Apparatus and method for authoring

• US 7,849,406 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Yuji, Takahashi, Katsunao, Emura, Koichi, Fujikawa, Wataru
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax; Steven P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belousov; Andrey
• Application Number:
  US10/491,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20040263529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,770 Days
• Field of Search: 725/47, 715/731, 715/721, 715/723, 715/24, 386/52, 386/55
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2575 DVD-RAMs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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

The present invention is designed to display a matrix plane on which a time axis and an axis of applicable levels corresponding to a predetermined keyword cross each other, arrange and display identifiers indicating scenes obtained by dividing a moving image file into predetermined segments on the matrix plane and decide, when the positions of the identifiers arranged on the matrix plane are moved to desired positions, the applicable levels corresponding to the positions of the identifiers arranged on the matrix plane as the applicable levels of the scene corresponding to the identifiers. This makes it possible to improve the operability of assignment of keywords and applicable levels to a picture scene and visually check the situation of assignment of the keywords and applicable levels.

Claims

1. An authoring apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores at least one moving image file;

a display that arranges and displays time information and representative images as identifiers, respectively, indicating a plurality of scenes obtained by dividing a moving image file into predetermined segments, for each of predetermined keywords corresponding respectively to the plurality of scenes,

the time information and respective images being arranged and displayed on a matrix plane, on which a time axis and an axis showing applicable levels of importance of the plurality of scenes with respect to a predetermined keyword are provided orthogonal to each other, the matrix plane having a plurality of predefined sections, each section corresponding to one of the applicable levels of importance, and said representative images being displayed in a state where each representative image is arranged and displayed in one of the predefined sections corresponding to the applicable levels of importance;

a moving image reproducer that reproduces the moving image file;

a keyword display that displays a list of a plurality of keywords;

a keyword selector that selects a predetermined keyword from among the plurality of keywords;

a keyword starter that is set per keyword and starts assigning the predetermined keyword to the moving image file;

a keyword stopper that is set per keyword and stops assigning the predetermined keyword to the moving image file;

a keyword assignor that converts, when there is an input from the keyword starter and the keyword stopper during reproduction of the moving image file, a moving image file corresponding to a segment between the input from the keyword starter and the input from the keyword stopper, to a scene and assigns the predetermined keyword to the scene;

a graphical user interface (GUI) processor that determines, when an assigned applicable level of a scene is changed by dragging and moving a representative image from a first predefined section to a second predefined section on the matrix plane, the changed applicable level indicating importance and time information of the scene in the second predefined section to which said representative image is moved with respect to said predetermined keyword; and

a metadata editor that generates metadata of the scene corresponding to the moved representative image, the metadata comprising said changed applicable level showing importance and said time information of the scene with respect to said predetermined keyword determined by said graphical user interface processor,

wherein the metadata comprises the plurality of scenes, the plurality of scenes each being assigned time information, keywords to specify the scenes, applicable levels of importance, and said representative images or links of the scenes, and wherein the keyword display displays keywords with different colors or shadings per keyword and displays the identifiers on the matrix plane using a display form of a color or a shading used for the keyword corresponding to the identifier.

2. The authoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said applicable level is assigned to said identifier, said GUI processor arranges and displays said identifier at a position on said matrix plane corresponding to said applicable level.

3. The authoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation section that inputs said keyword, wherein said display displays said identifier on a matrix plane on which the time axis and the axis of the applicable level corresponding to said keyword input from said operation section are orthogonal to each other and said GUI processor determines the applicable level corresponding to said keyword input for said identifier.

4. The authoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said GUI processor displays information showing the length of said scene near said identifier corresponding to said scene.

5. The authoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said GUI processor displays a total time of a digest picture obtained by combining said scenes having levels equal to or higher than said applicable level corresponding to said predetermined keyword, on said matrix plane.

6. The authoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said GUI processor edits said time information by dragging and moving one of the plurality of representative images, by a user, arranged on said matrix plane such that the one of the plurality of representative images overlaps another representative image, and combines a scene corresponding to the one of the plurality of representative images and a scene corresponding to the another representative image to generate a new scene.

7. The authoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when instructed to reproduce said scene corresponding to said identifier arranged on said matrix plane and to divide said scene at predetermined positions, said GUI processor divides said scene at said predetermined positions and generates a plurality of new scenes.

8. The authoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when said GUI processor determines said applicable level corresponding to said predetermined keyword for said scene divided into predetermined units corresponding to said predetermined keyword and then determines an applicable level corresponding to another keyword for the scene, each scene takes over segmentation of the scene corresponding to said predetermined keyword.

9. The authoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said metadata is created based on a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) 7 standard.

14. The authoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein changing the importance with respect to the keyword is executed by moving the position of the representative image on the matrix plane by drag and drop operations.

15. An authoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a visual indicator associated with each representative image that provides a visual indication of time information associated with said each representative image.

