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Claims  |
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We claim:
1. A system for displaying a sequential stream of information, said
sequential stream of information representing a plurality of frames of
display data, said system comprising:
a single display displaying said display data; and
a computer coupled to said display, said computer defining a first area on
said display and causing the display to display a first sample of said
information within said first area, said first sample representing a first
segment said first segment including a plurality of frames of said display
data of said information, said computer further causing the display to
display a second sample of said information within said first area of said
display, said second sample representing a second segment said second
segment including a plurality of frames of said display data of said
information, said computer further causing the display to display a third
sample of said information within said first area of said display, said
third sample representing a third segment of said information, and said
first segment being a superset of said second segment and said third
segment, said second segment being a superset of said third segment, said
first sample being a first key frame, and said second sample being a
second key frame, said computer further causing the display to display a
plurality of samples of said information, said plurality of samples
including said first sample, said second sample, and said third sample of
said information, said computer causing the display to display said first
sample in a first subarea with some of said plurality of displayed samples
and causing the display to display said second sample and said third
sample in a second subarea with some of said plurality of displayed
samples, said first area including said first subarea and said second
subarea, wherein said first subarea does not overlap said second subarea.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said sequential stream of information
includes video information.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein said second sample and said some of said
plurality of displayed samples which are displayed in said second subarea
being displayed in response to a selection of a selected sample in said
first subarea, said selected sample being one of said first sample or said
some of said plurality of displayed samples in said first subarea.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a database coupled with said
computer, said database storing said information.
5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a database selector for
selecting said first segment of said information from said database, and
wherein said database selector is further for automatically selecting said
first segment.
6. The system of claim 4 further comprising a database selector for
selecting said first segment of said information from said database, and
wherein said database selector includes a normal selector for manually
selecting said first segment.
7. The system of claim 4 further comprising a database selector for
selecting said first segment of said information from said database, and
wherein said database selector includes a graphical representer for
graphically representing said selector on said display.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein said graphical representer includes a
scanning bar for accessing said first segment.
9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said selector further includes
a limiter for accessing a subsegment of said first segment represented by
said scanning bar.
10. The system as recited in claim 1 further including a scanning bar, said
scanning bar for representing said first segment, said scanning bar
further for selecting subsegments of first segment for subsequent display
in a plurality of subareas.
11. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a sample selector,
said sample selector allowing for the selection of varying numbers of
samples of said information to be displayed within each of said subareas.
12. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a sampler for
processing said information to produce said samples of said information
for each of said subareas.
13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein said sampler includes a
selector for selecting a plurality of samples of said information from
each segment of said information to be represented by one of said
subareas, each of said plurality of samples being separated by a uniform
amount of data.
14. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein said sampler includes a
selector for selecting samples of said information which represent
informational breaks in said sequential stream of information.
15. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein said sampler includes a
selector for selecting samples of said information which represent visual
changes in said sequential stream of information.
16. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said subareas further
includes position markers corresponding to each of said samples in said
subarea for indicating the position of each of said samples with respect
to the segment of information being represented within each of said
subareas.
17. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein said computer includes a
changer for changing one of said samples by moving the marker
corresponding to said sample.
18. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein said computer causes the
display to display a line extending between said first sample and a
corresponding marker.
19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein each of said markers is a
copy of a sample corresponding to said marker.
20. The system as recited in claim 16, and further including a size
selector for selecting the physical size of said markers.
21. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer includes a
mover for moving a sample from said first subarea to said second subarea.
22. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first sample includes a
static visual image.
23. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first sample includes an
animated visual image.
24. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said animated visual image
includes an animated loop of a stream of information corresponding to said
first segment.
25. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said animated visual image
includes said first sample and said second sample.
26. The system as recited in claim 1, and further including a size selector
for selecting the physical size of said samples.
27. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein system further includes an
annotator for annotating said first area with additional information.
28. The system as recited in claim 1, and further comprising a selector for
selectively causing the display to display said information within a
second area of said display.
29. The system as recited in claim 28 wherein said information comprises a
plurality of image frames, and said computer is for father selectively
sequentially causing the display to display said image frames within said
second area, and wherein said selector includes a controller for
regulating said sequential display of frames and a rate of display of said
image frames being displayed within said second area.
