# US 9,436,688 B2 · Durational referencing cue points for linking multimedia files > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,436,688 B2 - Document ID: US9436688B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/128,375 - Filed: 2008-05-28 - Published: 2014-01-30 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2008-05-28 - Assignees: Adobe Systems Incorporated - Applicants: Anant Gilra; Ashish Duggal - Inventors: Anant Gilra; Ashish Duggal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436688B2 ## CPC - G06F 16/48: Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract In some example embodiments, a system and method are illustrated to link a plurality of scenes from at least one multimedia file. The system and method include loading a plurality of multimedia files including a first and second multimedia file. The first multimedia file includes a first scene, and the second multimedia file includes a second scene. The system and method include linking the first scene with the second scene. The linking includes connecting a first durational data for the first scene with a second durational data for the second scene. The first durational data identifies a first start location and a first end location for the first scene. The second durational data identifies a second start location and a second end location for the second scene. The system and method further include generating a linked durational data file as a result of the linking. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer implemented method, comprising: loading a plurality of multimedia files including a first and a second multimedia file, the first multimedia file comprising a first plurality of scenes including a first scene associated with a first durational cue point that includes first metadata identifying the first scene as a summary scene and specifying first durational data, and the second multimedia file comprising a second plurality of scenes including a second scene associated with a second durational cue point that includes second metadata identifying the second scene as a summary scene and specifying second durational data; receiving a request to play a summary of the plurality of multimedia files; searching the multimedia files to identify scenes associated with durational cue points having metadata identifying the scenes as summary scenes, the searching identifying at least the first scene and the second scene based on the first metadata identifying the first scene as a summary scene and the second metadata identifying the second scene as a summary scene; linking the first scene with the second scene, the linking including connecting the first durational data from the first metadata, identifying a first start location and a first end location for the first scene, with the second durational data from the second metadata, identifying a second start location and a second end location for the second scene; and generating a linked durational data file as a result of the linking, the linked durational data file providing the summary of the multimedia files and including the first scene and the second scene from the first and second multimedia files. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the linking the first scene with the second scene includes: associating first category information of the first scene with the first durational data; and associating second category information of the second scene with the second durational data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the linking of the first scene with the second scene is based upon category information of the second scene matching category information of the first scene. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein linking the first scene with the second scene includes bi-directional linking. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first multimedia file is the same as the second multimedia file. ### Claim 6 A computer implemented method, comprising: loading a plurality of multimedia files including a first and a second multimedia file, the first multimedia file comprising a first plurality of scenes including a first scene associated with a first durational cue point that includes first metadata specifying first category information describing the first scene and first durational data specifying a start location and end location for the first scene, the second multimedia file comprising a second plurality of scenes including a second scene associated with a second durational cue point that includes second metadata specifying second category information describing the second scene and second durational data specifying a start location and end location for the second scene; identifying a trigger to play one or more prerequisite scenes or one or more summary scenes associated with the first scene, the trigger including the first category information describing the first scene; locating the second scene based upon comparison of the first category information describing the first scene and the second category information describing the second scene; playing the second scene using the second durational data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying of the trigger to play the one or more prerequisite scenes or one or more summary scenes associated with the first scene includes receiving the trigger from an input device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the locating of the second scene further comprises: assigning a rank to each of a plurality of durational data; and arranging the plurality of durational data using the rank. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the rank is based upon values including at least one of a preference, a viewing history, a degree of similarity, or a number of category matches for a corresponding scene. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the rank changes dynamically. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the playing of the second scene includes varying a length of the second scene to be played based upon a rank of the second durational data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether to play the second scene based upon a rank of the second durational data. ### Claim 13 A computer system, comprising: at least one processor, at least one memory device, and at least one network interface device: a loading engine, stored in the at least one memory device and executable on the at least one processor, to load a plurality of multimedia files including a first and a second multimedia file, the first multimedia file comprising a first plurality of scenes including a first scene associated with a first durational cue point that includes first metadata identifying the first scene as a summary scene and specifying first durational data, and the second multimedia file comprising a second plurality of scenes including a second scene associated with a second durational cue point that includes second metadata identifying the second scene as a summary scene and specifying second durational data; a search engine stored in the at least one memory device and executable on the at least one processor to: receive, via the at least one network interface device, a request to play a summary of the plurality of multimedia files; search the multimedia files to identify scenes associated with durational cue points having metadata identifying the scenes as summary scenes, the searching identifying at least the first scene and the second scene based on the first metadata identifying the first scene as a summary scene and the second metadata identifying the second scene as a summary scene; a linking engine, stored in the at least one memory device and executable on the at least one processor, to link the first scene with the second scene, the linking including connecting the first durational data from the first metadata, identifying a first start location and a first end location for the first scene, with the second durational data from the second metadata, identifying a second start location and a second end location for the second scene; and a generating engine, stored in the at least one memory device and executable on the at least one processor, to generate a linked durational data file as a result of the linking, the linked durational data file providing the summary of of the multimedia files and including the first scene and the second scene from the first and second multimedia files. