Video and audio information processing

• US 20020122659A1
• Filed: 12/06/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: David, Morgan William Amos, McGrath, Mark John, Thorpe, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/783 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

A camera-recorder apparatus comprises an image capture device operable to capture a plurality of video images; a storage medium by which the video images are stored for later retrieval; a feature extraction unit operable to derive image property data from the image content of at least one of the video images substantially in real time at the capture of the video images, the image property data being associated with respective images or groups of images; and a data path by which the camera-recorder apparatus is operable to transfer the derived image property data to an external data processing apparatus.

Claims

1. A camera-recorder apparatus comprising:

(i) an image capture device operable to capture a plurality of video images;

(ii) a storage medium by which said video images are stored for later retrieval;

(iii) a feature extraction unit operable to derive image property data from said image content of at least one of said video images substantially in real time at said capture of said video images, said image property data being associated with respective images or groups of images; and

(iv) a data path by which said camera-recorder apparatus is operable to transfer said derived image property data to an external data processing apparatus.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which:

(i) said camera-recorder apparatus comprises means for capturing an audio signal associated with said video images; and

(ii) said feature extraction unit is operable to derive audio property data for portions of said audio signal associated with at least one of said video images.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said image property data is generated for every video image.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a proxy generator operable to compress said video images to produce a lower bit-rate copy of said respective images.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said data path comprises a removable storage medium for storing said image property data.

6. Apparatus according claim 1, in which said data path comprises a wireless network connection device and an antenna which are operable to provide a wireless link to said external data processing apparatus.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said image property data comprises at least one class of data selected from:

(i) colour distribution data;

(ii) face recognition data; and

(iii) image activity data.

8. A method of image acquisition at a camera-recorder apparatus, said method comprising the following steps by the camera-recorder apparatus:

(i) capturing a plurality of video images;

(ii) storing said video images for later retrieval;

(iii) deriving image property data from said image content of at least one of said video images substantially in real time at said capture of said video images, said image property data being associated with respective images or groups of images; and

(iv) transferring, via a data path, said derived image property data to an external data processing apparatus.

9. Computer software having program code for carrying out a method according to claim 8.

10. A data providing medium by which computer software according to claim 9 is provided.

11. A medium according to claim 10, said medium being a transmission medium.

12. A medium according to claim 10, said medium being a storage medium.