Method and system for the authoring and playback of independent, synchronized media through the use of a relative virtual time code
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- enabling authoring of a media set;
enabling selection of a first independent media element, associated with a first entity, as a principal media element;
enabling selection of at least a second independent media element, associated with a second entity, as a supplemental media element;
extracting principal media metadata from the principal media element;
determining properties of the principal media element;
generating a principal media profile representing the principal media metadata and properties; and
extracting and analyzing content of the principal media element, using as inputs, the principal media element, the principal media profile, and at least some results of media compositing;
generating a principal media timeline, which is an outline representation of the extracted and analyzed content of the principal media element, including relationship information between the content; and
enabling presenting of the first and second media elements together as the media set in a synchronous manner using a relative virtual time code, wherein said relative virtual time code includes an intermediary data structure containing a collection of patterns and time-based relationships used to generate an absolute time code for variations of the media elements in the synchronous media set and wherein said absolute time code includes a fixed time code for specific instances of the media elements in the synchronous media set,wherein said authoring of the media set includes;
selecting the first media element as said principal media element;
selecting or creating the second media element as said supplemental media element;
performing media compositing to relate presentation of the principal and supplemental media elements to each other;
generating a portable media project file that contains results of the media compositing;
generating a portable media compositing file from the portable media project file; and
publishing the portable media compositing file, the portable media compositing file being usable to allow presentation of the media set in the synchronous manner.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system is provided for the creation and playback of multiple independently produced and distributed media intended for synchronized playback. One embodiment of the invention overcomes variances in independently produced and distributed media that make accurate synchronization impossible today. The system utilizes both authoring and playback processes. During authoring, a relative virtual time code profile is generated based on the original source media in a defined associated media set. The system employs an extensible framework of multiple synchronization recognizers that analyze the source media to generate a relative virtual time code profile for the associated media set. During playback, the system'"'"'s client can access the relative virtual time code profile to coordinate the synchronized playback of an associated media set. The system generates an absolute time code using the available associated media and the original relative virtual time code profile. The system can overcome significant variances between the available associated media and the original associated media such as missing content, added content, resolution differences, format differences, etc.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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enabling authoring of a media set; enabling selection of a first independent media element, associated with a first entity, as a principal media element; enabling selection of at least a second independent media element, associated with a second entity, as a supplemental media element; extracting principal media metadata from the principal media element; determining properties of the principal media element; generating a principal media profile representing the principal media metadata and properties; and extracting and analyzing content of the principal media element, using as inputs, the principal media element, the principal media profile, and at least some results of media compositing; generating a principal media timeline, which is an outline representation of the extracted and analyzed content of the principal media element, including relationship information between the content; and enabling presenting of the first and second media elements together as the media set in a synchronous manner using a relative virtual time code, wherein said relative virtual time code includes an intermediary data structure containing a collection of patterns and time-based relationships used to generate an absolute time code for variations of the media elements in the synchronous media set and wherein said absolute time code includes a fixed time code for specific instances of the media elements in the synchronous media set, wherein said authoring of the media set includes; selecting the first media element as said principal media element; selecting or creating the second media element as said supplemental media element; performing media compositing to relate presentation of the principal and supplemental media elements to each other; generating a portable media project file that contains results of the media compositing; generating a portable media compositing file from the portable media project file; and publishing the portable media compositing file, the portable media compositing file being usable to allow presentation of the media set in the synchronous manner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system, comprising:
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means for authoring a media set; means for providing a first independent media element, associated with a first entity, as a principal media element; means for providing at least a second independent media element associated with a second entity, as a supplemental media element; means for extracting principal media metadata from the principal media element and for determining properties of the principal media element, and further for generating a principal media profile representing the principal media metadata and properties; means for extracting and analyzing content of the principal media element, using as inputs, the principal media element, the principal media profile, and at least some results of media compositing, and for generating a principal media timeline, which is an outline representation of the extracted and analyzed content of the principal media element, including relationship information between the content; and means for presenting the first and second media elements together as the media set in a synchronous manner using a relative virtual time code, wherein said relative virtual time code includes an intermediary data structure containing a collection of patterns and time-based relationships used to generate an absolute time code for variations of the media elements in the synchronous media set and wherein said absolute time code includes a fixed time code for specific instances of the media elements in the synchronous media set, wherein the means for authoring the media set includes; means for selecting the first media element as said principal media element; means for selecting or creating the second media element as said supplemental media element; means for performing media compositing to relate presentation of the principal and supplemental media elements to each other; means for generating a portable media project file that contains results of the media compositing; means for generating a portable media compositing file from the portable media project file; and means for publishing the portable media compositing file, the portable media compositing file being usable to allow presentation of the media set in the synchronous manner. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. An authoring apparatus, comprising:
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a computing device to provide a plurality of tools, the plurality of tools including; a first tool to select a first independent media element, associated with a first entity, as a principal media element; a second tool to select or create a second independent media element, associated with a second entity, as a supplemental media element; a third tool to perform media compositing to relate presentation of the principal and supplemental media elements to each other; a fourth tool to generate a portable media project file that contains results of the media compositing; a fifth tool to generate a portable media compositing file from the portable media project file; and a sixth tool to publish the portable media compositing file, the portable media compositing file being usable to allow presentation of the media set in a synchronous manner using a relative virtual time code, wherein said relative virtual time code includes an intermediary data structure containing a collection of patterns and time-based relationships used to generate an absolute time code for variations of the media elements in the synchronous media set and wherein said absolute time code includes a fixed time code for specific instances of the media elements in the synchronous media set, wherein the fourth tool includes; a principal media analyzer to extract principal media metadata from the principal media element and to determine properties of the principal media element, and to further generate a principal media profile representing the principal media metadata and properties; and a principal media timeline analyzer operatively coupled to the principal media analyzer to extract and analyze content of the principal media element, using as inputs, the principal media element, the principal media profile, and at least some of the results of the media compositing, the principal media timeline analyzer being adapted to generate the principal media timeline, which is an outline representation of the extracted and analyzed content of the principal media element, including relationship information between the content. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A presentation apparatus, comprising:
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a computing device to provide a plurality of tools, the plurality of tools including; a first tool to select a playback principal media element, the playback principal media element being an independent media element associated with a first entity; a second tool to select at least one supplemental media element, the supplemental media element being an independent media element associated with a second entity; a third tool to obtain a published portable media compositing file; a fourth tool to perform media compositing to relate the selected principal media element and the selected supplemental media element to each other using the portable media compositing file; and a fifth tool to control playback of the media set, having the composited principal media supplemental media elements, in a synchronous manner using a relative virtual time code, wherein said relative virtual time code includes an intermediary data structure containing a collection of patterns and time-based relationships used to generate an absolute time code for variations of the media elements in the synchronous media set and wherein said absolute time code includes a fixed time code for specific instances of the media elements in the synchronous media set; a principal media analyzer to extract the principal media metadata from the playback principal media element and to determine properties of the playback principal media element, and to further generate a playback principal media profile representing the playback principal media metadata and properties; and a principal media timeline analyzer to extract and analyze content of the playback principal media element, using as inputs, the playback principal media profile, the playback principal media element and original principal media metadata that is contained in the portable media compositing file and that corresponds to an original principal media element involved in an authoring process, the principal media timeline analyzer being adapted to generate a playback principal media timeline, which is an outline representation of the extracted and analyzed content of the playback principal media element, including relationship information. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification