AUTOMATIC PANNING AND ZOOMING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20140164636A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evertz Microsystems Ltd. (Evertz Technologies Limited)
• Original Assignee: Evertz Microsystems Ltd. (Evertz Technologies Limited)
• Inventors: Silvestri, Vince
• Granted Patent: US 9,871,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• 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: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• 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 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85 Assembly of content; Generation of multimedia applications

Abstract

Methods and system for managing media clips over a data network. Media streams may be received over a data network and stored by a storage server. Metadata regarding the media streams may be generated and stored at a metadata server. A control station can retrieve media frames originating in the stored media streams from the storage server, based on metadata. Media frames from multiple media streams can be retrieved and displayed in synchronization, based on respective timecodes.

Claims

1. A method of managing media clips over a data network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of media streams from a plurality of media sources, each media stream comprising a plurality of media frames; and

for each of the plurality of media streams;

determining a timecode for each of the plurality of media streams, the timecode comprising a plurality of timecode references corresponding to the plurality of media frames; and

storing the plurality of media streams at a storage server, wherein the plurality of media frames are retrievable over the data network based on at least one timecode reference.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a metadata record associated with the plurality of timecode references in a metadata database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the metadata record comprises a media stream identifier, the media stream identifier being unique to a media stream from the plurality of media streams.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a unique identifier for each media frame.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for at least one media clip from a control station;

retrieving the at least one media clip in response to the request; and

transmitting the at least one media clip to an output node identified in the request.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for at least one proxy media clip from a control station;

retrieving at least one media clip that corresponds to the at least one proxy media clip in response to the request;

transcoding the at least one media clip to generate the at least one proxy media clip; and

transmitting the at least one proxy media clip to an output node identified in the request.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the plurality of media streams from the storage server via the data network;

displaying a first media stream of the plurality of media streams; and

displaying at least one additional media stream of the plurality of media streams.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising displaying at least one user interface element on the display.

39. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

receiving an input via an input device;

associating the input with at least one timecode reference of each of the first media stream and the at least one additional media stream;

generating a metadata update request based on the input and the at least one timecode reference; and

transmitting the metadata update request to a metadata database.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving a search input via the input device, wherein the search input identifies at least one metadata item;

transmitting a clip request to the metadata database based on the at least one metadata item;

receiving at least one media frame identifier in response to the clip request; and

requesting at least one media clip from the storage server based on the at least one media frame identifier.

2. (canceled)

5-10. -10. (canceled)

12-15. -15. (canceled)

17-22. -22. (canceled)

24-28. -28. (canceled)

30-33. -33. (canceled)

35-38. -38. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

43. A system for managing media clips, the system comprising:

a data network;

a plurality of media sources; and

a storage server configured to;

receive a plurality of media streams from the plurality of media sources; and

for each of the plurality of media streams, wherein each of the plurality of media streams comprises a plurality of media frames;

determine a timecode for each of the plurality of media streams, the timecode comprising a plurality of timecode references to the plurality of media frames; and

store the plurality of media streams, wherein the plurality of media frames are retrievable over the data network based on at least one selected timecode reference.

45. The system of claim 43, further comprising a metadata server configured to generate a metadata record associated with the plurality of timecode references in a metadata database.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the metadata server is further configured to receive a metadata item corresponding to at least one media frame;

and update the metadata record for the at least one media frame.

50. The system of claim 47, further comprising a control station, wherein the metadata item is received from the control station.

53. The system of claim 43, wherein the storage server is further configured to generate a unique identifier for each media frame.

58. The system of claim 43, wherein the storage server is further configured to:

receive a request for at least one media clip from a control station;

retrieve the at least one media clip in response to the request; and

transmit the at least one media clip to an output node identified in the request.

65. The system of claim 43, wherein the storage server is further configured to:

receive a request for at least one proxy media clip from a control station;

retrieve at least one media clip that corresponds to the at least one proxy media clip in response to the request;

transcode the at least one media clip to generate the at least one proxy media clip; and

transmite the at least one proxy media clip to an output node identified in the request.

44. (canceled)

46. (canceled)

48-49. -49. (canceled)

51-52. -52. (canceled)

54-57. -57. (canceled)

59-64. -64. (canceled)

66-70. -70. (canceled)

71. A system for managing media clips, the system comprising:

a data network;

a storage server;

a control station, the control station configured to;

receive a plurality of media streams from the storage server via the data network, wherein each of the plurality of media streams comprises a plurality of media frames, wherein each of the plurality of media streams has a timecode;

display a first media stream of the plurality of media streams; and

display at least one additional media stream of the plurality of media streams.

81. The system of claim 71, further comprising a metadata server, wherein the control station is further configured to:

receive an input via an input device;

associate the input with at least one timecode reference of each of the first media stream and the at least one additional media stream;

generate a metadata update request based on the input and the at least one timecode reference; and

transmit the metadata update request to the metadata server.

83. The system of claim 81, wherein the control station is further configured to:

receive a search input via the input device, wherein the search input identifies at least one metadata item;

transmit a clip request to the metadata database based on the at least one metadata item;

receive at least one media frame identifier in response to the clip request; and

request at least one media clip from the storage server based on the at least one media frame identifier.

72-80. -80. (canceled)

82. (canceled)

84. (canceled)