Method and apparatus for efficiently representing storing and accessing video information

A method for browsing a video program stored in a mass storage unit, said video program comprising a plurality of scenes, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a database associated with the stored video program, said database comprising attribute information associated with at least a representative portion of said plurality of video frames forming each scene, where said plurality of scenes comprise a plurality of video frames including a key frame comprising a mosaic of an intra-scene background layer;
• formulating a query utilizing attribute information associated with a desired video frame;
• searching said database to identify video frames substantially satisfying said query;
• and
• retrieving, from said mass storage unit, one or more of said identified video frames.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of

• instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which,
• when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
• (a) segmenting a video stream into a plurality of scenes, each of said scenes comprising at least one video frame;
• (b) dividing, using intra-scene motion analysis, at least one of said plurality of scenes into at least one scene foreground layer and a scene background layer;
• representing each scene background layer as a mosaic, said background layer mosaic defining a key frame of a respective scene;
• and
• representing each of said at least one video frames forming said scene as a difference between initial video frame imagery and a respective portion of said key frame.