Animation review methods and apparatus

• US 7,324,069 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Stahl, Alex, Johnson, Michael Boyle, McNamara, Antoine, Donohoe, Brendan Peter, Bird, Philip Bradley, Drukman, Maxwell O., Weber, Karon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PIZIALI, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US10/925,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20050257137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/2.1, 345/2.2, 345/3.3, 345/3.4, 345/156, 345/163, 345/173, 345/473, 345/547, 345/629, 345/633, 345/634, 345/636, 715/700, 715/716, 715/719, 715/720, 715/723, 715/726, 715/730, 715/733, 725/37
• US Class Current: 345/2.2
• 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 16/74 Browsing; Visualisation therefor end-user interfaces for requesting or interacting with video content, e.g. video on demand interfaces or electronic program guides, H04N21/472
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings

Abstract

A system comprises a source providing video in a first format, a video converter for converting video from the first to a second format, a server storing a video image from the video, and combining the video image with a graphical user interface to form a composite video, and a first user display device displaying the composite video, and receiving from the user, a plurality of commands, wherein the first user display device is for receiving from the user, a plurality of annotations associated with a video frame from the composite video, and for determining the video frame from the composite video in response to a command, wherein the server is for forming an annotated video in response to the video frame and the plurality of annotations, for storing the plurality of annotations and the video frame, and for associating the plurality of annotations and the video frame.

Claims

1. A computer system comprises:

a video source configured to provide video data, wherein the video data comprises a plurality of video images;

a server coupled to the video source, wherein the server is configured to form a first review user interface comprising a first region including a video image from the plurality of video images, and a second region including a first graphical user interface; and

a first user interface device coupled to the server, wherein the first user interface device includes a display configured to display the first review user interface to a user, wherein the first user interface device includes a user input device configured to receive from the user, a first user selection of a plurality of display locations within the first region; and

wherein the user input device is also configured to receive from the user, a second user selection of a display location within the second region;

wherein the second user selection is associated with a desired user command;

wherein the server is also configured to perform the desired user command in response to the second user selection, wherein the server is also configured to modify values of at least some of the plurality of display locations in response to the first user selection, wherein the server is configured to form a modified first review user interface in response to at least some of the plurality of display locations with modified values, wherein the server is configured to determine a plurality of vector objects in response to the plurality of display locations, and wherein the server is configured to associate and store a user annotation comprising the plurality of vector objects with the video image;

wherein the plurality of vector objects include drawing vector objects and deletion vector objects; and

wherein the display of the first user interface device is also configured to display the modified first review user interface.

2. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second user interface device coupled to the server, wherein the second user interface device includes a display configured to display the first review user interface to another user, wherein the second user interface device includes a user input device configured to receive from the other user, a third user selection of another plurality of display locations within the first region; and

wherein the user input device is also configured to receive from the other user, a fourth user selection of another pixel within the second region;

wherein the fourth user selection is associated with another desired user command;

wherein the server is also configured to perform the other desired user command in response to the fourth user selection, wherein the server is also configured to modify values of at least some of the other plurality of display locations in response to the third user selection, wherein the server is configured to form another modified first review user interface in response to at least some of the other plurality of display locations with modified values, wherein the server is configured to determine another plurality of vector objects in response to the other plurality of display locations, and wherein the server is configured to associate and store another user annotation comprising the other plurality of vector objects with the video image; and

wherein the display of the first user interface device is also configured to display the other modified first review user interface.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the video source comprises:

a video output source configured to output the video data in a first format; and

a converter coupled to the video output source, wherein the video converter is configured to convert the video data from the first format to video data in a second format.

4. The computer system of claim 3 wherein the second format is a format selected from the group consisting of:

PAL, NTSC, SXGA, HD, XGA, UXGA.

5. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising a storage server coupled to the server configured to retrievably store the user annotation associated with the video image, and the plurality of video images.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the first user interface device is selected from the group consisting of:

a tablet-style computer, a Cintiq interactive pen display, a separate display and cursor control device, a touch-screen display.

