Video storage and retrieval system and method

• US 8,881,012 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VideoBank
• Original Assignee: LHS Productions, Inc.
• Inventors: Siracusano, Louis H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US12/590,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20110119588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 715/723
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• 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

A video image storage and retrieval system providing computer displays of timelines for video sequences, in which a first timeline shows time divisions for segments for the longer sequences, and the other timelines each provide for locating images within the segments. Timecodes in the other timelines are aligned with those in the first timeline so that searching for images in the other timelines is facilitated.

Claims

1. A video image storage and retrieval system comprising

(a) a video logger for receiving and storing live surveillance video signal streams and having a device for electronic tagging of video images in said streams to locate by timecode video image features of interest according to predetermined criteria,

(b) a timeline display device for receiving video images with electronic tags and displaying for said images a first timeline image representing the total duration of a program and having a plurality of timeline indicia and additional visible indicia dividing said first timeline into uniformly spaced segments, each of a variable and selectable pre-determined duration, and a plurality of further timelines, each being representative of a feature of selected ones of said video images and located by said tags, said further timelines being vertically aligned with said first timeline to display only those tagged images occurring within a selected one of said segments, and

(c) Said tagged images of said further timelines representing a subject selected from the group consisting of telemetry, heat and motion,

(d) a selector device including a cursor for vertical alignment with corresponding times in each of said first timeline and said further timelines to select one of said segments and selectively displaying video images from one of said further timelines in said selected segment at the location of said cursor.

2. The system as in claim 1 in which said further timeline represents chat text recorded with said video images and said timeline display device is adapted to display information including the text of the chat.

3. The system as in claim 1 in which said a timecode display device which is adapted to display the timecode of the images being displayed, and includes equipment for providing a zoom function to expand said timelines in the boundaries of said selected one of said first timeline segments.

4. The system as in claim 1 in which information is displayed for said telemetry timeline including the location coordinates of a site under surveillance.

5. The system as in claim 1 in which information is reproduced for said attributes including a description of said attributes.

6. The system as in claim 1 in which said display device includes means for producing in each further timeline indicia indicating the locations in the line of tagged images.

7. The system as in claim 1 including input encoding equipment for encoding input video signals in both MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 formats, and directing the MPEG 1-encoded signals to said logger and said timeline display devices for use in selecting video segments for further use, and further utilizing the MPEG 2-encoded images corresponding to said MPEG 1-encoded signals to produce relatively higher resolution output signals.

8. The system as in claim 1 including further display means for displaying the timecode and other data regarding said selected images in response to selection by said selector device, and for displaying the number of segments in said program and the number of said selected segment.

9. A system as in claim 8 in which said selector device is adapted to select the time duration of each of said time division segments.