Methods and apparatus for indexing and archiving encoded audio/video data

• US 9,502,075 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Reeder, Melanie R., Yogeshwar, Jay, Martucci, Stephen A., Gupta, Bobby R., Venzie, Frederick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/157,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 386/241, 386/326, 386/328, 386/353, 386/354, 386/355, 386/356, 386/329, 386/232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/71 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

Archival storage and retrieval of audio/video information is described. Audio and/or video information is digitized, compressed and stored in an intermediate archive format (IAF), which preserves the content at a high-enough quality for subsequent retrieval and conversion into various formats required at the time of use or distribution. A single capture operation is performed with ancillary metadata being added to facilitate subsequent searching, indexing and format conversion. Captured data content is catalogued and indexed at or subsequent to the creation of an IAF file that includes the archived information. The IAF includes a family of audio-video digital encoding formats based on public standards. The encoding format used in any particular application is determined at encoding time from information provided by the archive system user. At encoding, the particular encoding scheme is selected to optimize a tradeoff between storage constraints and end use quality requirements.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving stored encoded image data from a data storage device, wherein the data storage device contains a previously generated set of indexing information of the stored encoded image data;

decoding the stored encoded image data to generate decoded image data;

analyzing content of the decoded image data to generate a first set of indexing information;

storing the first set of indexing information with the stored encoded image data and the previously generated set of indexing information on the data storage device;

receiving image data information associated with the stored encoded image data, wherein the received image data information, the stored encoded image data, and a previously generated set of indexing information are stored in a first file on the data storage device; and

storing a second file that includes a second stored encoded image data, the second set of generated indexing information and a second received image data information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving and decoding the stored encoded image data for a second time to generate second decoded image data;

analyzing content of the second decoded image data to generate a second set of indexing information; and

storing the second set of indexing information with the stored encoded image data, the first set of indexing information and the previously generated set of indexing information on the data storage device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a file directory that includes:

a copy of the previously generated set of indexing information included in the first file, and

a copy of the second set of generated indexing information included in the second file.

4. An apparatus comprising:

an analysis and indexing module configured to;

retrieve an archived file content that includes encoded image data and a first set of indexing information,

decode the encoded image data to generate decoded image data,

analyze content of the decoded image data to generate a second set of indexing information,

retrieve and decode the stored encoded image data for a second time to generate second decoded image data, and

analyze content of the second decoded image data to generate a second set of indexing information; and

a wrapper module configured to output an archive entry that includes the encoded image data embedded with the first and second set of indexing information.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the data storage device is further configured to store the second set of indexing information with the stored encoded image data, the first set of indexing information and the previously generated set of indexing information.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the analysis and indexing module is further configured to receive image data information associated with the stored encoded image data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data storage device is further configured to store the received image data information, the stored encoded image data, and the previously generated set of indexing information in a first file.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the data storage device is further configured to store a second file that includes second encoded image data, a second set of generated indexing information, and second received image data information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data storage device is further configured to store a file directory that includes:

a copy of the previously generated set of indexing information included in the first file, and

a copy of the second set of generated indexing information included in the second file.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a processor to perform operations, comprising:

retrieving an archived file content that includes stored encoded image data and a first set of indexing information from a data storage device;

decoding the stored encoded image data to generate decoded image data;

analyzing content of the decoded image data to generate a second set of indexing information;

outputting an archive entry that includes the encoded image data embedded with the first and second set of indexing information;

retrieving and decoding the stored encoded image data for a second time to generate second decoded image data;

analyzing content of the second decoded image data to generate a second set of indexing information; and

storing the second set of indexing information with the stored encoded image data, the first set of indexing information and the previously generated set of indexing information on the data storage device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 that includes executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a processor to perform further operations, comprising receiving image data information associated with the stored encoded image data.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the received image data information, the stored encoded image data, and the previously generated set of indexing information are stored in a first file on the data storage device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 that includes executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a processor to perform further operations, comprising storing a second file that includes second stored encoded image data, a second set of generated indexing information and second received image data information.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 that includes executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a processor to perform further operations, comprising storing a file directory that includes a copy of the previously generated set of indexing information included in the first file.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the file directory further includes a copy of the second set of generated indexing information included in the second file.