System and method for evaluating visual worthiness of video data in a network environment

• US 8,528,018 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patil, Deepti, Gannu, Satish K., Byers, Charles C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US13/098,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 725 13- 14, 725/18, 725/40, 725/46
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234336 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures or audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A method is provided in one example and includes evaluating a video file in a network environment; determining an identity of at least one speaker associated with the video file in order to generate an identity attribute; performing speech to text operations associated with the video file in order to generate at least one text attribute; generating a visual worthiness rating based, at least, on the identity attribute and the text attribute associated with the video file, where the visual worthiness rating is reflective of a visual significance of image content in the video file; and rendering the visual worthiness rating to the end user prior to the video file being played.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

evaluating a video file in a network environment;

determining an identity of at least one speaker associated with the video file in order to generate an identity attribute;

performing speech to text operations associated with the video file in order to generate at least one text attribute;

generating a visual worthiness rating based, at least, on the identity attribute and the text attribute associated with the video file, wherein the visual worthiness rating is reflective of a visual significance of image content in the video file;

rendering the visual worthiness rating to the end user prior to the video file being played; and

wherein an additional attribute is generated and used in formulating the visual worthiness rating, the attribute being an author attribute reflective of authorship of the video file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the speaker is determined using a selected one of a group of identification mechanisms, the group consisting of;

a) speech recognition;

b) facial detection;

c) picture matching;

d) subtitle information in the video file;

e) keyword recognition; and

f) credit identification in the video file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein separate visual worthiness ratings are developed for particular sections of the video file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein preferences of the end user are evaluated in order to generate an alert to be sent to the end user for a particular file that matches at least some of the preferences.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an alert is sent to the end user to provide a recommendation for adjusting screen space allocations for particular sections of the video file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein weights are assigned to particular attributes discovered in video data propagating in network traffic, the weights being used to generate additional visual worthiness ratings for additional video files.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein timestamps of the video file are captured in order to alert a particular user of specific sections of the video file having a particular visual worthiness rating.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search query that includes a particular attribute sought to be identified within a plurality of video files; and

retrieving at least some of the plurality of video files based on a presence of the particular attribute.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein relationships associated with the end user are evaluated in order to recommend particular video files for viewing by the end user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein user engagement is tracked for a particular video file in order to provide a visual worthiness rating for the particular video file.

11. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations comprising:

evaluating a video file in a network environment;

determining an identity of at least one speaker associated with the video file in order to generate an identity attribute;

performing speech to text operations associated with the video file in order to generate at least one text attribute;

generating a visual worthiness rating based, at least, on the identity attribute and the text attribute associated with the video file, wherein the visual worthiness rating is reflective of a visual significance of image content in the video file;

rendering the visual worthiness rating to the end user prior to the video file being played; and

wherein an additional attribute is generated and used in formulating the visual worthiness rating, the attribute being an author attribute reflective of authorship of the video file.

12. The logic of claim 11, wherein separate visual worthiness ratings are developed for particular sections of the video file.

13. The logic of claim 11, wherein preferences of the end user are evaluated in order to generate an alert to be sent to the end user for a particular file that matches at least some of the preferences.

14. The logic of claim 11, wherein user engagement is tracked for a particular video file in order to provide a visual worthiness rating for the particular video file.

15. The logic of claim 11, wherein an alert is sent to the end user to provide a recommendation for adjusting screen space allocations for particular sections of the video file.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory element configured to store data;

a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data;

a connector configured to interface with the memory element and the processor, wherein the apparatus is configured for;

evaluating a video file in a network environment;

determining an identity of at least one speaker associated with the video file in order to generate an identity attribute;

performing speech to text operations associated with the video file in order to generate at least one text attribute;

generating a visual worthiness rating based, at least, on the identity attribute and the text attribute associated with the video file, wherein the visual worthiness rating is reflective of a visual significance of image content in the video file;

rendering the visual worthiness rating to the end user prior to the video file being played; and

wherein the additional attribute is generated and used in formulating the visual worthiness rating, the attribute being an author attribute reflective of authorship of the video file.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein separate visual worthiness ratings are developed for particular sections of the video file.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein preferences of the end user are evaluated in order to generate an alert to be sent to the end user for a particular file that matches at least some of the preferences.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein timestamps of the video file are captured in order to alert a particular user of specific sections of the video file having a particular visual worthiness rating.