Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-24
2004-01-13
Kincaid, Kristine (Department: 2174)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06677961
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for identifying a predetermined number of representative data pieces from within a selected data segment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for identifying a predetermined number of representative video images from within a selected video segment by comparing the video images of the selected video segment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional televisions sets include a screen upon which images are formed for viewing. Typically, displayed on the screen is a single window corresponding to a single program. A picture-in-picture (PIP) feature is also generally available to enable a second window of reduced size for viewing a second program simultaneously with the first program viewed on the first window. However, the number of windows available on a conventional television has been limited to two (2), distinguishing conventional television sets from personal computer monitors that enable a number of windows limited only by the memory capacity of the personal computer.
Recently, with the advent of storage mediums capable of storing multiple data items (e.g., audio and video items) it has become desirable to summarize the contents of storage mediums. One method of providing such summary information involves storing a table of contents on the storage medium, and reproducing the table of contents for a user accessing the storage medium. By storing the table of contents on the storage medium, this method necessarily reduces the available storage capacity of the storage medium by the size of the table of contents stored thereon.
An alternative method for providing summary information involves identifying stored data pieces that represent and/or summarize the storage device contents based on random subsampling techniques. For example, a conventional technique for building a summary of digital video frames involves random or periodic subsampling the digital video frames of a storage device without regard for their video content. Specifically, this method involves identifying and extracting a first set of data pieces within a video, iteratively identifying and extracting additional sets of data pieces from within previous sets of data pieces until a fixed ratio of compression (e.g., 50%) is achieved, and providing the user with the final set of data pieces ultimately extracted. Because the number of data pieces required to achieve a fixed ratio of compression necessarily increase with the size of the video segment being summarized, the resulting number of data pieces identified for display may not be suitable for conventional television systems as described above.
Yet another alternative approach for providing summary information involves detecting transitions within the storage device contents, and displaying data items at the detected transitions to represent the contents of the storage medium. However, this approach involves identifying and displaying a variable number of data items, the number of data items identified depending upon the number of transitions detected in the storage device contents. Because the number of data pieces increase with an increased number of detected transitions within the storage device contents, the number of data pieces identified for display by this method may also be non-suitable for conventional television systems as described above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method that substantially obviates one or more of the problems experienced due to the above and other limitations and disadvantages of the conventional art.
An object of the present invention is to identify a predetermined and fixed number of representative video frames capable of abstracting a selected video segment, regardless of the size of the video segment being abstracted. If several levels of video frames are required corresponding to different levels of abstraction, the number of frames on each level may be fixed to a predetermined but different number.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for identifying representative video images for selected segments of a video, which may involve identifying and moving a start and end point of the video segment being summarized.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for identifying a fixed and predetermined number of representative images that abstract a selected video segment, thereby achieving a representation whose resolution varies depending upon the size of the video segment being represented. For instance, if a predetermined number of video images are identified to abstract a relatively small video segment, and the same predetermined number of video images are used to represent a relatively large video segment, the resolution provided by the representative video images of the respective abstracts will vary.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus capable of identifying representative data pieces for stored data and/or live data. For instance, the present invention may be used to identify representative video images from a video segment or program stored on a recording medium, or alternatively may be used to identify representative video images from a live video stream.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent from the detailed description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Thus, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of example only. Various changes and modifications that are within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. In fact, other objects, features and characteristics of the present invention; methods, operations, and functions of the related elements of the structure; combinations of parts; and economies of manufacture will surely become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in various figures.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5821945 (1998-10-01), Yeo et al.
patent: 5956026 (1999-09-01), Ratakonda
patent: 6172675 (2001-01-01), Ahmad et al.
patent: 6342904 (2002-01-01), Vasudevan et al.
patent: 6526215 (2003-02-01), Hirai et al.
patent: 6535639 (2003-03-01), Uchihachi et al.
Kincaid Kristine
LG Electronics Inc.
Vu Thanh
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