Identification of blank segments in a set of visual recording data

• US 7,536,078 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2002
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: YesVideo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: YesVideo, Inc.
• Inventors: Edwards, Jeffrey L., Sampson, Harold G., Covell, Michele M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, HEATHER RAE
• Application Number:
  US10/083,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,640 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/785 using colour or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention identifies a blank segment (i.e., a segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content) in a set of visual recording data. The invention identifies a blank segment using a blank frame detector that is adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame, and a blank segment detector that is adapted to evaluate a characteristic of a group of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the group of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment comprising a plurality of blank frames. Identification of a blank segment can be used to, for example, decide whether to terminate digitization of a set of analog visual recording data.

Claims

1. Apparatus for identifying a blank segment in a set of visual recording data, comprising:

a blank frame detector, the blank frame detector adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a snow-static frame, wherein the blank frame detector is adapted to;

determine if a specified maximum variation from pure gray at each pixel is less than a specified magnitude;

determine if the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components; and

determine if the vertical and horizontal correlation coefficients are within corresponding specified ranges and/or have a specified relationship with one another, wherein;

if the specified maximum variation from pure gray at each pixel is less than a specified magnitude, the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components, and the vertical and horizontal correlation coefficients are within corresponding specified ranges and/or have a specified relationship with one another, then the frame is a snow-static frame; and

a blank segment detector, the blank segment detector adapted to receive input from the blank frame detector regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, set of further comprising:

a plurality of blank frame detectors, each blank frame detector adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame; and

wherein;

the blank segment detector is adapted to receive input from the plurality of blank frame detectors regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2, wherein:

the plurality of blank frame detectors comprise first and second blank frame detectors;

the first blank frame detector is adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame of a first type; and

the second blank frame detector is adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame of a second type, the second type being different from the first type.

4. Apparatus as in claim 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of blank frame detectors is adapted to detect frames of visual recording data that represent an image that is all or nearly all one color.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4, wherein

the blank segment detector is adapted to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that is all or nearly all one color.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to determine if there are a specified number of frames in a sequence of frames that have been determined to be blank frames of the same color, wherein if there are a specified number of frames in the sequence of frames that have been determined to be blank frames of the same color, then the segment is a blank segment.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the specified number of frames is 95% of the frames in the sequence of frames after the first 6 frames in the sequence of frames.

8. Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to determine if the blank frames of the same color in the sequence of frames differ in color by no more than a specified amount, wherein if there are a specified number of frames in the sequence of frames that have been determined to be blank frames of the same color and the blank frames of the same color in the sequence of frames differ in color by no more than a specified amount, then the segment is a blank segment.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the specified amount is a variance of the average color of the frames of the same color of less than 10.

10. Apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of blank frame detectors, each blank frame detector adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame, at least one of the plurality of blank frame detectors adapted to determine, if a frame is determined to be a blank frame, whether the blank frame of a first type or of a second type that is different from the first type; and

wherein;

the blank segment detector is adapted to receive input from the plurality of blank frame detectors regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

11. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:

each pixel of the frame of visual recording data is represented by a red color component, a green color component and a blue color component, each color component having a value between 0 and 255 inclusive;

the maximum variation from pure gray of each color component at each pixel is less than 15;

the specified range for the green color component is between 5 and 45;

the absolute value of the difference between the magnitude of the red color component and the magnitude of the green color component is less than 5;

the absolute value of the difference between the magnitude of the green color component and the magnitude of the blue color component is 1ess than 5; and

the absolute value of the difference between the magnitude of the red color component and the magnitude of the blue color component is less than 5;

the vertical correlation coefficient is less than 0.41;

the horizontal correlation coefficient is less than 0.85; and

the horizontal correlation coefficient is greater than twice the vertical correlation coefficient.

12. Apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising

a plurality of blank segment detectors, each blank segment detector adapted to receive input from a blank frame detector regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein:

the plurality of blank segment detectors comprise first and second blank segment detectors;

the first blank segment detector is adapted to detect blank segments including blank frames of a first type; and

the second blank segment detector is adapted to detect blank segments including blank frames of a second type, the second type being different from the first type.

14. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the blank segment detector is adapted to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that includes one or more blank frames of a first type and one or more blank frames of a second type that is different from the first type.

15. Apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to detect a first type of blank segment including blank frames of a first type, or a second type of blank segment including blank frames of a second type that is different from the first type of blank frames.

16. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

a blank the blank segment detector is adapted to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that is all or nearly all snow-static.

17. Apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to determine if there are a specified number of frames in a sequence of frames that have been determined to be snow-static frames, wherein if there are a specified number of frames in the sequence of frames that have been determined to be snow-static frames, then the segment is a blank segment.

18. Apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the specified number of frames is 95% of the frames in the sequence of frames after the first 6 frames in the sequence of frames.

19. Apparatus as in claim 17, wherein:

the blank frame detector is adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a black frame; and

the blank segment detector is adapted to;

determine if a specified number of frames in the sequence of frames have been identified either as black screen frames or snow-static frames;

determine if the black screen frames in the sequence of frames differ in color by no more than a specified amount, wherein;

if there are a specified number of frames in a sequence of frames that have been determined to be snow-static frames, a specified number of frames in the sequence of frames have been identified either as black screen frames or snow-static frames, and the black screen frames in the sequence of frames differ in color by no more than a specified amount, then the segment is a blank segment.

20. Apparatus as in claim 19, wherein:

the specified number of snow-static frames in the sequence of frames is 5;

the specified number of frames is 95% of the frames in the sequence of frames after the first 6 frames of the sequence of frames; and

the specified amount is a variance of the average color of the black frames of less than 10.

21. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:

the blank frame and blank segment determinations are made for successive frames of visual recording data as the frames of visual recording data are acquired or as the frames of visual recording data are being processed for another purpose.

22. Apparatus as in claim 21, adapted to communicate a categorization of a current segment to another process operating on the set of visual recording data.

23. Apparatus as in claim 22, wherein the set of visual recording data is initially in an analog form and the other process is a digitization process.

24. Apparatus as in claim 23, wherein:

the current segment categorization comprises communicating the duration of a current blank segment; and

the digitization process can be terminated if the duration of the current blank segment exceeds a specified duration.

25. Apparatus as in claim 23, further comprising a second blank frame detector adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame is a blank frame of a first type or a blank frame of a second type that is different from the first type.

26. Apparatus as in claim 23, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to receive input from the plurality of blank frame detectors regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of that plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether that plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content and to determine, if the plurality of frames of visual recording data is determined to be a blank segment, whether the blank segment includes one or more blank frames of a first type and one or more blank frames of a second type that is different from the first type.

27. Apparatus as in claim 22, wherein the communication of a current segment categorization further comprises:

identifying the beginning of a first content segment in the set of visual recording data; and

communicating the identification of the beginning of the first content segment to the other process operating on the set of visual recording data.

28. Apparatus as in claim 27, wherein:

the other process is a process for recording the set of visual recording data onto a data storage medium; and

visual recording data is not recorded onto the data storage medium until the identification of the beginning of the first content segment is communicated to the recording process.

29. Apparatus as in claim 1,

adapted to use the detection of one or more blank segments to identify one or more segment boundaries in the set of visual recording data, each segment boundary delineating a transition from a segment of one type to a segment of another type.

30. Apparatus as in claim 29, adapted to:

identify a segment boundary at the beginning of a blank segment; and

mark the identified segment boundary to cause the blank segment following the identified segment boundary to be excluded from subsequent interaction with the set of visual recording data.

31. Apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the set of visual recording data is used to generate a display of the corresponding recorded visual content, a display of the recorded visual content corresponding to the marked segment not being generated.

32. Apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the set of visual recording data is processed in a specified manner, the visual recording data in the marked segment not being processed.

