System and method for computer-assisted manual and automatic logging of time-based media

• US 6,877,010 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles Smith Enterprises LLC
• Original Assignee: Charles Smith Enterprises LLC
• Inventors: Blackman, Rolando, Jacobs, Stephen, Lupetin, Guerrino, Cortina, Rafael, Smith-Semedo, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/806,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/104.1, 707/500.1, 712/37, 386/46, 705/1
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• 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
• 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A customizable logging and content management system for indexing multimedia, including a synchronized timer object that provides a time reference upon request in connection with the media, and a logger object that logs predefined events that occur in the media by associating the events with respective time references from the timer object. A video server is provided that captures and digitally stores events logged by the logging application as media segments, and a search and retrieval engine is provided that enables that media segments to be located, retrieved and viewed based on the indexes. The system includes a graphical user interface generator that enables customized user interfaces and logging databases to be created from database tables for use in the logging application.

Claims

1. A customizable media logging system for indexing media, comprising:

a timer object that provides a time reference upon request in connection with the media; and

a logger object that logs predefined events that occur in the media by associating the events with respective time references from the timer object, wherein the logger object includes a graphical user interface having a plurality of user interface objects that can be selected by a user of the logging system in order to log events that occur in the media, and the interface objects include labels thereon corresponding to predetermined events that may typically occur in the particular media being logged, and further wherein the graphical user interface is customizable to correspond to types of events that occur in the particular media being logged,

said media logging system further including a graphical user interface generator that generates a custom graphical user interface including custom user interface objects for a logging screen of the graphical user interface for use by a user when using the logging application, wherein the graphical user interface generator uses information entered by a user to create the customized user interface.

2. The customizable media logging system of claim 1, wherein the information entered by the user is stored in a database and the graphical user interface generator uses the information in the database to generate the custom graphical user interface.

3. The customizable media logging system of claim 1, wherein the user interface generator is further operable to dynamically generate a logging database for use by said logging application.

4. The customizable media logging system of claim 1, wherein the logging system is adapted for use in logging a sporting event and the interface objects correspond to events that occur during the sporting event.

5. The customizable media logging system of claim 1, wherein the system includes an arrangement that automatically logs predefined events in the media being logged based on video analysis.

6. The customizable media logging system of claim 1, wherein the system includes an arrangement that automatically logs predefined events based on text analysis.

7. The customizable media logging system of claim 1, wherein the system includes an arrangement that automatically logs predefined events based on audio analysis.

8. The customizable media logging system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a video server that captures logged events and digitally stores the captured events as media segments.

9. The customizable media logging system of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a feature that enables the media segments to be selectively retrieved and viewed.

10. The customizable media logging system of claim 1, further including a search engine that enables logged events to be searched using various search parameters.

11. A customizable media asset management system for managing media assets, comprising:

a logging application that creates indexes of events that occur in the media;

a video server that captures and digitally stores events logged by the logging application as media segments; and

a graphical user interface generator that creates customized user interfaces for the logging application based on information entered in a database.