Authoring tool for providing tags associated with items in a video playback

• US 8,656,282 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Fall Front Wireless NY LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kulas, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): England, Sara
• Assistant Examiner(s): BADAWI, ANGIE M
• Application Number:
  US11/669,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,575 Days
• Field of Search: 715/723, 715/748, 345/473
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream

Abstract

An authoring tool for post-production insertion of tags and pointers into a video sequence is disclosed. Such an authoring tool can facilitate tag and pointer coordinate capture and tracking by using position detection (e.g., via a touchscreen) coupled to a display system. In one embodiment, a method can include: (i) selecting a video frame loop for viewing on a display device; (ii) receiving a list of tags for positioning within the selected video frame loop; and (iii) positioning a selected tag from the list of tags in one or more frames of the video frame loop. Also, the method can include positioning a pointer corresponding to the selected tag in the one or more frames.

Claims

1. A method executed by an authoring device including a processor coupled to one or more user input devices and to a display device, the method comprising the following acts performed during playback of displayed images of a video clip on the display device, wherein the video clip depicts one or more objects that relate to one or more of gadgets, design, or style, the method comprising:

displaying a list of tags, wherein each tag includes text for display during playback of the video clip;

accepting one or more first signals from at least one of the one or more user input devices to select a selected tag that relates to gadgets, design, or style; and

accepting one or more second signals from at least one of the one or more user input devices to visually place the selected tag onto the displayed images of the video clip at a selected time and position and to associate the selected tag with at least one of the one or more objects depicted in the video clip, so that during later playback of the video clip on a non-authoring viewer device, the selected tag is displayed at the selected time and position in the video clip and in a manner that visually conveys an association between the selected tag and said at least one of the one or more objects depicted in the video clip.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more second signals include at least one signal for positioning a lead line from the selected tag to said at least one of the one or more objects depicted in the video clip.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a first end of the lead line is positioned at least in part by sensing a movement of a first hand of an author.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a second end of the lead line is positioned at least in part by sensing a movement of a second hand of the author.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

tracking positioning of the first and second hands over time during the playback of the video clip.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a tag database comprising a plurality of tag entries, each tag entry including the text for display with the tag during playback of the video clip.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each tag entry in the tag database further includes a priority for the tag relative to other tags in the database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a user input device includes a digitizing tablet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a user input device includes a touchscreen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected tag changes location with respect to the video clip, the method further comprising:

tracking a changing location of the selected tag over time during the playback of the video clip.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

varying a play speed of playback of the video clip.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback of the displayed images of the video clip on the video display device comprises repeatedly playing back the video clip in a repeating loop.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of tags comprises thumbnail images of each tag in the list of tags.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the text for a tag conveys information about one or more objects depicted in the video clip.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the information comprises one or more items of information selected from the group comprising a manufacturer of the one or more objects, a seller of the one or more objects, a model of the one or more objects, and a website having information relating to the one or more objects.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting one or more third signals from the at least one of the one or more user input devices to specify at least one attribute for the selected tag, wherein said at least one attribute is selected from the group consisting of a shape for the selected tag, a color for the selected tag, a size for the selected tag, and an animation attribute for the selected tag.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting one or more additional signals from the at least one of the one or more user input devices to specify a category in which the selected tag should be categorized.

18. An authoring device comprising:

a processor;

a display device coupled to the processor;

one or more user input devices coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to perform the following acts during playback of displayed images of a video clip on the display device, wherein the video clip depicts one or more objects that relate to one or more of gadgets, design, or style;

display a list of tags, wherein each tag includes text for display during playback of the video clip;

accept one or more first signals from at least one of the one or more user input devices to select a selected tag that relates to gadgets, design, or style; and

accept one or more second signals from at least one of the one or more user input devices to visually place the selected tag onto the displayed images of the video clip at a selected time and position and to associate the selected tag with at least one of the one or more objects depicted in the video clip, so that during later playback of the video clip on a non-authoring viewer device, the selected tag is displayed at the selected time and position in the video clip and in a manner that visually conveys an association between the selected tag and said at least one of the one or more objects depicted in the video clip.

19. The authoring device of claim 18, further comprising:

a tag database comprising a plurality of tag entries, each tag entry including the text for display with the tag during playback of the video clip and a priority for the tag relative to other tags in the database.

20. The authoring device of claim 18, wherein the text for a tag conveys information about one or more objects depicted in the video clip, and wherein the information comprises one or more items of information selected from the group comprising a manufacturer of the one or more objects, a model of the one or more objects, and a website having information relating to the one or more objects.

21. The authoring device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to accept one or more third signals from the at least one of the one or more user input devices to specify at least one attribute for the selected tag, wherein said at least one attribute is selected from the group consisting of a shape for the selected tag, a color for the selected tag, a size for the selected tag, and an animation attribute for the selected tag.

22. A non-transitory processor-readable storage device including instructions executable by a processor for performing the following acts during playback of displayed images of a video clip on a display device, wherein the video clip depicts one or more objects that relate to one or more of gadgets, design, or style, the non-transitory processor-readable storage device comprising:

instructions for displaying a list of tags, wherein each tag includes text for display during playback of the video clip;

instructions for accepting one or more first signals from a user input device to select a selected tag that relates to gadgets, design, or style; and

instructions for accepting one or more second signals from one or more user input devices to visually place the selected tag onto the displayed images of the video clip at a selected time and position and to associate the selected tag with at least one of the one or more objects depicted in the video clip so that during later playback of the video clip on a non-authoring viewer device, the selected tag is displayed at the selected time and position in the video clip and in a manner that visually conveys an association between the selected tag and said at least one of the one or more objects depicted in the video clip.