Streaming video navigation systems and methods
First Claim
1. A multimedia system comprising:
- a first video buffer configured to accept a first video stream comprising a first plurality of differentially compressed image frames and a first plurality of key frames, the first video stream generated from a first sequence of images of an event perceived at a first video camera angle;
a second video buffer configured to accept a second video stream comprising a second plurality of differentially compressed image frames and a second plurality of key frames, the second video stream generated from a second sequence of images of the event perceived at a second video camera angle, wherein the first and the second video streams are perceivably aligned in time;
a multimedia processing circuit configured to receive one of the first or the second video stream from the first or the second video buffer respectively, and transmit the received one of the first or the second video stream through a multimedia transmission link;
a communication interface configured to receive via a communications link at an arbitrary instant in time, a request to switch from the transmitted one of the first or the second video stream to the other one of the first or the second video stream, the arbitrary instant in time occurring after a first key frame has been transmitted out of the multimedia processing circuit and before a next key frame is transmitted out of the multimedia processing circuit; and
a first processor configured to respond to the request by executing steps comprising;
using a backwards seek procedure for identifying in the other one of the first or the second video stream, a second key frame that precedes the arbitrary instant in time;
using the identified second key frame to execute a forward seek procedure for identifying in the other one of the first or the second video stream, a compressed image frame corresponding to the arbitrary instant in time;
configuring the multimedia processing circuit to switch from the transmitted one of the first or the second video stream to the other one of the first or the second video stream; and
configuring the multimedia processing circuit to transmit the other one of the first or the second video stream starting from the compressed image frame corresponding to the arbitrary instant in time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The multimedia systems and methods disclosed herein permit rapid switching from one video stream to another in order to present similar images at different camera angles. The systems and methods further describe a virtual joystick and a moviola system. The virtual joystick allows a viewer to select for viewing in a main portion of a display, a sequence of images at a different camera angle than what was previously rendered on the main portion. The different camera angle is intuitively obvious based on a spatial relationship between two or more thumbnail display windows displayed in the virtual joystick. The moviola system allows rapid backwards navigation of a video stream that has already been received in a video receiver, and also allows slow motion backwards/forwards viewing starting from a paused image.
44 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A multimedia system comprising:
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a first video buffer configured to accept a first video stream comprising a first plurality of differentially compressed image frames and a first plurality of key frames, the first video stream generated from a first sequence of images of an event perceived at a first video camera angle; a second video buffer configured to accept a second video stream comprising a second plurality of differentially compressed image frames and a second plurality of key frames, the second video stream generated from a second sequence of images of the event perceived at a second video camera angle, wherein the first and the second video streams are perceivably aligned in time; a multimedia processing circuit configured to receive one of the first or the second video stream from the first or the second video buffer respectively, and transmit the received one of the first or the second video stream through a multimedia transmission link; a communication interface configured to receive via a communications link at an arbitrary instant in time, a request to switch from the transmitted one of the first or the second video stream to the other one of the first or the second video stream, the arbitrary instant in time occurring after a first key frame has been transmitted out of the multimedia processing circuit and before a next key frame is transmitted out of the multimedia processing circuit; and a first processor configured to respond to the request by executing steps comprising; using a backwards seek procedure for identifying in the other one of the first or the second video stream, a second key frame that precedes the arbitrary instant in time; using the identified second key frame to execute a forward seek procedure for identifying in the other one of the first or the second video stream, a compressed image frame corresponding to the arbitrary instant in time; configuring the multimedia processing circuit to switch from the transmitted one of the first or the second video stream to the other one of the first or the second video stream; and configuring the multimedia processing circuit to transmit the other one of the first or the second video stream starting from the compressed image frame corresponding to the arbitrary instant in time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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storing in a first buffer, a first video stream comprising a first plurality of differentially compressed image frames and a first plurality of key frames, the first video stream generated from a first sequence of images of an event perceived at a first video camera angle; storing in a second buffer, a second video stream comprising a second plurality of differentially compressed image frames and a second plurality of key frames, the second video stream generated from a second sequence of images of the event perceived at a second video camera angle, wherein the first and the second video streams are perceivably aligned in time; receiving at an arbitrary instant in time after transmission of a first key frame and during transmission of one of the compressed image frames in the first plurality of differentially compressed image frames, a request to transmit the second video stream in place of the first video stream; using a backwards seek procedure to identify in the buffered second video stream, a second key frame that precedes the arbitrary instant in time; using the identified second key frame to execute a forward seek for identifying in the buffered second video stream, a compressed image frame corresponding to the arbitrary instant in time; and transmitting the second video stream starting from the compressed image frame corresponding to the arbitrary instant in time. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon, instructions that when executed by a processor implement a method comprising the steps of:
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storing in a first buffer, a first video stream comprising a first plurality of differentially compressed image frames and a first plurality of key frames, the first video stream generated from a first sequence of images of an event perceived at a first video camera angle; storing in a second buffer, a second video stream comprising a second plurality of differentially compressed image frames and a second plurality of key frames, the second video stream generated from a second sequence of images of the event perceived at a second video camera angle, wherein the first and the second video streams are perceivably aligned in time; detecting the receiving of a message at an arbitrary instant in time after transmission of a first key frame and during transmission of one of the compressed image frames in the first plurality of differentially compressed image frames, the message comprising a request to transmit the second video stream starting from the arbitrary instant in time; using a backwards seek procedure to identify in the buffered second video stream, a second key frame preceding the arbitrary instant in time; using the identified second key frame to execute a forward seek procedure to identify in the buffered second video stream, a compressed image frame that corresponds to the arbitrary instant in time; and transmitting the second video stream starting from the compressed image frame that corresponds to the arbitrary instant in time. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method comprising:
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storing in a first video buffer of a multimedia transmitter, a first video stream comprising a first plurality of differentially compressed image frames and a first plurality of key frames, the first video stream generated from a first sequence of images of an event perceived at a first video camera angle; storing in a second video buffer of the multimedia transmitter, a second video stream comprising a second plurality of differentially compressed image frames and a second plurality of key frames, the second video stream generated from a second sequence of images of the event perceived at a second video camera angle, wherein the first and the second video streams are perceivably aligned in time; receiving in the multimedia transmitter, at an arbitrary instant in time after transmission of a first key frame and during transmission of one of the compressed image frames in the first plurality of differentially compressed image frames, a first request to replace a previously transmitted image perceived at the first video camera angle, with a corresponding image perceived at the second video camera angle, wherein the previously transmitted image has been placed in a paused state in a receiver communicatively coupled to the multimedia transmitter; using a backwards seek procedure to identify in the buffered second video stream, a second key frame that corresponds to the transmitted first key frame; using the identified second key frame to execute a forward seek procedure for identifying in the buffered second video stream, the corresponding image perceived at the second video camera angle; and transmitting to the receiver, an image frame containing the corresponding image perceived at the second video camera angle. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification