Method for processing video data designed for display on a screen and device therefor

• US 7,565,679 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Even, Gilles, Le Clerc, Francois, Chevallier, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, CHENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/415,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20040047596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,821 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 5/147 Scene change detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for processing audio-visual broadcasts to display a summary thereof. The method comprises a prior step which consists in recording an audio-visual broadcast, and a step which consists in searching within the recorded broadcasts slow-motion sequences and a step which consists in displaying the sequences found. User controls enable to browse among the found sequences. The invention also a receiver set for audio-visual broadcasts provided with a storage unit for storing the slow-motion sequences of an audio-visual broadcast. The apparatus also includes controls enabling the user to display the stored sequences.

Claims

1. A method of displaying slow motion sequences included in audiovisual transmissions received from a broadcasting network, wherein the method comprises prior steps of detecting the slow motion sequences of said transmissions and recording at least the detected slow motion sequences in a memory of a receiver;

and a step of displaying the slow motion sequences displayed consecutively, the displaying of each recorded sequence being accelerated, the step of detecting slow motion sequences within transmissions composed of frames comprising;

a) a step of motion detection operating on two consecutive frames extracted from the audiovisual transmissions, said step generating a string of values of motion or of absence of motion of binary indicators respectively indicating the presence or the absence of motion between the two relevant frames,

b) steps of determining a frame repetition pattern composed of a motion value and of a consecutive string of at least one absence of motion value, said repetition pattern having a length,

c) at least one step of constructing a reference pattern from a first frame repetition pattern,

d) steps of detecting patterns composed of a string of values of motion and of absence of motion of a length equal to that of the reference pattern,

e) steps of comparing between the reference pattern and patterns previously determined in step d),

f) a step of reckoning up in a so-called confidence counter the number of identities between the reference pattern and the patterns determined during steps d),

g) a step of validating the presence of a slow motion sequence when the value of the confidence counter is greater than a determined value.

2. The method of display as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises a step of detecting a user command triggering the display of the next slow motion sequence.

3. The method of display as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises a step of detecting a user command triggering the display of the previous slow motion sequence.

4. The method of display as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises a step of calculating the slow motion factor, with respect to the normal speed of the sequence detected, said factor being equal to the number of indicators of motion and of absence of motion constituting the reference pattern.

5. The method of display as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises a step of validating a lock-on signal when the value of the confidence counter is greater than a determined value.

6. The method of display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reckoning step effects a reduction in the value of the confidence counter when step d) detects an inequality.

7. The method of display as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the course of the reckoning step, a ceiling is placed on the value of the confidence counter.

8. A receiver of audiovisual transmissions comprising a means of receiving transmissions transmitted on a broadcasting network, wherein it comprises a memory for storing at least a part of an audiovisual transmission, a means of detecting the slow motion sequence of said transmissions, a means of storing at least the detected slow motion sequences, a means for accelerating the slow motion sequences recorded, and a means of displaying the slow motion sequences thus accelerated, the means of detecting the slow motion sequence detecting a motion or an absence of motion between two images of like parity of said audiovisual transmission which are read from said memory, the means of detecting furthermore comprises a means for determining a frame repetition pattern composed of a value of motion followed by a string of values of absence of motion comprising at least one value of absence of motion, a memory for storing a so-called reference pattern obtained by the means for determining a frame repetition pattern, a comparator comparing the reference pattern with the patterns recorded at the output of the motion detector operating on the frames emanating from the processed audiovisual transmission, a so-called confidence counter reckoning up the number of identities which is determined by the comparator, a means for transmitting a signal of presence of slow motion when the value of the confidence counter reaches a determined value.

9. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions as claimed in claim 8, wherein it comprises a display module which controls the means for reading the memory and which, in response to a user command, read the slow motion sequence recorded after the sequence in progress and displays it without waiting for the end of the sequence in progress.

10. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions as claimed in claim 8, wherein it comprises a display module which controls the means for reading the memory and which, in response to a user command, reads the slow motion sequence recorded immediately before the sequence in progress and displays it without waiting for the end of the sequence in progress.

11. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions as claimed in claim 8, wherein it furthermore comprises a means of calculating a slow motion factor of the sequence with respect to the normal speed, the slow motion factor calculated is equal to the number of indicators of motion and of absence of motion constituting the reference pattern.

12. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions as claimed in claim 8, wherein it furthermore comprises a means of transmitting a so-called “

lock-on”

signal when the value of the confidence counter reaches a determined value, the lock-on signal triggering the storage of the audiovisual transmission in the appliance.

13. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions as claimed in claim 8, wherein it comprises a divider of the value of the confidence counter, said divider being activated when the comparator detects a difference between the reference pattern and the frame repetition pattern detected by the determining means.

14. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions as claimed in claim 8, wherein the motion detector detects a motion between two frames of like parity which are separated by at least one frame of the same parity as the first two.