Abstract: An information processing method according to the present invention for editing multimedia content including metadata includes a receiving step and a determining step. In the receiving step, operation information about an editing operation is received. In the determining step, it is determined whether or not the metadata is usable for the edited multimedia content in accordance with the operation information and a property of the metadata in which a change in the reliability of the metadata due to the editing operation is written.

Abstract: The present invention provides an information processor for easily inserting a suitable transition clip between scenes for editing data. The information processor for editing input data performs an obtaining step of obtaining metadata of the data; a selecting step of selecting a transition clip used for adding a transition effect to the data based on the metadata; and a processing step of adding a transition effect to the data by using the transition clip.

Abstract: In storing main information such moving image data and metadata accompanying the main information, for a metadata item for which a plurality of description forms are present, a priority table in which the priority of each description form is set for each item is held in advance. Under limitation conditions related to metadata storage due to the data collection time of metadata or the calculation time of a value corresponding to a description form, a metadata item and description form are employed in descending order of priority held in the priority table (S122) whereby metadata is formed and stored in correspondence with main information (S126). With this arrangement, it is reliably possible to use supplementary information in a form that can be used at least in wide-ranging devices and control schemes, and it is also possible to use supplementary information that can make use of the characteristic feature of each device or control scheme.

Abstract: Metadata corresponding to each segment is added to a content. Each metadata describes a metadata item such as the dominant color or person of the segment. Each metadata item describes metametadata for representing an editing content to the content that influences the effectiveness of the metadata item. When the content is edited, an information processing apparatus adds to the metametadata a description representing executed editing. From the metametadata, the information processing apparatus which processes the content can determine the effectiveness of each metadata item. As a result, the effectiveness of each metadata can be reliably determined.

Abstract: According to this invention, upon managing a plurality of data by individually appending meta data used to search for the data, an input sheet that describes predetermined candidates of meta data is prepared, the user selects meta data from the candidates of meta data, and the selected meta data is saved in association with the data. Upon making a search, a data search is conducted using meta data, and after the data found by search are partially provided to the user, the user selects desired data. In this way, everyone can easily and efficiently append information for a search to data to be managed.