APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING A STILL IMAGE CONTAINED IN MOVING IMAGE CONTENTS

• US 20130077876A1
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kazumasa, Tanaka, Kenji, Takahashi, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,594,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7837 using objects detected or recognised in the video content
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/40 in video content extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/48 Matching video sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image

Abstract

Apparatus for identifying one or more still images in one or more moving image contents. An identifying unit is configured to identify one or more still images included in the moving image contents having one or more features that closely resemble particular features. A display controller is configured to cause the display on a timeline associated with the moving image contents of the location of an identified still image in at least one of the moving image contents.

Claims

1. Apparatus for identifying one or more still images in one or more moving image contents, said apparatus comprising:

an identifying unit configured to identify one or more still images included in said one or more moving image contents having one or more features that closely resemble one or more particular features; and

a display information generator configured to generate information to cause the display, on a timeline associated with the one or more moving image contents, of the location of an identified still image in at least one of said moving image contents.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said identifying unit compares said one or more particular features to corresponding features of still images in said one or more moving image contents.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said identifying unit identifies scenes in each of said moving image contents that contain a still image whose features closely resemble said one or more particular features;

and

wherein said display information generator generates information to cause the display of said identified scenes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display information generator is operable to generate information to cause different moving image contents to be displayed concurrently.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display information generator generates information to cause the display, in alignment on a common timeline axis, of the locations in said one or more moving image contents at which the identified still images are located.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said moving image contents include audio information associated with said one or more moving image contents, and wherein said display information generator generates information to cause the display of timelines of signal waveforms of said audio information in respective ones of said moving image contents.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said display information generator generates information to cause the display of indicia associated with respective ones of said moving image contents representing durations and/or colors of the scenes in said respective moving image contents.

8. The apparatus of claim of claim 1, wherein said display information generator generates information to cause said moving image contents to be reproduced, and to cause the display along said timeline of moving sliders representing current reproduction positions of the moving image contents.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display information generator generates information to cause the concurrent display of the identified still images in a plurality of said moving image contents.

10. The apparatus of claim of claim 1, wherein said display information generator generates information to cause said moving image contents to be reproduced, and to cause the concurrent display of the identified still images in said moving image contents.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said identifying unit identifies scenes in each of said moving image contents that contain a still image whose features closely resemble said one or more particular features;

and

wherein said display information generator generates information to cause the display of the temporal locations of the identified still images in said identified scenes, in alignment on a common timeline axis.

12. A method for identifying one or more still images in one or more moving image contents, said method comprising:

identifying one or more still images included in said one or more moving image contents having one or more features that closely resemble one or more particular features; and

causing the display on a timeline associated with the one or more moving image contents of the location of an identified still image in at least one of said moving image contents.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said one or more still images are identified by comparing said one or more particular features to corresponding features of still images in said one or more moving image contents.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein scenes in each of said moving image contents that contain a still image whose features closely resemble said one or more particular features are identified;

and wherein said identified scenes are displayed.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein different moving image contents are displayed concurrently.

16. The method of claim 12, further causing the display in alignment on a common timeline axis of the locations in said one or more moving image contents at which the identified still images are located.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said moving image contents include audio information associated with said one or more moving image contents, and further comprising displaying timelines of signal waveforms of said audio information in respective ones of said moving image contents.

18. The method of claim 14, further displaying indicia associated with respective ones of said moving image contents representing durations and/or colors of the scenes in said respective moving image contents.

19. The method of claim of claim 12, further comprising reproducing said moving image contents, and displaying moving sliders along said timeline, said moving sliders representing current reproduction positions of the moving image contents.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when read by a computer, executes the method for identifying one or more still images in one or more moving image contents, comprising:

identifying one or more still images included in said one or more moving image contents having one or more features that closely resemble one or more particular features; and

causing the display on a timeline associated with the one or more moving image contents of the location of an identified still image in at least one of said moving image contents.