30. The system as recited in claim 29 further comprising a mover for moving
information displayed within said second area to said first area.
31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein said mover includes a
replacer for replacing one of said samples with a new sample, said new
sample corresponding to said information moved from said second area.
32. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first sample, said second
sample, said first segment and said second segment are included in a log,
said system further comprising a selector for selectively saving,
restoring, and printing said log.
33. The system as recited in claim 32, further comprising a former for
forming a miniaturized view of said log in a second area of said display.
34. The system as recited in claim 32, and further comprising a modifier
for modifying said log by modifying said miniaturized view of said log.
35. The system as recited in claim 34, and further comprising a viewer
interface for causing the display to display a log in said first area of
said display by selecting a miniaturized view of said log in said second
area of said display.
36. A method for viewing a sequential stream of information in a system,
said sequential stream of information representing a plurality of frames
of display data, said system comprising a single display coupled to a
computer, said method comprising the steps of:
defining a first area on said display;
accessing a first segment of said information;
displaying a first sample of said information with some other samples of
said information corresponding to said first segment in a first portion of
said first area, said first sample being a first key frame;
accessing a second segment of said information wherein said first segment
is a superset of said second segment;
displaying a second sample of said information with some other samples of
said information corresponding to said second segment in a second portion
of said first area, said second portion of said first area not overlapping
said first portion of said first area, said second sample being a second
key frame;
accessing a third segment of said information wherein said first segment
further is a superset of said third segment;
displaying a third sample of said information with some other samples of
said information corresponding to said third segment in a third portion of
said first area, said third portion of said first area not overlapping
said first portion of said first area.
37. The method of claim 36 wherein said second sample and said some other
samples of said information corresponding to said second segment are
displayed in said second portion of said first area in response to a
selection of a selected sample in said first portion of said first area,
said selected sample being one of said first sample or said some other
samples of said information corresponding to said first segment.
38. The method of claim 36 wherein said information includes video
information.
39. The method as recited in claim 36 wherein said system includes a
database coupled with said computer, said database for storing said
information, said method further comprising a step of selecting said first
segment of said information from said database.
40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein said step of selecting said
first segment includes a step of manually selecting said first segment.
41. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein said step of selecting said
first segment includes a step of automatically selecting said first
segment.
42. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein said step of selecting said
first segment includes a step of graphically representing said first
segment on said display.
43. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein said first segment is
graphically represented as a scanning bar.
44. The method of claim 43, further including the steps of:
accessing a fourth segment of said information wherein said second segment
includes said fourth segment, and
displaying a fourth sample in said third subarea.
45. The method of claim 44 wherein said first portion of said first area
defines a first row, said second portion of said first area defines a
second row, and said third portion of said first area defines a third row.
46. The method of claim 44 wherein said first segment is larger than said
second segment, and wherein said second segment is larger than said fourth
segment.
47. The method as recited in claim 44, wherein said step of accessing said
first segment includes sampling said first segment to generate a first
plurality of samples for display in said first portion of said first area
and said method further includes a step of moving one of said first
plurality of samples from said first portion of said first area to said
second portion of said first area.
48. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein said step of accessing a
first segment of said information includes a step of sampling said
information to generate a plurality of samples of information for display
within said first area.
49. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein said step of sampling said
information includes a step of selecting a plurality of samples of said
information from said first segment of said information, each of said
plurality of samples representing a separate uniform subsegment of said
first segment.
50. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein said step of sampling said
information includes a step of selecting samples of said information which
represent informational breaks in said sequential stream of information.
51. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein said step of sampling said
information includes a step of selecting samples of said information which
represent visual changes in said sequential stream of information.
52. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein said first area includes a
plurality of position markers, wherein each of said plurality of position
markers corresponds to one of said samples.
53. The method as recited in claim 52, further including a step of changing
one of said plurality of samples by moving a corresponding marker.
54. The method as recited in claim 52, and further comprising the step of
indicating a position of each of said samples with a displayed line
extending between each of said samples and a corresponding marker.
55. The method as recited in claim 52, wherein each of said markers is a
copy of a sample corresponding to said marker.
56. The method as recited in claim 52, and further comprising the step of
selecting a physical size of said markers.
57. The method as recited in claim 52, and further comprising the step of
uniquely encoding each of said markers to match a corresponding sample.
58. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein each of said samples
corresponds to an animated segment of said information, and further
comprising a step of animating said segment.
59. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein each of said samples
corresponds to a segment of said information, and a said method further
comprises the step of animating a loop of a series of said samples.
60. The method as recited in claim 36, further comprising the step of
selecting the physical size of said samples.
61. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein said first segment, said
second segment, said first sample, and said second sample are included in
a log, said method further comprising a step of annotating said log with
additional information and commands.
62. The method as recited in claim 36, and further comprising the step of
selectively displaying said information within a second area of said
display.
63. The method as recited in claim 62, wherein said information comprises a
plurality of image frames and wherein said step of selectively displaying
includes a step of regulating said displaying of said information, said
regulating including altering a rate of change of said image frames being
displayed within said second area.
64. The method as recited in claim 62, further comprising a step of moving
information displayed within said second area to said first area.
65. The method as recited in claim 64, wherein said step of moving includes
a step of replacing one of said samples with a new sample, said new sample
corresponding to said information moved from said second area.
66. The method as recited in claim 65, further comprising a step of
selecting information to be displayed within said second area by moving
one of said samples from said first area to said second area.
67. The method as recited in claim 62, wherein said step of moving includes
a step of adding a new sample to said first area, said new sample
corresponding to said information moved from said second area.
68. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein said first segment, said
second segment, said first sample, and said second sample, are included in
a log, said method further comprising a step of selectively saving,
restoring, and printing said log and said samples.
69. A method for displaying video information in a system, said video
information representing a plurality of frames of display data, said
system including a memory for storing said video information, a processor
coupling with said memory for accessing said memory and displaying said
video information, and a display coupling with said processor, said method
comprising the steps of:
accessing a first segment of said video information;
sampling said first segment to generate a first plurality of samples
including a first sample, said first sample corresponding to said first
segment, said first sample being a first key frame;
dividing said video information into a plurality of subsegments, said
plurality of subsegments including a subsegment M and a subsegment N, said
subsegment N being a subsegment of said subsegment M;
sampling said subsegment M to generate a second plurality of samples
including a sample Ms, said sample Ms corresponding to said subsegment M,
said sample Ms being a second key frame;
sampling said subsegment N to generate a sample Ns, said sample Ns
corresponding to said subsegment N;
defining a first area, said first area including a first subarea and a
second subarea different from said first subarea;
displaying said first sample and another sample of said first plurality of
samples in said first subarea; and
displaying said sample Ms, another sample of said second plurality of
samples and said sample Ns in said second subarea.
70. The method of claim 69 further comprising a step of resizing a display
of one of said samples.
71. The method of claim 70 wherein said displaying step includes displaying
Ms and said another sample of said second plurality of samples adjacent to
each other.
72. The method of claim 70 wherein said samples include digitized video
frames.
73. The method of claim 70 wherein each of said plurality of subsegments is
approximately the same size as the other subsegments.
74. The method of claim 70 further comprising steps of:
defining a second area, and
displaying video information corresponding to said one of said plurality of
subsegments in said second area.
75. The method of claim 69 wherein said sample Ms and said another sample
of said second plurality of samples are displayed in said second subarea
in response to a selection of a selected sample in said first subarea,
said selected sample being one of said first sample or said another sample
of said first plurality of sample.
76. A method of displaying video information in a computer system, said
video information representing a plurality of flames of display data, said
method comprising the steps of:
accessing a first segment of said video information;
dividing said first segment into a first plurality of subsegments;
sampling said first plurality of subsegments to generate a first plurality
of samples, each of said first plurality of samples corresponding to one
of said first plurality of subsegments, said first plurality of
subsegments including a subsegment M, said first plurality of samples
including a sample Ms corresponding to subsegment M;
dividing M into a first plurality of subsubsegments;
sampling said first plurality of subsubsegments to generate a second
plurality of samples, each of said second plurality of samples
corresponding to one of said first plurality of subsubsegments, said
second plurality of samples including a sample Os corresponding to a
subsubsegment O;
dividing O into a first plurality of subsubsubsegments;
sampling said first plurality of subsubsubsegments to generate a third
plurality of samples, each sample of said third plurality of samples
corresponding to one of said first plurality of subsubsubsegments;
defining a first display area, a second display area, and a third display
area, said second and third display areas not overlapping said first
display area;
displaying said first plurality of samples in said first display area;
displaying said second plurality of samples in said second display area;
and
displaying said third plurality of samples in said third display area.
77. The method of claim 76 wherein said dividing said first segment
includes:
determining a length L of said video information, and
dividing said length L by a number P to generate X, where P represents the
number of subsegments in said first plurality of subsegments, and where X
equals a length of said video information in one subsegment of said
plurality of subsegments.
78. The method of claim 76 wherein said video information includes a
plurality of chapter breaks, and said dividing said first segment
includes:
detecting a chapter break in said first segment, and
generating M corresponding to said chapter break.
79. The method of claim 76 wherein said video information includes a visual
change, and said dividing said first segment includes:
detecting a visual change in said first segment, and
generating M corresponding to said visual change.
80. The method as in claim 76 wherein said second plurality of samples
displayed in said second display area are displayed in response to a
selection of a selected sample in said first display area, said selected
sample being one of said first plurality of samples.
81. A system for displaying a sequential stream of information, said
sequential stream of information representing a plurality of frames of
display data, said system comprising:
a single display displaying said display data; and
a computer coupled to said display, said computer defining a first area on
said display, said computer causing the display to display on said display
a plurality of displayed samples of said information including a first
sample and a second sample, said computer causing the display to display
said first sample of said information with some of said plurality of
displayed samples within a first subarea of said first area, said first
sample representing a first segment said first segment including a
plurality of frames of said display data of said information, said
computer further causing the display to display said second sample of said
information with some of said plurality of displayed samples within a
second subarea of said first area, said second sample representing a
second segment said second segment including a plurality of frames of said
display data of said information, said first segment being a superset of
said second segment, said first sample being a first key frame and said
second sample being a second key frame, said first area including said
first subarea and said second subarea, said first subarea not overlapping
said second subarea.
82. The system of claim 81 wherein said sequential stream of information
includes video information.
83. The system of claim 81 further comprising:
a database coupled with said computer, said database storing said
information; and
a database selector for selecting said first segment of said information
from said database, and wherein said database selector includes a
graphical representer for graphically representing said selector on said
display, said graphical representer including a scanning bar for accessing
said first segment.
84. The system as recited in claim 81 further including a scanning bar,
said scanning bar representing said first segment, said scanning bar for
selecting subsegments of said first segment for subsequent display in a
plurality of subareas.
85. The system as recited in claim 81 wherein each of said subareas further
includes position markers corresponding to each of said samples in said
subarea indicating the position of each of said samples with respect to
the segment of information being represented within each of said subareas.
86. The system as recited in claim 85 wherein said computer includes a
changer for changing one of said samples by moving the marker
corresponding to said sample.
87. The system as recited in claim 85 wherein said computer displays a line
extending between said first sample and a corresponding marker.
88. The system as recited in claim 81 wherein said first sample includes an
animated visual image.
89. The system as recited in claim 81, and further comprising a selector
for selectively causing the display to display said information within a
second area of said display, wherein said information comprises a
plurality of image frames, and wherein said computer further selectively
sequentially causes the display to display said image frames within said
second area, and wherein said selector includes a controller for
regulating said sequential display of frames and a rate of display of said
image frames being displayed within said second area.
90. The system as recited in claim 89 further comprising a mover for moving
information displayed within said second area to said first area.
