Systems and methods for using structured representations to index recordings of activity

• US 7,174,083 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Moran, Thomas P., Smith, Ian Emery, Minneman, Scott L., Harrison, Steve R., Van Melle, William
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/223,016
• Time in Patent Office: 2,960 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/45, 386 69- 70, 386125-126, 386/52, 386/95, 360/72.1, 360/72.2
• US Class Current: 386/278
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

The systems and methods of this invention use an index and digital audio and/or video recordings of an activity to provide access to recently recorded material. For example, users initiate audio and/or video recordings. An index, e.g., an agenda, outlines the structure of the to be recorded event. The user selects an index item as an activity that corresponds to an index item is recorded. The recordings are then associated with the index. The user can then randomly access the recordings for playback, editing or further recording. The systems and methods of this invention additionally provide the means for correlating events and the corresponding index items with the recordings.

Claims

1. A system that uses structured representations to index recordings of activity comprising:

a recording system that records an on-going activity;

an indexing device that adds recordings of activity to at least one index as the activity is recorded, indexes at least a first and a second subsequent recorded portion of the on-going activity, and edits recordings of activity based on a user input;

an object description file that stores the at least one index;

a user input device that selects at least one item of the at least one index based on a user input during or after the recording of the activity;

an association device that associates the selected at least one item with a recording of the activity; and

a playback system for replaying the first indexed portion of the recording during the simultaneous recording of the current second indexed portion of the on-going activity while the replayed first indexed portion is simultaneously being re-recorded and indexed to the current second indexed portion.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an audio/video storage device that stores a recorded activity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the playback system can replay a portion of the indexed recording in response to selecting an item from the at least one index.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an editing system that allows modifications to a recorded activity.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display device that displays at least one of the at least one index, the at least one item and the recording.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the association device temporally associates the recording of an activity with the selected at least one item.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one index is extracted from a document input to the system.

8. The system of claim 1, the activity directed to the disassembly and subsequent reassembly of a device.

9. A method of using structured representations to represent recordings of an on-going activity, comprising the steps of:

using a recording system to record at least a first and a subsequent second portion of an on-going activity;

adding recordings of the activity to at least one index as the activity is recorded;

editing recordings of activity based on a user input during or after the recording of a portion of the activity;

indexing recordings of activity based on a user input during or after the recording of the activity;

storing the at least one index;

selecting at least one item of the at least one index based on a user input during or after the recording of a portion of the activity;

associating the selected at least one item with the first indexed portion of the recorded activity;

replaying the first indexed recording of the recorded activity with a playback system while simultaneously recording the current second indexed portion of the on-going recorded activity while the replayed first indexed portion is simultaneously being re-recorded and indexed to the current second indexed portion.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing a recorded activity in an audio/video storage device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the playback system can replay a portion of the indexed recording in response to selecting an item from the at least one index.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising editing a recorded activity.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying at least one of the at least one index, the at least one item and the recording.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising temporally associating the recording of an activity with the selected at least one item.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the recording of an activity is an audio recording.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the recording of an activity is a video recording.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the recording of an activity is a multimedia recording.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

inputting a document into the object description file prior to recording the activity;

extracting from the document the at least one index.

19. The method of claim 9, the activity directed to the disassembly and subsequent reassembly of a device.