Abstract: Provides a system for detecting an intersection between more than one panoramic video sequence and detecting the orientation of the sequences forming the intersection. Video images and corresponding location data are received. If required, the images and location data is processed to ensure the images contain location data. An intersection between two paths is then derived from the video images by deriving a rough intersection between two images, determining a neighborhood for the two images, and dividing each image in the neighborhood into strips. An identifying value is derived from each strip to create a row of strip values which are then converted to the frequency domain. A distance measure is taken between strips in the frequency domain, and the intersection is determined from the images having the smallest distance measure between them.

Abstract: A method for measuring the similarity between the beat spectra of two or more audio works. A distance formula is used to measure the similarity by rhythm and tempo between shortened beat spectra B1(L) and B2(L). The result is a vector which measures the similarity of rhythm and tempo. A distance formula is used to measure the rhythmic similarity between the scaled beat spectra B1(L) and B2(L). The result is a measure of rhythmically similar music regardless of the tempo. The method can be used in a wide variety of applications, including concatenating music with similar tempos, automatic music sequencing, classification of music into genres, search for music with similar rhythmic structures, search for music with similar rhythmic and tempo structures, and ranking music according to a similarity measure.

Abstract: Optimal summaries of a linear media source are automatically produced by parameterizing a linear media source. The parameterized linear media source is used to create a similarity array in which each array element includes the value of a similarity measurement between a two portions of the parameterized media signal. A segment fitness function, adapted for measuring the similarity between a segment of the parameterized media signal and the entire parameterized media signal, is optimized to find an optimal segment location. The portion of the linear media source corresponding to the optimal segment location is selected as the optimal summary. This method produces optimal summaries of any type of linear media, such as video, audio, or text information.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for easily creating a video collage from a video is provided. By segmenting the video into a set number of video segments and providing an interface for a user to select images which represent the video segments and insert the selected images into a video collage template, a video collage may be easily created in a short amount of time. The system is designed to assign values to the video inserted in a video collage and compact the video based on these values thereby creating a small file which may be easily stored or transmitted.

Abstract: A method of extracting audio excerpts comprises: segmenting audio data into a plurality of audio data segments; setting a fitness criteria for the plurality of audio data segments; analyzing the plurality of audio data segments based on the fitness criteria; and selecting one of the plurality of audio data segments that satisfies the fitness criteria. In various exemplary embodiments, the method of extracting audio excerpts further comprises associating the selected one of the plurality of audio data segments with video data. In such embodiments, associating the selected one of the plurality of audio data segments with video data may comprise associating the selected one of the plurality of audio data segments with a keyframe.

Abstract: Systems and methods generate a video for virtual reality wherein the video is both panoramic and spatially indexed. In embodiments, a video system includes a controller, a database including spatial data, and a user interface in which a video is rendered in response to a specified action. The video includes a plurality of images retrieved from the database. Each of the images is panoramic and spatially indexed in accordance with a predetermined position along a virtual path in a virtual environment.

Abstract: A measure of importance is calculated for segmented parts of a video. The segmented parts are determined by segmenting the video into component shots and then merging by iteration the component shots based on similarity or other factors. Segmentation may also be determined by clustering frames of the video, and creating segments from the same cluster ID. The measure of importance is calculated based on a normalized weight of each segment and on length and rarity of each shot/segmented part. The importance measure may be utilized to generate a video summary by selecting the most important segments and generating representative frames for the selected segments. A thresholding process is applied to the importance score to provide a predetermined number or an appropriate number generated on the fly of shots or segments to be represented by frames. The representative frames are then packed into the video summary.

Abstract: Techniques segmenting ordered information such as audio, video and text are provided by windowing and parameterizing an ordered information stream and storing of the parameterized and windowed information into a two-dimensional representation such as a matrix. The similarity between the parameter vectors is determined and an orthogonal matrix decomposition such as singular value decomposition is applied to the similarity matrix. The singular values or eigenvalues of the resulting decomposition indicate major components or segments of the ordered information. The boundaries of the major components may be determined using the determined singular vectors to provide, for example, smart cut-and-paste of ordered information in which boundaries are automatically identified by the singular vectors; automatic categorization and retrieval of ordered information and automatic summarization of ordered information.

Abstract: The systems and methods of this invention watermark an original data file using dimensional compression and expansion. The original data file extends along a given dimension and has portions that extend along that given dimension. The information is embedded into the data file by selectively dimensionally compressing or expanding a size of each of some or all of the portions along the given dimension, which can be space or time. The portions of the data file are selectively dimensionally expanded or compressed according to a given encoding scheme. This encoding scheme can use the kind of modification, the relationships between the type of modification between adjacent portions, or the duration or degree of compression or expansion to store a portion of the embedded information. The portions of the embedded information can be individual bits of binary or trinary information, or can be a portion of analog information.

Abstract: A camera array captures plural component images which are combined into a single scene. In one embodiment, each camera of the array is a fixed digital camera. The images from each camera are warped to a common coordinate system and the disparity between overlapping images is reduced using disparity estimation techniques.

Abstract: Methods for segmenting audio-video recording of meetings containing slide presentations by one or more speakers are described. These segments serve as indexes into the recorded meeting. If an agenda is provided for the meeting, these segments can be labeled using information from the agenda. The system automatically detects intervals of video that correspond to presentation slides. Under the assumption that only one person is speaking during an interval when slides are displayed in the video, possible speaker intervals are extracted from the audio soundtrack by finding these regions. Since the same speaker may talk across multiple slide intervals, the acoustic data from these intervals is clustered to yield an estimate of the number of distinct speakers and their order. Clustering the audio data from these intervals yields an estimate of the number of different speakers and their order.

Abstract: A media browser, graphical user interface and method for browsing a media file wherein a user selects at least one feature in a media file and is provided with information regarding the existence of the selected feature in the media file. Based on the information, the user can identify and playback portions of interest in a media file. Features in a media file, such as a speaker's identity, applause, silence, motion, or video cuts, are preferably automatically time-wise evaluated in the media file using known methods. Metadata generated based on the time-wise feature evaluation are preferably mapped to confidence score values that represent a probability of a corresponding feature's existence in the media file. Confidence score information is preferably presented graphically to a user as part of a graphical user interface, and is used to interactively browse the media file.

Abstract: Techniques for classifying video frames using statistical models of transform coefficients are disclosed. After optionally being decimated in time and space, image frames are transformed using a discrete cosine transform or Hadamard transform. The methods disclosed model image composition and operate on grayscale images. The resulting transform matrices are reduced using truncation, principal component analysis, or linear discriminant analysis to produce feature vectors. Feature vectors of training images for image classes are used to compute image class statistical models. Once image class statistical models are derived, individual frames are classified by the maximum likelihood resulting from the image class statistical models. Thus, the probabilities that a feature vector derived from a frame would be produced from each of the image class statistical models are computed.

Abstract: A computer system includes a computer processor, an operating system operative in connection with the computer processor, and a display responsive to the operating system. The system also has a pointing device that includes a position sensor and a tactile actuator. A pointing device driver is responsive to the position sensor, and the tactile actuator is responsive to the pointing device driver. A general-purpose application is responsive to the pointing device driver and to the operating system and in communication with the display, and the pointing device driver is also responsive to the general purpose application. The system further includes a profile that maps region changes associated with material displayed on the screen to tactile signals to be sent to the tactile actuator.