System and method for producing a video stream

A computer software product for providing a shared digital video stream, the computer software function being arranged to, when executing, perform:

• a collecting step, wherein a first digital video stream is collected from a first digital video source and a second digital video stream is collected from a second digital video source;
• a first production step, wherein the shared digital video stream is produced as an output digital video stream based on consecutively considered frames of said first digital video stream so that image information from said first digital video source is visible in the shared digital video stream, but so that image information from said second digital video source is not visible in the shared digital video stream;
• a delaying step, wherein a latency is deliberately introduced with respect to the first and the second digital video stream;
• a trigger detection step, said first and/or second digital video stream is digitally analysed to detect at least one trigger, the analysis being based on the automatic detection of an image and/or audio pattern of predetermined type, the trigger detection step being performed based on the first and/or second digital video streams before introducing said latency, the existence of said pattern constituting the trigger, the trigger being instructive, according to a predetermined production rule, to alter the production mode of the shared digital video stream;
• a second production step, initiated in response to the detection of said trigger, wherein the shared digital video stream is produced as an output digital video stream based on consecutively considered frames of said second digital video stream so that image information from said second digital video source is visible in the shared digital video stream, and/or the shared digital video stream is produced as an output digital video stream based on consecutively considered frames of said first digital video source but with at least one of a different cropping, a different zooming, a different panning or a different focus plane selection of said first digital video stream as compared to the first production step;
• a publishing step, wherein said output digital video stream is continuously provided to a consumer of the shared digital video stream, the latency being present in the shared digital video stream;
• and
• an interaction step, wherein interaction between a first participant user and a second participant user is facilitated based on the shared digital video stream produced in the second production step, wherein:
• in the second production step, a newly added frame of the first and/or second digital video stream exists in a buffer during a time corresponding to the introduced latency before forming part of, or basis for, the output video stream, and wherein:
• the second production step utilizes information in the newly added frame to produce a frame of the shared video stream, the frame of the shared video stream being produced based on a frame of the first and/or second digital video stream that is later in relation to the newly added frame.

A system for providing a shared digital video stream, the system comprising a central server in turn comprising:

• a collecting function, arranged to collect from a first digital video source a first digital video stream and from a second digital video source a second digital video stream;
• a first production function, arranged to produce the shared digital video stream as an output digital video stream based on consecutively considered frames of said first digital video stream so that image information from said first digital video source is visible in the shared digital video stream, but so that image information from said second digital video source is not visible in the shared digital video stream;
• a delaying function, arranged to deliberately introduce a latency with respect to the first and the second digital video stream;
• a trigger detection function, arranged to digitally analyse said first and/or second digital video stream to detect at least one trigger, the analysis being based on the automatic detection of an image and/or audio pattern of predetermined type, the analysis being based on the first and/or second digital video streams before introducing said latency, the existence of said pattern constituting the trigger, the trigger being instructive, according to a predetermined production rule, to alter the production mode of the shared digital video stream;
• a second production function, arranged to be initiated in response to the detection of said trigger, and to produce the shared digital video stream as an output digital video stream based on consecutively considered frames of said second digital video stream so that image information from said second digital video source is visible in the shared digital video stream, and/or to produce the shared digital video stream as an output digital video stream based on consecutively considered frames of said first digital video source but with at least one of a different cropping, a different zooming, a different panning or a different focus plane selection of said first digital video stream as compared to the first production function;
• and
• a publishing function, arranged to continuously provide said output digital video stream to a consumer of the shared digital video stream, the latency being present in the shared digital video stream, wherein:
• the central server is arranged to facilitate interaction between a first participant user and a second participant user based on the shared digital video stream produced in the second production function, wherein:
• in the second production function, a newly added frame of the first and/or second digital video stream exists in a buffer during a time corresponding to the introduced latency before forming part of, or basis for, the output video stream, and wherein:
• the second production function utilizes information in the newly added frame to produce a frame of the shared video stream, the frame of the shared video stream being produced based on a frame of the first and/or second digital video stream that is later in relation to the newly added frame.