METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING MULTIMEDIA FILES
First Claim
1. An indexing and retrieval system for multimedia comprising:
- a multimedia apparatus for receiving and playback of at least one multimedia file;
a data container for storing the at least one multimedia file;
a database of metadata that describes at least the location of the at least one multimedia file;
a database manager accessible through the multimedia apparatus that further comprises;
an annotation module for defining and recording multimedia clip metadata in the metadata database that further describes the at least one multimedia file wherein the further metadata includes at least;
classification term hierarchies that comprise branches of a knowledge tree and;
segment information including start and end timepoints which define a clip of the at least one multimedia file;
a search and retrieval module for identifying multimedia clips and at least one multimedia file of interest to a user of the system through the provision of a search interface to the metadata database whereby the module provides the ability to search the metadata database by reference to keywords and hierarchies of classification terms constituting branches of the knowledge tree and wherein the user of the system is only presented with the segment of the at least one multimedia file defined by the segment information without having the user first experience the playback of the beginning of the multimedia file.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for locating, segmenting, annotating and retrieving multimedia files, provides a database of metadata (68) relating to multimedia files (70), a database manager (64), and a database client (66) for accessing the data contained within the database. The database client (66), together with the metadata database (68) and database manager (64) provide a variety of different functionalities, namely a deep linking functionality, a segmentation functionality, a metadata annotation functionality, a retrieval functionality, and an access functionality. The user, through database client (68) annotates the multimedia file or segment of multimedia file with metadata which is saved in the database (68). When the user desires to locate a multimedia file, the metadata is searched or browsed to locate the database entry associated with the multimedia file in question. The system further provides the ability for the user to load, open and start the playing of a multimedia file from a point intermediate to its start and end point, and without the user having to experience the portion between the start point and the intermediate point, break down larger files into shorter segments or individual frames (or still images) or regions within frames (or still images) without creating additional copies of the selected segments of the multimedia files of interest, thereby avoiding copyright issues from arising.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An indexing and retrieval system for multimedia comprising:
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a multimedia apparatus for receiving and playback of at least one multimedia file; a data container for storing the at least one multimedia file; a database of metadata that describes at least the location of the at least one multimedia file; a database manager accessible through the multimedia apparatus that further comprises; an annotation module for defining and recording multimedia clip metadata in the metadata database that further describes the at least one multimedia file wherein the further metadata includes at least; classification term hierarchies that comprise branches of a knowledge tree and; segment information including start and end timepoints which define a clip of the at least one multimedia file; a search and retrieval module for identifying multimedia clips and at least one multimedia file of interest to a user of the system through the provision of a search interface to the metadata database whereby the module provides the ability to search the metadata database by reference to keywords and hierarchies of classification terms constituting branches of the knowledge tree and wherein the user of the system is only presented with the segment of the at least one multimedia file defined by the segment information without having the user first experience the playback of the beginning of the multimedia file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification