# US 8,543,922 B1 · Editing within single timeline > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,922 B1 - Document ID: US8543922B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 12/861,599 - Filed: 2010-08-23 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2004-04-16 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Gregory E. Niles; John Gabriel Foster; Charles Migos - Inventors: Gregory E. Niles; John Gabriel Foster; Charles Migos - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543922B1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0483: Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor - G11B 27/34: Indicating arrangements {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract Video clips are depicted both in an overall layer and in a set of individual tracks, or rows. The user can cause the display to be expanded or collapsed, as desired, so as to reveal or hide the individual tracks. Video clips are fully editable in either the expanded or collapsed viewing modes. When the collapsed mode is in effect, bars representing individual video clips are still visible, and can be individually selected and manipulated. When the expanded mode is in effect, separate tracks are shown for each individual clip, but the overall layer remains visible, and the individual video clips also remain visible, selectable, and manipulable within the overall layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for editing a project comprising a plurality of media clips, comprising: displaying an overview layer comprising a first editable representation of each of at least a subset of the plurality of media clips that comprise the project, wherein the overview layer is oriented along an axis representing time, and wherein each first editable representation has a dimension along the axis representing a temporal length of a corresponding one of the at least a subset of the plurality of media clips; displaying, for each of the plurality of media clips, a track comprising a second editable representation of a corresponding one of the plurality of media clips, wherein the track is oriented along the axis representing time, and wherein the second editable representation has a dimension along the axis representing a temporal length of the corresponding one of the plurality of media clips, and wherein the track and the overview layer are concurrently displayed; and wherein editing the at least one of the first and second editable representations manipulates a corresponding one of the plurality of media clips. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: updating a first editable representation responsive to edits made to a corresponding one of the second editable representations; and updating a second editable representation responsive to edits made to a corresponding one of the first editable representations. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the overview layer comprises displaying first editable representations of all media clips in the plurality of media clips. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one media clip overlaps another media clip, and wherein displaying the overview layer comprises displaying first editable representations of all media clips that do not overlap other media clips. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one media clip overlaps another media clip to create overlapping media clips, and wherein displaying the overview layer comprises displaying an overlap region indicating an extent to which the overlapping media clips overlap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein displaying the tracks corresponding to the overlapping media clips comprises displaying editable second representations of the overlapping media clips. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein displaying each first editable representation of a media clip comprises displaying the representation aligned along a second axis with a corresponding second editable representation of the same media clip. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first axis is horizontal and the second axis is vertical. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first axis is vertical and the second axis is horizontal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second editable representations is displayed so that the start and end locations of each of the first and second editable representations represent the start time and end time a corresponding media clip. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to a collapse command, collapsing the display to hide the tracks. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising, responsive to an expand command, expanding the display to show the tracks. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a plurality of overview layers, each overview layer being associated with at least one track. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at least one selected from the group consisting of shortening, lengthening, moving, and deleting a media clip responsive to user actions with respect to either a corresponding one of the first editable representations and a corresponding one of the second editable representations. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a drop menu in response to the user dragging a media clip to a destination location within at least one of the overview layer and the track, the drop menu comprising a plurality of commands for integrating the dragged media clip at the destination location. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the drop menu is context-sensitive based on the destination location. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a canvas comprising spatially movable representations of at least a second subset of the plurality of media clips. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising updating the spatially movable representations responsive to edits made to a corresponding the first or second editable representation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising updating a first and second editable representation in the timeline display responsive to edits made to a corresponding spatially movable representation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising selecting a first and second editable representation responsive to user selection of a corresponding spatially movable representation. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising selecting a spatially movable representation responsive to user selection of a corresponding first or second editable representation. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input for editing at least one of the first and second editable representations. ### Claim 23 A computer program product for editing a project comprising a plurality of media clips, comprising: a computer-readable storage medium; and computer program code, encoded on the medium, for: displaying an overview layer comprising a first editable representation of each of at least a subset of the plurality of media clips that comprise the project, wherein the overview layer is oriented along an axis representing time, and wherein each first editable representation has a dimension along the axis representing a temporal length of a corresponding one of the at least a subset of the plurality of media clips; displaying, for each of the plurality of media clips, a track comprising a second editable representation of a corresponding one of the plurality of media clips, wherein the track is oriented along the axis representing time, and wherein the second editable representation has a dimension along the axis representing a temporal length of the corresponding one of the plurality of media clips, and wherein the track and the overview layer are concurrently displayed; and wherein editing the at least one of the first and second editable representations manipulates a corresponding one of the plurality of media clips. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program code is further configured for receiving user input for editing at least one of the first and second editable representations. ### Claim 25 A system for editing a project comprising a plurality of media clips, comprising: an output device for displaying a timeline display, the timeline display comprising: an overview layer comprising a first editable representation of each of at least a subset of the plurality of media clips that comprise the project, wherein the overview layer is oriented along an axis representing time, and wherein each first editable representation has a dimension along the axis representing a temporal length of a corresponding one of the at least a subset of the plurality of media clips; for each of the plurality of media clips, a track comprising a second editable representation of a corresponding one of the plurality of media clips, wherein the track is oriented along the axis representing time, and wherein the second editable representation has a dimension along the axis representing a temporal length of the corresponding one of the plurality of media clips, and wherein the track and the overview layer are concurrently displayed; and wherein editing the at least one of the first and second editable representations manipulates a corresponding one of the plurality of media clips. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25, further comprising an input device for receiving user input for editing at least one of the first and second editable representations