10. An authoring apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores at least one moving image file;

a matrix display that arranges and displays time information and identifiers, respectively, indicating a plurality of scenes obtained by dividing a moving image file into predetermined segments, for each of predetermined keywords corresponding respectively to the plurality of scenes,

the time information and identifiers being arranged and displayed on a matrix plane, on which a time axis and an axis showing applicable levels of importance of plurality of scenes with respect to a predetermined keyword are provided orthogonal to each other, the matrix plane having a plurality of defined sections, each section corresponding to one of the applicable levels of importance, and the identifiers being displayed in a state where each identifier is arranged and displayed in one of the predefined sections corresponding to the applicable levels of importance;

a moving image reproducer that reproduces the moving image file;

a keyword display that displays a list of a plurality of keywords;

a keyword selector that selects a predetermined keyword from among the plurality of keywords;

a keyword starter that is set per keyword and starts assigning the predetermined keyword to the moving image file;

a keyword stopper that is set per keyword and stops assigning the predetermined keyword to the moving image file;

a keyword assignor that converts, when there is an input from the keyword starter and the keyword stopper during reproduction of the moving image file, a moving image file corresponding to a segment between the input from the keyword starter and the input from the keyword stopper, to a scene and assigns the predetermined keyword to the scene;

a graphical user interface (GUI) processor that arranges and displays an identifier indicating the scene on the matrix plane and determines, when an assigned applicable level of the scene is changed by dragging and moving an identifier from a first predefined section to a second predefined section on the matrix plane, the changed applicable level showing importance and time information of the scene in the second predefined section to which the identifier is moved with respect to the predetermined keyword; and

a metadata editor that generates metadata of the scene corresponding to the moved identifier, the metadata comprising said changed applicable level showing importance and said time information of the scene with respect to the predetermined keyword determined by said graphical user interface processor,

wherein the metadata comprises a plurality of scenes, the plurality of scenes each being assigned time information, keywords to specify the scenes, applicable levels of importance, and representative images or links of the scenes, and wherein the keyword display displays keywords with different colors or shadings per keyword and displays the identifiers on the matrix plane using a display form of a color or a shading used for the keyword corresponding to the identifier.

11. The authoring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the lengths of said identifiers correspond to a length of the scene.

12. An authoring method, comprising:

storing at least one moving image file;

arranging and displaying time information and representative images as identifiers, respectively, indicating a plurality of scenes obtained by dividing a moving image file into predetermined segments, for each of predetermined keywords corresponding respectively to the plurality of scenes,

reproducing the moving image file;

displaying a list of a plurality of keywords;

selecting a predetermined keyword from among the plurality of keywords;

starting the assigning of the predetermined keyword to the moving image file, the starting being set per keyword;

stopping the assigning of the predetermined keyword to the moving image file, the stopping being set per keyword;

converting, when there is an input from the starting and the stopping during reproduction of the moving image file, a moving image file corresponding to a segment between the input from the starting and the input from the stopping, to a scene and assigning the predetermined keyword to the scene;

the time information and representative images being arranged and displayed on a matrix plane, on which a time axis and an axis showing applicable levels of importance of the plurality of scenes with respect to a predetermined keyword are provided orthogonal to each other, the matrix plane having a plurality of predefined sections, each section corresponding to one of the applicable levels of importance, and said representative images being displayed in a state where each representative image is arranged and displayed in one of the predefined sections corresponding to the applicable levels of importance;

determining, when an assigned applicable level of a scene is changed by dragging and moving a representative image from a first predefined section to a second predefined section on the matrix plane, the changed applicable level indicating importance and time information of the scene in the second predefined section to which said representative image is moved with respect of the scene with respect to the predetermined keyword; and

generating metadata of the scene corresponding to the moved representative image, the metadata comprising said changed applicable level showing importance and said time information of the scene with respect to the predetermined keyword,

wherein the metadata comprises the plurality of scenes, the plurality of scenes each being assigned time information, a keyword to specify the scenes, the applicable levels of importance, and said representative images or links of the scenes, and wherein the displaying displays keywords with different colors or shadings per keyword and displays the identifiers on the matrix plane using a display form of a color or a shading used for the keyword corresponding to the identifier.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-readable program, the computer-readable program comprising:

in a computer, arranging and displaying time information and representative images as identifiers, respectively, indicating a plurality of scenes obtained by dividing a moving image file into predetermined segments, for each of predetermined keywords corresponding respectively to the plurality of scenes, the memory image file stored in a memory;

reproducing the moving image file;

displaying a list of a plurality of keywords;

selecting a predetermined keyword from among the plurality of keywords;

starting the assigning of the predetermined keyword to the moving image file, the starting being set per keyword;

stopping the assigning of the predetermined keyword to the moving image file;

the stopping being set per keyword;

converting, when there is an input from the starting and the stopping during reproduction of the moving image file, a moving image file corresponding to a segment between the input from the starting and the input from the stopping, to a scene and assigning the predetermined keyword to the scene;

the time information and representative images being arranged and displayed on a matrix plane, on which a time axis and an axis showing applicable levels of importance of the scenes with respect to a predetermined keyword are provided orthogonal to each other, the matrix plane having a plurality of predefined sections, each section corresponding to one of the applicable levels of importance, and said representative images being displayed in a state where each representative image is arranged and displayed in one of the predefined sections corresponding to the applicable levels of importance;

determining, when an assigned applicable level of a scene is changed by dragging and moving a representative image from a first predefined section to a second predefined section on the matrix plane, the changed applicable level indicating importance and time information of the scene in the second predefined section to which the representative image is moved, with respect to the predetermined keyword; and

generating metadata of the scene corresponding to the moved identifier, the metadata comprising said changed applicable level showing importance and said time information of the scene with respect to predetermined keyword, wherein the metadata comprises the plurality of scenes, the plurality of scenes each being assigned time information, a keyword to specify the scenes, the applicable levels showing importance and time information of the scenes, and representative images or links of the scenes, and wherein the displaying displays keywords with different colors or shadings per keyword and displays the identifiers on the matrix plane using a display form of a color or a shading used for the keyword corresponding to the identifier.