Systems and methods for filtering and/or viewing collaborative indexes of recorded media

• US 7,257,774 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Denoue, Laurent, Chiu, Patrick, Fuse, Tohru, Wilcox, Lynn D., McDonald, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US10/207,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20040021685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 715/719, 715/721, 715/733, 715/764, 715/864, 715/866, 715/501.1, 715/512, 715/530, 715/531, 715/751
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for filtering and viewing collaborative indexes of annotations of multimedia or video streams can include obtaining a multimedia or video stream, obtaining user indexes of annotations of the multimedia or video stream, merging the indexes, associating portions of the multimedia or video stream with the annotations, determining high-value annotations and displaying the high value annotations. Systems and methods for providing useful visualizations of the indexes of annotations and high value annotations are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for filtering and viewing a collaborative index of annotations of a multimedia or video stream, comprising:

obtaining at least one multimedia or video stream;

obtaining at least one index of annotations of the multimedia or video stream;

associating the annotations with portions of the multimedia or video stream;

analyzing characteristics of each of said annotations so as to assign value to each annotation according to a predefined heuristic that evaluates the analyzed characteristics;

ranking said annotations according to the assigned value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the at least one multimedia or video stream comprises obtaining at least two multimedia or video streams.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising merging at least two indexes to create a collaborative index as the obtained at least one index of annotations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said heuristic comprises assigning value according to the time in which each annotation was made.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said heuristic comprises assigning value according to the person making each annotation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said heuristic comprises assigning value according to the proximity of each annotation to other annotations made.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said heuristic comprises assigning value according to the length of each annotation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said heuristic comprises assigning value according to the frequency of appearance each annotation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said heuristic comprises assigning value according to the usage made by users of each annotation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said heuristics comprises determining a confidence score for an annotation made at a particular time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining a confidence score comprises evaluating annotations made at or near the particular time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein evaluating annotations made at or near the particular time comprises weighting the annotations made at or near the particular time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein weighting the annotations made at or near the particular time comprises valuing the annotations based upon a proximity of each of the annotations to the particular time.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein weighting the annotations made at or near the particular time comprises valuing the annotations based upon a content of each of the annotations.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein weighting the annotations made at or near the particular time comprises valuing the annotations based upon an identity of a user who made the annotations.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein valuing the annotations based upon the identity of a user comprises determining a similarity between annotations made by the user and annotations made by at least one other user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the high value annotations by presenting a user interface usable to view the high value annotations.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising clustering said annotations.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said heuristic comprises assigning value according to the inclusion of each annotation in a cluster.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said heuristic comprises assigning value according to similarity of each annotation to other annotations.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said heuristic comprises assigning value to each evaluated annotation according to location of other annotations present in the same frame as the evaluated annotation.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said heuristic comprises assigning value to each evaluated annotation according to similarity of frames of other annotations.

23. A system for filtering and viewing a collaborative index of annotations of a multimedia or video stream, comprising:

an input device;

a display device;

a video or multimedia/annotation index associating circuit or routine;

an index merging circuit or routine;

a high value annotation determining circuit or routine analyzing characteristics of each of said annotations so as to assign value to each annotation according to a predefined heuristic that evaluates the analyzed characteristics;

a ranking circuit or routine ranking said annotations according to the assigned value; and

a displaying circuit or routine.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the input device can be-used to provide at least one multimedia or video stream to a memory.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the input device can be used to submit at least one index of annotations to a memory.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the input device includes at least one of a laptop computer, a pen-based notebook computer, a personal digital assistant, a key tag and a wireless telephone.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the index merging circuit or routine is usable to compile at least two indexes of annotations into a collaborative index.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the video or multimedia/annotation index associating circuit or routine associates at least one index of annotations with at least one multimedia or video stream.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the high value annotation determining circuit or routine determines a confidence score for an annotation made at a particular time.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the high value annotation determining circuit or routine determines a confidence score by evaluating annotations made at or near the particular time.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the high value annotation determining circuit or routine weights the annotations made at or near the particular time.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the high value annotation determining circuit or routine weights the annotations based upon a proximity of each of the annotations to the particular time.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the high value annotation determining circuit or routine weights the annotations based upon a content of each of the annotations.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the high value annotation determining circuit or routine weights the annotations based upon an identity of a user who made the annotations.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the high value annotation determining circuit or routine weights the annotations based upon the identity of the user by determining a similarity between annotations made by the user and annotations made by at least one other user.

36. The system of claim 23, wherein the displaying circuit or routine creates or modifies a user interface usable to display the high value annotations on the displaying device.