System and method for virtual content placement

• US 7,689,062 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SeamBI Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SeamBI Ltd.
• Inventors: Morgenstern, Guy Salton, Baharav, Roy, Tamir, Miky
• Primary Examiner(s): PERUNGAVOOR, SATHYANARAYA V
• Application Number:
  US11/812,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20080012988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 382/282
• US Class Current: 382/282
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2723 Insertion of virtual advertisement; Replacing advertisements physical present in the scene by virtual advertisement data processing systems or methods specially adapted for marketing G06Q30/02

Abstract

An apparatus and method for embedding artwork into a video in several phases. Initially, a segment suitable for artwork placement is identified and marked within an original video, and a container is implanted therein to determine the appropriate position and video transformations for future artwork objects. Then, an artwork provider experiments with sending artwork for each container and viewing that artwork placed within the video, until the current artwork is approved for placement. Finally, a final version, which includes the selected artwork embedded within the original video, is rendered, adapted for a distributor, and the end product is distributed and viewed conventionally. The container implantation is relatively labor intensive and therefore expensive, but costs are subsequently distributed over many sessions of different artwork placements within the same container. Typical applications are in advertising, art and fun.

Claims

1. A method of operating at least one computer to embed artwork in videos, the method comprising:

a. preparing an original video for placement by;

i. obtaining said original video,

ii. marking a segment of said original video, thereby defining a marked segment, and

iii. implanting a container within said original video in association with said marked segment, said container comprising computer-executable video processing commands for creating video graphic effects, said commands based on video content of said marked segment; and

b. repeating at least once a session of artwork placement by;

i. selecting an artwork piece for said container, and

ii. executing said computer-executable video processing commands of said container on said artwork piece, wherein said execution produces said video graphic effects on said artwork piece, thereby automatically rendering a modified video segment in which said artwork piece is embedded within and animated in accordance with said marked segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said marking a segment is further made at least one more time for marking at least one more segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said implanting a container is further made at least one more time for implanting at least one more container.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said selecting and said executing are made at least one more time within each said session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least once is at least twice.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer-executable video processing commands in said container are to produce at least one video graphic effect selected from the group consisting of:

curviness, texture, video filter, and occlusion.

7. A software product embedded in a computer readable media, for instructing at least one computer to:

a. prepare an original video for placement by;

i. obtaining said original video,

ii. receiving user instructions for marking a segment of said original video, thereby defining a marked segment, and

iii. receiving user instructions for implanting a container within said original video in association with said marked segment, said container comprising computer-executable video processing commands for creating video graphic effects, said commands based on video content of said marked segment; and

b. repeat at least once a session of artwork placement by;

i. receiving an artwork piece for said container; and

ii. executing said computer-executable video processing commands of said container on said artwork piece, wherein said execution produces said video graphic effects on said artwork piece, thereby automatically rendering a modified video segment in which said artwork piece is embedded within and animated in accordance with said marked segment.

8. The software product of claim 7, wherein said at least once is at least twice.

9. The software product of claim 7, wherein said computer-executable video processing commands in said container are to produce at least one video graphic effect selected from the group consisting of:

curviness, texture, video filter, and occlusion.

10. A method of operating at least one computer to embed artwork in a marked video segment that forms part of an original video, according to a container that is respective to the marked video segment, the method comprising:

a. obtaining the video segment;

b. obtaining the container, said container comprising computer-executable video processing commands for creating video graphic effects, said commands based on video content of said marked segment; and

c. repeating at least once;

i. receiving an artwork piece adapted for the container, and

ii. executing said computer-executable video processing commands of said container on said artwork piece, wherein said execution produces said video graphic effects on said artwork piece, thereby automatically rendering a modified video segment in which said artwork piece is embedded within and animated in accordance with said marked segment; and

d. producing a modified version of the original video, said producing includes replacing each said marked video segment with said corresponding modified video segment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least once is at least twice.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said modified version of said original video is further compacted, in comparison with said original video, by at least one of the group consisting of:

excluding at least one part of said original video;

representing a video segment by a representative still image;

applying a lower resolution than said original video;

reducing the color space, and applying excessive video compression.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said computer-executable video processing commands in said container are to produce at least one video graphic effect selected from the group consisting of:

curviness, texture, video filter, and occlusion.

14. A service center for embedding content in videos, said service center including at least one computer, said at least one computer comprising:

a. a container implanter unit configured to prepare an original video for placement by;

i. obtaining said original video,

ii. marking a segment of said original video, thereby defining a marked segment, and

iii. implanting a container within said original video in association with said marked segment, said container comprising computer-executable video processing commands for creating video graphic effects, said commands based on video content of said marked segment; and

b. a renderer unit configured to repeat at least once a session of artwork placement by;

i. selecting an artwork piece for said container, and

ii. executing said computer-executable video processing commands of said container on said artwork piece, wherein said execution produces said video graphic effects on said artwork piece, thereby automatically rendering a modified video segment in which said artwork piece is embedded within and animated in accordance with said marked segment.

15. The service center of claim 14, wherein said at least once is at least twice.

16. The service center of claim 14, wherein said computer-executable video processing commands in said container are to produce at least one video graphic effect selected from the group consisting of:

curviness, texture, video filter, and occlusion.

17. A method of operating at least one computer to place content in videos, the method comprising:

a. obtaining an original video;

b. marking at least one segment of said original video, thereby defining at least one marked segment;

c. implanting at least one container within said original video in association with at least one said marked segment, said container comprising computer-executable video processing commands for creating video graphic effects, said commands based on video content of said marked segment; and

d. for each unique edition of at least two different editions, repeating at least once;

i. receiving from an artwork provider, for each said container;

a respective artwork piece,

ii. executing said computer-executable video processing commands of each said container on each said respective artwork piece, wherein said execution produces said video graphic effects on said artwork piece, thereby automatically producing a modified video that shows each said artwork piece embedded within and animated in accordance with said marked segment that is respective to said container that is respective to said artwork piece, and

iii. sending said modified video to said artwork provider.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said modified video is further compacted, in comparison with said original video, by at least one of the group consisting of:

excluding at least one part of said original video;

representing a video segment by a representative still image;

applying a lower resolution than said original video;

reducing the color space; and

applying excessive video compression.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising, for at least one said edition:

creating a final version by placing each said respective artwork piece within each said container, within said original video.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

adapting said final version for a selected distributor thereby providing an end product, and sending said end product to said selected distributor.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said computer-executable video processing commands in said container are to produce at least one video graphic effect selected from the group consisting of:

curviness, texture, video filter, and occlusion.