Methods and apparatus for generating, including and using information relating to archived audio/video data
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of operating a system to process image data for storage and retrieval, the method comprising the steps of:
- analyzing said image data to be encoded to determine, for each image represented by the image data, a level of encoding complexity;
encoding said image data according to a first encoding format to generate first encoded image data; and
storing with the first encoded image data encoding complexity level information indicating at least one determined level of encoding complexity associated with the first encoded image data.
16 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Archival storage and retrieval of audio/video information is described. Audio and/or video information is digitized, compressed and stored in an intermediate archive format (IAF), which preserves the content at a high-enough quality for subsequent retrieval and conversion into various formats required at the time of use or distribution. A single capture operation is performed with ancillary metadata being added to facilitate subsequent searching, indexing and format conversion. Captured data content is catalogued and indexed at or subsequent to the creation of an IAF file that includes the archived information. The IAF includes a family of audio-video digital encoding formats based on public standards. The encoding format used in any particular application is determined at encoding time from information provided by the archive system user. At encoding, the particular encoding scheme is selected to optimize a tradeoff between storage constraints and end use quality requirements.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A method of operating a system to process image data for storage and retrieval, the method comprising the steps of:
-
analyzing said image data to be encoded to determine, for each image represented by the image data, a level of encoding complexity;
encoding said image data according to a first encoding format to generate first encoded image data; and
storing with the first encoded image data encoding complexity level information indicating at least one determined level of encoding complexity associated with the first encoded image data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of operating a system to process image data for storage and retrieval, the method comprising the steps of:
-
analyzing said image data to be encoded to determine, for each image represented by the image data, a level of encoding complexity;
encoding said image data according to a first encoding format to generate first encoded image data;
storing with the first encoded image data encoding complexity level information indicating at least one determined level of encoding complexity associated with the first encoded image data;
retrieving the first encoded image data and encoding complexity level information from the storage device;
decoding the first encoded image data to generate decoded image data;
determining at least one encoding parameter to be used to re-encode the decoded image data as a function of the retrieved encoding complexity level information; and
re-encoding the generated decoded image data using the encoding parameter determined as a function of the retrieved encoding complexity level information.
-
-
15. A method of operating a system to process image data for storage and retrieval, the method comprising the steps of:
-
analyzing said image data to be encoded to determine, for each image represented by the image data, a level of encoding complexity;
encoding said image data according to a first encoding format to generate first encoded image data;
storing with the first encoded image data encoding complexity level information indicating at least one determined level of encoding complexity associated with the first encoded image data;
retrieving the first encoded image data and image content description information from the storage device;
decoding the first encoded image data to generate decoded image data;
determining at least one encoding parameter to be used to re-encode the decoded image data as a function of the retrieved image content description information; and
re-encoding the generated decoded image data using the encoding parameter determined as a function of the retrieved image content description information.
-
-
16. A method of operating a system to process image data for storage and retrieval, the method comprising the steps of:
-
analyzing said image data to be encoded to determine, for each image represented by the image data, a level of encoding complexity;
encoding said image data according to a first encoding format to generate first encoded image data;
storing with the first encoded image data encoding complexity level information indicating at least one determined level of encoding complexity associated with the first encoded image data; and
selecting the first encoding format from a plurality of supported encoding formats, as a function of the determined level of encoding complexity. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
18. A method of operating a system to process image data for storage and retrieval, the method comprising the steps of:
-
performing an automated scene analysis operation on said image data to be encoded to generate image content information said image content information indicating the type of scene depicted by said image data to be encoded;
encoding said image data according to a first encoding format to generate first encoded image data; and
storing the generated image content information in a file with the first encoded image data.
-
-
19. A method of operating a system to process image data for storage and retrieval, the method comprising the steps of:
-
performing an automated scene analysis operation on said image data to be encoded to generate image content information;
encoding said image data according to a first encoding format to generate first encoded image data;
storing the generated image content information in a file with the first encoded image data;
receiving additional image content information from a user of the system;
storing the additional image content information in said file with the first encoded image data;
retrieving from storage the stored first encoded image data, said generated content information, and said additional content information;
selecting a second encoding format to be used for outputting images represented by said first encoded image data as a function of at least one of said generated content information and said additional content information; and
re-encoding said first encoded image data to said second encoding format to generate second encoded image data. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A system for processing image data for storage and retrieval purposes, the system comprising:
-
a scene analysis module for performing scene analysis on said image data to generate image content information;
means for receiving additional image content information from a user of the system;
an encoder for encoding said image data according to a first encoding format to generate first encoded image data; and
a storage device for storing the first encoded image data, said generated image content information and said additional image content information in a file.
-
-
24. A system for processing image data for storage and retrieval purposes, the system comprising:
-
a scene analysis module for performing scene analysis on said image data to generate image content information;
means for receiving additional image content information from a user of the system;
an encoder for encoding said image data according to a first encoding format to generate first encoded image data;
a storage device for storing the first encoded image data, said generated image content information and said additional image content information in a file;
means for retrieving from storage the stored first encoded image data, said generated content information, and said additional content information;
means for selecting, as a function of at least one of said generated content information and said additional content information, a second encoding format to be used for outputting images represented by said first encoded image data; and
a second encoder for re-encoding said first encoded image data to said second encoding format to generate second encoded image data.
-
-
25. A system for processing data including at least one of image data and audio data, the system comprising:
-
an analysis module for analyzing data to be encoded and to assign one of a plurality of encoding levels of complexity to the data to be encoded;
an encoder for generating encoded data from said data to be encoded;
a file wrapper module for incorporating an encoding complexity level identifier indicating the encoding complexity level assigned to said data to be encoded and said encoded data into a single file; and
a data storage device for storing said single file.
-
-
26. A system for processing encoded image data, the system comprising:
-
an analysis module for analyzing data to be encoded and to assign one of a plurality of encoding levels of complexity to the data to be encoded;
an encoder for generating encoded data from said data to be encoded;
a file wrapper module for incorporating an encoding complexity level identifier indicating the encoding complexity level assigned to said data to be encoded and said encoded data into a single file; and
a data storage device for storing said single file; and
a preview module coupled to said encoder and said analysis module for displaying a subset of the images represented by encoded data generated by said encoder, the displayed images being selected for display as a function of encoding complexity level information associated with said encoded data. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
Specification