Apparatus and method for identifying insertion zones in video material and for inserting additional material into the insertion zones

A method for detecting insertion zones within pre-recorded video material, the insertion zones identifying portions of frames of the pre-recorded video material into which additional material may be inserted, the method comprising:

• determining one or more candidate insertion zones within the pre-recorded video material based on one or more of a zone shape, a zone size, a zone duration, a zone movement or a zone color in the pre-recorded video material;
• generating candidate insertion zone meta data defining attributes of the one or more candidate insertion zones, said candidate insertion zone meta data being for use in the insertion of additional material and for generation of an output representative of the pre-recorded video material with said additional material placed on an insertion zone such that the additional material adopts the image attributes of the insertion zone as the pre-recorded video material is played;
• detecting a plurality of scene changes in the pre-recorded video material, said scene changes separating a plurality of scenes in the pre-recorded material, wherein each of the plurality of scenes comprises different parts of the pre-recorded video material separated by the detected plurality of scene changes;
• identifying a first scene of the pre-recorded video material in which a selected insertion zone appears, the selected insertion zone being one of the one or more candidate insertion zones;
• and
• automatically identifying a second scene in which the candidate insertion zone appears, wherein the first scene and the second scene are separated from each other by a third scene in the pre-recorded video material in which the insertion zone does not appear, and wherein the identification of the first scene and the second scene in which the selected insertion zone appears is based on zone metadata associated with the selected insertion zone.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the computer readable instructions being executable by a computerized device to cause the computerized device to perform a method for detecting insertion zones within pre-recorded video material, the insertion zones identifying portions of frames of the pre-recorded video material into which additional material may be inserted, the method comprising:

• determining one or more candidate insertion zones within the pre-recorded video material based on one or more of a zone shape, a zone size, a zone duration, a zone movement, or a zone color in the pre-recorded video material;
• generating candidate insertion zone meta data defining attributes of the one or more candidate insertion zones, said candidate insertion zone meta data being for use in the insertion of additional material and for generation of an output representative of the pre-recorded video material with said additional material placed on a selected insertion zone such that the additional material adopts the image attributes of the insertion zone as the pre-recorded video material is played;
• detecting a plurality of scene changes in the pre-recorded video material, said scene changes separating a plurality of scenes in the pre-recorded material, wherein each of the plurality of scenes comprises different parts of the pre-recorded video material separated by the detected plurality of scene changes;
• identifying the selected insertion zone in a first scene of the pre-recorded video material in which the selected insertion zone appears, the selected insertion zone being one of the one or more candidate insertion zones;
• and
• automatically identify a second scene in which the selected insertion zone appears, wherein the first scene and the second scene are separated from each other by a third scene in the pre-recorded video material in which the insertion zone does not appear, and wherein the identification of the first scene and the second scene in which the selected insertion zone appears is based on zone metadata associated with the selected insertion zone.