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AssigneeLex Computer and Management Corporation
InventorChester L. Schuler
Estimating the term…
A video composition apparatus and method select segments from image source material stored on at least one storage media (either random access and/or serial access) and denote serially connected sequences of the segments to thereby form a composition sequence. The apparatus and method employ a pictorial labels associated with each frame of image source material, and also associates at least one of such labels with each segment for ease of manipulating the segments to form the composition sequence. The labels are displayed on a plurality of ordered spatial arrays of display monitors to simulate the temporal relationship between the segments in what is typically a "snapshot" non-temporal display. The composition control function is highly user interactive and responds to user commands for selectively displaying segments from the source material on a pictorial display. The control function allows the user to denote a start and end of each of a plurality of selected segments to form defined segments, identify each selected segment by a pictorial image segment label which is displayed as described above, and assemble the selected and defined segments, and the corresponding labels, into a serially connected image sequence and a serially connected label sequence corresponding to the image sequence. The composition mode of operation employs continuous looping of the display segment(s) to aid the composing process.
Composing apparatus for selecting segments from image source material stored in at lease one storage medium and for denoting serially connected sequences of said segments, said apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Electronic editing of analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals: with computer assistance
Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals: on discs
Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel: by using information not detectable on the record carrier
By using information detectable on the record carrier: by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording
Term ended 19 Dec 2012 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for composing visual source material. In particular, the invention provides an apparatus and method for dynamically composing stored source material for producing a composition sequence, the electronic data necessary to form the composition sequence, or edited output.
Over the past two decades, video tape has substantially replaced the traditional photographic, e.g. silver halide, and other "non-electronic" film as the preferred media on which to film or compose a movie, news, or other program material. The increasing use of video tape has occurred despite certain inherent limitations associated with video tape in comparison with traditional film. Video tape, like a developed photographic film, is inherently a "serial access" medium; however an editor is unable to "scc" the images on the video tape medium. The video editor must instead rely upon electronic apparatus to read and view the images and to compose them to produce an edited product. To the contrary, the film editor is able to have "hands-on" access to the film and can directly view the visual scenes thereon. The film editor can cut and splice the film in the editing room.
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the composing apparatus in accordance with the present invention.
FIGS. 1A-1C illustrates a second embodiment of the composing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed schematic block diagram of the electrical circuitry according to the invention.
1. General Description of the Apparatus
The illustrated embodiment of the invention is directed to composing image source material stored in an electronic memory medium, for example, video tape used in conjunction with a video tape machine, to produce a sequential grouping of segments making up a program or story. In some applications, composition can, but need not, further include the editing function of creating a final edited master. Typically, the image source material either is derived from already existing, production quality video tape(s) or is provided, in real time, from one or more external sources, such as cameras, for recording on video tape.
In its standard format, the video signal has a plurality of frames, each frame having two fields. The video is displayed for normal viewing at a rate of thirty frames per second. When the video tape is prepared, the recording device associates with each field a specific address or identification tag. The address is typically written in accordance with the SMPTE time code, a standard used throughout the television industry. Thus, irrespective of the source of the video material, there is associated with each field of the recorded signal, a unique address or location which is read when the field is read or otherwise retrieved.