Video composition method and apparatus

Apparatus for composing image source material stored on at least one image storage medium, said source material being composed of a sequence of serially stored fields representing a time sequential visual image, sequences of said fields being associated to form visual segments, said apparatus comprising

• a pictorial display means for providing a pictorial representation of a selected current segment of interest,
• an operator control means,
• a composing control means operative with said medium and said operator control means and comprising
• means responsive to said operator control means for repetitively selecting successive current segments,
• means for repetitively making available to said display means electrical signals pictorially representing a then selected current segment,
• means for selecting from the then current segment, at least one labeling field for identifying said segment,
• operator responsive means for defining said current segment to form a current defined segment by denoting a new beginning and ending of said segment,
• means for maintaining a record of said sequences of defined segments in accordance with the label selecting and defining means, and
• means responsive to said operator control means for selectively providing electrical signals to said display means for pictorially representing at least a labeling field.

Apparatus for composing image source material stored on at least one image storage medium, said source material being composed of a sequence of stored fields representing a time sequential visual image, sequences of said fields being associated to form a visual segment, said apparatus comprising

• an active pictorial display means for providing a temporal pictorial presentation of a selected segment, designated the current segment,
• a plurality of passive pictorial display means, each for providing a visual presentation of a selected field of a sequence of fields forming a said visual segment, each said selected field thereby labeling one said visual segment,
• a plurality of storage memories,
• operator control means, and
• a composing control means operative with said medium and said operator control means, said composing control means comprising
• means responsive to said operator control means for repeatedly selecting among said sequences of fields for editing said sequences, a last selected sequence being the segment designated the current segment,
• means for repetitively providing said active display with electrical signals from said at least one storage medium pictorially representing said current segment in a repeating display,
• means for selectively supplying each said passive display means with electrical data signals representing a selected one of a sequence of said labeling fields,
• means for associating with each said current segment at least one current label field, and
• means for maintaining a record of the sequence of current segments.

A composing method for selecting segments from image source material stored in at least one storage medium and for denoting serially connected sequences of said segments, said method comprising the steps of:

• denoting a start and an end of each of a plurality of segments of said source material,
• identifying each said segment by a pictorial image segment label,
• selectively displaying segments of said image source material on a pictorial display means,
• assembling at least a plurality of said segment labels into a serially connected label sequence,
• locating any segment by displaying said pictorial labels in said label sequence, and
• displaying the segment identified by a selected label.

A method for composing image source material stored on at least one image storage medium, said source material being composed of a sequence of serially stored fields representing a time sequential visual image, sequences of said fields being associated to form visual segments, said method comprising the steps of

• providing a pictorial representation of selected current segment of interest,
• providing an operator control means,
• repetitively selecting successive current segments,
• repetitively making available for display electrical signals pictorially representing a then selected current segment,
• selecting from the then current segment at least one labeling field for identifying said segment,
• delimiting said current segment to form a current defined segment by denoting the beginning and ending of said segment,
• maintaining a record of said sequences of defined segments in accordance with the label selecting and delimiting steps, and
• selectively providing electrical signals for pictorially representing and displaying at least a labeling field.

A method for composing image source material stored on at least one image storage medium, said source material being composed of a sequence of serially stored fields representing a time sequential visual image, sequences of said fields being associated to form a visual segment, said method comprising the steps of

• providing a temporal pictorial presentation of a selected segment, designated the current segment, on an active pictorial display,
• providing on each of a plurality of passive pictorial displays a visual presentation of a selected field of a sequence of fields forming a said visual segment, each said selected field thereby labeling one said visual segment,
• repeatedly selecting among said sequences of selected label fields for composing said segment sequences, a segment associated with a last selected label field being the segment designated the current segment,
• repetitively providing said active display with electrical signals from memories for pictorially representing said current segment in a repeating display,
• selectively supplying each said passive display with electrical data signals representing a selected one of a sequence of said labeling fields,
• associating with each current segment at least one current label field, and
• maintaining a record of the sequence of current segments.