Self-improving approximator in media editing method and apparatus

A computer system for media editing comprising:

• means for receiving subject media data, the subject media data including corresponding audio data;
• means for transcribing the corresponding audio data of the subject media data, the transcribing means generating a working transcript of the corresponding audio data and associating portions of the working transcript to respective corresponding portions of the subject media data;
• display and user selection means for displaying the working transcript to a user and enabling user selection of portions of the subject media data through the displayed working transcript, the display and user selection means including, for each user selected transcript portion from the displayed working transcript, in real time, (i) obtaining the respective corresponding media data portion, (ii) combining the obtained media data portions to form a resulting media work, (iii) forming a script text corresponding to the resulting media work, and (iv) displaying the resulting media work to the user upon user command during user interaction with the displayed working transcript;
• the display and user selection means further displaying the resulting media work and corresponding script text to a user and enabling user selection of portions of the working transcript or script text through the displayed resulting media work, and
• an approximation means coupled to the display and user-selection means, the approximation means calculating for display an estimated place of occurrence in the media data of the audio data corresponding to user-selected transcript portion or user-selected script text portion.

A computer-implemented method of editing media, comprising:

• transcribing corresponding audio data of a subject media data to produce a working transcript of the audio data;
• associating portions of the working transcript to respective corresponding media data portions;
• and
• assembling a plurality of the media data portions to produce a resulting work, the media data portions corresponding to respective selected transcript portions.

In a network of computers formed of a host computer and a plurality of user computers coupled for communication with the host computer, a method of editing media comprising the steps of:

• receiving a subject media data at the host computer, the media data including corresponding audio data;
• transcribing the received subject media data to form a working transcript of the corresponding audio data;
• associating portions of the working transcript to respective corresponding portions of the subject media data;
• displaying the working transcript to a user and enabling user selection of portions of the subject media data through the displayed working transcript, said user selection including sequencing of portions of the subject media data;
• for each user selected transcript portion from the displayed working transcript, calculating for display an estimated place of occurrence in the media data of the audio data corresponding to the user-selected transcript portion;
• displaying the calculated estimated place of occurrence in a manner enabling a user to cross reference between a beginning and ending of the user-selected transcript portion and the corresponding media data;
• tracking user adjustment of the cross reference between the user-selected transcript portion and the corresponding media data;
• calculating difference between the user adjustment and the calculated estimate;
• and
• using the calculated difference in subsequent estimates in a manner that automates self-improved accuracy.