Temporal event viewing and editing system

• US 5,513,306 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Mills, Michael, Cohen, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/481,194
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 395/148, 395/152, 395/154, 395/155, 395/157, 395/159, 395/160, 395/161, 395/600, 345/121-122, 360/13, 360/14.1, 360/14.3, 369/27-28, 369/69, 369/83-84, 434/47, 348/232, 348/552, 348/559, 348/563-565
• US Class Current: 715/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/745 the internal structure of a single video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2587 Laser Discs; Optical disc using analog recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

A system for displaying a sequential stream of information on a single display. The system includes a computer for defining an first area on the display and for displaying a first sample of the information within the first area. The first sample represents a first segment of the information. The computer further is for displaying a second sample of the information within the first area of the display. The second sample represents a second segment of the information. The computer is further for displaying a third sample of the information within the first area of the display. The third sample represents a third segment of the information. The first segment includes the second segment and the third segment.

Claims

1. A system for displaying a sequential stream of information, said sequential stream of information representing a plurality of frames of display data, said system comprising:

a single display displaying said display data; and

a computer coupled to said display, said computer defining a first area on said display and causing the display to display a first sample of said information within said first area, said first sample representing a first segment said first segment including a plurality of frames of said display data of said information, said computer further causing the display to display a second sample of said information within said first area of said display, said second sample representing a second segment said second segment including a plurality of frames of said display data of said information, said computer further causing the display to display a third sample of said information within said first area of said display, said third sample representing a third segment of said information, and said first segment being a superset of said second segment and said third segment, said second segment being a superset of said third segment, said first sample being a first key frame, and said second sample being a second key frame, said computer further causing the display to display a plurality of samples of said information, said plurality of samples including said first sample, said second sample, and said third sample of said information, said computer causing the display to display said first sample in a first subarea with some of said plurality of displayed samples and causing the display to display said second sample and said third sample in a second subarea with some of said plurality of displayed samples, said first area including said first subarea and said second subarea, wherein said first subarea does not overlap said second subarea.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said sequential stream of information includes video information.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said second sample and said some of said plurality of displayed samples which are displayed in said second subarea being displayed in response to a selection of a selected sample in said first subarea, said selected sample being one of said first sample or said some of said plurality of displayed samples in said first subarea.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a database coupled with said computer, said database storing said information.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a database selector for selecting said first segment of said information from said database, and wherein said database selector is further for automatically selecting said first segment.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising a database selector for selecting said first segment of said information from said database, and wherein said database selector includes a normal selector for manually selecting said first segment.

7. The system of claim 4 further comprising a database selector for selecting said first segment of said information from said database, and wherein said database selector includes a graphical representer for graphically representing said selector on said display.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said graphical representer includes a scanning bar for accessing said first segment.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said selector further includes a limiter for accessing a subsegment of said first segment represented by said scanning bar.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 further including a scanning bar, said scanning bar for representing said first segment, said scanning bar further for selecting subsegments of first segment for subsequent display in a plurality of subareas.

11. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a sample selector, said sample selector allowing for the selection of varying numbers of samples of said information to be displayed within each of said subareas.

12. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a sampler for processing said information to produce said samples of said information for each of said subareas.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein said sampler includes a selector for selecting a plurality of samples of said information from each segment of said information to be represented by one of said subareas, each of said plurality of samples being separated by a uniform amount of data.

14. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein said sampler includes a selector for selecting samples of said information which represent informational breaks in said sequential stream of information.

15. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein said sampler includes a selector for selecting samples of said information which represent visual changes in said sequential stream of information.

16. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said subareas further includes position markers corresponding to each of said samples in said subarea for indicating the position of each of said samples with respect to the segment of information being represented within each of said subareas.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein said computer includes a changer for changing one of said samples by moving the marker corresponding to said sample.

18. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein said computer causes the display to display a line extending between said first sample and a corresponding marker.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein each of said markers is a copy of a sample corresponding to said marker.

20. The system as recited in claim 16, and further including a size selector for selecting the physical size of said markers.

21. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer includes a mover for moving a sample from said first subarea to said second subarea.

22. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first sample includes a static visual image.

23. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first sample includes an animated visual image.

24. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said animated visual image includes an animated loop of a stream of information corresponding to said first segment.

25. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said animated visual image includes said first sample and said second sample.

26. The system as recited in claim 1, and further including a size selector for selecting the physical size of said samples.

27. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein system further includes an annotator for annotating said first area with additional information.

28. The system as recited in claim 1, and further comprising a selector for selectively causing the display to display said information within a second area of said display.

29. The system as recited in claim 28 wherein said information comprises a plurality of image frames, and said computer is for father selectively sequentially causing the display to display said image frames within said second area, and wherein said selector includes a controller for regulating said sequential display of frames and a rate of display of said image frames being displayed within said second area.

30. The system as recited in claim 29 further comprising a mover for moving information displayed within said second area to said first area.

31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein said mover includes a replacer for replacing one of said samples with a new sample, said new sample corresponding to said information moved from said second area.

32. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first sample, said second sample, said first segment and said second segment are included in a log, said system further comprising a selector for selectively saving, restoring, and printing said log.

33. The system as recited in claim 32, further comprising a former for forming a miniaturized view of said log in a second area of said display.

34. The system as recited in claim 32, and further comprising a modifier for modifying said log by modifying said miniaturized view of said log.

35. The system as recited in claim 34, and further comprising a viewer interface for causing the display to display a log in said first area of said display by selecting a miniaturized view of said log in said second area of said display.

36. A method for viewing a sequential stream of information in a system, said sequential stream of information representing a plurality of frames of display data, said system comprising a single display coupled to a computer, said method comprising the steps of:

defining a first area on said display;

accessing a first segment of said information;

displaying a first sample of said information with some other samples of said information corresponding to said first segment in a first portion of said first area, said first sample being a first key frame;

accessing a second segment of said information wherein said first segment is a superset of said second segment;

displaying a second sample of said information with some other samples of said information corresponding to said second segment in a second portion of said first area, said second portion of said first area not overlapping said first portion of said first area, said second sample being a second key frame;

accessing a third segment of said information wherein said first segment further is a superset of said third segment;

displaying a third sample of said information with some other samples of said information corresponding to said third segment in a third portion of said first area, said third portion of said first area not overlapping said first portion of said first area.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said second sample and said some other samples of said information corresponding to said second segment are displayed in said second portion of said first area in response to a selection of a selected sample in said first portion of said first area, said selected sample being one of said first sample or said some other samples of said information corresponding to said first segment.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein said information includes video information.

39. The method as recited in claim 36 wherein said system includes a database coupled with said computer, said database for storing said information, said method further comprising a step of selecting said first segment of said information from said database.

40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein said step of selecting said first segment includes a step of manually selecting said first segment.

41. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein said step of selecting said first segment includes a step of automatically selecting said first segment.

42. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein said step of selecting said first segment includes a step of graphically representing said first segment on said display.

43. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein said first segment is graphically represented as a scanning bar.

44. The method of claim 43, further including the steps of:

accessing a fourth segment of said information wherein said second segment includes said fourth segment, and

displaying a fourth sample in said third subarea.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein said first portion of said first area defines a first row, said second portion of said first area defines a second row, and said third portion of said first area defines a third row.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein said first segment is larger than said second segment, and wherein said second segment is larger than said fourth segment.

47. The method as recited in claim 44, wherein said step of accessing said first segment includes sampling said first segment to generate a first plurality of samples for display in said first portion of said first area and said method further includes a step of moving one of said first plurality of samples from said first portion of said first area to said second portion of said first area.

48. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein said step of accessing a first segment of said information includes a step of sampling said information to generate a plurality of samples of information for display within said first area.

49. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein said step of sampling said information includes a step of selecting a plurality of samples of said information from said first segment of said information, each of said plurality of samples representing a separate uniform subsegment of said first segment.

50. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein said step of sampling said information includes a step of selecting samples of said information which represent informational breaks in said sequential stream of information.

51. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein said step of sampling said information includes a step of selecting samples of said information which represent visual changes in said sequential stream of information.

52. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein said first area includes a plurality of position markers, wherein each of said plurality of position markers corresponds to one of said samples.

53. The method as recited in claim 52, further including a step of changing one of said plurality of samples by moving a corresponding marker.

54. The method as recited in claim 52, and further comprising the step of indicating a position of each of said samples with a displayed line extending between each of said samples and a corresponding marker.

55. The method as recited in claim 52, wherein each of said markers is a copy of a sample corresponding to said marker.

56. The method as recited in claim 52, and further comprising the step of selecting a physical size of said markers.

57. The method as recited in claim 52, and further comprising the step of uniquely encoding each of said markers to match a corresponding sample.

58. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein each of said samples corresponds to an animated segment of said information, and further comprising a step of animating said segment.

59. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein each of said samples corresponds to a segment of said information, and a said method further comprises the step of animating a loop of a series of said samples.

60. The method as recited in claim 36, further comprising the step of selecting the physical size of said samples.

61. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein said first segment, said second segment, said first sample, and said second sample are included in a log, said method further comprising a step of annotating said log with additional information and commands.

62. The method as recited in claim 36, and further comprising the step of selectively displaying said information within a second area of said display.

63. The method as recited in claim 62, wherein said information comprises a plurality of image frames and wherein said step of selectively displaying includes a step of regulating said displaying of said information, said regulating including altering a rate of change of said image frames being displayed within said second area.

64. The method as recited in claim 62, further comprising a step of moving information displayed within said second area to said first area.

65. The method as recited in claim 64, wherein said step of moving includes a step of replacing one of said samples with a new sample, said new sample corresponding to said information moved from said second area.

66. The method as recited in claim 65, further comprising a step of selecting information to be displayed within said second area by moving one of said samples from said first area to said second area.

67. The method as recited in claim 62, wherein said step of moving includes a step of adding a new sample to said first area, said new sample corresponding to said information moved from said second area.

68. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein said first segment, said second segment, said first sample, and said second sample, are included in a log, said method further comprising a step of selectively saving, restoring, and printing said log and said samples.

69. A method for displaying video information in a system, said video information representing a plurality of frames of display data, said system including a memory for storing said video information, a processor coupling with said memory for accessing said memory and displaying said video information, and a display coupling with said processor, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing a first segment of said video information;

sampling said first segment to generate a first plurality of samples including a first sample, said first sample corresponding to said first segment, said first sample being a first key frame;

dividing said video information into a plurality of subsegments, said plurality of subsegments including a subsegment M and a subsegment N, said subsegment N being a subsegment of said subsegment M;

sampling said subsegment M to generate a second plurality of samples including a sample Ms, said sample Ms corresponding to said subsegment M, said sample Ms being a second key frame;

sampling said subsegment N to generate a sample Ns, said sample Ns corresponding to said subsegment N;

defining a first area, said first area including a first subarea and a second subarea different from said first subarea;

displaying said first sample and another sample of said first plurality of samples in said first subarea; and

displaying said sample Ms, another sample of said second plurality of samples and said sample Ns in said second subarea.

70. The method of claim 69 further comprising a step of resizing a display of one of said samples.

71. The method of claim 70 wherein said displaying step includes displaying Ms and said another sample of said second plurality of samples adjacent to each other.

72. The method of claim 70 wherein said samples include digitized video frames.

73. The method of claim 70 wherein each of said plurality of subsegments is approximately the same size as the other subsegments.

74. The method of claim 70 further comprising steps of:

defining a second area, and

displaying video information corresponding to said one of said plurality of subsegments in said second area.

75. The method of claim 69 wherein said sample Ms and said another sample of said second plurality of samples are displayed in said second subarea in response to a selection of a selected sample in said first subarea, said selected sample being one of said first sample or said another sample of said first plurality of sample.

