Method and system for processing clips

• US 6,744,968 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1999
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Imai, Atsushi, Kawamura, Takeshi, Moriwake, Katsuakira
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US09/396,222
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.576, H04/N.979, H04/N.5781, 386/4, 386/52, 386/53-64, 345/723, 345/724, 345/725, 345/726, 360/13, 369/83
• US Class Current: 386/278
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2512 Floppy disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects

Abstract

An editing system for editing a plurality of clips recorded on a random-accessible recording medium includes a clip processing device having a plurality of clip processing layers to execute a predetermined process for the clips, and a hierarchy decision device having a plurality of objects corresponding to the clip processing layers. The hierarchy decision device serves to decide the hierarchy of each clip processing layer by a hierarchical structure which is formed by connecting the objects mutually. The clip processing device performs time management of each clip processing layer. Any processed clip obtained from a first clip processing layer is further processed by a second clip processing layer which is hierarchically above the first clip processing layer. The processed clip obtained from a hierarchically uppermost clip processing layer is outputted as a fat clip.

Claims

1. An editing system for editing a plurality of clips recorded on a random-accessible recording medium, comprising:

a clip processing means having a plurality of clip processing layers to execute a predetermined process for the plurality of clips; and

a hierarchy decision means having a plurality of objects corresponding to said clip processing layers respectively, and serving to decide the hierarchy of each clip processing layer by one hierarchical structure which is formed by connecting said objects mutually;

wherein said clip processing means performs time management of each clip processing layer, and any processed clip obtained from a first clip processing layer is further processed by a second clip processing layer which is hierarchically above said first clip processing layer, and the processed clip obtained from a hierarchically uppermost clip processing layer is outputted as a fat clip.

2. An editing system according to claim 1, further comprising a display means wherein the contents processed by said clip processing means are displayed as a time line, and the hierarchical structure formed by said hierarchy decision means is displayed with connections among the objects.

3. An editing system according to claim 1, wherein said display means displays the connections among said objects in different colors changed in conformity with the subjects to be processed by said clip processing layers.

4. An editing system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of clips comprises:

a plurality of clip video data; and

a plurality of clip management data.

5. An editing method of generating an edited fat clip by editing a plurality of clips used as edit units, comprising the steps of:

executing a predetermined process for the plurality of clips by a plurality of clip processing layers;

connecting a plurality of objects provided correspondingly to said clip processing layers, and deciding the hierarchy of each clip processing layer by one hierarchical structure formed through such connections of said objects;

performing time management of each clip processing layer; and

processing the clip, which has already been processed by one clip processing layer, by the other clip processing layer which is hierarchically above said one clip processing layer, and outputting, as a fat clip, the processed clip obtained from hierarchically uppermost clip processing layer.

6. An editing method according to claim 5, wherein the contents processed by said clip processing layers are displayed as a time line, and the formed hierarchical structure is displayed with connections among the objects.

7. An editing method according to claim 5, wherein the connections among said objects are displayed in different colors changed in conformity with the subjects to be processed by said clip processing layers.

8. An editing system according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of clips comprises:

a plurality of clip video data; and

a plurality of clip management data.

9. An editing system for generating an edited fat clip by editing a plurality of clips used as edit units, comprising:

a clip processing means having a plurality of clip processing layers to execute a predetermined process for the plurality of clips;

a hierarchy decision means having a plurality of objects corresponding to said clip processing layers respectively, and serving to decide the hierarchy of each clip processing layer by one hierarchical structure which is formed by connecting said objects mutually; and

an indication means for indicating a desired object;

wherein any processed clip obtained from one clip processing layer in said clip processing means is further processed by the other clip processing layer which is hierarchically above said one clip processing layer, and the processed content obtained from the clip processing layer corresponding to the indicated object is outputted as an interim fat.

10. An editing system according to claim 9, further comprising a display means wherein the contents processed by said clip processing means are displayed as a time line, and the hierarchical structure formed by said hierarchy decision means is displayed with connections among the objects, and the object indicated by said indication means and the layer corresponding to said object are displayed in different colors.

11. An editing system according to claim 9, wherein said clip processing means outputs the interim fat as a fat clip.

12. An editing system according to claim 9, wherein said plurality of clips comprises:

a plurality of clip video data; and

a plurality of clip management data.

13. An editing method of generating an edited fat clip by editing a plurality of clips used as edit units, comprising the steps of:

executing a predetermined process for the plurality of clips by a plurality of clip processing layers;

connecting a plurality of objects provided correspondingly to said clip processing layers, and deciding the hierarchy of each clip processing layer by one hierarchical structure formed through such connections of said objects; and

processing the clip, which has already been processed by one clip processing layer, by the other clip processing layer which is hierarchically above said one clip processing layer, and outputting, as an interim fat, the processed content obtained from the clip processing layer corresponding to the indicated object.

14. An editing method according to claim 13, wherein the contents processed by said clip processing layers are displayed as a time line, and the formed hierarchical structure is displayed with connections among the objects, and the object indicated by said indication means and the layer corresponding to said object are displayed in different colors.