33. Apparatus as in claim 29, adapted to:

identify a segment boundary at the beginning of a blank segment; and

delete the visual recording data in the blank segment from the set of visual recording data.

34. Apparatus as in claim 29, adapted to:

determine the duration of a blank segment; and

identify the end of recorded visual content in the set of visual recording data as the beginning of a blank segment having greater than a specified duration.

35. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the blank frame detector is further adapted to evaluate, when a frame is determined to be a snow-static frame, the temporal correlation coefficient over a specified window of frames of visual recording data that includes the snow-static frame to either confirm or reject the determination that the frame is a snow-static frame.

36. Apparatus for identifying a blank segment in a set of visual recording data, comprising;

a blank frame detector, the blank frame detector adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame representing an image that is all or nearly all one color, wherein the blank frame detector is adapted to;

determine if, for each color component, the numerical value of a specified number of the pixels of the frame is within a specified magnitude of the average numerical value of that color component for all of the pixels of the frame; and

determine if the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components, wherein;

if, for each color component, the numerical value of the specified number of the pixels of the frame is within the specified magnitude of the average numerical value of that color component for all of the pixels of the frame, and if the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components, then the frame is a blank frame;

the numerical value of each color component of each pixel can vary between 0 and 255 inclusive;

the specified number of pixels is greater than or equal to 80% of the pixels; and

the specified magnitude is 8; and

a blank segment detector, the blank segment detector adapted to receive input from the blank frame detector regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

37. Apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the blank frame detector is adapted to detect frames of visual recording data that represent an image that is all or nearly all blue or purple.

38. Apparatus as in claim 37, wherein:

each pixel of the frame of visual recording data is represented by a red color component, a green color component and a blue color component, each color component having a value between 0 arid 255 inclusive;

the specified range for the red color component is less than 25;

the specified range for the green color component is less than 25;

the specified range for the blue color component is between 60 and 130;

the magnitude of the red color component subtracted from the green color component is less than 20;

the magnitude of the green color component subtracted from the blue color component is less than 50; and

the magnitude of the red color component subtracted from the blue color component, is less than 85.

39. Apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the blank frame detector is adapted to detect frames of visual recording data that represent an image that is all or nearly all silver.

40. Apparatus as in claim 39, wherein

each pixel of the frame of visual recording data is represented by a red color component, a green color component and a blue color component, each color component having a value between 0 and 255 inclusive;

the specified range for the red color component is between 60 and 130;

the specified range for the green color component is between 60 and 130;

the specified range for the blue color component is between 60 and 130;

the absolute value of the difference between the magnitude of the red color component and the magnitude of the green color component is less than 10;

the absolute value of the difference between the magnitude of the green color component and the magnitude of the blue color component is less than 10; and

the absolute value of the difference between the magnitude of the red color component and the magnitude of the blue color component is less than 10.

41. Apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the blank frame detector is adapted to detect frames of visual recording data that represent an image that is all or nearly all black.

42. Apparatus as in claim 41, wherein:

each pixel of the frame of visual recording data is represented by a red color component, a green color component and a blue color component, each color component having a value between 0 and 255 inclusive;

the specified range for the red color component is less than 10;

the specified range for the green color component is less than 10; and

the specified range for the blue color component is less than 10.

43. Apparatus as in claim 36, wherein:

the blank frame and blank segment determinations are made for successive frames of visual recording data as the frames of visual recording data are acquired or as the frames of visual recording data are being processed for another purpose;

the set of visual recording data is initially in an analog form;

the apparatus is adapted to communicate a categorization of a current segment to a digitization process;

the current segment categorization comprises the duration of a current blank segment; and

the digitization, process can be terminated if the duration of the current blank segment exceeds a specified duration.

44. Apparatus for identifying a blank segment in a set of visual recording data, comprising:

a blank frame detector, the blank frame detector adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a snow-static frame;

a blank segment detector, the blank segment detector adapted to receive input from the blank frame detector regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content; and

wherein;

the blank frame detector is further adapted to evaluate, when a frame is determined to be a snow-static frame, the temporal correlation coefficient over a specified window of frames of visual recording data that includes the snow static frame to either confirm or reject the determination that the frame is a snow-static frame.

45. Apparatus as in claim 44, wherein the evaluation of the temporal correlation coefficient further comprises:

determining if all of the frames in the window are snow-static frames;

determining if at least one of the frames in the window has a temporal correlation coefficient with greater than a first specified magnitude; and

determining if at least one of the frames in the window has a temporal correlation coefficient with less than a second specified magnitude.

46. Apparatus as in claim 45, wherein:

the first specified magnitude is 0.98; and

the second specified magnitude is 0.02.

47. Apparatus as in claim 44, further comprising;

a plurality of blank frame detectors, each blank frame detector adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame; and

wherein;

the blank segment detector is adapted to receive input from the plurality of blank frame detectors regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

48. Apparatus as in claim 47, wherein:

the plurality of blank frame detectors comprise first and second blank frame detectors;

the first blank frame detector is adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame of a first type; and

the second blank frame detector is adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame of a second type, the second type being different from the first type.

49. Apparatus as in claim 47, wherein at least one of the plurality of blank frame detectors is adapted to detect frames of visual recording data that represent an image that is all or nearly all one color.

50. Apparatus as in claim 49, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that is all or nearly all one color.

51. Apparatus as in claim 50, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to determine if there are a specified number of frames in a sequence of frames that have been determined to be blank frames of the same color, wherein it there are a specified number of frames in the sequence of frames that have been determined to be blank frames of the same color, then the segment is a blank segment.

52. Apparatus as in claim 51, wherein the specified number of frames is 95% of the frames in the sequence of frames after the first 6 frames in the sequence of frames.

53. Apparatus as in claim 51, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to determine if the blank frames of the same color in the sequence of frames differ in color by no more than a specified amount, wherein if there are a specified number of frames in the sequence of frames that have been determined to be blank frames of the same color and the blank frames of the same color in the sequence of frames differ in color by no more than a specified amount, then the segment is a blank segment.

54. Apparatus as in claim 53, wherein the specified amount is a variance of the average color of the frames of the same color of less than 10.

55. Apparatus as in claim 44, further comprising:

a plurality of blank frame detectors, each blank frame detector adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame, at least one of the plurality of blank frame detectors adapted to determine, if a frame is determined to be a blank frame, whether the blank frame is of a first type or of a second type that is different from the first type; and

wherein;

the blank segment detector is adapted to receive input from the plurality of blank frame detectors regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

56. Apparatus as in claim 44, further comprising a plurality of blank segment detectors, each blank segment detector adapted to receive input from a blank frame detector regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

57. Apparatus as in claim 56, wherein:

the plurality of blank segment detectors comprise first and second blank segment detectors;

the first blank segment detector is adapted to detect blank segments including blank frames of a first type; and

the second blank segment detector is adapted to detect blank segments including blank frames of a second type, the second type being different from the first type.

58. Apparatus as in claim 44, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that includes one or more blank frames of a first type and one or more blank frames of a second type that is different from the first type.

59. Apparatus as in claim 58, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to detect a first type of blank segment including blank frames of a first type, or a second type or blank segment including blank frames of a second type that is different from the first type of blank frames.

60. Apparatus as in claim 44, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to evaluate a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that is all or nearly all snow-static.

61. Apparatus as in claim 60, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to determine if there are a specified number of frames in a sequence of frames that have been determined to be snow-static frames, wherein if there are a specified number of frames in the sequence of frames that have been determined to be snow-static frames, then the segment is a blank segment.

62. Apparatus as in claim 61, wherein the specified number of frames is 95% of the frames in the sequence of frames after the first 6 frames in the sequence of frames.

