Systems, methods, and software for merging video viewing cells

• US 9,148,613 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognyte Technologies Israel Ltd. (Cognyte Software Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Verint Systems Limited (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Goldberg, Royee
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor
• Application Number:
  US13/592,972
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1407- 1409, 348/14.11, 348/153, 348/159, 348/211.13, 348/218.1, 348/588, 348/584, 348/598, 715788-790, 715/792, 715/800, 345/629, 345/630, 345/632, 345/633, 345/634
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Methods, systems, and software are provided herein that allow a user to view video and manipulate viewing cells on a multi-view mode. In a first example, a method of merging viewing cells in a video management system is disclosed. The method includes presenting a plurality of viewing cells to a user, where the plurality of viewing cells are capable of displaying video of a plurality of video capture devices. The method also includes receiving an instruction to merge at least two of the plurality of viewing cells into a merged viewing cell, and associating the merged viewing cell with one of the plurality of video capture devices.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having program instructions stored thereon for operating a video management system to merge viewing cells, wherein said video management system comprises a camera interface, a processing system, and a user interface, such that when the computer-readable medium is executed by the video management system, the computer-readable medium directs the video management system to:

present a plurality of viewing cells to a user capable of displaying video from a plurality of video capture devices, wherein each viewing cell represents video from a different video capture device;

present gridlines associated with perimeters of the viewing cells to the user, and allow the user to drag one of the gridlines to merge at least two of the plurality of viewing cells;

receive an instruction to merge the at least two of the plurality of viewing cells into a merged viewing cell; and

associate the merged viewing cell with one of the plurality of video capture devices.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further direct the video management system to display the video associated with the one of the plurality of video capture devices in the merged viewing cell.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further direct the video management system to allow the user to drag the one of the gridlines to merge the at least two of the plurality of viewing cells while the viewing cells are displaying the video.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further direct the video management system to allow the user to drag the one of the gridlines to merge the at least two of the plurality of viewing cells in a configuration mode where the viewing cells are not displaying the video.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the merged viewing cell is associated with a video capture device corresponding to one of the at least two of the plurality of viewing cells.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the video capture device is selected by the user.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further direct the video management system to allow a user to drag another viewing cell into the merged viewing cell to associate the merged viewing cell with a video capture device correlated to the other viewing cell.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further direct the video management system to display a graphical user interface comprising the plurality of viewing cells to present the plurality of viewing cells to the user, and wherein the instruction to merge comprises a user instruction received through the graphical user interface.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further direct the video management system to receive a second instruction to merge a further one of the plurality of viewing cells into the merged viewing cell, and associate the merged viewing cell with a second one of the plurality of video capture devices.

10. A video management system for merging viewing cells, comprising:

a camera interface;

a user interface configured to present a plurality of viewing cells to a user, wherein the plurality of viewing cells are capable of displaying video from a plurality of video capture devices, wherein each viewing cell represents video from a different video capture device;

the user interface configured to present gridlines associated with perimeters of the viewing cells to the user, and to allow the user to drag one of the gridlines to merge at least two of the plurality of viewing cells;

the user interface configured to receive an instruction to merge the at least two of the plurality of viewing cells into a merged viewing cell; and

a processing system configured to associate the merged viewing cell with one of the plurality of video capture devices.

11. The video management system of claim 10, comprising:

the user interface configured to display the video associated with the one of the plurality of video capture devices in the merged viewing cell.

12. The video management system of claim 10, comprising:

the user interface configured to allow the user to drag the one of the gridlines to merge the at least two of the plurality of viewing cells while the viewing cells are displaying the video.

13. The video management system of claim 10, comprising:

the user interface configured to allow the user to drag the one of the gridlines to merge the at least two of the plurality of viewing cells in a configuration mode where the viewing cells are not displaying the video.

14. The video management system of claim 10, wherein the merged viewing cell is associated with a video capture device corresponding to one of the at least two of the plurality of viewing cells.

15. The video management system of claim 14, wherein the video capture device is selected by the user.

16. The video management system of claim 10, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to drag another viewing cell into the merged viewing cell to associate the merged viewing cell with a video capture device correlated to the other viewing cell.

17. The video management system of claim 10, wherein the user interface is configured display a graphical user interface comprising the plurality of viewing cells, and receive a user instruction through the graphical user interface as the instruction to merge.

18. A method of merging viewing cells in a video management system,

wherein said video management system comprises a camera interface, a processing system, and a user interface, the method comprising:

presenting a plurality of viewing cells to a user capable of displaying video from a plurality of video capture devices, wherein each viewing cell represents video from a different video capture device;

presenting gridlines associated with perimeters of the viewing cells to the user, and allowing the user to drag one of the gridlines to merge at least two of the plurality of viewing cells;

receiving an instruction to combine the at least two of the plurality of viewing cells into a merged viewing cell; and

associating the combined viewing cell with one of the plurality of video capture devices.