Processing video files using metadata and time stamp

A method for locating an image in a sequence of images of video data, comprising:

• specifying a structure being searched, wherein the structure is described by metadata of an nth data level and by delta metadata of the nth data level;
• defining a parameter that more closely characterizes the structure;
• converting the structure and the parameter to data of a format that corresponds to that of the metadata of the nth data level and the delta metadata of the nth data level;
• locating particular metadata of the nth data level and particular delta metadata of the nth data level that corresponds to the structure and to the parameter;
• and
• linking the particular metadata of the nth data level and the particular delta metadata of the nth data level to the image in the sequence of images.

A system for processing video data, comprising:

• a software application;
• a video image memory containing video data of a sequence of images;
• and
• a database having a first data level and a second data level, wherein the software application receives the video data from the video image memory and compares the video data of a first image to the video data of a preceding image, wherein the software application identifies a geometric form from the video data, wherein the software application stores the identified geometric form as metadata of the first data level, wherein the metadata of the first data level are marked with a first time stamp that allows the geometric form to be linked to the video data of the image in the video image memory, wherein the software application extracts an object from the metadata of the first data level and stores the extracted object as metadata of the second data level, and wherein the metadata of the second data level are marked with a second time stamp that allows the extracted object to be linked to the video data of the image in the video image memory.