15. An editing method according to claim 13, wherein said interim fat is outputted as a fat clip.

16. An editing system according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of clips comprises:

a plurality of clip video data; and

a plurality of clip management data.

17. An editing system for generating an edited fat clip by editing a plurality of clips used as edit units, comprising:

a clip processing means having a plurality of clip processing layers to execute, with time management, a predetermined process for the subject plurality of clips to be edited;

a hierarchy decision means having a plurality of objects corresponding to said clip processing layers respectively, and serving to decide the hierarchy of each clip processing layer by one hierarchical structure which is formed by connecting said objects mutually; and

an indication means for indicating a desired object or clip processing layer;

wherein any processed clip obtained from one clip processing layer in said clip processing means is further processed by the other clip processing layer which is hierarchically above said one clip processing layer, and either the processed content obtained from the clip processing layer corresponding to the object indicated by said indication means, or the processed content obtained from the clip processing layer indicated by said indication means, is outputted as a fat clip.

18. An editing system according to claim 17, wherein said clip processing layers execute a predetermined process for the output fat clip as a subject clip to be edited.

19. An editing system according to claim 17, wherein said plurality of clips comprises:

a plurality of clip video data; and

a plurality of clip management data.

20. An editing method of generating an edited fat clip by editing a plurality of clips used as edit units, comprising the steps of:

executing, with time management, a predetermined process for the subject plurality of clips to be edited by a plurality of clip processing layers;

connecting a plurality of objects corresponding to said clip processing layers respectively, and deciding the hierarchy of each clip processing layer by one hierarchical structure which is formed through such connections among the objects;

processing the clip, which has already been processed by one clip processing layer, by the other clip processing layer which is hierarchically above said one clip processing layer; and

outputting, as a fat clip, either the processed content obtained from the clip processing layer corresponding to the object indicated by an indication means, or the processed content obtained from the clip processing layer indicated by said indication means.

21. An editing method according to claim 20, wherein said clip processing layers execute a predetermined process for the output fat clip as a subject clip to be edited.

22. An editing system according to claim 20, wherein said plurality of clips comprises:

a plurality of clip video data; and

a plurality of clip management data.

23. An editing system for editing plural-channel video data reproduced from a random-accessible recording medium, comprising:

a video processing means for processing the plural-channel video data;

a display means for displaying a plurality of video clips on multi-layers of a time line correspondingly to the plural-channel video data, and also displaying a plurality of objects, which represent a linked state of said plurality of video clips, in such a manner that said objects correspond respectively to said video clips; and

a control means for controlling said video processing means in accordance with the linked state represented by said plurality of objects.

24. An editing system according to claim 23, wherein said linked state of said plurality of video data provides an inter-clip relationship.

25. An editing system for editing plural-channel video data reproduced from a random-accessible recording medium, comprising:

a video processing means for processing the plural-channel video data;

a display means for displaying a plurality of video clips on multi-layers of a time line correspondingly to the plural-channel video data, and also displaying a plurality of objects, which represent a linked state of said plurality of video clips, in such a manner that said objects correspond respectively to said video clips; and

a control means for controlling the timing of reproduction from said random-accessible recording medium in conformity with the positions of the video clips on said time line, and also controlling said video processing means in accordance with the linked state represented by said plurality of objects.

26. An editing system according to claim 25, wherein said linked state of said plurality of video clips provides an inter-clip relationship.

27. An editing system for editing plural-channel video data reproduced from a random-accessible recording medium, comprising:

a video processing means for processing the plural-channel video data;

a display means for displaying a plurality of video clips on multi-layers of a time line correspondingly to the plural-channel video data, and also displaying a plurality of objects, which represent a linked state of said plurality of video clips, in such a manner that said objects correspond respectively to said video clips; and

a means for editing plural-channel source video data reproduced from said random-accessible recording medium in accordance with the linked state represented by said plurality of objects, and then recording the edited video data on said recording medium;

wherein said display means displays icons representative of said edited video data correspondingly to said plurality of objects.

28. An editing system according to claim 27, wherein said linked state of said plurality of video clips provides an inter-clip relationship.

29. An editing system for editing a plurality of video clips generated from source video data, comprising:

a reproduction means for reproducing the source video data recorded on a random-accessible recording medium;

a video processing means for processing said source video data; and

an editing means having a graphical user interface to perform an editing operation, and serving to control said reproduction means and said video processing means in accordance with the manipulating operation in said graphical user interface;

wherein said graphical user interface includes a time line of a multi-layer structure for compositing a plurality of video clips generated from said source video data and assigning the video clips to the layers, and also includes an object area for displaying a plurality of objects which represent a linked state of said plurality of video clips; and

said objects are icons to indicate the process of composition to be executed by the use of the video clips assigned to the layers.

30. An editing system according to claim 29, wherein said linked state of said plurality of video clips provides an inter-clip relationship.