63. Apparatus as in claim 61, wherein:

the blank frame detector is adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a black frame; and

the blank segment detector is adapted to;

determine if a specified number of frames in the sequence of frames have been identified either as black screen frames or snow-static frames;

determine if the black screen frames in the sequence of frames differ in color by no more than a specified amount, wherein;

if there are a specified number of frames in a sequence of frames that have been determined to be snow-static frames, a specified number of frames in the sequence of frames have been identified either as black screen frames or snow-static frames, and the black screen frames in the sequence of frames differ in color by no more than a specified amount, then the segment is a blank segment.

64. Apparatus as in claim 63, wherein:

the specified number of snow-static frames in the sequence of frames is 5;

the specified number of frames is 95% of the frames in the sequence of frames after the first 6 frames of the sequence of frames; and

the specified amount is a variance of the average color of the black frames of less than 10.

65. Apparatus as in claim 44, wherein the blank frame and blank segment determinations are made for successive frames of visual recording data as the frames of visual recording data are acquired or as the frames of visual recording data are being processed for another purpose.

66. Apparatus as in claim 65, adapted to communicate a categorization of a current segment to another process operating on the set of visual recording data.

67. Apparatus as in claim 66, wherein the set of visual recording data is initially in an analog form and the other process is a digitization process.

68. Apparatus as in claim 67, wherein:

the current segment categorization comprises the duration of a current blank segment; and

the digitization process can he terminated if the duration of the current blank segment exceeds a specified duration.

69. Apparatus as in claim 67, further comprising a second blank frame detector adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame is a blank frame of a first type or a blank frame of a second type that is different from the first type.

70. Apparatus as in claim 67, wherein the blank segment detector is adapted to receive input from the plurality of blank frame detectors regarding a plurality of frames of visual recording data and to evaluate a characteristic of that plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether that plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content and to determine, if the plurality of frames of visual recording data is determined to be a blank segment, whether the blank segment includes one or more blank frames of a first type and one or more blank frames of a second type that is different from the first type.

71. Apparatus as in claim 66, wherein the communication of a current segment categorization further comprises:

identifying the beginning of a first content segment in the set of visual recording data; and

communicating the identification of the beginning of the first content segment to the other process operating on the set of visual recording data.

72. Apparatus as in claim 71, wherein:

the other process is a process for recording the set of visual recording data onto a data storage medium; and

visual recording data is not recorded onto the data storage medium until the identification of the beginning of the first content segment is communicated to the recording process.

73. Apparatus as in claim 44, adapted to use the detection of one or more blank segments to identify one or more segment boundaries in the set of visual recording data, each segment boundary delineating a transition front a segment of one type to a segment of another type.

74. Apparatus as in claim 73, adapted to:

identify a segment boundary at the beginning of a blank segment; and

mark the identified segment boundary to cause the blank segment following the identified segment boundary to be excluded from subsequent interaction with the set of visual recording data.

75. Apparatus as in claim 74, wherein the set of visual recording data is used to generate a display of the corresponding recorded visual content, a display of the recorded visual content corresponding to the marked segment not being generated.

76. Apparatus as in claim 74, wherein the set of visual recording data is processed in a specified manner, the visual recording data in the marked segment not being processed.

77. Apparatus as in claim 73, adapted to:

identify a segment boundary at the beginning of a blank segment; and

delete the visual recording data in the blank segment from the set of visual recording data.

78. Apparatus as in claim 73, adapted to:

determine the duration of a blank segment; and

identify the end of recorded visual content in the set of visual recording data as the beginning of a blank segment having greater than a specified duration.

79. A method for identifying a blank segment in a set of visual recording data, using a computational device to perform the steps of:

evaluating a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a snow-static frame; and

receiving input regarding blank frame determinations for a plurality of frames of visual recording data and evaluating a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content; and

evaluating, when a frame is determined to be a snow-static frame, the temporal correlation coefficient over a specified window of frames of visual recording data that includes the snow-static frame to either confirm or reject the determination that the frame is a snow-static frame.

