Method and system for providing remote digital media ingest with centralized editorial control

• US 8,972,862 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MCI Worldcom Ltd (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon UK Limited (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Haot, Maxime G. G., Moore, Richard G., Rachamadugu, Sreenivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackwell, James H
• Application Number:
  US11/517,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20070113184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,099 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-202, 715/255, 715/716, 715/723, 709217-219, 709/231, 709/247, 375/240, 386278-290
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel

Abstract

An approach provides for remote digital media ingest with centralized editorial. A remote ingest process is initiated over a data network to create a media file from a feed (such as a live broadcast feed). The media file is stored at a central repository. A device is configured to edit the media file by using a proxy file of the media file, wherein the proxy file represents a reduced file size of the media file.

Claims

1. A method for editing of digital media, the method comprising:

obtaining data from a live broadcast feed, over a data network, and creating a media file at an apparatus;

forwarding and storing the media file at a central repository;

generating a first index file while the media file is being recorded and encoded at the apparatus and while the media file is being edited by a first device, the first index file being updated at regular intervals including editing of the media file by the first device during encoding of the media file; and

communicating with a second device to support editing of at least one of the media file and a proxy file of the media file using the first index file concurrently with the obtaining of the live broadcast feed, wherein the proxy file represents a reduced file size of the media file,

wherein the media file represents video information, the proxy file represents a lower resolution version of the video information, one or more video frames for use in the editing are created at the second device using the first index file during encoding of the media file, the video information is encoded according to a Group of Pictures (GOP) format, and one or more video frames for use in the editing are created at the second device by decoding the video information using the first index file, during encoding of the media file.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending a command to an editing application on the first or second device to edit the proxy file, wherein the first or second device records edits locally in response to the command.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

upon finishing recording and encoding the media file, determining the first index file as a second index file, the second index file containing accumulated editing of the media file by devices during an encoding period of the media file; and

attaching the second index file to the media file.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

deleting the first index file from the apparatus after attaching the second index file to the media file.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of the regular intervals is shorter than one second, and the first index file is obtained by the second device from the live broadcast feed as a file separated from the media file.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the editing of the media file by the first device during encoding of the media file includes adding commentary of the media file, adding rating of the media file, applying one or more zoom effects on an area of interest of the media file, applying one or more crop effects on an area of interest of the media file, adding one or more voiceovers directly onto a timeline of the media file, generating one or more thumbnails, generating highlights or a rough-cut of the media file by trimming or selecting some portions of the media file, or a combination thereof.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating at the first device a preview of the editing base on the first index file, before placing the editing into the media file.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first index file tracks positions of frames within a given GOP.

9. An apparatus for providing editing of digital media, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to obtain data from a live broadcast feed, over a data network, and to create a media file, and configured to generate a first index file while the media file is being recorded and encoded at the apparatus and while the media file is being edited by a first device, the first index file being updated at regular intervals including editing of the media file by the first device during encoding of the media file;

a first communication interface configured to forward the media file for storage at a central repository; and

a second communication interface configured to communicate with a second device to support editing of at least one of the media file and a proxy file of the media file using the first index file concurrently with the obtaining of the live broadcast feed, wherein the proxy file represents a reduced file size of the media file,

wherein the media file represents video information, the proxy file represents a lower resolution version of the video information, one or more video frames for use in the editing are created at the second device using the first index file during encoding of the media file, the video information is encoded according to a Group of Pictures (GOP) format, and one or more video frames for use in the editing are created at the second device by decoding the video information using the first index file, during encoding of the media file.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second communication interface is further configured to send a command to an editing application on the first or second device to edit the proxy file, wherein the first or second device records edits locally in response to the command.

11. A method for processing digital media, the method comprising:

receiving at a first device at least one of a media file and a proxy file of the media file via a live broadcast feed over a data network from a central repository, wherein the proxy file represents a reduced file size of the media file;

receiving at the first device an index file generated while the media file is being recorded and encoded at a server and is being edited by a second device; and

editing the at least one of the media file and the proxy file at the first device by using the index file concurrently with the receiving of the at least one of the media file and the proxy file from the live broadcast feed, the index file being updated at regular intervals including editing of the media file by the second device during encoding of the media file,

wherein the media file represents video information, the proxy file represents a lower resolution version of the video information, one or more video frames for use in the editing are created at the second device using the first index file during encoding of the media file, the video is encoded according to a Group of Pictures (GOP) format, and one or more video frames for use in the editing are created at the second device by decoding the video information using the first index file, during encoding of the media file.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein a editor server is configured to send a command to an editing application on the first or second device to edit the proxy file, wherein the first or second device records edits locally in response to the command.

13. An apparatus for processing digital media, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a media file and a proxy file of the media file via a live broadcast feed over a data network from a central repository, and to receive an index file generated while the media file is being recorded and encoded at a server and is being edited by a second device, wherein the proxy file represents a reduced file size of the media file; and

a processor configured to edit the at least one of the media file by using the index file concurrently with the receiving of the at least one of the media file and the proxy file from the live broadcast feed, the index file being updated at regular intervals including editing of the media file by the second device during encoding of the media file,

wherein the media file represents video information, the proxy file represents a lower resolution version of the video information, one or more video frames for use in the editing are created at the second device using the first index file during encoding of the media file, the video information is encoded according to a Group of Pictures (GOP) format, and one or more video frames for use in the editing are created at the second device by decoding the video information using the first index file, during encoding of the media file.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a editor server is configured to send a command to an editing application on the apparatus or the other apparatus to edit the proxy file, wherein the apparatus or the other apparatus records edits locally in response to the command.