Dual mode timeline interface

• US 7,359,617 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ma, Choi Chi Evelene
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/393,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20030215214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/52, 386/55, 386/65
• US Class Current: 386/282
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• 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

A dual-mode GUI (600) is disclosed which includes a source timeline (614) and a manual editing timeline (606) within a common editing window (608). This arrangement enables the user to maintain a contextual appreciation of relationships (618) between a parent clip (616) and a related child segment (602) throughout an iterative editing process (1000). Using a dual-mode approach, after the user has performed auto-editing using an auto-edit GUI (1200), the user then activates the dual-mode GUI (600), in order to proceed with additional manual editing (1000).

Claims

1. A method for editing a sequence of video clips, the method comprising the steps of:

auto-editing, using an auto-editing template, a parent video clip selected from the sequence of video clips to thereby produce a video production having a child video segment related to the parent video clip;

maintaining information on the relationship between the parent video clip and said related child segment;

displaying on a Graphical User Interface corresponding representations of the parent video clip, the video production, and said information; and

manually editing, dependent upon said displayed information, said child video segment.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the representations of the parent video clip, the video production, and said information are displayed in a common editing window on the Graphical User Interface.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the representation of the information on the Graphical User Interface is established by displaying the parent video clip and the related child segment using the same display colour.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the representation of the information on the Graphical User Interface is established by displaying a graphical link between the displayed parent video clip and the displayed related child segment.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the representation of the information on the Graphical User Interface is established by displaying a textual link between the displayed parent video clip and the displayed related child segment.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the auto-editing step is applied to a plurality of parent video clips selected from the sequence of video clips to thereby produce the video production having child video segments each related to one of the plurality of parent video clips;

the maintaining step maintains information on the relationship between each child segment and the corresponding parent video clip;

the displaying step displays on the Graphical User Interface corresponding representations of the plurality of parent video clips, the video production, and said information; and

the manual editing step is performed, dependent upon said displayed information, in regard to said corresponding child video segments.

7. A method according to either claim 1 or claim 6, wherein each child segment and the corresponding related parent video clip is displayed in a distinct colour on the Graphical User Interface.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the maintaining step comprises the steps of:

representing the parent video clip by a corresponding parent Edit Display List element in a source Edit Display List, said corresponding parent Edit Display List element having a reference to the parent video clip;

representing the video production by a manual Edit Display List comprising at least one child Edit Display List element representing the child segment related to the parent video clip;

wherein

the parent Edit Display List element representing the parent video clip has a reference to the child Edit Display List element representing the child segment; and

the child Edit Display List element representing the child segment has a reference to the parent Edit Display List element representing the parent video clip.

9. A method according to claim 8, comprising a further step of:

deleting the related child segment by (a) deleting the child Edit Display List element, and (b) deleting, in the parent Edit Display List element, the reference to the child Edit Display List element.

10. A method according to claim 8, comprising a further step of:

adding a new child segment by

(a) creating a new child Edit Display List element in the manual Edit Display List, and

(b) including in the parent Edit Display List element, a reference to the new child Edit Display List element.

11. A method for identifying, in a Graphical User Interface displaying (a) a source timeline depicting a plurality of parent video clips, the source timeline being characterised by a source Edit Display List and (b) a manual timeline depicting an associated video production having child segments extracted from said parent video clips, the manual timeline being characterised by a manual Edit Display List, the parent video clip from which a selected child segment in the video production has been extracted, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting the child segment in the manual timeline;

identifying, in the manual Edit Display List, the child Edit Display List element representing the selected child segment; and

determining, from the child Edit Display List element, a reference to the parent video clip from which the child segment has been extracted.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the reference to the parent video clip comprises a reference to a parent Edit Display List element in the source Edit Display List representing the parent video clip.

13. A method for identifying, in a Graphical User Interface displaying (a) a source timeline depicting a plurality of parent video clips, the source timeline being characterised by a source Edit Display List and (b) a manual timeline depicting an associated video production having child segments extracted from extracted from at least some of said parent video clips, said manual timeline being characterised by a manual Edit Display List, a child segment extracted from a selected parent video clip in the source timeline, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting the parent video clip in the source timeline;

identifying, in the source Edit Display List, the parent Edit Display List element representing the selected parent video clip; and

determining, from the parent Edit Display List element, a reference to the extracted child segment.

14. A method for editing, in a Graphical User Interface displaying (a) a source timeline depicting a plurality of parent video clips, the source timeline characterised by a source Edit Display List and (b) a manual timeline depicting an associated video production having child segments extracted from said parent video clips, said manual timeline characterised by a manual Edit Display List, a child segment in the manual timeline, the method comprising the steps of:

activating the child segment in the manual timeline;

identifying, in the manual Edit Display List, the child Edit Display List element representing the activated child segment;

determining, from the child Edit Display List element, attributes for the activated child segment; and

editing said attributes.

15. An apparatus for editing a sequence of video clips, the apparatus comprising:

an auto-editor for auto-editing, using an auto-editing template, a parent video clip selected from the sequence of video clips to thereby produce a video production having a child video segment extracted from the parent video clip;

means for maintaining information on the relationship between the parent video clip and said extracted child segment;

a Graphical User Interface for displaying corresponding representations of the parent video clip, the video production, and said information; and

a manual editor for manually editing, dependent upon said displayed information, said child video segment.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the Graphical User Interface includes means for displaying said corresponding representations of the parent video clip, the video production, and said information in a common editing window.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the Graphical User Interface includes means for displaying the parent video clip and the related child segment using the same display colour.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the Graphical User Interface includes means for displaying a graphical link between the displayed parent video clip and the displayed related child segment.

19. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the Graphical User Interface includes means for displaying a textual link between the displayed parent video clip and the displayed related child segment.

20. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

the auto-editor is adapted to auto-edit a plurality of parent video clips selected from the sequence of video clips to thereby produce the video production having child video segments each related to one of the plurality of parent video clips;

the means for maintaining information is adapted to maintain information on the relationship between each child segment and the corresponding parent video clip;

the Graphical User Interface is adapted to display corresponding representations of the plurality of parent video clips, the video production, and said information; and

the manual editor is adapted to manually edit, dependent upon said displayed information, said corresponding child video segments.

21. An apparatus according to either claim 15 or claim 20, wherein the Graphical User Interface includes means for displaying each child segment and the corresponding related parent video clip in a distinct colour on the Graphical User Interface thereby to establish the representation of the information.

22. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a source Edit Display List for representing the parent video clip using a corresponding parent Edit Display List element, said parent Edit Display List element having a reference to the parent video clip;

a manual Edit Display List for representing the video production using child Edit Display List elements one of which represents the child segment related to the parent video clip;

wherein

the parent Edit Display List element representing the parent video clip has a reference to the child Edit Display List element representing the child segment; and

the child Edit Display List element representing the child segment has a reference to the parent Edit Display List element representing the parent video clip.

23. An apparatus comprising:

an auto-editor for auto-editing, using an auto-editing template, a parent video clip selected from a sequence of video clips to thereby produce a video production having a child video segment extracted from the parent video clip;

a Graphical User Interface;

means for displaying on the Graphical User Interface (a) a source timeline depicting said parent video clip said source timeline characterised by a source Edit Display List and (b) a manual timeline depicting said video production the manual timeline characterised by a manual Edit Display List;

means for selecting the child segment in the manual timeline;

means for identifying, in the manual Edit Display List, the child Edit Display List element representing the selected child segment; and

means for determining, from the child Edit Display List element, a reference to the parent video clip from which the child segment has been extracted.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the reference to the parent video clip comprises a reference to a parent Edit Display List element in the source Edit Display List representing the parent video clip.

25. An apparatus comprising:

an auto-editor for auto-editing, using an auto-editing template, a parent video clip selected from a sequence of video clips to thereby produce a video production having a child video segment extracted from said parent video clip;

a Graphical User Interface;

means for displaying on the Graphical User Interface (a) a source timeline depicting said parent video clip, said source timeline characterised by a source Edit Display List and (b) a manual timeline depicting said video production, said manual timeline characterised by a manual Edit Display List;

means for selecting the parent video clip in the source timeline;

means for identifying, in the source Edit Display List, the parent Edit Display List element representing the selected parent video clip; and

means for determining, from the parent Edit Display List element, a reference to the extracted child segment.

26. An apparatus comprising:

an auto-editor for auto-editing, using an auto-editing template, a parent video clip selected from a sequence of video clips to thereby produce a video production having a child video segment extracted from the parent video clip;

a Graphical User Interface;

means for displaying on the Graphical User Interface (a) a source timeline depicting said parent video clip, said source timeline characterised by a source Edit Display List and (b) a manual timeline depicting the video production, said manual timeline characterised by a manual Edit Display List;

means for activating the child segment in the manual timeline;

means for identifying, in the manual Edit Display List, the child Edit Display List element representing the activated child segment;

means for determining, from the child Edit Display List element, attributes for the activated child segment; and

means for editing said attributes.

27. An apparatus for editing a sequence of video clips, said apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a program; and

a processor for executing the program, said program comprising;

code for auto-editing, using an auto-editing template, a parent video clip selected from the sequence of video clips to thereby produce a video production having a child video segment related to the parent video clip;

code for maintaining information on the relationship between the parent video clip and said related child segment;

code establishing a Graphical User Interface for displaying corresponding representations of the parent video clip, the video production, and said information; and

code for manually editing, dependent upon said displayed information, said child video segment.

28. An edited video clip when produced using an apparatus for editing a sequence of video clips, the apparatus comprising:

an auto-editor for auto-editing, using an auto-editing template, a parent video clip selected from the sequence of video clips to thereby produce a video production having a child video segment related to the parent video clip;

means for maintaining information on the relationship between the parent video clip and said related child segment;

a Graphical User Interface for displaying corresponding representations of the parent video clip, the video production, and said information; and

a manual editor for manually editing, dependent upon said displayed information, said child video segment.

29. A computer-readable medium having recorded thereon a program for directing a processor to control an editing apparatus for editing a sequence of video clips, said program comprising:

code for auto-editing, using an auto-editing template, a parent video clip selected from the sequence of video clips to thereby produce a video production having a child video segment related to the parent video clip;

code for maintaining information on the relationship between the parent video clip and said related child segment;

code establishing a Graphical User Interface for displaying corresponding representations of the parent video clip, the video production, and said information; and

code for manually editing, dependent upon said displayed information, said child video segment.

30. A computer readable medium having recorded thereon an Edit Display List data structure referring to a parent video clip and a child video segment extracted from the parent video clip, said Edit Display List data structure being adapted for directing a processor to control an editing apparatus for editing a sequence of video clips, said Edit Display List data structure comprising:

a source Edit Display List including a parent Edit Display List element having a reference to said parent video clip, and a reference to a child Edit Display List element in a manual Edit Display List, said child Edit Display List element being associated with the child video segment; and

said manual Edit Display List including said child Edit Display List element having a reference to said source Edit Display List element.