Automatic editing of recorded video elements sychronized with a script text read or displayed
First Claim
1. A text based video editing system, comprising:
- (a) an editing system computer including an editing system display including a text window and a video window;
(b) a script editor computer program including word processor means for adding and deleting timed text characters to make changes to a script displayed in the text window of the editing system display;
(c) video clip selection means for selecting video clips from a source of video clips and for playing the video clips in the video window of the editing system display;
(d) means for linking the selected video clips and the script text including means for embedding computer readable link control sequence characters into the script text at locations in the text where the video clip is to be located and means for generating a computer readable edit decision list including edits wherein each edit defines a video clip linked to an embedded control sequence in the script text, a starting time for the video clip based on an automatically determined estimated reading time from the beginning of the script text to the location of the embedded control sequence in the script text, and a play time duration of the linked video clip; and
(e) means for automatically updating the edit decision list in response to a change in the timed text characters of the script text to maintain synchronization between the video clips defined by the edit decision list edits and the script text, including means for adjusting the starting time of clips defined by edits linked to embedded link control sequences after the change to the text such that the starting times for the video clips defined by the edits are still based on an estimated reading time from the beginning of the script text to the locations of the embedded control sequences in the script text after the chance in the script text.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a video editing system that provides dynamic synchronization of recorded video elements of a presentation with a script text that is to be read by an announcer or displayed while the video element is played. The editing system includes a word processor whereby the script text may be created and edited in a text window on the editing system display. Raw video clips, from video sources connected to the editing system, may be selected and previewed in a video window on the editing system display. Selected video clips are linked to the script text by embedding edit link control sequences into the text at selected points. The control sequences in the script text are linked through a link table to edits in an edit decision list (EDL) that define the video clips that are to be synchronized to the script text. A text scanning routine scans the script text and updates the EDL to reflect changes to the script text to maintain synchronization between the script text and linked video clip segments. A completed program may be viewed on the editing system display in a manner showing the synchronization between the video program elements and the script text. The editing system of the present invention may be used as part of a newsroom automation system to prepare news stories for broadcast, wherein the EDL created using the editing system of the present invention is used to generate the video portion of the broadcast with the synchronized text displayed for reading by a news announcer.
271 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A text based video editing system, comprising:
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(a) an editing system computer including an editing system display including a text window and a video window; (b) a script editor computer program including word processor means for adding and deleting timed text characters to make changes to a script displayed in the text window of the editing system display; (c) video clip selection means for selecting video clips from a source of video clips and for playing the video clips in the video window of the editing system display; (d) means for linking the selected video clips and the script text including means for embedding computer readable link control sequence characters into the script text at locations in the text where the video clip is to be located and means for generating a computer readable edit decision list including edits wherein each edit defines a video clip linked to an embedded control sequence in the script text, a starting time for the video clip based on an automatically determined estimated reading time from the beginning of the script text to the location of the embedded control sequence in the script text, and a play time duration of the linked video clip; and (e) means for automatically updating the edit decision list in response to a change in the timed text characters of the script text to maintain synchronization between the video clips defined by the edit decision list edits and the script text, including means for adjusting the starting time of clips defined by edits linked to embedded link control sequences after the change to the text such that the starting times for the video clips defined by the edits are still based on an estimated reading time from the beginning of the script text to the locations of the embedded control sequences in the script text after the chance in the script text. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A text based video editing system, comprising:
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(a) an editing system computer including an editing system display including a text window and a video window; (b) a script editor computer program including word processor means for adding and deleting timed text characters to make changes to a script displayed in the text window of the editing system display; (c) video clip selection means for selecting video clips from a source of video clips and for playing the video clips in the video window of the editing system display; (d) means for linking the selected video clips and the script text including means for embedding computer readable link control sequence characters into the script text at locations in the text where the video clip is to be located and means for generating a computer readable edit decision list including edits wherein each edit defines a video clip linked to an embedded control sequence in the script text, a starting time for the video clip based on an estimated reading time from the beginning of the script text to the location of the embedded control sequence in the script text, and a play time duration of the linked video clip; and (e) means for updating the edit decision list in response to a change in the script text to maintain synchronization between the video clips defined by the edit decision list edits and the script text, including a computer program scanning routine for scanning the timed text characters and embedded control link sequence characters in the script text by reading characters from the beginning of the script text to the end of the script text, including means for incrementing a count of timed characters each time a timed text character is read and means for updating a current time from the beginning of the script based on the count of timed characters and a specified reading rate and means for determining if an edit decision list edit needs to be updated whenever a control link sequence is read including means for comparing the current time from the beginning of the script with a previously calculated time from the beginning of the script text to the embedded control link sequence and means for adjusting the starting time of the video clip as defined by the edit by the difference between the current time and the previous calculated time if the current time and previously calculated time are different thereby adjusting the starting time of clips defined by edits linked to embedded link control sequences after the change to the text such that the starting times for the video clips defined by the edits are still based on an estimated reading time from the beginning of the script text to the locations of the embedded control sequences in the script text after the change in the script text. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for editing a synchronized video and script text program, comprising the steps of:
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(a) editing a script text by adding and deleting timed text characters to a script; (b) selecting video clips to be linked to the script text from a source of video clips; (c) linking the selected video clips and the script text by embedding computer readable link control sequence characters into the script text at locations in the text where the video clip is to be located; and (d) generating a computer readable edit decision list including edits wherein each edit defines a video clip linked to an embedded control sequence in the script text, a starting time for the video clip based on an estimated reading time from the beginning of the script text to the location of the embedded control sequence in the script text, and a play time duration of the linked video clip; (e) updating the edit decision list in response to a change in the script text to maintain synchronization between the video clips defined by the edit decision list edits and the script text by scanning the timed text characters and embedded control link sequence characters in the script text by reading characters from the beginning of the script text to the end of the script text, incrementing a count of timed characters each time a timed text character is read, updating a current time from the beginning of the script based on the count of timed characters and a specified reading rate, determining if an edit decision list edit needs to be updated whenever a control link sequence is read by comparing the current time from the beginning of the script with a previously calculated time from the beginning of the script text to the embedded control link sequence and adjusting the starting time of the video clip as defined by the edit by the difference between the current time and the previously calculated time if the current time and starting time are different thereby adjusting the starting time of clips defined by edits linked to embedded link control sequences after the change to the text such that the starting times for the video clips defined by the edits are still based on an estimated reading time from the beginning of the script text to the locations of the embedded control sequences in the script text after the change in the script text. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for linking a video clip to a text script including timed text characters in a computer based video editing system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) marking a block of text in the text script to define a text block starting location and a text block ending location; (b) selecting a source frame from a video clip including a plurality of frames; (c) linking the video clip to the text script by designating a location within the marked block of text as the location of the source frame and placing a computer readable control link sequence of characters in the text at the designated location; (d) calculating a first reading time from a beginning of the script text to the text block starting location; (e) calculating a second reading time from the beginning of the script text to the designated location; (f) calculating a third reading time from the beginning of the script text to the text block ending location; (g) determining a starting frame of the video clip by a number of frames from the source frame corresponding to the difference between the second calculated reading time to the designated location and the first calculated reading time to the text block starting location; (h) determining a duration of the video clip by the difference between the first calculated reading time to the text block starting location and the third calculated reading time to the text block ending location; (i) determining a starting time for the video clip as the first calculated reading time to the text block starting location; and (j) creating an edit in a computer readable edit decision list, the edit including a link to the computer readable control link sequence in the text, and values corresponding to the starting frame, duration, and starting time of the video clip. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification