Method and system for still image capture from video footage

• US 9,681,087 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaplan, Jonathan, Ben-Yaakov, David, Korman, Jonathan Benjamin, Kim, Philip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, AMY R
• Application Number:
  US14/801,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00469 with enlargement of a selected area of the displayed information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A method of providing one or more snapshots extracted from video footage includes displaying a first image in a first display area. The first image is associated with a first capture time. The method also includes displaying a first plurality of preview images in a second display area. The first plurality of preview images are associated with times prior to the first capture time. The method further includes displaying a second plurality of preview images in a third display area. The second plurality of preview images are associated with times subsequent to the first capture time. Moreover, the method includes selecting at least one of the first image, one of the first plurality of preview images, or one of the second plurality of preview images and saving the selected image to a memory.

Claims

1. A system for capturing still images from video footage, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, including instructions that, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform data processing activities comprising;

displaying, in a first display area, a first image captured at a first time;

displaying, in a second display area, a first plurality of preview images captured at times prior to the first time;

displaying, in a third display area, a second plurality of preview images captured at times subsequent to the first time, wherein the first image in the first display area is positioned between the first plurality of preview images in the second display area and the second plurality of preview images in the third display area;

detecting that a cursor has been positioned over a hover image, of the first or second pluralities of preview images;

highlighting the hover image;

displaying an enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area; and

highlighting the enlarged version of the hover image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

highlighting the hover image comprises adding a black border around an area associated with the hover image; and

highlighting the enlarged version of the hover image comprises adding a black border around an area associated with the enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area.

3. The system of claim 2;

wherein the data processing activities further comprise;

detecting that the hover image has been selected with the cursor;

removing the black border from the area associated with the hover image;

removing the black border from the area associated with the enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area;

displaying, in the second display area, a third plurality of preview images captured at times prior to a capture time of the hover image; and

displaying, in the third display area, a fourth plurality of preview images captured at times subsequent to the capture time of the hover image.

4. The system of claim 3;

wherein displaying;

in the second display area, the third plurality of preview images captured at times prior to the capture time of the hover image comprises;

displaying a first preview image, of the third plurality of preview images, captured at a second time; and

thereafter, displaying a second preview image, of the third plurality of preview images, captured at third time prior to the second time.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the video footage is characterized by a frame rate; and

the second time equals the first time minus an inverse of the frame rate.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein displaying, in the third display area, the fourth plurality of preview images captured at times subsequent to the capture time of the hover image comprises:

displaying a third preview image;

of the fourth plurality of preview images, captured at a fourth time; and

thereafter, displaying a fourth preview image, of the fourth plurality of preview images, captured at a fifth time subsequent to the fourth time.

7. The system of claim 6;

wherein;

the video footage is characterized by a frame rate; and

the fifth time equals the fourth time plus an inverse of the frame rate.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the data processing activities further comprise, after detecting that the hover image has been selected with the cursor:

detecting that the cursor has been repositioned away from the hover image and positioned over a second hover image, different from the hover image, of the third or fourth pluralities of preview images;

adding a black border around an area associated with the second hover image;

displaying an enlarged version of the second hover image in the first display area; and

adding a black border around an area associated with the enlarged version of the second hover image in the first display area.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the data processing activities further comprise:

detecting that the cursor has been repositioned away from the hover image;

removing the black border from the area associated with the hover image;

removing the black border from the area associated with the enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area; and

displaying the first image in the first display area.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein:

centers of all the preview images, of the first plurality of preview images, lie along a first axis;

centers of all the preview images, of the second plurality of preview images, lie along the second axis; and

a center of the first image disposed in the first display area is positioned away from both the first and second axes.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations for capturing still images from video footage, the operations comprising:

displaying, in a first display area, a first image captured at a first time;

displaying, in a second display area, a first plurality of preview images captured at times prior to the first time;

displaying;

in a third display area, a second plurality of preview images captured at times subsequent to the first time, wherein the first image in the first display area is positioned between the first plurality of preview images in the second display area and the second plurality of preview images in the third display area;

detecting that a cursor has been positioned over a hover image, of the first or second pluralities of preview images;

highlighting the hover image;

displaying an enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area; and

highlighting the enlarged version of the hover image.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein:

highlighting the hover image comprises adding a black border around an area associated with the hover image; and

highlighting the enlarged version of the hover image comprises adding a black border around an area associated with the enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting that the hover image has been selected with the cursor;

removing the black border from the area associated with the hover image;

removing the black border from the area associated with the enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area;

displaying, in the second display area, a third plurality of preview images captured at times prior to a capture time of the hover image; and

displaying, in the third display area, a fourth plurality of preview images captured at times subsequent to the capture time of the hover image.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein displaying, in the second display area, the third plurality of preview images captured at times prior to the capture time of the hover image comprises:

displaying a first preview image;

of the third plurality of preview images, captured at a second time; and

thereafter, displaying a second preview image, of the plurality of preview images, captured at a third time prior to the second time.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein:

the video footage is characterized by a frame rate; and

the second time equals the first time minus an inverse of the frame rate.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein displaying, in the third display area, the fourth plurality of preview images captured at times subsequent to the capture time of the hover image comprises:

displaying a third preview image, of the fourth plurality of preview images, captured at a fourth time; and

thereafter, displaying a fourth preview image, of the fourth plurality of preview images, captured at a fifth time subsequent to the fourth time.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise, after detecting that the hover image has been selected with the cursor:

detecting that the cursor has been repositioned away from the hover image and positioned over a second hover image, different from the hover image, of the third or fourth pluralities of preview images;

adding a black border around an area associated with the second hover image;

displaying an enlarged version of the second hover image in the first display area; and

adding a black border around an area associated with the enlarged version of the second hover image in the first display area.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting that the cursor has been repositioned away from the hover image;

removing the black border from the area associated with the hover image;

removing the black border from the area associated with the enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area; and

displaying the first image in the first display area.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations for capturing still images from video footage;

the operations comprising;

displaying, in a first display area, a first image captured at a first time;

displaying, in a second display area;

a first plurality of preview images captured at times prior to the first time;

displaying, in a third display area, a second plurality of preview images captured at times subsequent to the first time, wherein the first image in the first display area is positioned between the first plurality of preview images in the second display area and the second plurality of preview images in the third display area;

detecting that a cursor has been positioned over a hover image, of the first or second pluralities of preview images;

adding a black border around an area associated with the hover image;

displaying an enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area;

adding a black border around an area associated with the enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area;

detecting that the hover image has been selected with the cursor;

removing the black border from the area associated with the hover image;

removing the black border from the area associated with the enlarged version of the hover image in the first display area;

displaying, in the second display area, a first preview image, of a third plurality of preview images, the first preview image captured at a second time;

thereafter, displaying, in the second display area, a second preview image, of the third plurality of preview images, the second preview image captured at a third time prior to the second time;

displaying, in the third display area, a third preview image, of a fourth plurality of preview images, the third preview image captured at a fourth time subsequent to the capture time of the hover image; and

thereafter, displaying, in the third display area, a fourth preview image, of the fourth plurality of preview images, the fourth preview image captured at a fifth time subsequent to the fourth time.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein:

the video footage is characterized by a frame rate;

the second time equals the first time minus an inverse of the frame rate; and

the fifth time equals the fourth time plus an inverse of the frame rate.