Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-08
2001-03-20
Feild, Joseph H. (Department: 2176)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06204840
ABSTRACT:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of information processing and, more particularly to a method and system for multimedia composition.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past decade, video and audio magnetic tape have emerged as viable alternatives to traditional storage media such as silver halide film for recording, display and reproduction of images, sounds and video. Editing methods in the past originally stemmed from linear or sequential editing of film on a film device. Along with advances in storage media have come new methods of composition based on computerized digital editing techniques that have all but replaced manual editing of magnetic video and audio tape and related media. Digital composition software programs, such as those used to compose digital video, audio and related source materials, have found widespread application in multimedia presentation and authoring systems. Despite their power, these composition software programs require users to master complex interfaces, and adopt abstract representation models which are beyond the grasp of ordinary users.
For example, some prior art composition software programs include user interfaces that employ timeline-based, non-linear and non-spatial representations of what is inherently a temporal-based composition process making the composition software programs difficult to learn and use. The user interfaces are non-linear because various aspects of the composition are displayed as separate elements on different levels or layers. These composition software programs seek to mimic film based editing methods through the application of a timeline-based composition system and method.
However, unlike the film editor who has access to the visual scenes of a movie which he can cut and splice together to produce a desired sequence, the typical video editor has been forced to rely on computer software programs that simulate sequential frames of film on a timeline. The conventional non-linear digital editing method involves the use of computer software for displaying and manipulating a sequence of frames or images on a timeline typically with each frame individually displayed. Where multiple sequences are sought to be confined, each sequence is displayed on a separate, horizontal timeline. Audio to accompany the video is placed on a separate timeline. The video and/or audio sequences contained in each timeline are not viewable until a production stage is completed. While this method offers significant productivity gains over the complex and time-consuming task of manual editing, the timeline based method utilized in current non-linear digital video and audio composition systems is extremely complex, non-intuitive and cumbersome to use because of the multiple timelines or layers.
One of the problems with the prevailing non-linear composition method is that it breaks a composition into a non-temporal representation of multiple layers of image and/or audio sequences in what is inherently a temporal relationship. This method not only forces users to constantly switch between separate program modules to perform routine composition tasks for each layer, but greatly increases the complexity of the composition display due to the inherent need to accommodate multiple timelines or “layers”, each with its own associated images. A user is forced to mentally visualize the combined layers as well as their effects as editing is performed. Thus the composition process is, as a consequence, very complex and tedious. As a result, much of the power of these composition software programs is untapped by all but the most advanced users due to the inherent complexity that results from attempting to represent a spatial and temporal composition process by means of non-spatial, timeline-based models and methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,188 to Barker et. al. discloses a video composition method and apparatus utilizing non-linear timeline based composition. Each layer of the video composition method is presented as numerous individual images in a time sequence or timeline order. There are many inherent difficulties and inefficiencies associated with the prior art method that results from the display of temporal source materials in a non-temporal or timeline fashion.
However, despite its inherent limitations, the use of digital non-linear editing methods has increased significantly in recent years due to associated cost advantages offered over traditional video editing methods. Unfortunately, this departure from traditional video editing techniques has in some respects dampened the creative talents of modem video and audio directors who are no longer able to apply their skills directly to the composition process and must instead rely upon intermediate personnel to manipulate the image and audio sequences scattered across multiple timeline layers. Using the non-linear method of digital-based composition, the director's feel for the composition process is greatly diminished. One advantage of composing with the traditional physical editing method using silver halide film, is the ability to react quickly to the temporal nature of the media. Thus, a given sequence of film can be run back and forth, viewed repeatedly, edited and quickly “spliced” together with other sequences to form a completed segment. Thus the source material is treated as an entire object, one that can be combined with other objects to create a composition sequence. The ability to achieve this same effect in a digital non-linear editing environment is highly desirable.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel non-timeline, non-linear digital multimedia method and system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The non-timeline, non-linear digital composition system and method allow digital source material to be produced while providing the operator with instantaneous feedback. This significantly increases productivity, while at the same time lessens or removes the need for intermediate personnel. This also provides a highly intuitive and creative digital composition environment for non-technical users, editors and directors alike. The present composition method and system also provide a dynamic, intuitive and user-friendly object based composition environment for producing digital source materials for use with a wide variety of commercial applications, media and transmission mediums.
The present composition system includes system software control functions that are highly user interactive and respond to user commands for selecting audio, video and multimedia objects from source materials, displaying these dynamically in a main viewing area, performing one or more composition tasks, applying such composition tasks dynamically to the object, previewing the composited object and placing the finished video, audio and related multimedia source material sequences in a production storyline facility for real-time preview of the sequence composition, and for production of the completed sequence.
The composition system and method of the present invention treat digital source segments, including still frame images, video, audio, three dimensional objects, animation and related multimedia source materials as “digital objects” and allow for both temporal and accurate display. Furthermore, the composition system and method of the present invention allow for application of special effects “filters” that can be applied equally and dynamically to all digital objects in the composition process. Audio special effects filters can be applied directly to an audio file which in turn can be applied to an animated three dimensional video object such that it causes the object to react or modify
Elliot Graeme
Harris Michael
Maruvada Prasad
Northmore Scott
Page Alan
Blakely & Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman
Feild Joseph H.
MGI Software Corporation
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