System and method for representing trajectories of moving objects for content-based indexing and retrieval of visual animated data

A video animated data frame file stored on a computer readable storage medium, said video animated data frame file comprising:

• a sequence of visual animated data frames portraying an object;
• and
• a descriptor data structure indicating a trajectory of the object in a coordinate space associated with the sequence of visual animated data frames, said descriptor data structure including at least one of:
• first trajectory data representative of a position of the object in the coordinate space,
• second trajectory data representative of a velocity of the object in the coordinate space, and
• third trajectory data representative of an acceleration of the object in the coordinate space;
• and
• wherein the sequence of visual animated data frames is retrievable from said computer storage readable medium in response to a user input of at least one of the position of the object in the coordinate space, the velocity of the object in the coordinate space, and the acceleration of the object in the coordinate space.

A method of generating and storing a descriptive data structure representative of a trajectory of an object, said method comprising:

• identifying the object in a sequence of visual animated data frames;
• determining the trajectory of the object in a coordinate space associated with the sequence of visual animated data frames;
• generating the descriptive data structure including at least one of:
• first trajectory data representative of a position of the object in the coordinate space,
• second trajectory data representative of a velocity of the object in the coordinate space, and
• third trajectory data representative of an acceleration of the object in the coordinate space;
• and
• storing the sequence of visual animated data frames and the descriptor data structure within a computer storage readable medium, wherein the sequence of visual animated data frames is retrievable from the computer storage readable medium in response to a user input of at least one of the position of the object in the coordinate space, the velocity of the object in the coordinate space, and the acceleration of the object in the coordinate space.