Method and apparatus for digital media management, retrieval, and collaboration

• US 6,922,691 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2002
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ben Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Emotion, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Flank, Sharon
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US10/063,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,192 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/10, 707/104.1, 386/69, 375/240.28, 375/240.26, 348/722
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system has first and second metadata streams with respect to a video stream, the first metadata stream time-coded with respect to the video stream and the second metadata stream not time-coded with respect to the video stream. The the second metadata stream is aligned with the first metadata stream. Time ccodes are added to the second metadata stream, based on the alignment. Proper names are searched for within the second metadata stream. Faces are found within the video stream, faces are matched with proper names, and the matched faces and proper names are placed into a reference library.

Claims

1. A method for use with first and second metadata streams with respect to a video stream, the first metadata stream time-coded with respect to the video stream and the second metadata stream not time-coded with respect to the video stream, the method comprising the steps of:

aligning the second metadata stream with the first metadata stream;

adding time codes to the second metadata stream, based on the alignment;

searching for proper names within the second metadata stream;

finding faces within the video stream;

matching faces with proper names; and

placing the matched faces and proper names into a reference library.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the video stream is news footage, wherein the first metadata stream is closed captioning for the hearing impaired, and wherein the second metadata stream is a separate description of the news footage.

3. A method for use with a metadata stream with respect to a video stream, the metadata stream time-coded with respect to the video stream, the method comprising the steps, performed by a computer, of:

searching for proper names within the metadata stream;

finding faces within the video stream;

matching faces with proper names; and

placing the matched faces and proper names into a reference library.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the video stream is news footage, wherein the metadata stream is closed captioning for the hearing impaired.

5. A method for use with a metadata stream with respect to at least one video stream, the metadata stream time-coded with respect to the at least one video stream, the method comprising the steps, performed by a computer, of:

searching for proper names within the metadata stream;

finding faces within the at least one video stream;

matching faces with proper names;

placing the matched faces and proper names into a reference library; and

for a selected proper name, generating a list of locations within the at least one video stream associated with that selected proper name.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the video stream is news footage, wherein the metadata stream is closed captioning for the hearing impaired.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of communicating the list of locations to a rights management system.