VIDEO SEGMENT MANAGEMENT AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110154405A1
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cambridge Markets SA
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Markets SA
• Inventors: Isaias, Estefano Emilio
• Application Number:
  US12/975,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20110154405A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6379 directed to encoder , e.g. for requesting a lower encoding rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

A video and video fragment management and distribution system utilizes a server and a user interface. The server stores a series of videos in the form of video fragments. Each video fragment has associated therewith a host of video fragment data stored in a manner enabling an end user viewer to easily and efficiently perform a Boolean type search, based on desirable video fragment characteristics defined by the data, in order to return a desired set of video fragments. The system provides the viewer with a variety of search criteria options, each having a plurality of identifiers for locating a desirable video fragment. Each search criteria identifier can be set as inclusive or exclusive. The system includes a rating feature allowing the user to submit a rating and view an average of submitted ratings. The viewer creates a playlist or series of playlists for viewing a continuous, user defined series of video fragments.

Claims

1. An audio-video recording distribution system for creating, manipulating and distributing video segments in a manner facilitating subsequent video segment searching, organizing and viewing by an end user in order to optimize the viewing experience, the system comprising:

a video distribution center, including a database server;

at least one search index file stored on the database server and including a series of video content related identifiers;

a length of video containing a continuous stretch of video content partitioned into a series of consecutive individual video segments, each video segment stored on the database server as an individual video segment file;

each said video segment file having associated therewith information/values corresponding to the video content related identifiers of the search index file;

an end user viewing interface remote from, but in two-way communication with, the video distribution center, the viewing interface comprising;

computer operated software including a graphical user interface;

a user interface control unit in communication with the computer operated software, the user interface control unit facilitating end user selection of preferred information/values corresponding to at least some of the video content related identifiers of the search index file;

a search routine facilitating selection by the end user viewer of said preferred information/values corresponding to said video content related identifiers, wherein the preferred information/values are used to determine at least one viewer preferred video segment; and

an output interface for displaying said at least one viewer preferred video segment on a viewer display.

2. An audio-video recording distribution system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a controller interface unit comprising an electronic identifier communicable to the video distribution center for comparative validation against an approved listing of electronic identifiers for access approval.

3. An audio-video recording distribution method for distributing video segments in a manner facilitating subsequent video segment searching, organizing and viewing by an end user in order to optimize the viewing experience, the method comprising steps of:

obtaining a complete audio-video recording;

partitioning said complete audio-video recording into a plurality of consecutive audio-video fragments;

storing each of said audio-video fragments on a database server;

establishing a search index file comprising a plurality of predetermined video reference and content information categories and storing said search index file on at least one of an index server and a database server, wherein the video content information categories correspond to category data that are identifiable for each of said plurality of audio-video fragments;

associating category data for all of the audio-video fragments in a manner enabling the end user to perform a Boolean search to return a listing of audio-video fragments meeting an end user defined set of search criteria; and

providing a viewing party with remote access to said search index file and associated data in order to perform a desired search.

4. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step of establishing said search index file further comprises establishing a plurality of categories, each category comprising at least one subcategory having at least one reference/value.

5. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a video start marker and a video stop marker to define a desired segment of said audio-video recording; and

storing said video start marker and video stop marker in a manner enabling the end user viewer to view said desired segment in a repeatable manner.

6. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

rating at least one audio-video fragment by the viewing party;

uploading said rating to said video distribution center;

uploading an identifier associated with said viewing party to the video distribution center;

storing said rating within the video distribution center, the rating stored in a manner associated with the viewing party; and

creating an average rating of all ratings submitted.

7. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 6, further comprising the steps of including said average rating in said search index file.

8. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a plurality of video category identifiers from said predetermined video reference and content information categories to create a selected category summary; and

utilizing said selected category summary to determine and return a listing of audio-video fragments meeting said set of search criteria.

9. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the step of including at least one exclusive video category identifier in the selected category summary, wherein said Boolean search returns a listing which includes all of the selected video category identifiers and excludes a subset of said listing which includes an association with any of said at least one exclusive video category identifier.

10. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the step of presenting said listing of video fragments as a series of clip previews.

11. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a playlist of audio-video fragments selected by said viewing party on said database server; and

providing said viewing party access to said playlist.

12. An audio-video recording distribution method for distributing video segments in a manner facilitating subsequent video segment searching, organizing and viewing by an end user in order to optimize the viewing experience, the method comprising steps of:

obtaining a complete audio-video recording;

partitioning said complete audio-video recording into a plurality of consecutive audio-video fragments;

storing each of said audio-video fragments on a database server;

establishing a search index file comprising a plurality of predetermined video reference and content information categories and storing said search index file on at least one of an index server and a database server, wherein the video content information categories correspond to category data that are identifiable for each of said plurality of audio-video fragments;

establishing a set of search criteria by selecting at least one of desired and undesired predetermined video reference and content information categories from said search index file;

associating category data for all of the audio-video fragments in a manner enabling the end user to perform a Boolean search to return a listing of audio-video fragments meeting set of search criteria; and

providing a viewing party with remote access to said search index file and associated data in order to perform a desired search.

13. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of establishing a set of search criteria by selecting at least one desired predetermined video reference and content information category and at least one undesired predetermined video reference and content information category from said search index file.

14. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of presenting said displaying the list of video fragments as a series of clip previews.

15. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a playlist of audio-video fragments selected by said viewing party on said database server; and

providing said viewing party access to said playlist.

16. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

rating at least one audio-video fragment by the viewing party;

uploading said rating to said video distribution center database server;

uploading an identifier associated with said viewing party to the video distribution center database server;

storing said rating in a manner associated with said viewing party; and

creating an average rating of all ratings submitted.

17. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 16, further comprising the step of including said average rating in said search index file.

18. An audio-video recording distribution method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a video start marker and a video stop marker to define a desired segment of said audio-video recording; and

storing said video start marker and video stop marker in a manner enabling the end user viewer to view said desired segment in a repeatable manner.