with said video images and said information displayed includes the text of the chat.

5. A system as in claim 3 including a plurality of said further timelines, each containing tagged images representing a subject selected from the group consisting of attributes, telemetry, chat, heat and motion.

6. A system as in claim 3 in which said information displayed includes the timecode of the images being displayed, and including equipment for providing a zoom function to expand said timelines in the boundaries of the selected one of said segments.

7. A system as in claim 5 in which said information displayed for said telemetry timeline includes the location coordinates of a site under surveillance.

8. A system as in claim 5 in which said information reproduced for said attributes includes a description of said attributes.

9. A system as in claim 2 in which said display device includes means for producing in each further timeline indicia indicating the locations in the line of tagged images.

10. A system as in claim 1 including input encoding equipment fir encoding input video signals in both MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 formats, and directing the MPEG1-encoded signals to said logger and said timeline display devices for use in selecting video segments for further use, and further utilizing the MPEG 2-encoded images corresponding to said MPEG1-encoded signals.

11. A video storage and retrieval system comprising

equipment for storing encoded video signals with a timecode.

readout and display apparatus for selectively reading out said stored video signals and timecodes and displaying selected images on a video display device,

equipment for displaying on said display device a plurality of timelines, each of said timelines representing the timecodes of images in a sequence of video images,

a first one of said timelines having a plurality of indicia locating separate segments of said sequence,

a second one of said timelines being adjacent and parallel to said first timeline and having a timecode and containing electronic indicia locating selected ones of said video images having predetermined characteristics, and

a selector device for locating one of said selected video images in one of said segments of said first timeline and displaying said selected images

12. A system as in claim 11 including storage apparatus for storing images corresponding to said selected images,

and including further timelines aligned vertically according to timecode with said first and second timelines, said second and further timelines representing metatagged subject matter selected from the group consisting of:

chat, selected attributes, motion, heat and telemetry.

13. A system as in claim 11 including further display means for displaying the timecode and other data regarding said selected images in response to selection by said selector device.

14. A system as in claim 13 in which said further display means is adapted to display chat recorded with said video images.

15. A system as in claim 11 including input encoding means for encoding live video feeds and previously recorded video signals,

said encoding means being adapted to provide and store both MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 encoding of input signals, said readout and display apparatus being adapted to use said MPEG 1 encoded signals, and recording equipment for preparing recordings of selected images from said MPEG 2 encoded signals corresponding to said selected images.

16. A method of storing and selectively retrieving video images from a video image stream, said method comprising:

(a) displaying and applying metadata tags to said video images to indicate the location by timecode of specific features of said video stream;

(b) displaying said video image streams together with a first timeline visibly indicating the timecode boundaries of specific equal time segments of each of said video streams,

(c) displaying at least one other timeline parallel to, spaced from and aligned with said first timeline on a timecode basis, said other timeline representing the locations of a feature of said stream,

(d) aligning a cursor with a selected one of said segments and a corresponding portion of said other timeline and retrieving and displaying video images and information appearing at locations corresponding to the position of said cursor.

17. A method as in claim 16 in which said other timeline represents chat recorded with said video stream, displaying the text of said chat, and including providing at least one further timeline parallel to and aligned with said first timeline and representing the locations of selected attributes of said stream.

18. A method as in claim 16 including applying a search function to said other timeline to highlight each location of a further feature of said video stream.

19. A method as in claim 16 including displaying additional timelines aligned by timecode with the first-named timeline, each additional timeline representing a subject selected from the group consisting of chat, attributes, telemetry, motion, and heat.

20. A method as in claim 16 in which said information includes the timecode of the timeline position.