Editing method and apparatus for moving pictures

• US 6,577,807 B1
• Filed: 07/06/1999
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yaegashi, Kazuhito, Ueda, Hirotada
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/347,408
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/52, 386/64, 386/65, 386/98, 386/125, 707/512, 707/514, 345/853, 345/723
• US Class Current: 386/282
• 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 moving picture editing method and apparatus that edits a moving picture fed from a video material source by working on editing windows displayed on a display to divide a video material into a plurality of cut images each formed of a plurality of frame images, display the representative frame images of each of said cut images on the screen of the display, select the representative frame images, assemble a hierarchical structure formed of a plurality of frame images, display the hierarchical structure, select one or a plurality of the representative frame images as a scene image, incorporate the frame images representative of the scene image in the hierarchical structure, display a tentative indicator image capable of representing an arbitrary video material on the display, incorporate said tentative indicator image in the hierarchical structure, and thus generate the hierarchical structure.

Claims

1. A moving picture editing method for editing a moving picture from a video material source, comprising the steps of:

generating tentative indicator images intended to correspond to representative images of a plurality of cut images;

forming a hierarchical structure constructed by said tentative indicator images based on a program to be edited, said program being constructed by said cut images;

dividing said moving picture into said cut images, each cut image includes a plurality of frame images;

displaying respective representative frame images representative of said cut images on a display;

selecting said representative frame images to couple said representative frame images of said program with said tentative indicator images in said hierarchical structure; and

displaying said selected representative frame images in said hierarchical structure.

2. A moving picture editing method according to claim 1, wherein each tentative indicator image is a blank frame image.

3. A moving picture editing method according to claim 1, wherein each tentative indicator image is at least one of an icon, a symbol, a letter and a figure relating to a cut image.

4. A moving picture editing method according to claim 1, wherein said program is a news program.

5. A moving picture editing method according to claim 1, wherein said cut images are supplied through one of a communication channel and a video recorder.

6. A moving picture editing apparatus for editing a moving picture from a video material source comprising:

a divider for detecting changing points and dividing said moving picture into a plurality of cut images, each cut image includes a plurality of frame images;

a first generator for generating tentative indicator images intended to correspond to representative images of said cut images;

a second generator for generating a hierarchical structure constructed by said tentative indicator images based on a program to be edited, said program being constructed by said cut images;

a display for displaying respective representative frame images representative of said cut images on a display;

a selector for selecting said representative frame images to couple said representative frame images of said program with said tentative indicator images in said hierarchical structure; and

coupling means for coupling said selected representative frame images in said hierarchical structure.

7. A moving picture editing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each tentative indicator image is a blank frame image.

8. A moving picture editing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each tentative indicator image is at least one of an icon, a symbol, a letter, and a figure relating to a cut image.

9. A moving picture editing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said cut images are supplied through one of a communication channel and a video recorder.

10. A moving picture editing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said video material source is a random access memory.

11. A moving picture editing method for editing a moving picture from a video material source, comprising the steps of:

dividing said moving picture into a plurality of cut images, each cut image includes a plurality of frame images;

generating tentative indicator images intended to correspond to representative images of said cut images, and displaying said tentative indicator images in a first region of a display;

forming a hierarchical structure constructed by said tentative indicator images based on a program to be edited, said program being constructed by said cut images, and displaying said hierarchical structure in a second region of said display;

displaying respective representative frame images representative of said cut images on said first region of said display;

selecting said representative frame images to couple said representative frame images of said program with said tentative indicator images in said hierarchical structure; and

displaying said selected representative frame images in said hierarchical structure in said second region of said display.

12. A moving picture editing method according to claim 11, wherein each tentative indicator image is a blank frame image.

13. A moving picture editing method according to claim 11, wherein each tentative indicator image is at least one of an icon, a symbol, a letter and a figure relating to said cut image.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, having thereon, a computer program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

dividing a said moving picture into a plurality of cut images, each cut image includes a plurality of frame images;

generating tentative indicator images intended to correspond to representative images of said cut images;

forming a hierarchical structure constructed by said tentative indicator images based on a program to be edited, said program being constructed by said cut images;

displaying respective representative frame images representative of said cut images on a display;

selecting said representative frame images to couple said representative frame images of said program with said tentative indicator images in said hierarchical structure; and

displaying said selected representative frame images in said hierarchical structure.

15. A computer readable medium, having a computer program recorded thereon, wherein said computer program when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

dividing a moving picture into a plurality of cut images, each cut image includes a plurality of frame images;

generating tentative indicator images intended to correspond to representative images of said cut images;

forming a hierarchical structure constructed by said tentative indicator images based on a program to be edited, said program being constructed by said cut images;

displaying respective representative frame images representative of said cut images on a display;

selecting said representative frame images to couple said representative frame images of said program with said tentative indicator images in said hierarchical structure; and

displaying said selected representative frame images in said hierarchical structure.