US 8,151,316 B2Granted

Synchronizing visual cues to multimedia presentation

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsJonathan Hui, Chris Yeo

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Abstract

A spatial marker specified in extensible mark-up language (XML) for use in connection with an XML-based synchronized multimedia presentation. The spatial marker specifies a visual cue for a multimedia element in the presentation, together with the visual appearance of the cue and spatial and temporal characteristics of the cue. The spatial and temporal characteristics of the cue synchronize the cue with the multimedia presentation. In operation, and upon encountering such a spatial marker, an XML-based multimedia browser displaying the multimedia presentation to a user would display the visual cue using the specified visual appearance, and in the spatial and temporal relationships with the multimedia element as specified by the spatial and temporal characteristics of the marker.

Claims16

Dependent claims

XML-based elements stored in a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium, wherein the XML-based elements are structured for use by a computer to display, via a web browser application executing on the computer, a multimedia presentation and a visual cue on a display of the computer, wherein the XML-based elements comprise at least:

a multimedia presentation element;
and
a visual cue element whose XML code is nested within the code for the multimedia presentation element, and whose XML code identifies attributes of the visual cue element relative to the multimedia presentation element;
wherein the multimedia presentation element includes access information for the multimedia presentation;
and
wherein the visual cue element, whose XML code is nested within the code for the multimedia presentation element, includes:
a visual attribute that defines a visual representation of the visual cue;
a spatial attribute that defines a boundary of the visual cue relative to a spatial position of a boundary of the multimedia presentation on the display;
and
a temporal attribute that defines temporal characteristics of the visual cue based on the start of the multimedia presentation if the multimedia presentation is being displayed in parallel, or based on the end of the multimedia presentation if the multimedia presentation is being displayed in a sequence,
wherein the computer determines whether the multimedia presentation is being displayed in parallel or in a sequence, and uses the multimedia presentation element and the nested visual cue element to access the multimedia presentation and to synchronously display on the display the visual representation of the visual cue superimposed over the multimedia presentation, during a period of time which is based on the temporal characteristics of the visual cue as defined in the temporal attribute and on the temporal progression of the multimedia presentation, and at a location which is based on the spatial characteristics of the visual cue as defined in the spatial attribute and on the spatial position of the multimedia presentation.

8 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable process steps to display a multimedia presentation and a visual cue on a display of a computer to a user, via a web browser application executing on the computer, and to process XML-based elements, wherein the XML based elements comprise:

a multimedia presentation element;
and
a visual cue element whose XML code is nested within the code for the multimedia presentation element, and whose XML code identifies attributes of the visual cue element relative to the multimedia presentation element;
wherein the multimedia presentation element includes access information for the multimedia presentation;
and
wherein the visual cue element, whose XML code is nested within the code for the multimedia presentation element, includes:
a visual attribute that defines a visual representation of the visual cue;
a spatial attribute that defines a boundary of the visual cue relative to a spatial position of a boundary of the multimedia presentation on the display;
and
a temporal attribute that defines temporal characteristics of the visual cue based on the start of the multimedia presentation if the multimedia presentation is being displayed in parallel, or based on the end of the multimedia presentation if the multimedia presentation is being displayed in a sequence,
wherein the computer-executable process steps cause the computer to execute process steps comprising:
receiving the XML-based elements including the multimedia presentation element and the nested visual cue element;
determining whether the multimedia presentation is being displayed in parallel or in a sequence;
and
using the multimedia presentation element and the nested visual cue element to access the multimedia presentation and to synchronously display on the display the visual representation of the visual cue superimposed over the multimedia presentation, during a period of time which is based on the temporal characteristics of the visual cue as defined in the temporal attribute and on the temporal progression of the multimedia presentation, and at a location which is based on the spatial characteristics of the visual cue as defined in the spatial attribute and on the spatial position of the multimedia presentation.

12 more elements

A method for displaying a multimedia presentation and a visual cue on a display of a computer executing an XML-based browser which processes XML-based elements, via a web browser application executing on the computer, wherein the XML-based elements comprise:

a multimedia presentation element;
and
a visual cue element whose XML code is nested within the code for the multimedia presentation element, and whose XML code identifies attributes of the visual cue element relative to the multimedia presentation element;
wherein the multimedia presentation element includes access information for the multimedia presentation;
and
wherein the visual cue element, whose XML code is nested within the code for the multimedia presentation element, includes:
a visual attribute that defines a visual representation of the visual cue;
a spatial attribute that defines a boundary of the visual cue relative to a spatial position of a boundary of the multimedia presentation on the display;
and
a temporal attribute that defines temporal characteristics of the visual cue based on the start of the multimedia presentation if the multimedia presentation is being displayed in parallel, or based on the end of the multimedia presentation if the multimedia presentation is being displayed in a sequence,
wherein the method comprises:
receiving the XML-based elements including the multimedia presentation element and the nested visual cue element;
determining whether the multimedia presentation is being displayed in parallel or in a sequence;
and
using the multimedia presentation element and the nested visual cue element to access the multimedia presentation and to synchronously display on the display the visual representation of the visual cue superimposed over the multimedia presentation, during a period of time which is based on the temporal characteristics of the visual cue as defined in the temporal attribute and on the temporal progression of the multimedia presentation, and at a location which is based on the spatial characteristics of the visual cue as defined in the spatial attribute and on the spatial position of the multimedia presentation.

12 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a display;
a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer-executable process steps that cause a multimedia presentation and a visual cue to be displayed on the display, via a web browser application executing on the computer, and for storing XML-based elements;
and
a processor to execute the process steps stored in the storage medium;
wherein the XML-based elements comprise:
a multimedia presentation element;
and
a visual cue element whose XML code is nested within the XML code for the multimedia presentation element;
wherein the multimedia presentation element includes access information for the multimedia presentation;
and
wherein the visual cue element, which is nested within the multimedia presentation element, includes:
a visual attribute that defines a visual representation of the visual cue;
a spatial attribute that defines a boundary of the visual cue relative to a spatial position of a boundary of the multimedia presentation on the display;
and
a temporal attribute that defines temporal characteristics of the visual cue based on the start of the multimedia presentation if the multimedia presentation is being displayed in parallel, or based on the end of the multimedia presentation if the multimedia presentation is being displayed in a sequence, and
wherein the process steps comprise:
receiving the XML-based elements including the multimedia presentation element and the nested visual cue element;
determining whether the multimedia presentation is being displayed in parallel or in a sequence;
and
using the multimedia presentation element and the nested visual cue element to access the multimedia presentation and to synchronously display on the display the visual representation of the visual cue superimposed over the multimedia presentation, during a period of time which is based on the temporal characteristics of the visual cue as defined in the temporal attribute and on the temporal progression of the multimedia presentation, and at a location which is based on the spatial characteristics of the visual cue as defined in the spatial attribute and on the spatial position of the multimedia presentation.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/637,625Filed 11 Aug 2003 · continuation
Priority: 31 Mar 1999
Published: US 2004/0030994 A112 Feb 2004
Granted: 3 Apr 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G06F 16/48
Of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data: retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not…
G06F 16/40
Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor: of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and…
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application09/282,580Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Mar 1999
US 2004/0030994 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Feb 2004
US 8,151,316 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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