Video processing apparatus and method

A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• acquiring a plurality of video streams each including moving picture data item and sound data item;
• extracting one or more feature values indicating a common feature between the video streams and changing in time series, by analyzing at least one of the moving picture data item and the sound data item for each video stream;
• generating a plurality of segments by dividing each of the video streams in accordance with changes in the one or more feature values, and generating associated segment groups by comparing the first feature values for each of the segments to obtain similarities and associating a plurality of segments in different video streams such that the segments included in each of the associated segment groups have a similarity not less than a first threshold value;
• extracting, from the associated segment groups, one or more common video segments in which the number of segments included therein is not less than a second threshold value;
• calculating a first summarization score indicating a degree of suitability for including the one or more common video segments in a summary video, the first summarization score being defined for each common video segment and varying with time and being based on the one or more feature values;
• selecting a common summarization segment to be used for the summary video from the common video segments based on the first summarization score;
• extracting, from the associated segment groups, one or more individual video segments in which the number of segments included therein is not more than a third threshold value that is less than the second threshold value;
• calculating a second summarization score indicating a degree of suitability for including the one or more individual video segments in the summary video, the second summarization score being defined for each individual video segment and varying with time and being based on the one or more feature values;
• selecting an individual summarization segment to be used for the summary video from the individual video segments based on the second summarization score;
• and
• integrating the common summarization segment and the individual summarization segment to create the summary video.

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• an acquisition module configured to acquire one or more still picture groups each including a plurality of still pictures;
• a first extraction module configured to extract one or more feature values indicating a common feature between the still picture groups, by analyzing the one or more still picture groups;
• a generation module configured to generate a plurality of associated still picture groups by comparing the feature values for each of the still pictures to obtain similarities and associating a plurality of still pictures such that the still pictures included in each of the associated still picture groups have a similarity not less than a first threshold value;
• a second extraction module configured to extract, from the associated still picture groups, common still picture groups in which the number of still pictures included therein is not less than a second threshold value;
• a first calculation module configured to calculate a first summarization score indicating a degree of suitability for each still picture of the common still picture groups in a summary still picture, the first summarization score being defined for each common still picture group and varying with time and being based on the one or more feature values;
• a first selection module configured to select still pictures to be used for the summary still picture as common summarization still pictures from the common still picture groups based on the first summarization score;
• a third extraction module configured to extract, from the associated still picture groups, individual still picture groups in which the number of still pictures included therein is not less than a third threshold value that is less than the second threshold value;
• a second calculation module configured to calculate a second summarization score indicating a degree of suitability for each still picture of the individual still picture groups in the summary still picture, the second summarization score being defined for each individual still picture group and varying with time and being based on the one or more feature values;
• a second selection module configured to select still pictures to be used for the summary still picture as individual summarization still pictures from the individual still picture groups based on the second summarization score;
• and
• an integration module configured to integrate the common summarization still pictures and the individual summarization still pictures to create the summary still picture.