Method for retrieving unedited video still pictures

• US 4,685,001 A
• Filed: 08/24/1984
• Issued: 08/04/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Martin, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US06/644,099
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 358/342, 358/102, 358/93, 369/83, 369/30, 369/34, 360/13, 360/14.1, 360/14.2, 360/14.3, 360/71, 360/72.1, 360/137, 360/35.1
• US Class Current: 386/278
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/217 Interfaces allowing access to a single user

Abstract

In editing video still pictures, the pictures are reproduced from a video disk and displayed one by one in combination with subject-matter categories into which they may be grouped. The list of categories appears as a descriptive overlay on each picture being evaluated. Ordinarily, some pictures are assigned to categories and some are skipped. It often happens that it is necessary to reevaluate the pictures that were skipped during the initial stage of evaluation. To encourage such a reevaluation, a special editing feature is provided for retrieving and redisplaying only those pictures that were not initially assigned to a category. Since these pictures are not intermixed with those already assigned to categories, they are quickly retrieved and conveniently assigned, if desired, to one or more of the subject-matter categories.

Claims

1. An editing method for further arranging the display of a plurality of video still pictures already arranged in part for display by subject-matter categories according to image content, the pictures being prerecorded upon video tracks on a plurality of video disks with the editing information pertaining to category assignment being stored in a memory associated with the disks, said method comprising the steps of:

excluding one or more categories;

selecting a video still picture unassignaed to said one or more excluded categories by reference to the memory associated with the disks;

reproducing a video signal from a video track corresponding to the selected picture;

generating a picture display from the video signal;

displaying the subject-matter categories into which the selected picture may be arranged;

assigning the selected picutre to one or more of the displayed categories; and

storing the subject-matter category assignments in the memory associated with the disks.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which said step of excluding one or more categories comprises excluding all of the categories and said step of selecting a video still picture therefore comprises selecting a picture that has not been assigned to any category.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the displayed subject-matter categories to which the picture may be assigned include the categories that were excluded for purpose of selecting the video still picture.