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer system of claim 13, wherein the linking engine associates first category information of the first scene with the first durational data and associates second category information of the second scene with the second durational data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The computer system of claim 13, wherein the linking engine links the first scene with the second scene based upon category information of the second scene matching category information of the first scene. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The computer system of claim 13, wherein the linking engine links the first scene with the second scene bi-directionally. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The computer system of claim 13, wherein the first multimedia file is the same as the second multimedia file. ### Claim 18 A computer system, comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory device; a loading engine, stored in the at least one memory device and executable on the at least one processor, to load a plurality of multimedia files including a first and a second multimedia file, the first multimedia file comprising a first plurality of scenes including a first scene associated with a first durational cue point that includes first metadata specifying first category information describing the first scene and first durational data specifying a start location and end location for the first scene, the second multimedia file comprising a second plurality of scenes including a second scene associated with a second durational cue point that includes second metadata specifying second category information describing the second scene and second durational data specifying a start location and end location for the second scene; an identification engine, stored in the at least one memory device and executable on the at least one processor, to identify a trigger to play one or more prerequisite scenes or one or more summary scenes associated with the first scene, the trigger including the first category information describing the first scene; a location engine, stored in the at least one memory device and executable on the at least one processor, to locate the second scene based upon comparison of the first category information describing the first scene and the second category information describing the second scene; a playing engine, stored in the at least one memory device and executable on the at least one processor, to play the second scene using the second durational data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer system of claim 18, wherein the identification engine receives the trigger to play the one or more prerequisite scenes or one or more summary scenes associated with the first scene from an input device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The computer system of claim 18, wherein the location engine assigns a rank to each of a plurality of durational data and arranges the plurality of durational data using the rank. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer system of claim 20, wherein the rank is based upon values including at least one of a preference, a viewing history, a degree of similarity, or a number of category matches for a corresponding scene. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The computer system of claim 20, wherein the rank changes dynamically. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The computer system of claim 20, wherein the playing engine varies a length of the second scene to be played based upon a rank of the second durational data. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The computer system of claim 20, wherein the playing engine determines whether to play the second scene based upon a rank of the second durational data. ### Claim 25 An apparatus comprising: means for loading a plurality of multimedia files including a first and a second multimedia file, the first multimedia file comprising a first plurality of scenes including a first scene associated with a first durational cue point that includes first metadata identifying the first scene as a summary scene and specifying first durational data, and the second multimedia file comprising a second plurality of scenes including a second scene associated with a second durational cue point that includes second metadata identifying the second scene as a summary scene and specifying second durational data; means for receiving a request to play a summary of the plurality of multimedia files; means for searching the multimedia files to identify scenes associated with durational cue points having metadata identifying the scenes as summary scenes, the searching identifying at least the first scene and the second scene based on the first metadata identifying the first scene as a summary scene and the second metadata identifying the second scene as a summary scene; means for linking the first scene with the second scene, the linking including connecting the first durational data from the first metadata, identifying a first start location and a first end location for the first scene, with the second durational data from the second metadata, identifying a second start location and a second end location for the second scene; and means for generating a linked durational data file as a result of the linking, the linked durational data file providing the summary of the multimedia files and including the first scene and the second scene from the first and second multimedia files. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first multimedia file is the same as the second multimedia file. ### Claim 27 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instruction stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: load a plurality of multimedia files including a first and a second multimedia file, the first multimedia file comprising a first plurality of scenes including a first scene associated with a first durational cue point that includes first metadata identifying the first scene as a summary scene and specifying first durational data, and the second multimedia file comprising a second plurality of scenes including a second scene associated with a second durational cue point that includes second metadata identifying the second scene as a summary scene and specifying second durational data; receive a request to play a summary of the plurality of multimedia files; search the multimedia files to identify scenes associated with durational cue points having metadata identifying the scenes as summary scenes, the searching identifying at least the first scene and the second scene based on the first metadata identifying the first scene as a summary scene and the second metadata identifying the second scene as a summary scene; link the first scene with the second scene, the linking including connecting the first durational data from the first metadata, identifying a first start location and a first end location for the first scene, with the second durational data from the second metadata, identifying a second start location and a second end location for the second scene; and generate a linked durational data file as a result of the linking, the linked durational data file providing the summary of the multimedia files and including the first scene and the second scene from the first and second multimedia files. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the first multimedia file is the same as the second multimedia file.