Video editing scheme using icons directly obtained from coded video data

A video editing method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) decoding and displaying coded video data on a video display device;
• (b) detecting events including scene changes, from the coded video data;
• (c) producing icons from the coded video data in correspondence to the events detected by the step (b);
• (d) determining playback possible positions from which the coded video data can be playbacked smoothly;
• (e) managing an index information including an information on the icons produced by the step (c) and the playback possible positions determined by the step (d);
• (f) displaying a plurality of icons produced by the step (c) on a single display, and allowing a user to specify a desired icon among said plurality of icons on the single display;
• and
• (g) obtaining one playback possible position corresponding to the desired icon specified by the user at the step (f) according to the index information managed by the step (e), and supplying the coded video data to the video display device starting from said one playback possible position.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to function as a video editing system in which coded video data are decoded and displayed by a video display device, the computer readable program means including:
• first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to function as an event detection unit for detecting events including scene changes, from the coded video data;
• second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to function as an icon production unit for producing icons from the coded video data in correspondence to the events detected by the first computer readable program code means;
• third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to function as a playback possible position detection unit for determining playback possible positions from which the coded video data can be playbacked smoothly;
• fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to function as an index information management unit for managing an index information including an information on the icons produced by the second computer readable program code means and the playback possible positions determined by the third computer readable program code means;
• fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to function as a user interface for displaying a plurality of icons produced by the second computer readable program code means on a single display, and allowing a user to specify a desired icon among said plurality of icons on the single display;
• and
• sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to function as a control unit for obtaining one playback possible position corresponding to the desired icon specified by the user at the user interface according to the index information managed by the fourth computer readable program code means, and supplying the coded video data to the video display device starting from said one playback possible position.