91. The system as in claim 81 wherein said second sample and said some of
said plurality of displayed samples which are displayed in said second
subarea being displayed in response to a selection of a selected sample in
said first subarea, said selected sample being one of said first sample or
said some of said plurality of displayed samples in said first subarea. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to video viewing, organizing, and
composing devices, and more particularly to an iconically based system for
cataloging, organizing and browsing through a database by generating
hierarchical views of temporally occurring segments of information from
the database.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Many computerized audio/video viewing and composing systems allow a user to
preview large chunks of analog or digital audio and/or video information
stored in one or more types of devices, such as VCR's, optical discs, and
sound players, and to mark particular segments of the information so as to
create a digital clip of the previewed information for subsequent
additional processing. The user of one of these typical video systems
regulates the speed at which a video player displays the video information
through either software controls or manual operation of a "jog-shuttle"
potentiometer (a device which causes the video player to move forward or
backward at a faster rate the further the jog-shuttle is turned in a
particular direction).
The user typically creates digital video clips from the regulated video
information through manual operation of hardware buttons or controls,
which electronically mark the "in" and "out" points of the video clip. In
particular, to mark these in and out points, the user must manipulate the
speed and direction of playback of the video information with the
jog-shuttle until a desired frame is in view, and then mark the selected
video frame by pressing either an "in" (beginning) hardware button or an
"out" (ending) hardware button on the control panel of the video editor.
An in button marks the start of a video clip and an out button marks the
end of a video clip.
To replace an in or out point of a video clip, the user must first move the
video information to the location of the replacement video frame, such as
by using either the Jog-shuttle or a "goto" hardware button. Goto buttons
allow the user to move the video information back to a previously created
in or out point. To replace the video frame once it has been located, the
user must typically either press one of the in or out buttons to mark the
frame or press some additional hardware buttons on the control panel of
the editor so as to add or subtract flames of the clip. Some systems,
which include a tape counter that monitors the frame number of displayed
video segments, will allow a user to simply type in a frame number to
create new in or out points.
Because low-end systems generally do not keep a log of in and out points,
users must typically learn to write down the frame numbers of the in and
out points when using the editing system. Although higher-end systems
generally do keep a list of marked clips, this list is typically expressed
in a textual rather than a pictorial form. Some newer systems do, however,
keep a list of images, or static labels, which either correspond to one
frame in the clip or a pair of frames in the clip (the in and out points),
which may be useful as a type of log, but even these newer systems
continue to follow the in and out hardware button paradigm, and continue
to limit trim and goto buttons to use with previously created in and out
points, rather than with any frame or point in a list of marked clips.
In addition, although some of these systems use static pictorial labels to
designate larger segments or clips of video information, they generally do
not organize or represent the labels in their most useful fashion. One
attempt to resolve this problem is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,188,
issued to Barker et al., which discloses a video composition apparatus and
method for temporally organizing the pictorial labels representing the
video information. The Barker apparatus is comprised of a computerized
operator control system for communicating with a plurality of storage
devices, each storing identical copies of the same source material, and
displaying that source material in various forms (static and active
displays) on a plurality of different monitors.
In the Barker apparatus, one small active display acts as an intake screen
and is controlled by a left manual control disk of the control system,
while a second small active display acts as an outtake screen and is
controlled by a right manual control disk of the control system.
Manipulating the control disks in different manners causes contiguous
frames of a current segment of video information to be displayed as
temporary pictorial labels on the intake and outtake screens, while a
third central display provides a continuous loop display of all picture
frames from just prior to the temporary intake and Just after the
temporary outtake pictorial labels. These same control disks are then
manipulated to mark temporary pictorial labels which have been selected by
the user to represent the current segment. Selected labels for the current
segment are then displayed in a two row spatial array of passive displays
(meaning the displays are static, not animated like the active displays)
located below the active displays. The other passive displays are used to
present a spatial display of the pictorial labels associated with the
segments sequentially before and after the current segment. Although the
passive displays are arranged in two rows, each column is limited to
representing the same single sector of the video information. A label can
be comprised of a single frame of video information (such that only one
row of the passive display is utilized), or two flames, such as the
beginning frame and the ending frame (such that both rows of the passive
display are utilized). Once a label has been created, it can be replaced
in the same manner in which it was created, but cannot be readily
transformed.
The method steps described by Baker for selecting the segments from the
video information, creating the labels, and composing the edited video
product are broadly recited as follows: (a) selecting a start and an end
frame for each of a plurality of segments from the video information; (b)
creating at least one pictorial label iden | | |
