Abstract: Computer-based methods and systems for editing a time-based media program involve receiving an instruction to associate metadata with a selected portion of the program, determining a type of the metadata, wherein the type of the metadata is one of a predetermined set of metadata types, identifying a software component available to the editing system that is configured to process metadata of the determined type, and associating the metadata with the selected portion of the program by executing the identified software component to process the metadata. Metadata is represented using a scheme that is shared among the various computational components that manipulate the metadata; the scheme may also be shared with a host media processing system, as well as with other systems that are used in a time-based media editing and production workflow.

Abstract: Automated methods are used to augment an original script of a time-based media program that contains speech with timing metadata and an indication of a confidence level with which script portions are matched with the speech in the program audio track. An editor uses a spot dialog editor tool to produce a word-accurate spot dialog master by reviewing and editing script portions displayed next to the corresponding portions of the time-based media. The spot dialog editor tool selects for review and editing the parts of the script having a low confidence match with the speech in the program.

Abstract: A collaboration server hosts software for collaborative composition and editing of a media project with project collaborators using different media editing applications each having their own native data format. Project collaborators, such as video editors, sound editors, effects and graphics artists, and producers access a shared project workspace which contains a snapshot of the current state of the media project in a canonical format, as well as source media files, native application metadata, and change notes. Each editing application includes a module enabling it to read the canonical snapshot representation, and also to flatten its native data model representation into the canonical representation for writing to the shared project workspace. A collaboration server hosts the shared project space, and includes a workflow manager for issuing change notifications and handling versions, and an application server for the shared project user interface.

Abstract: A detection system includes one or more base stations and one or more sensors. The base station defines a detection area and is configured to transmit a detection signal at a first frequency. The base station is further configured to facilitate selective variation of the detection area. The sensor is configured to detect the detection signal and transmit a communication signal at a second frequency in response to the detection signal. Movement of the sensor between the detection area and an area outside of the detection area affects detection of the detection signal. The first frequency is less than the second frequency.

Abstract: A mobile entitlements manager implemented on a mobile device stores the software entitlements belonging to a user of the mobile device. The mobile device communicates with client computers on which the user wishes to run software applications. Messages are exchanged between the client and the mobile device to enable activation, continued running, and to deactivate client applications in accordance with the entitlements available to the user. The mobile entitlements manager updates its entitlement information by communicating with a remote entitlements server, and informs the entitlement server of the status of programs running on clients in communication with the device. The entitlements manager handles entitlements for multiple applications and for multiple licensed entities, such as individual users, sites, client computers, or organizations.

Abstract: A media editing system provides an editor with full visibility and editing capability for synchronous data that is adjunct to audio and video. The data tracks include one or more streams of data packets, each stream being of a particular data type. Synchronous data tracks are displayed on the timeline, facilitating data track editing independent of the associated media tracks. The UI also enables selective playback and export of the data tracks along with the corresponding video and audio. The system also enables data streams to be filtered and combined. Data from the data tracks can be extracted and imported into a media asset management system, enabling the data to be searched.

Abstract: In one general aspect, a data access method is disclosed that includes directing data block write requests from different clients to different data storage servers based on a map. Data blocks referenced in the data block write requests are stored in the data storage servers. Data from the data write requests are also relayed to a parity server, and parity information is derived and stored for the blocks. This method can reduce the need for inter-server communication, and can be scaled across an arbitrary number of servers. It can also employ parity load distribution to improve the performance of file transfers.

Abstract: Multiple applications request data from multiple storage units over a computer network. The data is divided into segments and each segment is distributed randomly on one of several storage units, independent of the storage units on which other segments of the media data are stored. At least one additional copy of each segment also is distributed randomly over the storage units, such that each segment is stored on at least two storage units. When an application requests a selected segment of data, the request is processed by the storage unit with the shortest queue of requests. Random fluctuations in the load applied by multiple applications on multiple storage units are balanced nearly equally over all storage units. These techniques result in a system which can transfer multiple, independent high-bandwidth streams of data in a scalable and reliable manner in both directions between multiple applications and multiple storage units.

Abstract: Methods and systems for assigning functionality to a plurality of physical input controls of an audio mixing system involve: providing an interface for enabling an operator to select one of a plurality of audio channels and one of a plurality of mixing functional areas, wherein each of the plurality of mixing functional areas includes a plurality of audio mixing functions associated with the functional area; receiving an indication of a selection of one of the plurality of channels by an operator using the interface; receiving an indication of a selection of one of the plurality of audio mixing functional areas by an operator using the interface; and for each of the plurality of physical controls: assigning the physical control to control, for the selected channel, one of the plurality of audio mixing functions associated with the selected audio mixing functional area; and displaying a visual indication of the assigned function.

Abstract: Pixel-based and region-based methods, computer program products, and systems for detecting, flagging, highlighting on a display, and automatically fixing edge violations in stereoscopic images and video. The highlighting and display methods involve signed, clamped subtraction of one image of a stereo image pair from the other image, with the subtraction preferably isolated to a region of interest near the lateral edges. Various embodiments include limiting the detection, flagging, and highlighting of edge violations to objects causing a degree of perceptual discomfort greater than a user-set or preset threshold, or to objects having a certain size and/or proximity and/or degree of cut-off by a lateral edge of the left or right eye images of a stereo image pair. Methods of removing violations include automatic or semi-automatic cropping of the offending object, and depth shifting of the offending object onto the screen plane.