80. A computer readable medium or media encoded with one or more computer programs for identifying a blank segment in a set of visual recording data, comprising:

instructions for evaluating a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a snow-static frame;

instructions for receiving input regarding blank frame determinations for a plurality of frames of visual recording data and evaluating a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content; and

instructions for evaluating, when a frame is determined to be a snow-static frame, the temporal correlation coefficient over a specified window of frames of visual recording data that includes the snow-static frame to either confirm or reflect the determination that the frame is a snow-static frame.

81. A method for identifying a blank segment in a set of visual recording data, using a computational device to perform the steps of:

evaluating a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a snow-static frame, the step of evaluating a frame of visual recording data further comprising the steps of;

determining if a specified maximum variation from pure gray at each pixel is less than a specified magnitude;

determining if the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components; and

determining if the vertical and horizontal correlation coefficients are within corresponding specified ranges and/or have a specified relationship with one another, wherein;

if the specified maximum variation from pure gray at each pixel is less than a specified magnitude, the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components, and the vertical and horizontal correlation coefficients are within corresponding specified ranges and/or have a specified relationship with one another, then the frame is a snow-static frame; and

receiving input regarding blank frame determinations for a plurality of frames of visual recording data and evaluating a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

82. A computer readable medium or media encoded with one or more computer programs for identifying a blank segment in a set of visual recording data, comprising:

instructions for evaluating a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a snow-static frame, the instructions for evaluating a frame of visual recording data further comprising;

instructions for determining if a specified maximum variation from pure gray at each pixel is less than a specified magnitude;

instructions for determining if the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components; and

instructions for determining if the vertical and horizontal correlation coefficients are within corresponding specified ranges and/or have a specified relationship with one another, wherein;

if the specified maximum variation from pure gray at each pixel is less than a specified magnitude, the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components, and the vertical and horizontal correlation coefficients are within corresponding specified ranges and/or have a specified relationship with one another, then the frame is a snow-static frame; and

instructions for receiving input regarding blank frame determinations for a plurality of frames of visual recording data and evaluating a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

83. A method for identifying a blank segment in a set of visual recording data, using a computational device to perform the steps of:

evaluating a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame representing an image that is all or nearly all one color, the step of evaluating a frame of visual recording data further comprising the steps of;

determining if, for each color component, the numerical value of a specified number of the pixels of the frame is within a specified magnitude of the average numerical value of that color component for all of the pixels of the frame; and

determining if the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components, wherein;

if, for each color component, the numerical value of the specified number of the pixels of the frame is within the specified magnitude of the average numerical value of that color component for all of the pixels of the frame, and if the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components, then the frame is a blank frame;

the numerical value of each color component or each pixel can vary between 0 and 255 inclusive;

the specified number of pixels is greater than or equal to 80% of the pixels; and

the specified magnitude is 8; and

receiving input regarding blank frame determinations for a plurality of frames of visual recording data and evaluating a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.

84. A computer readable medium or media encoded with one or more computer programs for identifying a blank segment in a set of visual recording data, comprising:

instructions for evaluating a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame representing an image that is all or nearly all one color, the instructions for evaluating a frame of visual recording data further comprising;

instructions for determining if, for each color component, the numerical value of a specified number of the pixels of the frame is within a specified magnitude of the average numerical value of that color component. for all of the pixels of the frame; and

instructions for determining if the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components, wherein;

if, for each color component, the numerical value of the specified number of the pixel of the frame is within the specified magnitude of the average numerical value of that color component for all of the pixels of the frame, and if the average numerical value of each color component for all of the pixels of the frame is within a specified range and/or has a specified relationship with the average numerical value of one or more other color components, then the frame is a blank frame;

the numerical value of each color component of each pixel can vary between 0 and 255 inclusive;

the specified number of pixels is greater than or equal to 80% of the pixels; and

the specified magnitude is 8; and

instructions for receiving input regarding blank frame determinations for a plurality of frames of visual recording data and evaluating a characteristic of the plurality of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the plurality of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content.