Method and apparatus for providing a transition between multimedia content

• US 20070033633A1
• Filed: 08/08/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TelVue Corporation
• Original Assignee: Princeton Server Group, Inc. (TelVue Corporation)
• Inventors: Lerman, Jesse, Fredrickson, James, Andrews, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/501,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033633A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a transition between multimedia content, e.g., video clips. The method and apparatus detects a transition trigger that identifies that a transition is necessary at a specific point within a currently playing video clip. The method and apparatus select a driver level API for producing a desired transition effect, then executes the selected API to produce the transition effect. The transition API controls a video decoder such that a currently playing video can be altered at the transition point to have a specific transition effect. Controlling the luminance and audio signal levels of the decoder creates the desired transition effect.

Claims

1. A method for creating transitions for multimedia clips, where the method is performed within a multimedia content server, comprising:

providing a multimedia clip to a video decoder within the multimedia content server;

detecting a transition trigger to identify a point in the multimedia clip at which a transition is to be generated; and

controlling the functionality of the video decoder to produce a specific transition effect for the multimedia clip.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the multimedia clip is a video clip.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transition trigger is at least one of a timestamp, an end of file indicator or is contained in metadata associated with the multimedia clip.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising splicing a transition clip onto the multimedia clip at the specific transition point.

5. The method of claim 1 controlling the functionality of the video decoder to adjust at least one on-screen display graphic to produce an overlay as the transition effect.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling step further comprises selecting a driver level API for implementing the specific transition effect.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the driver level API changes at least one of luminance or audio level of the multimedia clip.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the driver level API produces at least one of a fade, a slide, or a swipe.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling step further comprises partially decoding the multimedia clip to facilitate altering data bits within the multimedia clip to create the specific transition effect.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the altered data bits change at least one of luminance or audio levels of the multimedia clip.

11. A server for creating transition for multimedia clips comprising:

a broadcast control module for receiving a multimedia clip and broadcasting the clip via at least one channel;

a transition control module, coupled to the broadcast control module, for controlling a video decoder to create a transition for the multimedia clip.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the multimedia clip is a video clip.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the transition control module is activated upon the occurrence of a transition trigger, the transition trigger is at least one of a timestamp, an end of file indicator or is contained in metadata associated with the multimedia clip.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the video decoder splices a transition clip onto the multimedia clip at the specific transition point.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 the video decoder adjusts at least one on-screen display graphic to produce an overlay as the transition effect.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the transition control module selects a driver level API for implementing the specific transition effect.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the driver level API changes at least one of luminance or audio level of the multimedia clip.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the driver level API produces at least one of a fade, a slide, or a swipe.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the video decoder partially decodes the multimedia clip to facilitate altering data bits within the multimedia clip to create the specific transition effect.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the altered data bits change at least one of luminance or audio levels of the multimedia clip.