7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the desired user command is selected from the group consisting of:

selection of the video image from the plurality of video images, logging into the server, selection of a color for the user annotation, selection of a line width for the user annotation, completing annotation of the video image, combining more than one video image at a time within the first region.

8. The computer system of claim 1

wherein the sewer is also configured to form a second review user interface comprising a first region including the plurality of video images, and a second region including a second graphical user interface;

and

wherein the display of the first user interface device is also configured to display the second review user interface.

9. A method for a computer system comprises:

receiving video data from a video source, wherein the video data comprises a plurality of video images;

combining the plurality of video images with a first graphical user interface to form a first review user interface;

displaying the first review user interface to a plurality of users on user display devices;

receiving a first command from a user from the plurality of users from a user input device;

determining a video image from the plurality of video images in response to the first command;

combining the video image with a second graphical user interface to form a second review user interface;

displaying the second review user interface to the plurality of users on user display devices;

receiving a second command from the user from the user input device;

determining annotation parameters in response to the second command;

receiving a graphical selection of annotation positions on the second review user interface associated with the video image from the user from the user input device;

determining a plurality of vector objects in response to the graphical selection of the annotation positions on the second review;

determining annotation positions in the video image in response to the graphical selection of annotation positions on the second review user interface;

modifying values of pixels associated with the annotation positions in the video image to form an annotated second review user interface in response to the annotation parameter;

displaying the annotated second review user interface to the plurality of users on user display devices; and

storing the video image, and the plurality of vector objects in memory;

wherein the plurality of vector objects include drawing vector objects and deletion vector objects.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving video data from a video source comprises:

receiving the video data in a first format from the video source; and

converting the video data from the first format to video data in a second format.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first format is a format selected from the group consisting of:

PAL, NTSC, SXGA, HD, XGA, UXGA, s-video.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

retrieving the video image and the plurality of vector objects from memory; and

displaying a combination of the video image and a representation of at least some of the plurality of vector objects on a display.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein a user display device and a user input device are selected from the group consisting of:

a tablet-style computer, a Cintiq interactive pen display, a separate display and cursor control device, a touch-screen display.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the annotation parameter is selected from the group consisting:

selection of a color for the user annotation, selection of a line width for the user annotation.

15. A computer program product for a computer system including a processor comprises:

code that directs the processor to receive video data from a video source, wherein the video data comprises a plurality of video images;

code that directs the processor to determine a video image from the plurality of video images in response to a command from a user at a user input device;

code that directs the processor to combine the video image with a first graphical user interface to form a first review user interface;

code that directs the processor to output the first review user interface to a plurality of users on user display devices;

code that directs the processor to receive a graphical selections of positions on the first review user interface associated with the video image from the user from the user input device;

code that directs the processor to determine positions on the video image in response to the graphical selection of positions on the first review user interface;

code that directs the processor to modify values of pixels in an overlay layer associated with the positions in the video image to form an annotated first review user interface;

code that directs the processor to output the annotated first review user interface to the plurality of users on user display devices; and

code that directs the processor to store the video image in memory

code that directs the processor to convert the positions in the video image into a plurality of vector objects, wherein the plurality of vector objects comprises drawing vector objects and deletion vector objects;

wherein the codes reside on a computer-readable tangible media.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the tangible media includes code that directs the processor to store the video data in the memory.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

code that directs the processor to determine values of pixels in the overlay layer in response to the plurality of vector objects.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein a user display device and the user input device are selected from the group consisting of:

a tablet-style computer, a Cintiq interactive pen display, a separate display and cursor control device, a touch-screen display.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the user display devices are electronically coupled to the computer system in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

direct connection, across a local area network, across a wide area network, across the Internet.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

code that directs the processor to combine the video images with a second graphical user interface to form a second review user interface;

code that directs the processor to output the second review user interface to the plurality of users on the user display devices; and

code that directs the processor to determine a graphical selection on the second review user interface from the user using the user input device;

wherein code that directs the processor to determine the video image from the plurality of video images comprises code that directs the processor to determine the video image from the plurality of video images in response to the graphical selection.