Video reception device and image recognition method for received video

• US 9,148,610 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yabu, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US13/958,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20140293130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 348/725, 348/552, 348/553, 386/241, 382/182, 382/276, 382/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]

Abstract

A video reception device connected to an image recognition device for performing image recognition includes: a video input unit that receives a video including content items switches of which occur as time elapses; a video extraction unit that extracts from the video a partial video which is a portion of the video; a content switchover detection unit that detects whether or not the partial video includes content switchover indicating switchover of the content items; and a control unit that performs, when the content switchover detection unit detects that the partial video includes no content switchover, a control to output the partial video to the image recognition device to obtain a result of the image recognition for the partial video from the image recognition device.

Claims

1. A video reception device connected to an image recognition device for performing image recognition, the video reception device comprising:

a video input unit configured to receive a video including content items switches of which occur as time elapses;

a video extraction unit configured to extract from the video a partial video which is a portion of the video, the partial video having a predetermined time length;

a content switchover detection unit configured to detect whether or not the partial video includes content switchover indicating switchover of the content items; and

a control unit configured to perform, when the content switchover detection unit detects that the partial video includes no content switchover, a control to output the partial video to the image recognition device to obtain a result of the image recognition for the partial video from the image recognition device,

wherein the video extraction unit is configured to repeatedly extract a new partial video from the video,

the content switchover detection unit is configured to perform the detection every time the video extraction unit extracts the partial video, and

the control unit is configured to perform the control every time the content switchover detection unit performs the detection, and when the content switchover detection unit detects that the partial video includes the content switchover, the control unit is configured to, without outputting the partial video to the image recognition device, cause the video extraction unit to extract a new partial video.

2. The video reception device according to claim 1, further comprising

an operation signal reception unit configured to receive an operation signal indicating a user operation,

wherein when content items in the partial video have been changed by the operation signal received by the operation signal reception unit, the content switchover detection unit is configured to detect that the partial video includes the content switchover.

3. The video reception device according to claim 1, further comprising

an operation signal reception unit configured to receive an operation signal indicating a user operation,

wherein when a state in which the partial video includes no content item is caused by the operation signal received by the operation signal reception unit, the content switchover detection unit is configured to detect that the partial video includes the content switchover.

4. The video reception device according to claim 1,

the video reception device being connected to a communication device, and further comprising a display screen,

wherein when obtaining a result of the image recognition from the image recognition device, the control unit is configured to obtain, from the communication device, related information which is information related to the result of the image recognition, to display the related information on the display screen.

5. A video reception device connected to an image recognition device for performing image recognition, the video reception device comprising:

a video input unit configured to receive a video including content items switches of which occur as time elapses;

a video extraction unit configured to extract from the video a partial video which is a portion of the video, the partial video having a predetermined time length;

a content switchover detection unit configured to detect whether or not the partial video includes content switchover indicating switchover of the content items; and

a control unit configured to perform, when the content switchover detection unit detects that the partial video includes no content switchover, a control to output the partial video to the image recognition device to obtain a result of the image recognition for the partial video from the image recognition device,

wherein the content switchover detection unit is configured to perform the detection based on at least one of an attribute of content of the partial video and an instruction from a user, and

wherein the content switchover detection unit is configured to detect that the partial video includes the content switchover when there is a change in the attribute of the content of the partial video.

6. The video reception device according to claim 5,

wherein the attribute of the content is represented by program meta-information including details of a program to which the partial video received by the video input unit belongs.

7. The video reception device according to claim 5,

wherein the attribute of the content is represented by signal attribute information which is information on copyright protection for the video received by the video input unit.

8. The video reception device according to claim 5,

wherein the attribute of the content is an attribute of a video signal or an audio signal received by the video input unit.

9. An image recognition method for a video received by a video reception device connected to an image recognition device for performing image recognition, the method comprising:

receiving the video including content items switches of which occur as time elapses;

extracting from the video a partial video which is a portion of the video, the partial video having a predetermined time length;

detecting whether or not the partial video includes content switchover indicating switchover of the content items; and

performing a control to output the partial video to the image recognition device to obtain a result of the image recognition for the partial video from the image recognition device when it is determined in said detecting that the partial video includes no content switchover,

wherein said extracting comprises repeatedly extracting a new partial video from the video,

said detecting is performed every time the partial video is extracted in said extracting, and

said performing takes place every time said detecting is performed, and said performing further comprises performing a control to cause a new partial video to be extracted in said extracting without outputting the partial video to the image recognition device when it is determined in said detecting that the partial video includes the content switchover.