Direct keyboard access to video editing source material

• US 5,748,253 A
• Filed: 10/12/1995
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HBC Solutions Incorporated (AEG Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asc Audio Video Corporation
• Inventors: Chatinsky, Mark, Kuchta, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/542,046
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 348/10, 348/552, 348/722, 348/734, 348/571, 348/553, 348/718, 340/825.52
• US Class Current: 348/552
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for quickly accessing and technically organizing nonlinear digital video clips for purposes of editing, processing or playback using directly-mapped keyboard assignments. Video clips are directly mapped to individual keys of a conventional QWERTY keyboard. A selected video clip is accessed and brought into the "source" side of the editing system via a single keystroke.

Claims

1. A method of sourcing a video clip in a video editing system having a storage device for storing a plurality of randomly accessible video clips, a display screen and a keyboard, said method comprising the steps of:

designating a set of most relevant clips from among the plurality of randomly accessible video clips;

displaying at least one identifying image of each member of the set of most relevant clips on the display screen;

assigning each member of the set of most relevant clips to a respective predetermined key on the keyboard;

depressing the predetermined key corresponding to a desired member of the set of most relevant clips;

providing the desired member as the source clip to the video editing system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

selecting the desired member of the set of most relevant clips as a master;

advancing each member of the set of most relevant clips other than the desired member in synchronism with advancement of the desired member.

3. A video editing keyboard comprising a set of alphanumeric keys in a QWERTY layout, at least some of said keys including numeric indicia in addition to QWERTY indicia, said numeric indicia uniquely corresponding to members of a set of preselected video clips, wherein said QWERTY layout includes a home row of keys comprising the characters "A", "S", "D", "F", "G", "H", "J", "K", "L", ";

" and wherein said keys including numeric indicia are all located on the home row.

4. The video editing keyboard of claim 3 wherein

the "D" key includes numeric indicia "1" and "9";

the "F" key includes numeric indicia "2" and "10";

the "G" key includes numeric indicia "3" and "11";

the "H" key includes numeric indicia "4" and "12";

the "J" key includes numeric indicia "5" and "13";

the "K" key includes numeric indicia "6" and "14";

the "L" key includes numeric indicia "7" and "15"; and

the ";

" key includes numeric indicia "8" and "16".