Method and system for automatically tracking a zoomed video image

• US 5,610,653 A
• Filed: 04/24/1995
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CustomPlay, LLC
• Original Assignee: Max Abecassis
• Inventors: Abecassis, Max
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US08/427,250
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 348/169, 348/170, 348/561, 348/562, 348/565
• US Class Current: 348/170
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/022 Control panels
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/12 by sensing distinguishing features of or on records, e.g. diameter end mark
• 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 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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: G11B 7/14 specially adapted to record on, or to reproduce from, more than one track simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 : for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/48 : for recognising items expressed in broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/59 : of video recognising characters or patterns in general G06F18/00, G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 : for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 : involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 : Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 : being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 : for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 : Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 : the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 : Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 : for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 : Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 : for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 : for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/47815 : Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/8405 : represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 : involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/4448 : for frame-grabbing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A video method and system for automatically tracking a viewer defined target within a viewer defined window of a video image as the target moves within the video image by selecting a target within a video, producing an identification of the selected target, defining a window within the video, utilizing the identification to automatically maintain the selected target within the window of the video as the selected target shifts within the video, and transmitting the window of the video.

Claims

1. A method of playing a provided video comprising the steps of:

enabling a viewer to select a target for magnification from a provided video;

extracting from said video an identification of the selected target;

enabling said viewer to select a magnification for said selected target;

maintaining, by means of said identification, said selected target within a window of said video as said selected target shifts within said video; and

playing said window of said video without altering said video.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said identification of the selected target is responsive to changes in said selected target.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said selected target is automatically shifted within said window responsive to the position of said selected target being near an edge of said video.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

producing a movement of said selected target relative to said window.

5. A method of playing a provided video comprising the steps of:

enabling a viewer to select a target for magnification from a provided video;

extracting from said video an identification of the selected target;

defining a window within said video;

enabling said viewer to define a position of said selected target relative to said window of said video;

enabling said viewer to select a magnification for said window;

maintaining, by means of said identification and responsive to the defined position of said selected target relative to said window, the selected target within said window of said video as said selected target shifts within said video; and

playing said window of said video without altering said video.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein said selected target is automatically shifted within said window responsive to the position of said selected target being near an edge of said video.

7. The method of claim 5,

wherein said identification of the selected target is responsive to changes in said selected target.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

producing, responsive to the defined position of said selected target relative to said window, a movement of said selected target relative to said window.

9. A video system comprising:

selecting means for enabling a viewer to select a target for magnification from a provided video;

identifying means for extracting from said video an identification of the selected target;

zooming means for enabling said viewer to select a magnification for said selected target;

targeting means for maintaining, by means of said identification, said selected target within a window of said video as said selected target shifts within said video; and

playing means for playing said window of said video without altering said video.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said windowing means comprises magnifying means for defining a magnification of said window, and a defining means for defining a position of said selected target relative to said window.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said identification of the selected target is responsive to changes in said selected target.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said identification means comprises secondary identifying means for producing a secondary identification associated with said selected target.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said targeting means comprises a variable response means for producing a movement of said selected target relative to said window.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said zooming means comprises shifting means for automatically shifting said window responsive to the position of said selected target being near an edge of said video.