76. A method of displaying video information in a computer system, said video information representing a plurality of flames of display data, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing a first segment of said video information;

dividing said first segment into a first plurality of subsegments;

sampling said first plurality of subsegments to generate a first plurality of samples, each of said first plurality of samples corresponding to one of said first plurality of subsegments, said first plurality of subsegments including a subsegment M, said first plurality of samples including a sample Ms corresponding to subsegment M;

dividing M into a first plurality of subsubsegments;

sampling said first plurality of subsubsegments to generate a second plurality of samples, each of said second plurality of samples corresponding to one of said first plurality of subsubsegments, said second plurality of samples including a sample Os corresponding to a subsubsegment O;

dividing O into a first plurality of subsubsubsegments;

sampling said first plurality of subsubsubsegments to generate a third plurality of samples, each sample of said third plurality of samples corresponding to one of said first plurality of subsubsubsegments;

defining a first display area, a second display area, and a third display area, said second and third display areas not overlapping said first display area;

displaying said first plurality of samples in said first display area;

displaying said second plurality of samples in said second display area; and

displaying said third plurality of samples in said third display area.

77. The method of claim 76 wherein said dividing said first segment includes:

determining a length L of said video information, and

dividing said length L by a number P to generate X, where P represents the number of subsegments in said first plurality of subsegments, and where X equals a length of said video information in one subsegment of said plurality of subsegments.

78. The method of claim 76 wherein said video information includes a plurality of chapter breaks, and said dividing said first segment includes:

detecting a chapter break in said first segment, and

generating M corresponding to said chapter break.

79. The method of claim 76 wherein said video information includes a visual change, and said dividing said first segment includes:

detecting a visual change in said first segment, and

generating M corresponding to said visual change.

80. The method as in claim 76 wherein said second plurality of samples displayed in said second display area are displayed in response to a selection of a selected sample in said first display area, said selected sample being one of said first plurality of samples.

81. A system for displaying a sequential stream of information, said sequential stream of information representing a plurality of frames of display data, said system comprising:

a single display displaying said display data; and

a computer coupled to said display, said computer defining a first area on said display, said computer causing the display to display on said display a plurality of displayed samples of said information including a first sample and a second sample, said computer causing the display to display said first sample of said information with some of said plurality of displayed samples within a first subarea of said first area, said first sample representing a first segment said first segment including a plurality of frames of said display data of said information, said computer further causing the display to display said second sample of said information with some of said plurality of displayed samples within a second subarea of said first area, said second sample representing a second segment said second segment including a plurality of frames of said display data of said information, said first segment being a superset of said second segment, said first sample being a first key frame and said second sample being a second key frame, said first area including said first subarea and said second subarea, said first subarea not overlapping said second subarea.

82. The system of claim 81 wherein said sequential stream of information includes video information.

83. The system of claim 81 further comprising:

a database coupled with said computer, said database storing said information; and

a database selector for selecting said first segment of said information from said database, and wherein said database selector includes a graphical representer for graphically representing said selector on said display, said graphical representer including a scanning bar for accessing said first segment.

84. The system as recited in claim 81 further including a scanning bar, said scanning bar representing said first segment, said scanning bar for selecting subsegments of said first segment for subsequent display in a plurality of subareas.

85. The system as recited in claim 81 wherein each of said subareas further includes position markers corresponding to each of said samples in said subarea indicating the position of each of said samples with respect to the segment of information being represented within each of said subareas.

86. The system as recited in claim 85 wherein said computer includes a changer for changing one of said samples by moving the marker corresponding to said sample.

87. The system as recited in claim 85 wherein said computer displays a line extending between said first sample and a corresponding marker.

88. The system as recited in claim 81 wherein said first sample includes an animated visual image.

89. The system as recited in claim 81, and further comprising a selector for selectively causing the display to display said information within a second area of said display, wherein said information comprises a plurality of image frames, and wherein said computer further selectively sequentially causes the display to display said image frames within said second area, and wherein said selector includes a controller for regulating said sequential display of frames and a rate of display of said image frames being displayed within said second area.

90. The system as recited in claim 89 further comprising a mover for moving information displayed within said second area to said first area.

91. The system as in claim 81 wherein said second sample and said some of said plurality of displayed samples which are displayed in said second subarea being displayed in response to a selection of a selected sample in said first subarea, said selected sample being one of said first sample or said some of said plurality of displayed samples in said first subarea.