Abstract: A portable development and execution framework for processing media objects. The framework involves: accepting an instruction to perform a media processing function; accepting a media object to be associated with the media processing function; wrapping the media object with an attribute that specifies a type and format of the media object, and a hardware domain associated with the media object; and causing an execution domain to perform the media processing function on the media object. The instruction to perform the media processing function is expressed in a form that is independent of the hardware domain associated with the media object, and may also be independent of the type and format of the media object. The media object may be an image, and the media processing function may include an image processing function performed on a GPU.

Abstract: A transcript editor enables text-based editing of time-based media that includes spoken dialog. It involves an augmented transcript that includes timing metadata that associates words and phrases within the transcript with corresponding temporal locations within the time-based media where the text is spoken, and editing the augmented transcript without the need for playback of the time-based media. After editing, the augmented transcript is processed by a media editing system to automatically generate an edited version of the time-based media that only includes the segments of the time-based media that include the speech corresponding to the edited augmented transcript.

Abstract: A portable development and execution framework for processing media objects. The framework involves: accepting an instruction to perform a media processing function; accepting a media object to be associated with the media processing function; wrapping the media object with an attribute that specifies a type and format of the media object, and a hardware domain associated with the media object; and causing an execution domain to perform the media processing function on the media object. The instruction to perform the media processing function is expressed in a form that is independent of the hardware domain associated with the media object, and may also be independent of the type and format of the media object. The media object may be an image, and the media processing function may include an image processing function performed on a GPU.

Abstract: Computer-based methods for time-based media composition of programs that include secondary material. The methods involve searching for secondary media available from secondary material providers over a wide-area network, selecting secondary material, receiving metadata pertaining to the selected secondary material, inserting a representation of the selected secondary media into a media composition, playing back a sequence of the media composition that includes the secondary media, wherein playback of the secondary media involves playing an evaluation version of the secondary media streamed to a media composition system over the wide area network, and displaying metadata pertaining to the selected secondary material. The media composition system facilitates purchasing and transfer, and re-linking of the secondary media for inclusion within the media composition.

Abstract: A transcript editor enables text-based editing of time-based media that includes spoken dialog. It involves an augmented transcript that includes timing metadata that associates words and phrases within the transcript with corresponding temporal locations within the time-based media where the text is spoken, and editing the augmented transcript without the need for playback of the time-based media. After editing, the augmented transcript is processed by a media editing system to automatically generate an edited version of the time-based media that only includes the segments of the time-based media that include the speech corresponding to the edited augmented transcript.

Abstract: An editing system handles offspeed and full speed playback of long GOP compressed video information by having one decoder for full-speed or slower forward playback of long GOP compressed motion video information, and a second single-frame, stateless decoder for use for off-speed playback. When compressed data is read from a file, the compressed data for at least one complete group of pictures is read into a buffer, herein called a compressed data buffer. A data structure, herein called a frame ring, is constructed to describe each image in the compressed data buffer. The single-frame, stateless decoder receives decompression parameters in addition to the compressed data for each image from this buffer. If the compressed data is a B-frame or P-frame, then uncompressed data for any other images (i.e., reference frames) required by the decoder to decompress the frame also is input to the single-frame, stateless decoder.

Abstract: A detection system includes a base station and a sensor. The base station defines a detection area and is configured to transmit a detection signal at a first frequency. The base station is further configured to facilitate selective variation of the detection area. The sensor is configured to detect the detection signal and transmit a communication signal at a second frequency in response to the detection signal. Movement of the sensor between the detection area and an area outside of the detection area affects detection of the detection signal. The first frequency is less than the second frequency.

Abstract: An image sequence captured at a first image rate is encoded as an encoded image sequence at a second image rate with information in the encoded image sequence indicative of images that are repeated when decoded. To assist in editing a video program using the encoded image sequence, the information in the encoded image sequence indicative of images that are repeated when decoded may be cleared. Further, image index information for the encoded image sequence may be generated. This image index information is used to map a temporal position of an image in a decoded image sequence to a position of corresponding data in the encoded image sequence. Temporal positions used with the image index information correspond to the first image rate.

Abstract: One or more digital audio systems, such as a digital audio workstation, and one or more digital video systems, such as a video server, are interconnected by a computer network. A communication protocol among the systems using the computer network enables the systems to play back in synchronization. The communication protocol defines several states for connections between systems. In particular, two systems may be disconnected, connected and unlinked or connected and linked. Each system transitions through defined state changes that are caused by a sequence of commands in the communication protocol, called a play start sequence, to initiate synchronized playback. The play start sequence can be initiated by any of the linked systems. The communication protocol includes a mechanism for distributing a running time clock from the digital audio system for synchronizing with the digital video system when the digital audio system and digital video system are not both synchronized by the same video reference signal.

Abstract: If motion video data is stored in a scalable format, such as motion JPEG 2000, in computer files on disk drives, then access to only the lower bandwidth data requires skipping around within a data file to locate only the desired data for a specified progression dimension for each image. This skipping around causes seek and rotational latency to occur for each image, and increases access time per image and lowering the available bandwidth for reading motion video from the storage system. Such increases in access time significantly degrade performance of local and shared storage systems, particularly for video editing and other video playback systems used in production, post-production and broadcast operations. To improve the performance of such systems, motion video data stored in a scalable format is processed so as to copy the lower bandwidth data into a separate file.