Annotation framework for video

A method for processing annotations associated with a media file, the method comprising:

• determining a feature from content of a first segment of a first instance of the media file;
• requesting from a server an annotation associated with the media file, the request including the feature for the server to search for the feature in a second instance of the media file to identify a second segment of the second instance of the media file;
• receiving from the server a response to the request, said response comprising an annotation associated with the second segment of the second instance of the media file;
• and
• processing the annotation.

A method for storing annotations comprising:

• receiving from a first client device a first annotation associated with a first segment of a first instance of a media file;
• receiving a feature derived from the content of the first segment of the first instance of the media file;
• searching for the feature in a second instance of the media file to identify a second segment of the second instance of the media file, the second instance of the media file stored at a host device remotely located from the first client device;
• and
• storing the first annotation, wherein the first annotation is indexed to the second segment of the second instance of the media file.

A system for indexing annotations comprising:

• a feature detector, configured to search for a feature in a first instance of a media file to map a second instance of the media file to the first instance of the media file, the feature derived from the content of the second instance of the media file;
• an annotation retriever, configured to retrieve an annotation indexed to the first instance of the media file;
• and
• an annotation indexer, configured to index the annotation to the second instance of the media file using the mapping.

A system for retrieving annotations, the system comprising:

• means for receiving from a client device a request for annotations associated with a first segment of a first instance of a media file, the request including a feature derived from the content of the first segment of the first instance of the media file;
• means for searching for the feature in a second instance of the media file to identify a second segment of the second instance of the media file, the second instance of the media file stored at a host device remotely located from the client device;
• means for retrieving an annotation associated with the second segment of the second instance of the media file;
• and
• means for transmitting the annotation to the client device for display thereon.

A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable code for retrieving annotations, the computer-executable code configured to cause a computer processor to perform the operations of:

• receiving from a client device a request for annotations associated with a first segment of a first instance of a media file, the request including a feature derived from the content of the first segment of the first instance of the media file;
• searching for the feature in a second instance of the media file to identify a second segment of the second instance of the media file, the second instance of the media file stored at a host device remotely located from the client device;
• retrieving an annotation associated with the second segment of the second instance of the media file;
• and
• transmitting the annotation to the client device for processing thereon.

A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable code for processing annotations associated with a media file, the computer-executable code configured to cause a computer processor to perform the operations of:

• determining a feature from content of a first segment of a first instance of the media file;
• requesting from a server an annotation associated with the media file, the request including the feature for the server to search for the feature in a second instance of the media file to identify a second segment of the second instance of the media file;
• receiving from the server a response to the request, said response comprising an annotation associated with the second segment of the second instance of the media file;
• and
• processing the annotation.

A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable code for storing annotations, the computer-executable code configured to cause a computer processor to perform the operations of:

• receiving from a first client device a first annotation associated with a first segment of a first instance of a media file;
• receiving a feature derived from the content of the first segment of the first instance of the media file;
• searching for the feature in a second instance of the media file to identify a second segment of the second instance of the media file, the second instance of the media file stored at a host device remotely located from the first client device;
• and
• storing the first annotation, wherein the first annotation is indexed to the second segment of the second instance of the media file.

A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable code configured to cause a computer processor to perform the operations of:

• storing a first instance of a media file having audio-visual content;
• storing a second instance of the media file, the second instance of the media file containing audio-visual content that is different at least in part from the first instance of the media file;
• receiving a feature derived from the audio-visual content of a first segment of the first instance of the media file;
• searching for the feature in the second instance of the media file to identify a second segment of the second instance of the media file;
• and
• storing a mapping of the first segment to the second segment.